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New Deal
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to her answer of 25 March 2002, Official Report, column 730W, regarding people employed by her Department under the new deal for young people, what discussions she has had with ministers in the departments of Trade and Industry and International Development regarding central collection of statistics on the destinations of new deal participants. [50426]
Mr. Morley: To date there have been no discussions with Ministers in the Departments of Trade and Industry and International Development regarding central collection of statistics on the destinations of new deal participants.
Industrial Action
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to her answer of 26 February 2002, Official Report, column 1191W, on industrial action, what assessment she has made of the effect of the lost days on the service provided by her Department to the public. [50553]
Mr. Morley: The main impact of industrial action has been on the Arable Area Payments Scheme where a little over 50 per cent. of payments were made in the first 2 or 3 weeks of the payment window as compared to the normal 60–70 per cent. within that time.
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In other areas of DEFRA's work the effects of industrial action on services to the public were more limited. There were however small delays in administration of the National Scrapie Plan and in administration and payments under the Agri Environment, ERDP, livestock and organic farming schemes.
With regard to foot and mouth disease, the action did not significantly jeopardise animal health. PCS agreed local dispensations to allow members employed on the FMD Helpline and Licensing Sections to remain working, although in other sections there were some small delays to payment processing.
Telephone calls to some local DEFRA offices were operated on a reduced service. The Department always took into account the needs of the customers, the taxpayer and the long term working relations in DEFRA.
Broiler Chickens
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many visits have been made by the State Veterinary Service to broiler units since September 2001. [48555]
Margaret Beckett [holding answer 10 April 2002]: In the period from 1 September 2001 until 31 March this year, the State Veterinary Service have visited 73 broiler and broiler breeder units.
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment she has made of the welfare of broiler chickens; and if she will make a statement. [48561]
Margaret Beckett [holding answer 10 April 2002]: As part of its inspection programme, the State Veterinary Service visits broiler units to assess all aspects of welfare.
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects to publish new recommendations for the welfare of broiler chickens. [48556]
Margaret Beckett [holding answer 10 April 2002]: A new welfare code of recommendations specifically for meat chickens and breeding chickens will shortly be presented to Parliament.
River Bailiffs
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the future of river bailiffs. [48325]
Margaret Beckett [holding answer 10 April 2002]: The Environment Agency has advised that it will continue to employ officers with the powers of water bailiffs to meet its statutory duty under the Environment Act 1995 to help maintain, develop and improve salmon, trout and freshwater and eel fisheries.
EC Regulation 2037/2000
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the number of old fridges which will be shipped to Germany for dismantling in compliance with EC Regulation 2037/2000. [48321]
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Margaret Beckett [holding answer 10 April 2002]: So far, the Environment Agency has authorised the shipment of approximately 94,500 units for export to Germany. Of these, approximately 3,275 units have been received in Germany and a further 9,615 are in the process of being shipped to Germany for treatment in compliance with EC Regulation 2037/2000. Further applications for 170,350 units have been received by the Environment Agency and these are awaiting a decision.
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of (a) the cost and (b) the environmental impact of shipping old fridges to Germany for dismantling in compliance with EC Regulation 2037/2000. [48322]
Margaret Beckett [holding answer 10 April 2002]: The cost of shipping fridges to Germany is a commercial decision, although costs of £18 to £24 per appliance for export is reasonable. The environmental impact of shipping fridges will be minimal because high standards are imposed at the treatment facilities and the materials are recovered for recycling.
Countryside Stewardship Scheme
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much money has been paid to farmers under the Countryside Stewardship Scheme. [48546]
Mr. Morley: The total payments made to farmers in each of the years since 1991, when the scheme was introduced by the then Countryside Commission, are as follows:
| Annual expenditure | |
|---|---|
| 1992–93 | 5.3 |
| 1993–94 | 8.5 |
| 1994–95 | 10.5 |
| 1995–96 | 11.6 |
| 1996–97 | 10.9 |
| 1997–98 | 15.7 |
| 1998–99 | 19.9 |
| 1999–2000 | 23.4 |
| 2000–01 | 28.9 |
| 2001–02(1) | 47.3 |
| Total expenditure(2) | 182.0 |
(1) Estimated
(2) 1992 to 2002
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what monitoring systems have been put in place to ensure that farmers participating in the Countryside Stewardship Scheme are managing their land to the standards expected by the programme. [48541]
Mr. Morley: To ensure that farmers in the Countryside Stewardship Scheme are managing their land in accordance with their agreements, technical staff from DEFRA's Rural Development Service operate a programme of care and maintenance visits. The programme is structured so that agreement holders are visited in the first year of the agreement and further visits are undertaken where required.
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All our agreement holders are in addition subject to compliance monitoring inspections by staff from the Rural Payments Agency. These inspections are carried out to meet EU and our own audit requirements.
Special Advisers
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many special advisers there were in her Department; and what their salaries were in each of the last five years. [46953]
Mr. Morley [holding answer 10 April 2002]: DEFRA has two special advisers. As regards their salaries, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Prime Minister on 10 April 2002, Official Report, column 11W.
Regional Development Agencies
Mr. Challen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions her Department has had with regional development agencies regarding environmental issues. [47968]
Alun Michael: I regularly attend meetings with the chairs of regional development agencies and ministerial colleagues and the Department are frequently in discussion with regional development agencies on a range of issues. If my hon. Friend has a particular concern in mind, I shall be pleased to address it.
Television Sets
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many (a) analogue and (b) integrated digital television sets her Department has purchased in each of the last 24 months; and if she will make a statement. [38176]
Mr. Morley: From information held centrally, since DEFRA's creation on 8 June 2001, the Department has acquired nine analogue television sets. No digital television sets were acquired. In making decisions on television purchases the Department is required to consider whole life cycle costs when making any purchasing decisions. Whole life costs take account of possible future obsolescence.
Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many (a) integrated digital and (b) analogue television sets have been bought by her Department in each of the last 24 months; and if she will publish the guidance given to officials making decisions on television purchases. [33235]
Mr. Morley [holding answer 4 February 2002]: From information held centrally, since DEFRAs creation on 8 June 2001, the Department has acquired nine analogue television sets. No digital television sets were acquired. In making decisions on television purchases the Department is required to consider whole life cycle costs when making any purchasing decisions. Whole life costs take account of possible future obsolescence.
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