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Early Retirement
Mr. Don Foster:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list for each month from September 1996 to September 1997 the number of teachers, other than those in further or higher education or independent schools, who retired under the age of 60 years. [13048]
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Mr. Byers:
The number of retirements aged under 60 from the maintained schools sector in England and Wales between September 1996 and September 1997 are given in the following table:
| Month(1) | Number of retirements(2) 3 , |
|---|---|
| September 1996 | 7,880 |
| October 1996 | 340 |
| November 1996 | 420 |
| December 1996 | 220 |
| January 1997 | 1,800 |
| February 1997 | 260 |
| March 1997 | 2,460 |
| April 1997 | 2,560 |
| May 1997 | 590 |
| June 1997 | 390 |
| July 1997 | 270 |
| August 1997 | 1,070 |
| September 1997 | 8,920 |
(1) Represents the month in which benefits first become payable.
(2) Provisional. The figures for August and September 1997 are particularly likely to increase because of late notifications.
(3) Figures rounded to nearest 10.
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Goods and Services (Payments)
Mr. Todd: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list each of the functions relating to payment for goods or services supplied for which his Department is responsible, indicating the management systems purchased, all subcontractors involved in the work, co-operative arrangements with other Departments; and the costs of the systems and processes the last year for which figures are available. [12567]
Mr. Morley: MAFF has developed procurement procedures based upon guidance issued by the Central Unit on Purchasing in HM Treasury. These procedures are designed to ensure probity and fairness in all procurement decisions and provide the necessary checks and authorisations in accordance with Government Accounting and separate the functions of verification and authorisation from the process of payment.
MAFF has implemented a fully integrated computerised accounting system (RAMIS--Resource Accounting and Management Information System) running on proprietary software and hardware. Implementation of the system has been supported fully by the primary software and hardware suppliers supplemented with specialised external service providers as necessary. These have been provided for under contract. Generally the Ministry does not use subcontractors for payment work; the exception is the use of managing agents to pay small contractors for minor building maintenance work to ensure that they are paid quickly. Payments for goods and services are made using RAMIS either by bank transfer (CHAPS and BACS) or as system-generated payable orders. Significant work has been undertaken by Ministry staff to ensure that the system has been developed to meet initial and changing requirements.
As part of a suite of functions within RAMIS the Accounts Payable application is one element of a much wider financial management system and specific capital
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and development costs are therefore not readily available. However, information collected from within the management system suggests that the administrative costs of making payments via the system (for Headquarters Groups) is approximately £4 per payment based upon inner London staff costs.
MAFF is an active member of the Oracle Applications User Group in which other Government Departments may be involved.
Mr. McNamara:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what proposals he has made for improvement in fur farming husbandry to the Council of Europe; and what recommendations he has made relating to an increase in the present minimum cage dimensions; [12769]
Mr. Morley
[holding answer 27 October 1997]: The Standing Committee of the European Convention on the Protection of Animals Kept for Farming Purposes is reviewing its 1991 recommendation on the welfare of animals farmed for fur. The text currently under discussion proposes detailed requirements for the welfare of mink, polecat, silver and Arctic fox, coypu and chinchilla. We shall be working to ensure that the outcome of this exercise is the adoption of the highest possible standards consistent with the scientific evidence and expert opinion.
We would support a timetable for the phasing out of all housing for these animals that does not meet the standards adopted by the Council of Europe.
Mr. Mackinlay:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what reports he has received from the Environment Agency, and on what dates, concerning the potential flood dangers in areas abutting the River Medway consequent on increasing sea levels and surge tides; and if he will make a statement. [12969]
Mr. Morley
[holding answer 27 October 1997]: The Department has not received any specific reports from the Environment Agency on this subject.
Mr. Todd:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list each of the functions relating to payment for goods or services supplied for which his Department is responsible indicating the management systems purchased, all subcontractors involved in the work,
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co-operative arrangements with other Departments; and the costs of the systems and processes in the last year for which figures are available. [12557]
Mrs. Liddell:
The table lists the Treasury functions and management systems and their costs during 1996-97 that relate to the payment for goods and services in the Treasury:
(2) if, in the current discussions at the Council of Europe on fur farming, he will ensure that only housing systems which meet the biological needs of mink, pine martens and arctic foxes, with particular reference to the provision of (a) a stimulating environment, (b) social contact and (c) swimming water, will meet the statutory minimum standards; and if he will ensure that a timetable will be laid down for the phasing out of all housing for these animals which does not meet such standards. [12770]
| Capital cost | Running cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Functions | ||
| Goods receipt | -- | 17 |
| Invoice registration | -- | 101 |
| Budget holder confirmation | -- | 7 |
| Payment of invoice | -- | 204 |
| Management system | ||
| Financial and Management Information Systems (FAMIS)--Estimated cost of invoice processing elements | 20 | 11 |
| Totals | 20 | 340 |
The FAMIS accounting system purchased runs the cfacs software from Cedardata plc. Their sub-contractors were The Oracle Corporation UK Ltd. and Waverley.
During the procurement process several Departments, including the Ministry of Defence and the Scottish Office, were approached for information on Cedardata and the cfacs product. Departments including the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food and other organisations were consulted regarding the competing products.
Dr. Gibson:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the figures for deaths through asbestos-related diseases in Norfolk over the last five years. [12954]
Mrs. Liddell
[holding answer 27 October 1997]: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Chief Executive of the Office for National Statistics. I have been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
| Number | |
|---|---|
| 1993 | 12 |
| 1994 | 18 |
| 1995 | 24 |
| 1996 | 21 |
Note:
Since 1993, the ONS has coded all diseases, injuries, drugs, operations and external causes mentioned on death certificates. This information is held electronically and the ONS was able to extract data for 1993-1996. It is not possible to produce comparable figure for years prior to 1993, and any figures that could be produced would be in excess of the advisory limit for answering Parliamentary Questions.
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