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Flood Defence

Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what guidelines her Department has issued to the Association of British Insurers with regard to indicative minimum standards of flood defence; when it was issued; if she will make a statement on the relationship of these guidelines with the Department's Priority Score Scheme for flood defence; and if she will place a copy of the guidelines in the Library. [103687]

Mr. Morley: No specific guidelines on indicative minimum standards of flood defence have been issued to the Association of British Insurers. The published guidelines are however, freely available on the Defra website under the Project Appraisal Guidance Series (FCDPAG3, Section 6). There is no direct relationship between these guidelines and the Priority Score Scheme. However, the indicative standards feature in the economic analysis of proposals which is a major element of the Priority Score System.

Imported Meat

Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make it her policy to impose penalties on airlines and ferry companies whose passengers are found to have brought illegal meat imports and animal products into the United Kingdom. [103757]

Mr. Morley: We are working closely with the airlines to get our message across to passengers arriving in the UK from non-EU countries through announcements, in-flight videos and printed information. We have no immediate plans to impose penalties on airlines and ferry companies whose passengers are found to have brought illegal meat imports and animal products into the UK.

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures she will take to ensure that all imported meat complies with United Kingdom animal welfare standards before being slaughtered. [103876]

Mr. Morley: WTO rules currently only permit the prohibition of goods on grounds of threat to human, animal or plant health. Restrictions based on the method of production are not permitted and could put us in breach of WTO rules. The ED is committed to animal welfare and negotiated to have non-trade concerns included in the Doha mandate, thereby ensuring that the issue of farm animal welfare is taken into account as part of the current Agreement on Agriculture negotiations. We will also support the Commission on developments following their recently published report on animal welfare standards in third countries.

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Milk Tokens

David Burnside: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the likely impact on national milk production of the proposed removal of the daily 1 pint milk token for low income families with children under five. [102431]

Mr. Morley [holding answer 11 March 2003]: The milk tokens represent some 130 million litres of milk per year, or 1 per cent. of the total production of milk in Great Britain. It is difficult to assess to what extent milk consumption might fall as a result of the proposals, as milk would still be available under the fixed value voucher system proposed by the Department of Health, albeit along with other foods.

The dairy industry has expressed concern that the removal of the milk token system would have an adverse effect on milk rounds, given that milk delivered under the Welfare Food Scheme represents about 5 per cent. of all doorstep deliveries. The Department of Health has conducted a major consultation exercise on its proposals, the results of which have now been published.

The reforms were proposed following medical advice that mothers and children required access to a broader range of foods than had been available under the scheme.

Total Allowable Catches

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on proposed changes to total allowable catches within the 200 mile limit to incorporate vessels from EU accession countries. [103694]

Mr. Morley: The level of total allowable catches will continue to be based on scientific advice from ICES on the state of the fish stocks and on historical track record in accordance with the principle of relative stability.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Advertising in Scotland

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much the Department spent on advertising in Scotland in each year since 1999 on (a) television, (b) newspapers, (c) radio, (d) magazines, (e) billboards and (f) sporting events. [102334]

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Ms Hewitt: Information at the level of detail requested is not available, and where it is possible to disaggregate figures for advertising in Scotland, the information could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Civil Contingency Planning

Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on her Department's (a) responsibilities and (b) assets with regard to civil contingency planning; what funds are committed; what action she is taking within her Department to improve such planning; and what action she is taking in collaboration with other Departments. [102628]

Ms Hewitt: The information is as follows:

(a) I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Cabinet Office, on 21 March 2003, Official Report, columns 957–58W.

(b) DTI is fully committed to the Government's programme to increase UK resilience to disruptive events.

It is active in a number of areas with colleagues from other Government Departments and Agencies and works closely with key sectors of the economy to increase resilience and robustness in contingency planning.

Measures include a new crisis management suite, greater integration of contingency and continuity plans, and the strengthening of dedicated teams across the Department. The Department is contributing to central Government initiatives and has forged close links with the wider contingency planning community and stakeholders.

Departmental resources are committed to this task in line with Departmental business planning and to reflect emerging priorities.

Civil Service Travel

Mr. Maples: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what grades in the Civil Service in her Department are allowed to travel by air (a) first class and (b) business class at public expense when on official duties. [104975]

Ms Hewitt: Our approach to travel costs is to ensure that staff use the most efficient and economic means of travel, commensurate with operational needs. The key criteria in booking flights is value for money although there are guidelines on staff entitlement. Generally, for DTI staff, entitlement to class of air travel when on official duties is governed by the duration of flight, the fare structure on the route and by pay band (grade). The following table sets out the entitlements for air travel:

	SCS Staff			Staff in bands A-C
		Flight duration			Flight duration
Airline Fare Class	Up to 2½ hrs	Over 2½ hrs	Up to 2½ hrs	Over 2½ hrs
First/Economy	Economy	First	Economy	Economy
Business/Economy or Equivalent	Business	Business	Economy	Business

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Correspondence

Mr. Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she intends to reply to the letter dated 16 October 2002 from the hon. Member for Banff and Buchan regarding car imports. [105141]

Ms Hewitt: As the hon. Member is aware his original letter was not received by my Department. A copy was faxed to my office on 24 March 2003 and will be dealt with as soon as possible.

Departmental Invoices

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the occasions on which her Department, agencies and non-departmental public bodies failed to pay valid invoices within 30 days or after the agreed credit period within financial year 2001–02. [104312]

Ms Hewitt: Information on the occasions where my Department, agencies and non-departmental public bodies failed to pay valid invoices within 30 days or after the agreed credit period can only be obtained at disproportionate cost. However I am able to say that the percentage of bills which were paid by my Department within 30 days of receipt of a valid invoice was 98 per cent. for the financial year 2001–02. The average percentage of bills paid by my Department's agencies was 99 per cent. over the same period. The average percentage of bills paid by my Department's executive non- departmental public bodies was 89 per cent. over the same period.

Discrimination Legislation

Mr. O'Hara: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans the Government has to deliver advice to citizens at a local level about the forthcoming age discrimination legislation. [104593]

Ms Hewitt [holding answer 24 March 2003]: Age legislation will be in force by December 2006, once extensive consultations planned for 2003 and 2004 have been completed. At this stage the strategy for delivering advice and guidance has not yet been formulated.

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