Departmental Policies

Environment Food and Rural Affairs written question – answered at on 9 November 2005.

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Photo of Sharon Hodgson Sharon Hodgson Labour, Gateshead East and Washington West

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will set out, with statistical evidence relating as closely as possible to Gateshead, East and Washington, West constituency, the effects in Gateshead, East and Washington, West of changes to her Department's policies since 1997.

Photo of Jim Knight Jim Knight Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Rural Affairs, Landscape and Biodiversity), Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) (Rural Affairs, Landscape and Biodiversity)

Since its establishment in 2001 Defra has put in place a comprehensive programme of action on issues including sustainable development, climate change and energy, sustainable consumption and production, natural resource protection, sustainable rural communities, and a sustainable farming and food sector. A summary of some our achievements to date can be found on the Defra website (www.defra.gov.uk) I am confident that the Gateshead, East and Washington, West constituency will have benefited from these.

For example, we are committed, through our national strategy for waste, to achieving a massive shift in sustainable waste management, including tough national targets to recycle or compost 25 per cent. of household waste in 2005–06. To help contribute towards this target, each local authority in England was set a statutory recycling target for household waste in 2003–04 and 2005–06. In 2002–03, the recycling rate for Gateshead and Sunderland was just 5 per cent. and 2 per cent. respectively. They are now both expected to reach or exceed their statutory targets set for them of 18 per cent. by the end of 2005–06. In total over the past three years, Defra has given Gateshead over £2.5 million and Sunderland over £2 million for waste management and recycling. Many north-east councils have recently made significant progress on recycling from historically low levels, through the support of Defra's Waste Implementation Programme and Waste and Resources Action Programme. Defra's Municipal Waste Management Survey 2003–04 records that the north-east region quadrupled the amount of household waste recycled from 3.8 per cent. in 1996–97 to 12.3 per cent. in 2003–04.

Through English Nature, we have provided £76,000 to Gateshead council for a 'Wildspace' project, including a community liaison officer, which has resulted in five new local nature reserves (LNRs) being designated in the east of the borough, and the project has involved local people in caring for and enjoying the sites. Regular litter removal and maintenance of entrances and paths has ensured they appear well managed and welcoming. Along with management plans for the sites, this is maximising biodiversity, and there is a strategy to secure long term gains for local people. Due to the success of the project, Gateshead council have continued to employ the officer to carry on the good work.

We also provide grants through our agencies to voluntary groups such as the Friends of Princess Anne Park in Washington and have provided funding for a wildlife survey to identify potential for enhancing wildlife and creating habitats. This has drawn in additional funding from Sunderland city council for a park ranger. The park runs along the Oxclose and Biddick Burns, and Environment Agency field teams are carrying out targeted pollution prevention work with relevant local businesses, advising them on managing environmental risk, so improving water quality and associated habitats to prevent pollution through run off.

In my hon. Friend's constituency, forestry grants to the Woodland Trust, the local councils and a private company have created around 10 hectares of new woodland, including screening for Springwell Quarry. Altogether over £16,000 has come through the Forestry Commission for woodland maintenance and improved public access.

We have invested £10,000 in Durham Wildlife Trust, whose area includes Gateshead and Washington. The trust use this Environment Agency money to employ a community wildlife officer to work directly with communities in Washington, encouraging residents to prevent pollution in household drains and to recycle more, and speaking to schools and community groups around pollution hot spots. The aim is to reduce or prevent fly tipping and other contamination in watercourses, and enable other habitat improvements.

Defra provides comprehensive statistical information. The following web address will take my hon. Friend directly to the service: http://statistics.defra.gov.uk/esg/default.asp.

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