Results 1-20 of 431 for (in the 'Commons debates' OR in the 'Westminster Hall debates' OR in the 'Lords debates' OR in the 'Northern Ireland Assembly debates') speaker:Dan Norris

Oral Answers to Questions — Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Light Pollution (29 Oct 2009) has video

Dan Norris: DEFRA has received two recent representations, one about current legislation to tackle light nuisance, the other about future proposals to address light pollution.

Oral Answers to Questions — Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Light Pollution (29 Oct 2009) has video

Dan Norris: I thank the hon. Gentleman for his question. DEFRA is no longer involved in the light pollution aspect of the DCLG's PPS23. The DCLG is now the lead Department on that, and that work is on hold pending its decisions on planning policy reform. However, I am in regular contact with my ministerial colleagues in DCLG on issues such as rural housing, and will raise the matter with them when I next...

Oral Answers to Questions — Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Light Pollution (29 Oct 2009) has video

Dan Norris: As I mentioned, we are not the lead Department on this matter. However, I shall take my hon. Friend's point away with me and ensure that it is raised with the respective Minister next week.

Oral Answers to Questions — Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Light Pollution (29 Oct 2009) has video

Dan Norris: I give an absolute assurance that I will do that.

Oral Answers to Questions — Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Light Pollution (29 Oct 2009) has video

Dan Norris: I certainly agree with my hon. Friend that safety has to be taken seriously when considering switching off any lighting. However, that does not mean that lights should not be switched off in some situations. I am interested in the Toulouse experience, and I am sure that technology will provide the answer to those challenges in the future.

Oral Answers to Questions — Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Light Pollution (29 Oct 2009) has video

Dan Norris: I hope that it happens soon; indeed, that is my understanding. However, I say to the hon. Gentleman strongly that the issue is about safety as well as saving the environment, and there is no easy answer to that. Councils that have considered the issue seriously have often pulled out. I hope that he will recognise that there are many shades of grey in this complex issue. We need to get it...

Oral Answers to Questions — Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Bees (Pesticides) (29 Oct 2009) has video

Dan Norris: My Department has received a number of representations from Members of Parliament and members of the public concerned about the effect of pesticides on bees and other pollinators.

Oral Answers to Questions — Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Bees (Pesticides) (29 Oct 2009) has video

Dan Norris: The Government take the health of Britain's bees very seriously and have pumped an extra £4.3 million into bee health. There is no evidence that authorised pesticides pose an unacceptable risk. However, I understand why my hon. Friend asks his question: where somebody is paying, one questions whether the research will be reflective of scientific rigour or not. We will, of course,...

Oral Answers to Questions — Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Bees (Pesticides) (29 Oct 2009) has video

Dan Norris: We are in constant liaison and discussions with a whole range of people on the serious issue of bee health. It appears that there is no one cause, so we are looking very carefully at all the possible explanations, which obviously means that we need clear communications with a range of people here and abroad.

Oral Answers to Questions — Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Bottle Deposit Scheme (2 Jul 2009) has video

Dan Norris: Mr. Speaker, first, may I congratulate you on your election and wish you well in the years to come? The Government believe that resources could be more effectively used in improving current systems than in developing a parallel system for deposits on drinks packaging. For example, improved household collections and developing the "Recycle on the Go" infrastructure are likely to be more...

Oral Answers to Questions — Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Bottle Deposit Scheme (2 Jul 2009) has video

Dan Norris: First, I should point out to the hon. Lady that we have had great success in recycling packaging in the past 10 years. The figures that I have obtained show that our recycling increased from 28 to 61 per cent. between 1998 and 2008. That means that we have recycled three and a half times more aluminium, four times more plastic, three times more glass, six times more wood and half as much...

Oral Answers to Questions — Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Rural Economy (2 Jul 2009) has video

Dan Norris: While the economic downturn affects both urban and rural areas, analysis of data from Government Departments and the regional development agencies suggests that there is no significant difference between urban and rural areas and that, if anything, there is slightly more success in urban communities.

Oral Answers to Questions — Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Rural Economy (2 Jul 2009) has video

Dan Norris: The upland entry scheme that we are about to introduce has been widely welcomed, and I hope that, when he sees the details, the hon. Gentleman will find some comfort in that. However, we fully understand and recognise that it is a serious issue, and we continually redouble our efforts to make sure that such matters are addressed properly.

Oral Answers to Questions — Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Rural Economy (2 Jul 2009) has video

Dan Norris: I thank the hon. Gentleman for that question, but the figures have been published and he is obviously capable of accessing and reading that information for himself.

Oral Answers to Questions — Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Rural Economy (2 Jul 2009) has video

Dan Norris: I am not going to take any lessons from the hon. Gentleman about this. Let us be clear: if the Conservatives were in the government now, they would be cutting the figures immediately. We are looking very carefully at efficiency, because it is very important that we deliver value for money. We must make sure that what we do is not just good quality, but cost-effective and bears in mind the...

Oral Answers to Questions — Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Food Waste (2 Jul 2009) has video

Dan Norris: The Waste and Resources Action Programme has estimated that 370,000 tonnes of food that is past its "best before" date but still probably safe to eat is thrown away by householders each year. The "best before" date is an indicator of quality rather than of food safety. I have no comparable statistics for the commercial sector.

Oral Answers to Questions — Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Food Waste (2 Jul 2009) has video

Dan Norris: I thank my hon. Friend for her comments. The key thing is that energy from waste is only one part of the picture; the Government's priority is to consider waste prevention, reuse and recycling ahead of energy from waste. I do not have the specific answer to my hon. Friend's question, but I will write to her with it.

Oral Answers to Questions — Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Recycling (2 Jul 2009) has video

Dan Norris: Local authorities have made great progress in increasing the rate of recycling. I am encouraged that 85 per cent. of them have chosen to include a waste target in their current local area agreements to ensure they continue to prioritise this important area. I have not had any recent discussions with local authorities about waste recycling targets. My officials regularly meet representatives...

Oral Answers to Questions — Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Recycling (2 Jul 2009) has video

Dan Norris: I certainly agree about free newspapers, which pose a particular challenge that we take seriously. I am pleased that the hon. Gentleman feels that the Government have been doing positive things in this respect, but I completely accept that we need to do even more. Recycling on the go is something that we need to be thinking hard about in the years to come.

Oral Answers to Questions — Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Commercial Waste (2 Jul 2009) has video

Dan Norris: Officials from my Department have been in discussion with the small business sector and a wide range of other interested parties about the management of commercial and industrial waste. Later this month I hope to publish a statement of our policy objectives for these types of waste, which will include a list of actions to help achieve those objectives.