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Pesticide Residues
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures she is taking to encourage children to eat more fresh fruit and vegetables; and if she will make a statement on her policy towards pesticide residues found in these foods. [48323]
Margaret Beckett [holding answer 10 April 2002]: DEFRA works closely with the Department of Health on its initiatives to encourage increased consumption of fruit and vegetables, including the National School Fruit Scheme. The Pesticide Residues Committee advises the Secretary of State on a monitoring programme for pesticide residues in food and drink, including fruit and vegetables. The monitoring programme and its results are described in the annual report of the committee and are available on the internet at http://www.pesticides.gov.uk/committees/prc/ prc per cent.5Fannual per cent.5Frep per cent.5F2000.pdf.
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Performance Targets
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the target has been in each of the last five years for efficiency savings as a percentage of total running costs for each of the non-departmental public bodies for which she is responsible; and if the target was met. [49644]
Mr. Morley: Chapter 2 of the Treasury's guidance "Non Departmental Public Bodies: Annual Reports and Accounts Guidance" requires executive NDPBs to provide, as part of their annual reports, information about the performance and efficiency targets agreed with their sponsor Departments and performance against those targets.
The annual reports and accounts of the Department's executive self-accounting NDPBs are laid before Parliament each year and copies placed in the House Library.
New Deal
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many people employed by the non-departmental public bodies for which she is responsible under the New Deal for Young People in each of the last four years have subsequently (a) found unsubsidised employment for more than 13 weeks and (b) returned to jobseekers' allowance or other benefits. [49609]
Mr. Morley: Of the non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) for which DEFRA is responsible, only one employs staff under the New Deal for Young People. Since 1998 that body has appointed 14 people on to the scheme, nine of whom have subsequently found unsubsidised employment for more than 13 weeks. Information on those returning to jobseeker's allowance or other benefits is not available.
Private Finance Initiative
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many Private Finance Initiative projects have been subject to refinancing after the contracts have been signed; and what has been the financial effect in each case. [50282]
Mr. Morley: One Private Finance Initiative project, Brooklands Avenue Cambridge, has been subject to refinancing after the contract had been signed. The financial effect was to achieve a net present value saving to the Department of around £515,000 over 15 years, which represents a broadly equitable share of the potential refinancing gain. No other departmental PFI projects have been subject to refinancing.
Better Quality Services Initiative
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which of the services of her Department have not been reviewed under the Better Quality Services Initiative; and when they will be reviewed. [50322]
Mr. Morley: The Better Quality Services (BQS) programme was launched in 1998 and adopted by the Cabinet Office in the Modernising Government White
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Paper of 1999 as a means of delivering continuous improvements in the quality and effectiveness of Government activities and services. It requires all Government Departments to review every activity and service over a five year period starting in October 1999. The scheme covers all activities in Departments, agencies and executive non-departmental public bodies, and is similar in remit to the Best Value programme in local government.
Following the creation of DEFRA in June 2001, we intend to launch a value for money programme that will review every major function in the Department at least once every five years.
Two major BQS reviews, of the DEFRA Estate and Personnel, are scheduled to take place during the current financial year.
Energy Efficiency
Mr. Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimates she has received of the change in energy efficiency since 1997 of (a) processing in the industrial sector, (b) heating and lighting in the industrial sector, (c) heating and lighting in the commercial sector, (d) business machinery and information control technology in the commercial sector and (e) heating and lighting in the domestic sector; and if she will make a statement. [50445]
Mr. Meacher: In the domestic sector our most up to date estimate of the change in overall energy efficiency is that it improved by 1 per cent. per annum over the period 1995–2000.
For industry and commerce, energy consumption statistics are collected by fuel but not by end use, so indicators are available only for overall energy consumption. No direct measure exists of "energy efficiency" changes for industry as a whole. However, changes in "energy intensity" (ie energy per unit of output) are routinely published by DTI 1 . These are the result of both efficiency changes and structural ones (eg from changing product mix within an industry). Estimates of changes in energy efficiency can be derived from these data and have been calculated up to 1998 for industry. Over the period 1990 to 1998, we estimate an average annual improvement in energy efficiency of about 0.6 per cent. per annum was achieved in industry.
As part of the Government response to the recent PIU Energy Review, we will consider its recommendation to establish energy efficiency indicators for each sector of the economy.
- 1 Energy intensity indicators for industry, commerce and a number of individual industries are given in the DTI publication "UK Energy Sector Indicators".
GM Crops
Mr. Ivan Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs who was responsible for the crop management of the Farm Scale Evaluation at Sunnymead Farm, Wivenhoe in 2000; when the GM maize, planted at Sunnymead Farm, was sprayed with herbicide; and when the crop was sprayed with glufosinate ammonium. [50920]
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Mr. Meacher: Management of the crops in the Farm Scale Evaluations is undertaken by the farmer hosting each individual trial, with SCIMAC (Supply Chain Initiative on Modified Agricultural Crops) providing advice in relation to the GM crops. As herbicide use is the key factor in the research, this aspect of the crop management is covered by the following protocol:
- Protocol on herbicide use for the Farm Scale Evaluations
- 1. SCIMAC (Supply Chain Initiative on Modified Agricultural Crops) will not offer advice to farmers on management of the non-GM part of experimental fields. This will be carried out by the farmer's own adviser and recorded in detail, as is required under pesticide usage regulations.
- 2. SCIMAC will provide advice through an agronomist to farmers about herbicide and related management for the GM herbicide-tolerant crops. The agronomist will make a recommendation about the application rate and timing of the herbicide to provide cost-effective weed control. SCIMAC will provide draft detailed herbicide application information in addition to the label on the herbicide container, and provide the necessary amount of the herbicide to the farmers.
- 3. Farmers will provide their rationale for recommended herbicide usage in the non-GM part of each study field. SCIMAC's agronomist will provide their rationale for recommended herbicide usage in the GM part of each study field. Farmers will provide a report of actual herbicide use in both the GM and non-GM parts of each study field. All this information will be submitted to the independent research consortium carrying out the FSE study, thereby allowing a comparison of the agronomist's advice with actual herbicide usage and thus substantiating whether or not cost-effective weed control has been met.
The independent Scientific Steering Committee overseeing the FSE programme has approved this protocol as being appropriate for cost-effective weed control. The independent team carry out the FSE research audit as to whether cost-effective weed control has been practised by analysing herbicide application records, the weed burden at each trial site and records of crop yield. My Department does not have this management data, but it is planned to make relevant details publicly available at the end of the FSE programme when the research results are published. I can confirm that glufosinate ammonium is the only herbicide being used on the GM maize in the FSE trials.
Sea Wall Defences
Mr. Hurst: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the total expenditure on sea wall defences in the county of Essex and the unitary boroughs of Thurrock and Southend-on- Sea was in each year from 1990 to 2001. [50985]
Mr. Morley: Information is readily available only for expenditure incurred by the Environment Agency. The table details capital expenditure by the agency on sea walls in Essex (including Thurrock and Southend-on-Sea) and maintenance expenditure on sea walls and tidal defences:
Note:
Capital expenditure will vary year to year depending upon schemes in progress.
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