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20 Jan 2003 : Column 94W—continued
Tourism (England)
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps her Department has taken to establish a strategic national body for the English tourism industry. [91381]
Dr. Howells: Since the announcement in October last year of plans for reform of the Government's support for tourism, the chairs of the English Tourism Council and British Tourist Authority have led a restructuring of the strengths and skills of both organisations into a lead national tourism body to be launched in April 2003. A policy group comprising representatives of all sectors of the tourism industry is overseeing their progress. The
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new body is designed to provide a more efficient service to promote inbound tourism to Britain and to market tourism in England to the domestic market.
Tourism (London)
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much has been spent by her Department on marketing London tourism in the last 12 months. [91378]
Dr. Howells: In 2002–03 my Department will grant aid the Greater London Authority £1.9 million in respect of its statutory tourism responsibilities, of which £1.5 million is specifically for marketing London as a tourist destination, both in its own right and as a gateway to the UK regions. In addition, London has benefited from the £54.5 million grant-in-aid to the British Tourism Authority in 2002–03 for the promotion of Britain abroad.
World Heritage Status
Mrs. Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the UK's nominations for world heritage site status in 2003. [91520]
Dr. Howells: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will make an announcement regarding the UK's 2003 nomination for world heritage site status by the end of this month.
ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS
Animal By-products
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with the European Commission about the compatibility with the EU Animal By-Products Regulation of her proposals to allow the composting of catering waste and its spreading on land. [89621]
Margaret Beckett: The UK was involved at all stages of negotiation of the EU Animal By-Products Regulation, and we consider our proposals on the composting of catering waste are in line with the requirements of that legislation, although we have asked the Commission for clarification on one point. We have also notified them or our proposals under the Technical Standards Directive.
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she will announce the Government's conclusions following her Department's consultation on changes to the Animal By-Products Order 1999 to allow the composting of catering waste and its spreading on land. [89622]
Margaret Beckett: The consultation period on the composting of catering waste closes on 12 February 2003. Taking into account the comments received in the
consultation exercise, the final Statutory Instrument will be amended, made and announced as soon as possible thereafter.
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Animal Sales
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what initiatives she intends to take to encourage the use of alternatives to animal markets by direct sales, internet and video links. [90257]
Mr. Morley: The development of marketing channels for farm animals is principally a matter for the livestock and meat industries. Through its support for the Red Meat Industry Forum the Government is helping these industries in finding ways to improve the red meat supply chain.
Capital Assets
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, further to her answer of 17 December 2002 [85010], what the value is of the capital assets held by the Environment Agency that can be classed as (a) land and buildings and (b) plant and machinery. [88411]
Margaret Beckett: The Environment Agency has supplied the following figures for the value of its capital assets as at 31 March 2002:
| £000 | |
|---|---|
| Land and buildings | 1,768,025 |
| Plant and machinery | 109,355 |
| Other—including assets under construction | 84,831 |
| Total | 1,962,211 |
Civil Servants (Leadership Review)
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the (a) terms of reference, (b) purpose and (c) timescale are of her Department's leadership review. [91054]
Margaret Beckett [holding answer 16 January 2003]: The leadership review flows from the Joint Strategic Review of Defra, carried out by the Department jointly with the Office of Public Service Reform. The Joint Strategic Review examined how Defra operated, and identified both the strengths it could build on and the areas it needed to improve to become a high-performing Department. This included a study of the kind of leadership Defra would need. The purpose of the leadership review is to: (i) develop and introduce a 'leadership profile' for Defra staff from top down to G7; (ii) implement a programme of Development Centres and supporting coaching based on the leadership profile and which also builds on earlier leadership development; (iii) focus future learning on supporting the change in culture and performance identified by the Joint Strategic Review; (iv) help individuals reduce any gaps between current and desired skills and competencies; and (v) generate a culture of learning within Defra so that staff outside the target group are properly supported in their own learning and development.
A pilot Development Centre is scheduled to run in March 2003, with rollout across Defra from April 2003, and completion planned for July 2004. Following
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attendance at the centre participants will undertake coaching and other training for a period of at least a year.
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what criteria she will use to assess the performance of civil servants subject to her Department's leadership review. [91051]
Margaret Beckett [holding answer 16 January 2003]: Defra has developed a leadership profile, which will be used to assess individuals participating in its leadership development programme. It describes the skills and behaviour required to be an effective leader.
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs who will carry out the assessments of civil servants under her Department's leadership review. [91052]
Margaret Beckett [holding answer 16 January 2003]: The leadership development programme is being managed by the Department's Human Resources function. A consultancy has been selected to design and deliver the programme.
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many officials, at which grades, will be subject to her Department's leadership review. [91053]
Margaret Beckett [holding answer 16 January 2003]: All 150 members of the senior civil service in Defra will participate in its leadership development programme, as will other managers in Grades 6 and 7 who occupy leadership roles in the Department, some two dozen and 380 respectively. Others in specialist and technical roles who aspire to senior management positions may also choose to participate. The number of officials participating is therefore approximately 560.
Coastal Defence
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what budget has been allocated to (a) create and (b) maintain the National Flood and Coastal Defence Database; how much has been spent and is planned to be spent in each financial year; and if she will make a statement. [89636]
Margaret Beckett: Defra is meeting the full external costs of developing the database by way of contributions to the Environment Agency. Up to and including the current financial year, this has amounted to some £2.2 million.
Management and on-going maintenance will be funded from normal operating budgets of the Agency. The Business Case anticipates that there will be a significant net gain from the expected savings in improved efficiency of data management and operational activities.
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which organisations have access to the National Flood and Coastal Defence Database; what plans she has to allow further access; and if she will make a statement. [89743]
Margaret Beckett: The Environment Agency advise that the National Flood and Coastal Defence Database (NFCDD) is now available to staff within the EA and
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will subsequently be made available to all other operating authorities with responsibilities for Flood and Coastal Defence as well as to Defra and the National Assembly for Wales.
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the (a) terms and (b) objectives are of her Departments' contract with Scisys for the provison of the National Flood and Coastal Defence Database. [89682]
Margaret Beckett: The Department has no contract with Science Systems Ltd. SciSys is one of the Environment Agency's Framework Partners for provision of IT Systems Development and Support. The objectives of the contract for the National Flood and Coastal Defence Database (NFCDD) are for the development and subsequent support of Phase One and Two of the system.
Mr. Lidington : To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what reports she has received from (a) the Environment Agency, (b) Coastal Defence Groups, and (c) Coastal Protection Authorities about the implementation of High Level Targets 6a and 6b; and what action has been taken to inspect coast protection assets in pursuance of High Level Target 6A. [89761]
Margaret Beckett [holding answer 13 January 2003]: A number of coastal groups, on behalf of coast protection authorities, have submitted reports on inspection programmes and assessments of coastal erosion risk as required by High Level Target 6; no such reports are required from the Environment Agency. However it has been recognised that it would be useful to develop a methodology for a more consistent approach to the assessment of coastal erosion risk. To that end Defra will be forming a working group with representatives from the coastal groups to consider what research is needed, and the outcome will inform future reports for this High Level Target.
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for what proportion of (a) England and Wales by area, (b) coastline in England and Wales and (c) properties at risk of flooding information is now available on the national flood and coastal defence database. [89635]
Margaret Beckett: Information on flood defences for the coastline of England and Wales and all main rivers is available in the national flood and coastal defence database (NFCDD) to staff within the Environment Agency. General flood plain information on properties at risk is available by inclusion in NFCDD of the indicative maps.
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when final testing for Phase One of the National Flood and Coastal Defence Database was completed; what progress has been made with Phase Two; and if she will make a statement. [89637]
Margaret Beckett: The Environment Agency have confirmed that Phase One of the National Flood and Coastal Defence Database (NFCDD) has been successfully tested within the EA, but testing with the other operating authorities is not yet complete. The
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development of Phase Two of the NFCDD is currently being completed and is planned to be implemented in the EA and available to the operating authorities, together with Phase One, by June 2003.
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much money was spent by the Environment Agency on (a) flood protection and flood management and (b) coastal defence in (i) 2000–01, (ii) 2001–02 and (iii) 2002–03; and if she will place in the Library an analysis by project of each year's expenditure. [90629]
Margaret Beckett [holding answer 14 January 2003]: Expenditure by the Environment Agency in England for managing flood risk from main rivers and the sea is:
| 2000–01 (actual) | 2001–02 (actual) | 2002–03 (forecast) |
|---|---|---|
| 259,462 | 307,771 | 349,128 |
I regret an analysis of the above by (a) flood protection and flood management and (b) coastal defence, together with an analysis by project of each year's expenditure, could not be provided without incurring disproportionate cost.
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