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20 Dec 1995 : Column: 1163

Written Answers to Questions

Wednesday 20 December 1995

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

Collection Centres

Mr. Heppell: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he will list the approved collection centres in England and Wales as defined by the Animals and Animal Products (Import and Export) Regulations 1995; [3861]

Mrs. Browning: The following premises in Great Britain are approved collection centres, as defined in the Animals and Animal Products (Import and Export) Regulations 1995:


Departmental Expenditure

Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what is his estimate of the total cost for himself and other departmental Ministers for each year since 1991-92, with an estimate for the current year of (a) overseas travel and accommodation expenses of Ministers and their advisers, (b) car and chauffeuring costs of Ministers, (c) ministerial security costs and (d) domestic travel and accommodation expenses of Ministers; [6388]

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Mr. Boswell: The Ministers' and top management programme budget provides for the salaries of Ministers, the permanent secretary, the special adviser and the costs of operating private offices, a parliamentary branch, a Ministers' correspondence unit and an appointments section. The appointments section has formed part of this programme only since October 1994. The total cost of this programme for the financial years readily available was as follows:

Year£ million
1992-931.5
1993-941.7
1994-951.7

The estimated expenditure for the current financial year is £1.8 million. The costs of travel and subsistence for Ministers, the permanent secretary, the special adviser and their staff is estimated to be £130,000 for the current financial year. The budget does not cover other advisers, nor does it distinguish between overseas and domestic travel. The cost of providing Government cars and drivers to Ministers in the Department in the current financial year is estimated to be £229,000 for this financial year. There is no specific budget for ministerial security costs. Expenditure on telephones and office refurbishment in each of the years 1990-91 is included in the running cost expenditure of the Department, which is published in the annual report. Total staff costs for the programme--which includes the offices described--is estimated to be £1 million in the current financial year. Press and communications costs relating specifically to Ministers cannot be separately identified. Entertainment, alcoholic drinks and non-alcoholic drinks are included in the hospitality budget. The estimate for the current year for this budget item is £25,000. Stationery costs for the whole of the programme are also estimated to be £25,000.

Small and Medium Enterprises

Mrs. Roche: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what advice has been given to procurement staff on the implications of purchasing from small and medium enterprises. [6615]

Mr. Boswell [holding answer 19 December 1995]: Advice and guidance to procurement staff is contained in the departmental procurement and procedures manual, which is currently being brought up to date to take account of the information and direction given in the central unit for procurement guidance notes and the White Paper "Setting New Standards", Cm. 2840. On current plans, the manual will be re-issued no later than end of January 1996.

Mrs. Roche: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what work his Department has done to develop best practice in the publication of departmental

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procurement guidance material relevant to small and medium enterprises' needs. [6613]

Mr. Boswell [holding answer 19 December 1995]: The Department has recently made a contribution towards the DTI's booklet on "Tendering for Government Business", which is aimed at enterprises of all sizes. In addition, we are producing a booklet entitled "Selling to MAFF", which is intended to provide guidance to any enterprise who wishes to provide us with goods and services. The booklet is in final draft and on current plan will be released in January 1996.

Small Firms

Mrs. Roche: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what meetings his Department has had since May 1995 with organisations representing small firms to review tendering procedures. [6614]

Mr. Boswell [holding answer 19 December 1995]: Since May 1995, MAFF procurement staff have not met any organisations representing small firms to review the tendering procedures. However, the director of purchasing and supply is due to meet the sheltered employment procurement and consultancy service in January 1996. In addition, a suppliers' conference is being considered for 1996.

Mrs. Roche: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what has been the outcome of his Department's review of measures taken to facilitate small firm's access to appropriate areas of Government procurement in the light of best practice. [6672]

Mr. Boswell [holding answer 18 December 1995]: It is the Ministry's policy that procurement should be based on value for money. Goods and services should be acquired by competition unless there are convincing reasons to the contrary. The form of competition should be appropriate to the value and complexity of the goods or services to be acquired.

In following such a policy, opportunities for small firms to gain access to areas of MAFF procurement are readily created. In choosing its suppliers, the Ministry makes every attempt to judge suppliers on eligibility, economic and financial standing and technical capacity.

Goods and Services

Mrs. Roche: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much his Department paid to the private sector for goods and services in 1994-95. [6496]

Mr. Boswell [holding answer 19 December 1995]: The combined departmental non-pay running cost and the departmental capital outturns for the Ministry and its agencies for the year 1994-95 were £231,963,000.

Departmental Payments

Mrs. Roche: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the amount owed to those businesses whose invoices were not paid within 30 days or within agreed contractual arrangements for 1994-95. [6514]

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Mr. Boswell [holding answer 19 December 1995]: All invoices, authorised and submitted for payment in respect of 1994-95 have been paid; there are no amounts owed to businesses in respect of these invoices for 1994-95.

EC Fruit and Vegetable Regime

Mr. Nigel Jones: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has made to the European Commission to amend the EC fruit and vegetable regime intervention system in order to allow apples available through intervention to be purchased at a commercial rate by cider makers and other manufacturers with any monetary difference made up by the Intervention Board. [6885]

Mr. Boswell: None. The EC fruit and vegetable regime is currently being reformed. Our efforts have been, and will continue to be, aimed at securing a complete end to the withdrawal--intervention--system. This will allow the price of fruit to be set by the market alone.

EU Processing and Marketing Grant

Mr. Morley: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the estimated net saving to his Department from ending the participation in the EU processing and marketing grant. [7380]

Mr. Boswell: The estimated net savings during the next three financial years are as follows:

Year£
1996-971,270,000
1997-984,006,000
1998-998,061,000

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