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Regional Offices
Mr. Yeo: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if it is the Government's policy to reintegrate the Farming and Rural Conservation Agency into his Department; [103064]
- (2) if it is the Government's policy to reorganise his Department's regional offices to match the existing Government standard regions; and if his Department's regional offices are to be absorbed into the Government Offices for the Regions. [103063]
Mr. Nick Brown: The Department already works to Government Offices regional boundaries where appropriate, for example in drawing up the regional chapters of the England Rural Development Plan under the EU Rural Development Regulation and in administering the EU Structural Funds.
As part of the Department's contribution to the Modernising Government initiative, we are currently reviewing the way MAFF's Regional Service Centres (RSCs) and the Intervention Board administer payments under the Common Agricultural Policy in England. In parallel with this review, and in the context of the Government's regional agenda, we are considering how best to achieve even closer integration of our regional policy activities with those of the Government Offices for the Regions.
The Farming and Rural Conservation Agency's major task is to assist in delivering important parts of the Rural Development Regulation. One significant option which is being considered would be for most of the staff currently in the FRCA to form part of a future MAFF presence in the Government Offices for the Regions.
The outcome of the review of MAFF's activities in the regions, including the future for FRCA, will be carefully considered.
Mr. Jim Cunningham:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to introduce aid for the pig industry to cover the costs of offal disposal. [103242]
Ms Quin:
Officials have explored the possibility of a pig offal disposal scheme with the European Commission. In principle, Community rules might permit the payment of a state aid in this area, but there appears to be no scope to frame a sensible and worthwhile scheme which satisfies
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the strict EU guidelines and meets the requirements of industry. The Commission will certainly not sanction any scheme which fails to meet the rules; and we could not contemplate paying an illegal aid. The rules preclude the payment of operating aids, i.e. subsidies that are simply aimed at improving the producer's position in the market.
Mr. Ben Chapman:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects to receive the report of the Intervention System Working Group. [104005]
Mr. Nick Brown:
I have received the report of the Intervention System Red Tape Working Group and am immediately placing copies in the Library of the House.
I am very grateful to the working Group for their hard work in completing their report so quickly. As with the other two red tape groups, I asked them to think radically and to suggest ways of doing things better. The Group points out that when there is a need for intervention, the system must work more effectively and enable UK producers to compete on a level playing field. Useful changes can be made, and many of the Group's recommendations concentrate on practical ideas for improvement which could be implemented quickly. I shall be considering the report very carefully with my colleagues and we will give our considered response in the New Year.
Mrs. Lawrence:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects to receive the report of the IACS and Inspections Working Group. [104006]
Mr. Nick Brown:
I have received the report of the IACS (Integrated Administration and Control System) and Inspections Red Tape Working Group and am immediately placing copies in the Library of the House.
I am very grateful to the Working Group for their hard work in completing their report so quickly. As with the other two red tape groups, I asked them to think radically and to suggest ways of doing things better. They have done this with recommendations which call for action both in Brussels and at home. They include challenging objectives for both Government and the industry in making maximum use of Information Technology. E-commerce offers farmers real opportunities to increase the effectiveness of their business operations. Our on-going programme for redeveloping our CAP processing IT systems is designed to offer real benefits to farmers in the way they interact with
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us. The report makes a number of other recommendations, including further reducing the number of forms and of inspection visits and establishing an independent appeals mechanism. I shall be considering the report very carefully with my colleagues and we will give our considered response in the New Year.
Mr. Woolas:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what procedures exist for resolving complaints by independent tribunals against Government Departments. [100301]
Mr. Stringer:
Independent tribunals are excluded from making complaints to the Parliamentary Ombudsman about Government Departments under section 6(1) of the Parliamentary Commissioner Act 1967.
Dr. Harris:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many research contracts have been let by her Department since May 1997; what is the value of each contract; and in each case whether the contract included (a) a departmental veto over publication of the research results, (b) departmental control over the date of publication of the research results and (c) a requirement that the final research results incorporate departmental amendments. [100161]
Mr. Stringer:
This information is not held centrally and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Miss McIntosh:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent discussions she has had with the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Deputy Prime Minister on rural affairs; and if she will make a statement. [102133]
Marjorie Mowlam:
As was the practice of the previous Administration, details of internal meetings between Ministers are confidential.
Mr. Alexander:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if she will make a statement on the effectiveness of the initiatives based on the use of IT to improve public services set up by her Department since 1997. [101914]
Mr. Ian McCartney:
The Government have adopted a challenging programme to modernise public services using new technology. This ranges from accessing Government services from one's digital television set, accessing the Internet through a PC in the local library or phoning a call centre, such as NHS Direct, for health advice.
We also want to improve the introduction of new technology. As part of our major review of the handling
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of Government IT projects, we are looking to identify the pillars that support successful IT projects and to make sure that they are put in place in the future. These include:
Mr. Don Foster:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to her answer of 24 November 1999, Official Report, column 161W, on target setting, if she will list the Government's policy co-ordinators appointed since May 1997, giving in each case the number of targets they have set to date, excluding any targets listed in her previous answer. [102068]
Mr. Stringer:
This information is not held centrally and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Maclean:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office for each of the buildings under her Department's control how many rooms are set aside for (a) ethnic minority religious use, (b) pregnant and nursing mothers and (c) smokers. [102331]
Marjorie Mowlam:
For the 13 buildings under control of the Cabinet Office, the number of rooms set aside for the uses specified is as follows:
Mr. Leigh:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how long the former Department of the Environment buildings in Marsham Street have been empty; what is their square footage; and what is the commercial rent lost as a result of them being empty. [102866]
Mr. Ian McCartney:
Responsibility for this matter has been delegated under the terms of the Framework Document to the Property Advisers to the Civil Estate. I have asked its Chief Executive, Mr. John Locke, to write to the hon. Member.
Letter from John C. Locke to Mr. Edward Leigh, dated 16 December 1999:
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Full assessment of the risks involved in a project and clear plans for managing them.
Strong contingency plans.
Keeping the scale of a project to something manageable.
Making sure that both the supplier and the purchaser clearly understand the aims of the project, and their respective responsibilities.
We need to ensure that we learn lessons from past projects so that future systems run effectively and deliver value for money.
(a) None
(b) None
(c) 16.
The Minister of State for the Cabinet Office, Ian McCartney, has asked me as Chief Executive of Property Advisers to the Civil Estate (PACE), to respond to your recent Parliamentary Question about 2 Marsham Street.
The Department of the Environment, Transport and Regions finally vacated 2 Marsham Street at the end of April 1998. The existing building has a net internal area of 603,708 square feet or 56,084.5 square metres.
2 Marsham Street, in its present condition, would not attract a commercial letting, as the existing buildings would require a substantial refurbishment before they could be re-occupied. At the
time Home Office were considering decant use, the cost of refurbishment was estimated to be in the region of £30 million. In the Agency's view refurbishment to attract a commercial rent is not a viable option.
Until Home Office have reached a decision on the re-use of the site, in connection with their Headquarters PFI project, they have agreed to pay the holding costs of the property, including a rent which represents a return on the value of the site.
Pending the commencement of demolition, part of the lower floors of the building are once again being used as an emergency winter shelter for the homeless.
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