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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.
12 Mar 2001 : Column: 476W
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 research | Television, radio and newspaper advertising | Direct mail(12) | |
| 1996-97 | 78,000 | 109,000 | 1,454,000 |
| 1997-98 | 257,000 | 248,000 | 1,254,000 |
| 1998-99 | 164,000 | 834,000 | 943,000 |
| 1999-2000 | 386,740 | 614,104 | 1,036,000 |
| 2000-01(13) | 83,000 | 360,712 | 1,043,000 |
(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 projects | End date | Total |
|---|---|---|
| State Veterinary Service network/TB implementation | (14)-- | 5,306,704 |
| Replacement for current Vet Net systems--pilot projects | July 2001 | 150,000 |
| Cattle Ear Tag Allocation System | April 2001 | 200,000 |
| Geographical Information Systems for Animal Disease Control | April 2001 | 542,133 |
| British Cattle Movement Service Strategic Enhancements and Integration Testing of IT System | (14)-- | 3,204,727 |
| Web Access to Cattle Tracing System | May 2001 | 1,759,153 |
| Monitoring of Animal Movements within UK and EC | (14)-- | 237,965 |
| Pet Travel Scheme | August 2000 | 250,000 |
| GB Cattle Herd Registration Development | November 2000 | 1,367,000 |
| Scrapie Control System | July 2001 | 1,908,223 |
| Food Survey System replacement | March 2002 | 1,329,020 |
| Grants and Subsidies Management System for Common Agricultural Policy Payments | (14)-- | 2,823,476 |
| Combined Bovine Risk Assessment Scheme | December 2001 | 2,151,500 |
| Beef Extensification Premium Scheme | May 2001 | 1,339,000 |
| 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 Allowance | May 2001 | 1,838,501 |
| England Rural Development Programme | February 2003 | 2,135,375 |
| Sea Fish Management Systems | (14)-- | 394,005 |
| Fisheries Satellite Surveillance | July 2003 | 322,541 |
| Integration of Existing Building and Estate Management Databases | (14)-- | 1,553,085 |
| Upgrade to Financial Systems and reporting tools | (14)-- | 10,878,802 |
| E-Commerce | December 2001 | 1,867,334 |
| Replacement Office/Corporate Systems | December 2001 | 9,827,835 |
| Central Science Laboratories (CSL): Integrated Business Information System | October 2001 | 500,000 |
| CSL:Upgrade to Hardware to run new Office Systems | May 2001 | 250,000 |
| Centre for Environmental, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS): Laboratory Information Management Systems | March 2003 | 350,000 |
| CEFAS: Biological Sampling System | March 2003 | 120,000 |
| Farming and Rural Conservation Agency (FRCA): Invest to Save Interdepartmental project (MAGIC) Geographical Information System | April 2002 | 462,000 |
| FRCA: Cartography Tool Kit | April 2003 | 930,000 |
| FRCA: basic mapping for administration of agri-environment schemes | October 2001 | 292,000 |
| Intervention Board (IB): Oracle Multi Org for Intervention Board | February 2001 | 252,000 |
| IB: Block Guarantee Scheme System Redevelopment | April 2001 | 198,000 |
| IB: Audit Logging | December 2001 | 187,548 |
| IB: Data Integration | March 2001 | 287,833 |
| IB: Brussels Matrix | March 2001 | 429,018 |
| IB: Modulation | June 2001 | 350,000 |
| IB: Over Thirty Month Scheme System Extension | July 2001 | 343,214 |
| IB: Slaughter Premium Scheme System Development | June 2001 | 735,428 |
| IB: Porting PI Open Systems to Universe | December 2001 | 1,150,000 |
(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 date | End date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orthophotos to support Integrated Administration and Control Systems Geographical Information Systems in Agricultural Payments' Agency | 250,000 | April 2001 | March 2002 |
| Redevelopment of Common Agricultural Policy Payment Schemes | 47,000,000 | April 2001 | March 2004 |
| Intervention Board (IB): Oracle Release 11i | 200,000 | May 2001 | July 2002 |
| IB: Oracle Personnel System Update | 210,000 | October 2001 | March 2002 |
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