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Horse Sales

Mr. Morley: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) how many sales at which horses have been sold for export have been notified to his divisional veterinary managers between 1 January and 30 September; [2690]

Mrs. Browning [holding answer 7 November 1996:]: Divisional veterinary managers were notified of a number of sales of horses in the nine months to 30 September 1996. But no horses were certified for export to other European Union member states directly from those sales.

As at 30 September 1996 there were 41 approved markets in Great Britain with facilities to handle horses for intra-Community trade. Prior to this year, livestock markets were not approved specifically for the handling of horses for intra-Community trade. It is not necessary for sales at which horses are certified for export to non-EU member states to be approved by divisional veterinary managers.

Live Animal Exports

Mr. Morley: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what guidance he issues in respect of the definition of premises of origin for the purposes

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of export health certification; and for how many days animals have to be held at such premises prior to export. [4255]

Mrs. Browning [holding answer 15 November 1996]: There is no specific definition of premises of origin. For cattle and pigs for breeding and production, there is a requirement that the animals have remained on holdings for 30 days preceding loading or since birth. Time spent at an approved collection centre, assembly point or place of loading may be counted as part of the 30-day period. Similarly, rams for breeding must be kept for 60 days on a holding where no case of contagious epididymitis has been diagnosed in the previous 12 months.

Mr. Morley: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many live sheep have been exported from the United Kingdom between July and October, inclusive. [4250]

Mrs. Browning [holding answer 15 November 1996]: The information gathered by the Ministry's staff monitoring exports at Dover shows that the number of live sheep exported during this period was:

Number
July131,730
August142,398
September139,767
October118,696

Mr. Morley: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many loadings of consignments of sheep destined for export have been supervised by MAFF full-time staff since March 1996. [4251]

Mrs. Browning [holding answer 15 November 1996]: The loadings of 16 consignments of sheep were supervised in this period.

Southall Horse Market

Mr. Harry Greenway: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when his officials last inspected the Southall horse market; what was the outcome; and if he will make a statement. [3994]

Mrs. Browning [holding answer 21 November 1996]: The last inspection visit was made on the 30 October 1996. Discussions on the welfare standards to be observed were also held with representatives of the market operator.

Lydden Lairage (Incident)

Mr. Morley: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what report he has received regarding an incident at Lydden lairage on 5 October; and if he will make a statement. [5458]

Mrs. Browning [holding answer 21 November 1996]: The Ministry received telephone reports about ill sheep at Lydden Court farm on 5 October. A number of demonstrators were outside the premises and the police were also present. Arrangements were made for veterinary advice to be given to the owner of the premises by his private veterinary surgeon.

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Hedley Loams Ltd.

Mr. Morley: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what amount of damages have been claimed in the last two years from the Government by Hedley Loams Ltd. or its livestock consultant. [5401]

Mrs. Browning [holding answer 21 November 1996]: A claim for damages from Hedley Loams (Ireland) Ltd. is outstanding. We have not received any formal notification of the amounts claimed.

ADAS

Dr. Strang: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much public money has been spent on ADAS in respect of (a) new buildings, (b) land, (c) equipment, (d) work on existing buildings and (e) staff training in each of the last five years, setting out details of each item of expenditure of £100,000 or more. [5374]

Mr. Douglas Hogg [holding answer 21 November 1996]: The information is as follows:


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Information for 1991-92, before ADAS became an agency, is not available for any of these categories.

Arable Area Payments

Mr. Tipping: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the (a) average, (b) maximum and (c) minimum payment made in 1995 under the arable area payments scheme in (i) Nottinghamshire and (ii) Oxfordshire. [5676]

Mr. Baldry: The table sets out the information requested. Some claimants will have received more than one payment. The minimum figures given are for the smallest payments actually made.

Payments made under the arable area payments scheme 1995

AverageMaximumMinimum
£££
Nottinghamshire15,050.19538,302.03478.05
Oxfordshire22,294.35482,672.54302.03

SOCIAL SECURITY

EDS Ltd.

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many contracts his Department, agencies and associated bodies have had with EDS for each year since 1985; what was the value of each contract; if he will indicate for each contract (a) if it was completed, (b) what modifications were made at the request of (i) the company and (ii) the Department and (c) if work under contract is being undertaken in-house; and if he will make a statement on the number of job reductions in his Department arising from the contracting out of work by EDS. [3820]

Mr. Burt: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Wallasey (Ms Eagle) on 7 March, Official Report, columns 350-351.

Further information is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Costs

Sir Ralph Howell: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what are the current (i) administrative and overhead costs required to administer social security claims and payments and (ii) numbers of civil servants and benefit centres; and what were the costs in each year since 1980 at 1996 prices. [4118]

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Mr. Burt: The information is in the table.

£ million

YearAdministration1996-97 prices
1979-808372,208
1980-811,0732,393
1981-821,2732,588
1982-831,3812,621
1983-841,5482,808
1984-851,6782,898
1985-861,7342,839
1986-871,8792,986
1987-882,3723,579
1988-892,5183,561
1989-902,7653,655
1990-912,5713,147
1991-922,8493,282
1992-933,1823,522
1993-943,4063,663
1994-953,2833,466
1995-963,4103,504
1996-973,4633,463

(63) The figures shown represent total administrative costs including administrative grants.

(64)The figures for the financial years 1990-91 to 1996-97 are taken from the 1996 Social Security departmental report.

(65)The figures prior to 1990-91 include the Department of Social Security repayment to the Department for Education and Employment for the administrative costs of the unemployment benefit service, which has now ceased, and are taken from the appropriate social security departmental reports and government expenditure plans.

(66) Social Security claims and payments are administered via 155 district offices, three benefit centres in Ashton in Makerfield, Belfast and Glasgow and four benefit directorates dealing with centrally administered benefits at Blackpool, Preston, Newcastle and Washington. The current number of civil servants is 92,038.

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