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Community Legal Service

Angela Smith: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when the Lord Chancellor intends to publish directions to the Legal Services Commission setting priorities for funding in respect of the Community Legal Service. [108671]

Mr. Lock: My noble and learned Friend the Lord Chancellor wrote yesterday to Peter Birch CBE, Chairman-Designate of the Legal Services Commission, enclosing three directions about priorities for funding, the scope of the Community Legal Services Fund and particular budgets within the Fund. Copies of these directions have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

Agriculture Development Scheme

Dr. Naysmith: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what grants have been offered under the Agriculture Development Scheme. [108570]

Mr. Nick Brown: I am pleased that offers of some £2 million in marketing grants have been made under the Agriculture Development Scheme. Around 35 per cent. of the money will benefit the pig sector directly and some of the other projects directed at the livestock sector will also help pig producers. Overall, we are assisting a wide range of sectors and regions. The following organisations have been offered grant aid.

2 Feb 2000 : Column: 639W

Sector	Lead organisation	Project
Pigs	Assured British meat	National assurance database information and administration system (pigs module)
Pigs	Assured British Meat	ABM Assured British Pigs Scheme data merger
Pigs	BOCM Pauls Ltd.	Maximising pig carcase value
Pigs/organic	Eastbrook Farm Organic Meats Ltd.	Growing the organic pigmeat market from a UK production base
Pigs	Food Trak plc	Traceability in the pigmeat supply chain
Pigs	JSR Farms Ltd.	Integrated pigmeat supply initiative
Pigs	Ladies In Pigs	A catering college's initiative to secure the future for British pigmeat in catering
Pigs	Meat and Livestock Commission	Project 2: improving supply chain communications
Pigs	National Pig Association	A risk management initiative for UK pig industry
Pigs	United Pig Marketing	A shared IT and information system for UPM and its supply chain partners
Pigs	University of Aberdeen	A training package for the British pig industry using multi-media technology
Beef	Glendale Beef Producers	Glendale Beef Producers' initiative
Beef/dairy	Warwickshire Quality Calves	Improving the value of beef calves from the dairy herd
Dairy	National Milk Records plc	Proposal for a south west dairy information network
Dairy/organic	Organic Milk Suppliers Co-operative	Design and initial implementation of a novel technology transfer and quality management system on organic dairy farms
Dairy/speciality	Business Link Bradford and District	Feasibility study into potential for a yoghurt production facility in the Asian community
Eggs	British Free Range Egg Producers Association	British Free Range Egg Marketing Company Ltd.
Sheep	British Sheep Dairying Association	Implementation of structural development of the sheep dairy sector
Sheep/speciality	Business Link Bradford and District	New routes to new markets--investigation into ways of making better use of sheepmeat products to the benefit of producers
Wild boar	The British Wild Boar Association	To improve collaborative marketing activity between primary and secondary producers of British farmed wild boar
Livestock general	Assured British Meat	Multiple retail caterers--food safety assurance module
Livestock general	Assured British Meat	Assurance chain--focus farms
Livestock general/regional/speciality	Assured British Meat	Assurance and food heritage
Livestock general	Farmway Ltd.	Marketing co-operatively produced branded pork, beef and lamb through 'Farmway' co-operative stores: a feasibility study
Livestock general	Harper Adams University College	Building regional enterprise and agricultural competitiveness through IT (Breakthrough-IT)
Livestock general	Meadow Valley Livestock Ltd.	Improving farmers' efficiency and returns by directing them to market led, added value marketing schemes
Livestock general	South East Primestock Producers (SEPP) Ltd.	A plan for regional growth and farmer
Livestock general/organic/speciality	Humane Slaughter Association	Mobile slaughter unit 2000
Nursery stock	Horticultural Trades Association	A project to influence structural change in the landscape supply chain to build value in the soft landscape market
Nursery stock	Horticultural Trades Association	A project to extend the HTA nursery certification scheme to include the inspection and supply of local provenance
Nursery stock	Horticultural Trades Association	A project to develop a greater understanding of the supply chain within the nurserystock sector
Onions	British Onion Producers Organisation	Sector analysis of the onion market
Potatoes	Hereward Growers	Collaborative marketing initiative
Soft fruit	Advanced Marketing Services Ltd.	Soft fruit development for category management
Soft fruit	The Berryworld Producers' Organisation Ltd.	Development of an integrated traceability system for the soft fruit industry
Tomatoes	Tomato Growers Association	Investigation into the development of an integrated quality management system for the British tomato industry
Top fruit	Fruition Group Ltd.	Rationalisation: the basis of a full category player
Horticulture general	Checkmate International	Benchmarking services for the EUREP GAP framework
Horticulture general	Institute of Grocery Distribution	Benchmarking the industry
Combinable crops	Samuel Rose Ltd.	Promoting vertical integration through farmer collaboration in agricultural supply chains
Combinable crops	United Grain Producers	"The Marlborough Group" (working together to improve farm incomes)
Farmers' markets	National Association of Farmers Markets	Together to market
Direct selling	Farm Retail Association	Red and green box scheme feasibility study
Viticulture	The Magpie Consultancy	Formation of a collaborative marketing company owned by producers and devoted to the marketing development of the wines and vineyards of England
Trout	Longford Estate	Co-ordinated approach to trout marketing
General	Plunkett Foundation	Increasing competitiveness in the farmer controlled business sector through the use of best practice benchmarking
General	Lantra	Increasing the competitiveness of the land based sector

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2 Feb 2000 : Column: 641W

CABINET OFFICE

Anti-drugs Co-ordinator

7. Mr. Chope: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office when she last met the anti-drugs co-ordinator. [106591]

8. Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent discussions she has had with the anti-drugs co-ordinator on the incidence of drugs use. [106593]

Marjorie Mowlam: I hold regular meetings with the Anti-Drugs Co-ordinator to discuss all aspects of the Government's anti-drug strategy.

Investors in People

10. Mrs. McKenna: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what progress has been made in achieving Government targets on securing Investors in People status for all Government Departments. [106596]

Mr. Ian McCartney: 88 per cent. of civil servants now work in organisations that are recognised as Investors in People. This is a significant achievement and Departments and Agencies should be congratulated on their progress.

Cannabis

11. Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what assessment she has made of the advantages and disadvantages of establishing a royal commission on the law relating to cannabis. [106598]

Mr. Ian McCartney: Establishing such a Royal Commission would pre-suppose that some change in the law is necessary or desirable. That is not this Government's belief and we have no intention of legalising any controlled drug.

Social Exclusion Unit

12. Mr. MacShane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what progress is being made in implementing the Social Exclusion Unit's report on truancy. [106599]

2 Feb 2000 : Column: 642W

Marjorie Mowlam: Good progress in implementing the Social Exclusion Unit's report is being made and as part of this process the Department for Education and Employment recently launched its strategy document "Tackling Truancy Together" for consultation. My hon. Friend the Minister of State for School Standards and I am monitoring progress both within DfEE, across Whitehall and beyond.

13. Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if she will make a statement on the work of the Social Exclusion Unit. [106600]

Marjorie Mowlam: The Social Exclusion Unit was established in December 1997. Since then it has produced five reports and action plans on subjects as diverse as rough sleeping and teenage pregnancy.

The Prime Minister will announce a new work programme for the Unit in the summer of 2000, once its current project to develop a national strategy for neighbourhood renewal is completed.

18. Ms Rosie Winterton: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if she will make a statement on the work of the Social Exclusion Unit. [106606]

Marjorie Mowlam: The Social Exclusion Unit was established in December 1997. Since then it has produced five reports and action plans on subjects as diverse as rough sleeping and teenage pregnancy.

The Prime Minister will announce a new work programme for the Unit in the summer of 2000, once its current project to develop a national strategy for neighbourhood renewal is completed.

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