| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
State Veterinary Service
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many veterinarian surgeons left the State Veterinary Service in each year since 1990; what the reasons were for their departure; and what employment they left for. [51733]
Mr. Morley [holding answer 22 April 2002]: Details of the numbers of veterinary surgeons leaving the State Veterinary Service and the reasons for their departure are set out in the table.
Information about employment destination is not readily available in all cases and could be identified only at disproportionate cost.
| Number leaving SVS | Reasons for departure | |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 13 | Retirement 3 |
| Resignation 10 | ||
| 1991 | 21 | Retirement 13 |
| Resignation 5 | ||
| Death in Service 2 | ||
| Discharged 1 | ||
| 1992 | 9 | Retirement 5 |
| Resignation 3 | ||
| Death in Service 1 | ||
| 1993 | 12 | Retirement 4 |
| Resignation 6 | ||
| Death in Service 1 | ||
| Transfer to OGD 1 | ||
| 1994 | 11 | Retirement 4 |
| Resignation 4 | ||
| Death in Service 2 | ||
| Transfer to OGD 1 | ||
| 1995 | 16 | Retirement 10 |
| Resignation 5 | ||
| Death in Service 1 | ||
| 1996 | 12 | Retirement 8 |
| Resignation 4 | ||
| 1997 | 8 | Retirement 3 |
| Resignation 3 | ||
| Death in Service 2 | ||
| 1998 | 13 | Retirement 8 |
| Resignation 3 | ||
| Death in Service 1 | ||
| Transfer to OGD 1 | ||
| 1999 | 6 | Retirement 3 |
| Resignation 3 | ||
| 2000 | 14 | Retirement 4 |
| Resignation 9 | ||
| Transfer to OGD 1 | ||
| 2001 | 11 | Retirement 6 |
| Resignation 4 | ||
| Death in Service 1 | ||
| 2002(3) | 6 | Retirement 3 |
| Resignation 3 |
(3) To date
23 Apr 2002 : Column 142W
Departmental Employment Practice
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to her answer of 10 April 2002, Official Report, column 271W, on gender-based assessments, if she will publish the assessment reports relating to her Department's gender, ethnic, disability and full time/part time categories completed since June 2001. [51741]
Mr. Morley [holding answer 23 April 2002]: The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs was created on 9 June 2001. The new Department brings together staff previously employed in parts of both DETR and the Home Office with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. Robust data on staff in post in DEFRA were not available until recently. An assessment was undertaken on 15 March 2002 and the resulting data are included in the table. This position reflects the staff profile for permanent staff in the core-Department on that date.
| Total | |
|---|---|
| Men | |
| Number | 3,701 |
| Percentage | 52 |
| Women | |
| Number | 3,483 |
| Percentage | 48 |
| Part time | |
| Number | 703 |
| Percentage | 10 |
| Ethnic minority(4) | |
| Number | 384 |
| Percentage | 5 |
| Disabled | |
| Number | 406 |
| Percentage | 6 |
(4) Due to current ethnic re-survey, ethnicity data are incomplete and should therefore be interpreted with care. The figures in the table are based on a 70 per cent. response rate. Estimated overall margin of error for staff in post currently = ±1.5 per cent. Data exclude casual staff.
Performance Targets
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment she has made of whether the PSA target to ensure that secondary treatment is provided for all sewage discharges from towns with a population of at least 15,000 by 31 March will be met. [47218]
23 Apr 2002 : Column 143W
Mr. Morley [holding answer 10 April 2002]: As at 31 March 2002, 536 (99 per cent.) of waste water treatment plants in England serving communities greater than 15,000 population (or its equivalent) met this target. We will continue to monitor that secondary treatment for the few remaining discharges is provided as soon as practicable.
Rio Earth Summit (Implementation)
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps have been taken by the Government since the Rio Earth Summit in 1992 to (a) set goals on environmental protection and (b) improve eco-efficiency and resource productivity relating to minerals and metal issues; and what these (i) goals and (ii) improvements have been. [44342]
Mr. Wilson: I have been asked to reply.
The Government have been working with others within the EU to set emissions standards which will protect the environment but also strike an appropriate balance with the economic and social aspects of sustainable development.
More specifically, as they are dominated by multi- nationals, we have been actively encouraging the minerals and metals industries to work globally to establish their sustainable development credentials. Work on indicators to measure performance are being developed.
Forests
Mr. Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she has taken at international level to increase forest protection and improve forest management; and if she will make a statement. [51237]
Hilary Benn: I have been asked to reply.
The UK has a long record of contributing to the shaping of international forest policy. This takes place at the level of expert working groups, as well as intergovernmental negotiations such as: the United Nations Forum on Forests; the Convention on Biological Diversity; and the G8 Action Programme on Forests. All of these processes seek to improve the management and protection of forests.
The UK leads on tackling illegal logging within the G8. We have made progress domestically, with the introduction of the Government's new timber procurement policy, and internationally, through collaborative work with a number of key timber exporting countries. The Memorandum of Understanding singed between Indonesia and UK on 18 April is the first of its kind and signals a real determination to deal with this problem.
DFID's bilateral programmes and DEFRA's Darwin Initiative provide support to forest management and protection in many developing countries.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Entertainment Costs
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much was spent by Ministers in his
23 Apr 2002 : Column 144W
Department on food, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks for official entertainment purposes in each of the last five years. [47055]
Dr. John Reid: As the information you have requested is not held centrally, an answer could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much was spent by departmental special advisers on food, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks for entertainment purposes in each of the last five years. [46844]
Dr. John Reid: As the information you have requested is not held centrally, an answer could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Sunset Clauses
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which Bills introduced by his Department in the last five years have contained sunset clauses; and what plans he has for the future use of such clauses. [49619]
Dr. John Reid: Over the past five years two Bills introduced by my Department contained sunset clauses: the Northern Ireland Arms Decommissioning Act 1997 and the Northern Ireland Arms Decommissioning (Amendment) Act 2002. Each contains a provision limiting the maximum duration of the amnesty period under a decommissioning scheme.
I shall continue to use such clauses where it is appropriate to do so.
Better Quality Services Initiative
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which of the services of his Department have not been reviewed under the Better Quality Services Initiative; and when they will be reviewed. [50308]
Dr. John Reid: The Northern Ireland Office's executive services are delivered by the Department's three agencies—the NI Prison Service, Compensation Agency and Forensic Science Northern Ireland. The requirements of the Better Quality Services Initiative were addressed in the terms of reference of recent quinquennial reviews of each of the agencies. No definite timetable has yet been determined for the other, mainly policy, functions of the Department, which will be considered as appropriate as the extent of the NIO's future role becomes clearer.
Smart Card Technology
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the use of smart card technology in his Department and in the areas for which it is responsible; and what discussions he has had with private companies about the use of smart card technology within his Department. [50484]
Dr. John Reid: Electronic access control systems, many of which operate by smart cards, are extensively used in all premises occupied by my Department. Suppliers in the private sector are consulted as necessary.
23 Apr 2002 : Column 145W
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |