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Ilsham Valley Pumping Station

Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will determine the outcome of the inquiry into the compulsory purchase order of Ilsham Valley pumping station, Torquay. [43140]

Mr. Meacher: After considering the inspector's report resulting from the public inquiry, the Secretary of State decided that the order should be confirmed. The Department wrote to the parties concerned on 8 March 2002 informing them of the decision. The order as confirmed is subject to special parliamentary procedure and will be laid before both Houses.

Aquatic Pursuits

Mr. Gareth R. Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to her answer of 4 March 2002, Official Report, column 77W, if she will introduce new performance indicators to help judge the success of efforts to improve access for canoeists by the Environment Agency's Angling and Canoe Liaison Group. [42386]

Alun Michael: The Government have no plans to introduce performance indicators, but will continue to encourage the Environment Agency's Angling and Canoe Liaison Group to look for ways of improving access to the water for recreational use.

Mr. Gareth R. Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to her answer of 4 March 2002, Official Report, column 77W, if she will make Environment Agency funding dependent on improving access to water for canoeists. [42385]

Alun Michael: The Government have no plans to make any Agency funding dependent on improving access to water for canoeists, but will continue to encourage the Environment Agency to look for ways of improving access to the water and land it manages for recreational use, as appropriate.

Navigation Rights

Mr. Gareth R. Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make Government grants to landowners who own navigation rights on fast moving inland water dependent on their granting navigation rights for non-powered craft. [43328]

Alun Michael: We recently published the findings of research about water-based sport and recreation. One possibility raised in the report was for the introduction of revised funding arrangements for riparian owners in targeted locations to allow public access to their waterspace.

Officials recently met the other sponsors of the research (British Waterways, the Countryside Agency, the Countryside Council for Wales, the Environment Agency and Sport England) and other interested Government Departments to consider what action to take in the light of the report's findings. I shall be considering the outcome of the meeting with my ministerial colleagues. I shall also be interested to hear the hon. Member's views when we meet later this month.

19 Mar 2002 : Column 273W

Ministerial Meetings

Mrs. Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she last met representatives of the NFU. [7729]

Mr. Morley: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State last met representatives of the NFU on Thursday 14 February 2002.

Mrs. Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she next intends to meet representatives of the National Farmers Union. [35878]

Mr. Morley: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will next meet representatives of the NFU on Thursday 21 March 2002.

Ministerial Visits

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) if she will list the official visits to (a) Paris and (b) Brussels made by each Minister in her Department in 2001 and the mode of travel used; and what guidance is provided to Ministers in her Department on the choice of mode of travel for such visits; [38154]

Mr. Morley: Since 1999 this Government have published an annual list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing £500 or more during each financial year. The Government have also published on an annual basis the cost of all Ministers' visits overseas. Details of travel undertaken since 1 March 2001 will be published as soon as possible after the end of the current financial year. Copies of the lists are available in the Libraries of the House.

All travel is undertaken fully in accordance with the rules set out in the Ministerial Code and Travel by Ministers, copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House.

The additional detailed information requested in respect of UK travel is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Beekeepers

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many beekeepers were known to the National Bee Unit in (a) Essex and (b) England in each of the last four years. [42376]

Mr. Morley: The number of beekeepers in Essex and England identified on the National Bee Unit's (NBU) database in each of the last four years is as follows.

19 Mar 2002 : Column 274W

EssexEngland
199882419,346
199983219,607
200078719,068
200154017,884

The database is used to maintain records of statutory inspection programmes. It is not a definitive register of beekeepers.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Stolen Equipment

Mr. Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 22 January 2002, Official Report, columns 834–5W, on stolen equipment, what criminal proceedings have been undertaken for cases of theft against his Department, stating in each case (a) whether the proceedings (i) led to a criminal conviction and (ii) were unsuccessful, (b) the cost incurred by his Department in pursuing a conviction and (c) the value of items recovered; and if he will make a statement. [41507]

Angela Eagle: [holding answer 18 February 2002]: For the year 1997–98, detailed records are not available of the action taken for equipment stolen.

For the three years 1998–99, 1999–2000 and 2000–01 in all cases but one the culprit was not identified. In the one single case the culprit was dismissed without prosecution and the amount of the loss was recovered (£100).

Accountancy Contracts

Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the contracts agreed by his Department with the five largest accountancy firms since May 1997; and what was the total value of contracts with each. [42107]

Angela Eagle: The available information on the contracts agreed with the Home Department with the five largest accountancy firms since May 1997 are as follows:

Company/contracts



















19 Mar 2002 : Column 275W











Rail Journeys (Staff)

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy that rail journeys undertaken by staff in his Department should ordinarily be on standard class tickets. [40451]

Angela Eagle: Section 8 of the Civil Service Management code requires Departments and agencies to ensure that staff use the most efficient and economic means of travel in the circumstances taking into account any management benefit or the needs of staff with disabilities.

Home Office staff below Senior Executive Officer level are normally required to travel standard class on rail journeys. The details, including exceptions to the general policy, are contained in the Departmental Travel and Subsistence Manual. The policy is to encourage staff to use public transport rather than cars, in accordance with the Government's policy on "Green Transport".

Senior staff are entitled to travel first class on official journeys where facilities are available to enable working on official papers on route. The policy is kept under review, but there are no current plans to change the arrangements. A new contract from 1 April will ensure additional discounts are available.

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