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Pensions

Mrs. Browning: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if it has been the policy for improvements to public sector pension schemes to be applied retrospectively; and if he will make a statement. [152161]

Mr. Andrew Smith: It has been the long-standing policy of successive Governments that discretionary changes to improve the benefits from public service pension schemes should normally be implemented from a current date for future service of active members only.

PRIME MINISTER

Hinduja Brothers

Mr. Wilkinson: To ask the Prime Minister on what occasions since 3 May 1997, he has met members of the Hinduja family; where such meetings took place; and for what purpose. [148547]

The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the right hon. Member for Maidstone and The Weald (Miss Widdecombe) on 31 January 2001, Official Report, column 224W.

Hammond Inquiry

Mr. Baker: To ask the Prime Minister if he will take steps to establish and publish the source of leaks to the media concerning the Hammond Inquiry. [153259]

The Prime Minister: No. The draft report of the Hammond Inquiry was not a Government document. I received Sir Anthony Hammond's report on 8 March 2001 and it was published on 9 March 2001.

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Parliamentary Questions

Mr. Wilkinson: To ask the Prime Minister when he will answer the question tabled by the hon. Member for Ruislip-Northwood on 30 January, relating to the Hinduja family. [153254]

The Prime Minister: I have done so today.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

Public Relations (Expenditure)

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what the total expenditure and the breakdown of expenditure was in his Department for the financial years (a) 1996-97, (b) 1997-98, (c) 1998-99 and (d) 1999-2000, and what the planned expenditure and breakdown of expenditure for 2000-01 is on (i) public opinion research, (ii) television, radio and newspaper advertising and (iii) direct mail. [149257]

Ms Quin [holding answer 8 February 2001]: Total expenditure and the breakdown of expenditure by MAFF for the financial years 1996-97, 1998-99, 1999-2000 and planned expenditure for 2000-01 on (i) public opinion research, (ii) television, radio and newspaper per advertising and (iii) direct mail, is as follows:

£
Public opinion researchTelevision, radio and newspaper advertisingDirect mail(12)
1996-9778,000109,0001,454,000
1997-98257,000248,0001,254,000
1998-99164,000834,000943,000
1999-2000386,740614,1041,036,000
2000-01(13)83,000360,7121,043,000

(12) Including the despatch of forms and explanatory material to farmers for MAFF administered schemes

(13) Actual spending to date


Departmental IT Projects

Mr. Field: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the IT projects currently undertaken in his Department; and if he will state the (a) expected completion date and (b) cost of each project. [151505]

Ms Quin [holding answer 26 February 2001]: A list of the major IT projects costing most than £100,000 and undertaken in the current year is shown in the table, together with the requested supplementary information. This includes a number of projects for the monitoring and control of animal diseases, as well as on-going projects for the payment of a number of common agricultural policy schemes which need annual amendment to take account of changes agreed by the EU. Costs relating to maintenance of existing systems and services are excluded.

Major IT projects are approved (or rejected) on the basis of business cases indicating the benefits to the Department to be delivered from the expenditure, and are managed by formal project boards chaired by senior staff.

12 Mar 2001 : Column: 477W

To ensure probity and value for money, procurements are undertaken in compliance with EC public procurement rules, UK Government domestic procurement policy and best practice guidance to ensure probity and value for money, government accounting rules and National Audit

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Office requirements. MAFF is also implementing the relevant recommendations of the report "Successful IT--Modernising Government in Action", published in May 2000.

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IT projectsEnd dateTotal
State Veterinary Service network/TB implementation(14)--5,306,704
Replacement for current Vet Net systems--pilot projectsJuly 2001150,000
Cattle Ear Tag Allocation SystemApril 2001200,000
Geographical Information Systems for Animal Disease ControlApril 2001542,133
British Cattle Movement Service Strategic Enhancements and Integration Testing of IT System(14)--3,204,727
Web Access to Cattle Tracing SystemMay 20011,759,153
Monitoring of Animal Movements within UK and EC(14)--237,965
Pet Travel SchemeAugust 2000250,000
GB Cattle Herd Registration DevelopmentNovember 20001,367,000
Scrapie Control SystemJuly 20011,908,223
Food Survey System replacementMarch 20021,329,020
Grants and Subsidies Management System for Common Agricultural Policy Payments(14)--2,823,476
Combined Bovine Risk Assessment SchemeDecember 20012,151,500
Beef Extensification Premium SchemeMay 20011,339,000
New Common Agricultural Policy Support Systems(14)--15,846,854
Cattle Slaughter Premium Scheme(14)--1,767,500
Agenda 2000(14)--1,378,650
Hill Farmers AllowanceMay 20011,838,501
England Rural Development ProgrammeFebruary 20032,135,375
Sea Fish Management Systems(14)--394,005
Fisheries Satellite SurveillanceJuly 2003322,541
Integration of Existing Building and Estate Management Databases(14)--1,553,085
Upgrade to Financial Systems and reporting tools(14)--10,878,802
E-CommerceDecember 20011,867,334
Replacement Office/Corporate SystemsDecember 20019,827,835
Central Science Laboratories (CSL): Integrated Business Information SystemOctober 2001500,000
CSL:Upgrade to Hardware to run new Office SystemsMay 2001250,000
Centre for Environmental, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS): Laboratory Information Management SystemsMarch 2003350,000
CEFAS: Biological Sampling SystemMarch 2003120,000
Farming and Rural Conservation Agency (FRCA): Invest to Save Interdepartmental project (MAGIC) Geographical Information SystemApril 2002462,000
FRCA: Cartography Tool KitApril 2003930,000
FRCA: basic mapping for administration of agri-environment schemesOctober 2001292,000
Intervention Board (IB): Oracle Multi Org for Intervention BoardFebruary 2001252,000
IB: Block Guarantee Scheme System RedevelopmentApril 2001198,000
IB: Audit LoggingDecember 2001187,548
IB: Data IntegrationMarch 2001287,833
IB: Brussels MatrixMarch 2001429,018
IB: ModulationJune 2001350,000
IB: Over Thirty Month Scheme System ExtensionJuly 2001343,214
IB: Slaughter Premium Scheme System DevelopmentJune 2001735,428
IB: Porting PI Open Systems to UniverseDecember 20011,150,000

(14) Annual revision required


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Mr. Field: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the IT projects his Department plans to undertake in the next year; and if he will state in each case the (a) expected date of commencement and completion and (b) cost. [151469]

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Ms Quin [holding answer 26 February 2001]: A list of the new IT projects costing more than £100,000 and expected to start in 2001-02 is shown, with the requested supplementary information. Costs relating to maintenance of existing systems and services are excluded.

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Projected costs (£)Start dateEnd date
Orthophotos to support Integrated Administration and Control Systems Geographical Information Systems in Agricultural Payments' Agency250,000April 2001March 2002
Redevelopment of Common Agricultural Policy Payment Schemes47,000,000April 2001March 2004
Intervention Board (IB): Oracle Release 11i200,000May 2001July 2002
IB: Oracle Personnel System Update210,000October 2001March 2002

12 Mar 2001 : Column: 479W


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