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17 Nov 2000 : Column: 797W

Written Answers to Questions

Friday 17 November 2000

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

Non-departmental Public Bodies (Scotland)

Mr. Alasdair Morgan: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the non-departmental public bodies responsible to him which have duties relating to Scotland, indicating their budget and staffing in Scotland, the number of Scottish board members and their emoluments. [137695]

Mr. Morley: A list of the non-departmental public bodies that are sponsored by my Department and which have a remit covering Great Britain or the United Kingdom is set out in the following annexe.

The remaining information is not held centrally in the form requested but general information on expenditure, staffing, board members and levels of remuneration is published annually in the Cabinet Office publication "Public Bodies". Copies of "Public Bodies 1999" have been placed in the Libraries of the House and "Public Bodies 2000" is due to be published next month. Information on board membership and remuneration can also be downloaded from the Cabinet Office Public Appointments Directory website (www.cabinet-office.gov.uk).

Non-departmental public bodies with duties relating to Scotland
Executive NDPBs:
British Potato Council
Horticultural Development Council
Food From Britain
Home-Grown Cereals Authority
Meat and Livestock Commission
Milk Development Council
Sea Fish Industry Authority
UK Register of Organic Food Standards
Wine Standards Board of The Vintners' Company
Advisory NDPBs:
Advisory Committee on Pesticides
Farm Animal Welfare Council
Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee
Veterinary Products Committee
Tribunals:
Plant Varieties and Seeds Tribunal.

Flood Defences

Mr. Baker: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to make available extra moneys for river dredging flood defence works in East Sussex. [137545]

Mr. Morley [holding answer 14 November 2000]: Additional funding of £51 million over four years has already been announced for, inter alia, an accelerated programme of river flood defence capital works in

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England. The Environment Agency's staff in East Sussex are reviewing options for flood defence of communities on East Sussex rivers in the light of experience of the recent floods. They plan to meet local residents in the near future to explain those options. It is therefore too early to say what plans there are for river dredging flood defence works in East Sussex, whether it would be effective, or the extent to which such work would attract funding from this Department.

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to strengthen and enhance the flood defences at York. [138545]

Mr. Morley: I understand that the flood defences at York have operated to their design standard or better in the recent flooding. The Environment Agency will be checking the necessity for urgent repairs and reviewing the need for strengthening and enhancing the defences once the immediate work of dealing with the floods is completed. No doubt they will consider if advantage can be taken of the Government's additional funding over the next four years, a major element of which is aimed at accelerating the programme of river flood defence works.

Thames Barrier

Dr. Cable: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment has been made of the impact of global warming and sea level rise on the risk of the Thames Barrier being unable to withstand future storm surges. [138498]

Mr. Morley: The Thames Barrier is the largest component of the complex system of gates, walls and embankments which form the tidal barrier to London and the Thames Estuary. The Barrier is a robust and flexible installation with a design based on rates of sea level rise predicted in the 1970s which were higher than those currently anticipated. It provides London with a high level of protection from tidal flooding and with normal care and maintenance should continue to do so until at least the latter half of this century. Even then, although the Barrier may need to be closed more frequently, it will continue to fulfil its primary function.

The Environment Agency is currently developing its tidal defence strategy for the next 100 years, with several studies already in progress.

Rivers

Mr. Redwood: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans the Government have to regulate flows of water in the (a) River Severn, (b) River Derwent, (c) River Ouse, (d) River Aire and (e) River Don. [138560]

Mr. Morley [holding answer 16 November 2000]: I have asked the Environment Agency, in conjunction with their partners, to produce a full report on the flooding, its effects, how flood warning and emergency response worked and what lessons we can learn. The Agency will initiate this when the immediate work of dealing with the floods has been completed; the report should be available by Easter. In the meantime there are no new plans for these rivers.

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Mr. Redwood: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the river improvement schemes that will be funded from the new money he has announced for the Environment Agency. [138559]

Mr. Morley [holding answer 16 November 2000]: The additional funding of £51 million over the next four years is primarily for the Environment Agency, but some may be allocated to local authorities and Internal Drainage Boards as well. A major element of the package is designed to accelerate the programme of river flood defence works. The Ministry is approaching all the operating authorities to establish their plans with a view to determining the content of the enhanced national river works programme.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

Guided Tours (Summer Recess)

Mr. Harvey: To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee what operational and financial assessment she has made of the arrangements for guided tours of the Palace of Westminster during the 2000 summer recess with special reference to the effectiveness of (a) these arrangements and (b) the previous practice of using the same guides in the recess as in the parliamentary session. [139138]

Mrs. Roe: I refer the hon. Gentleman to my answer of 14 November 2000, Official Report, column 589W.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Police Service

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to his answer of 23 October 2000, Official Report, column 19W, what the perceived community background is of members of the Chief Constable's Change Management Team. [135824]

Mr. Ingram: As I indicated in my earlier reply, I do not consider it appropriate to comment on the perceived community background of members of the Change Management Team.

Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission

Mr. William Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on how many occasions and on what dates the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission has given him advice with respect to taking measures to create rights supplementary to those in the European Convention on Human Rights; and what advice was given which was not supplementary to the European Convention. [136706]

Mr. George Howarth: One of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission's statutory duties is to provide advice to the Secretary of State on the scope for defining, in Westminster legislation, rights supplementary to those in the European Convention on Human Rights. The Commission is currently undertaking an extensive consultation exercise and will submit a preliminary report to the Secretary of State next March.

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Compensation Agency

Mr. Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what arrangements he has made to carry out a quinquennial review of the Compensation Agency. [139442]

Mr. Ingram: I have agreed that a review should be undertaken. The Compensation Agency was previously reviewed in 1995. Accordingly it should, like other agencies, now be subject to a quinquennial review. The review will commence immediately and should be completed by 30 May 2001.

The review will be directed by a Steering Group under the Chairmanship of the Director of Resources in my Department.

The Steering Group will be supported by a Project Team led by a member of the Senior Civil Service from outside the Agency. The leader of the Project Team will report to the Steering Group on a regular basis.

The review process will provide extensive opportunities for consultation with internal and external stakeholders and will follow the procedures recommended in the guidance for the review of agencies and non-departmental public bodies published by the Cabinet Office.

Forensic Science Agency

Mr. Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what arrangements he has made to carry out a quinquennial review of Forensic Science Northern Ireland. [139443]

Mr. Ingram: I have agreed that a review should be undertaken. Forensic Science Northern Ireland completed five years of operation as an executive agency on 31 August 2000. Accordingly it should, like other agencies, now be subject to a quinquennial review. The review will commence immediately and should be completed by 30 April 2001.

The review will be directed by a Steering Group under the Chairmanship of the Director of Resources in my Department.

The Steering Group will be supported by a Project Team led by a member of the Senior Civil Service from outside Forensic Science Northern Ireland. The leader of the Project Team will report to the Steering Group on a regular basis.

The review process will provide extensive opportunities for consultation with internal and external stakeholders and will follow the procedures recommended in the guidance for the review of agencies and non-departmental public bodies published by the Cabinet Office.

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