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Otterburn Training Area
Mr. Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he received the report of the inspector with the revised plans for the Otterburn training area; and when he will make a decision on the proposals. [124578]
Mr. Raynsford: The Inspector's report on the re-opened public inquiry into the MOD proposals for Otterburn Training Area reached Government Office officials on 21 October 1999.
The right hon. Member will be aware of the complex issues involved and the substantial amount of evidence to be considered. I am unable at this stage to give any indication as to when a decision is likely. However, the Secretary of State does appreciate the concern of those who feel that delays are creating uncertainty.
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AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Departmental Contracts
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to her answer of 30 March 2000, Official Report, column 249W, concerning contracts, if she will list the companies concerned; and whether these contracts were subject to a competitive tendering process. [124815]
Mr. Morley [holding answer 7 June 2000]: Pursuant to my answer of 30 March 2000, Official Report, column 249W, the information required is as follows.
The specific companies with the associated contract values are:
| £ | |
|---|---|
| BAe | 84,300 |
| Douglas Clarke Projects | 5,000 |
| HEDRA Ltd. | 7,357 |
| KPMG | 5,000 |
| Rayfield Mills | 24,000 |
| £ | |
|---|---|
| K. Bates | 43,489 |
| DERA | 44,308 |
| HVR Consultancy Services | 5,000 |
| PCMS | 124,011 |
| J. Watson Associates | 700 |
Fishing Vessels (Satellite Monitoring Equipment)
Mr. Mitchell: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) how many UK vessels are obliged under EU regulations to carry operational satellite monitoring equipment; and how many UK vessels comply; [125133]
- (2) how many UK vessels have satellite monitoring equipment on board which is not operational; and in which fleet segment these vessels are concentrated. [125134]
Mr. Morley: Some 430 UK fishing vessels over 24 metres overall length are required to carry satellite monitoring equipment. Our records, and those of the devolved administrations, show that all vessels are equipped. The vast majority of vessels are complying with the requirement to provide position reports at the required frequency. Those which are not submitting reports are mostly in the demersal segment. Some vessels have not submitted reports because they have recently been inactive due to lack of fishing opportunities and the number not complying is declining. Appropriate action is being taken against active vessels which are not yet fully compliant.
Water Level Management Plans
Mr. Brake: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much grant in aid his Department
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has provided for the implementation of water level management plans in (a) 1999-2000 and (b) 2000-01. [125779]
Mr. Morley: MAFF provides grant towards the cost of approved capital works undertaken by the Environment Agency, local authorities and Internal Drainage Boards, inter alia, to implement water level management plans. The amounts of grant paid in 1999-2000 and so far in 2000-01 are £47,000 and £1,000 respectively.
Mr. Brake: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many water level management plans have been adopted by the operating authority and agreed by English Nature. [125776]
Mr. Morley: There are 61 Special Protection Areas and Special Areas of Conservation with water level management plans (WLMPs) that have been fully agreed by English Nature, and a further 26 that have been agreed in principle. This means that there may need to be some modification to the plans prior to implementation.
For those SSIs that are not SPAs or SACs, there are 130 WLMPs that have been fully agreed by English Nature, and a further 31 that have been agreed in principle.
Mr. Brake: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many water level management plans (a) have been completed and (b) are outstanding for (i) Special Protection Areas and Special Areas of Conservation and (ii) sites of special scientific interest; and if he will list their locations in each case. [125778]
Mr. Morley: A Water Level Management Plan has been completed, at least in draft, for 112 sites that are designated or proposed Special Protection Areas, or candidate Special Areas of Conservation. These include a number of larger sites where more than one plan has been prepared to cover separate areas.
There are a further 25 Special Protection Areas and Special Areas of Conservation where a Water Level Management Plan is required, but where English Nature has not yet received a draft plan, and are therefore considered to be outstanding.
For those sites that are Sites of Special Scientific Interest but are not SPAs or SACs, there are 194 that are completed at least in draft.
A further 123 SSSIs require a WLMP but have no plan prepared to date. The deadline for completing these plans is December 2000.
Lists of all the above sites have been placed in the Libraries of the House.
Mr. Brake: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what targets his Department has set for the completion of water level management plans for sites of special scientific interest which are also special protection areas or special areas of conservation. [125777]
Mr. Morley: The Government's High Level Targets for Flood and Coastal Defence document produced in November 1999 set, in partnership with English Nature, a target date of 30 March 2000 for completion of water level management plans for sites of special interest which are also special protection areas of conservation.
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SOLICITOR-GENERAL
Rape Statistics
Mr. Gareth Thomas: To ask the Solicitor-General how many cases of alleged rape were passed to the Crown Prosecution Service by the Police which were not proceeded with, together with the reasons for not proceeding, in each of the last five years for which statistics are available. [125787]
The Solicitor-General: The Crown Prosecution Service holds no central records on the outcome of particular offences. The information is held on individual case files, and could be recovered only by examining every relevant file in each CPS office. The costs of such an exercise would be prohibitive.
TREASURY
Census
Mr. Colman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what decision has been made about whether to include a question about religious identity in the 2001 Census. [125875]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Director of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to reply.
Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Tony Colman, dated 15 June 2000:
- As the Director of the Office for National Statistics (ONS) I have been asked to reply to recent question asking if a decision has been made to include a religious identity question in the 2001 Census.
- A Bill to amend the Census Act 1920 to provide for particulars with respect to religion to be asked for in a census in England and Wales was approved in the House of Lords on 28 March. In the course of its passage through the Lords, the Bill was amended to make any question on religion voluntary.
- After its passage through the Lords the Bill has hitherto failed to get an unopposed Second Reading in the House of Commons.
- The Government recognises the strength of the case for information on religion to be collected in the Census. The question will enhance data obtained from the ethnic group question and contribute to the Census providing data to help address the concerns and needs of all sections of the community.
- In the light of this, the Government has agreed to provide time within its own legislative programme to progress the Bill through its remaining stages. It will do all that it can so that the Census Act may be amended in time to allow the proposed religious question to be included in the 2001 Census in England and Wales.
- Subject to the Bill obtaining Royal Assent, the Government proposes to lay before both Houses of Parliament the necessary amendment to the Census Order providing for the question on religion to be asked in the 2001 Census in England and Wales.
- The Scottish Parliament has already approved legislation to amend the Act in Scotland where the Census is a devolved matter. Legislation in Northern Ireland already allows for a question in respect of religion to be asked in the Census.
Fuel Duty
Mr. Edward Davey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of the revenue from fuel duty was raised in each country and region of the UK in each of the last five years. [125792]
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Mr. Timms: Duty on hydrocarbon oil products is collected centrally and there is no direct information available to provide a geographical breakdown of the revenue raised.
Figures for inland deliveries of fuel and oil by country are published in the Department of Trade and Industry's "Digest of UK Energy Statistics".
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