House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 28 Apr 2003 (pt 41)

28 Apr 2003 : Column 153W—continued

Ministerial Travel

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list internal flights made by Ministers in his Department in 2002, including in each case the (a) cost, (b) departure location and (c) destination; and of these how many were (i) first class, (ii) business class and (iii) economy class. [103589]

Dr. Moonie: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) on 22 January 2003, Official Report, column 334W by my hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office (Mr. Alexander) and to my answer of 24 February 2003, Official Report, column 139W to the hon. Member for Chelmsford, West (Mr. Burns).

Scotland

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many times he has visited Scotland on official duties each year since 2000; and what meetings were held on each occasion. [103618]

Dr. Moonie: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence visited Scotland on one occasion in 2001.

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I am withholding details of any meetings in accordance with Exemptions 2 and 7 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information. It is not the normal practice of Governments to release details of specific meetings or their content, as some of these discussions may have taken place on a confidential basis.

Service Accommodation

Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what policy he has to ensure that the quality and size of service accommodation offered to families is superior to their previous billet; and if he will make a statement. [110388]

Dr. Moonie: The Defence Housing Executive (DHE) manages service families accommodation (SFA) in Great Britain and since its formation in 1995 has made significant progress in improving the general standard of service housing. About half of the long term core housing stock is now at Standard 1 for Condition (SlfC). The upgrade programme will continue with demanding targets set for the DHE each year, against the services' long term requirements for family housing. As a result many service families will move into better accommodation than they have experienced previously.

Service Personnel (Gulf)

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on delays in delivering packages and mail to British forces serving in the Gulf. [109617]

Mr. Ingram: There are no delays in movement of mail into theatre from the United Kingdom. Collection from Forces Post Offices in theatre and final delivery to individuals is a unit responsibility, and timings will vary according to the operational tempo of individual units.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Bovine TB

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on progress made in Northern Ireland to eradicate bovine TB. [107935]

Mr. Pearson: Bovine tuberculosis is among the most difficult animal health problems facing Northern Ireland. The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has a range of measures in place to control bovine TB. There is an extensive programme of identification and removal of infected animals, combined with control on movements. DARD test all animals annually and all animals that show a positive result to the test are slaughtered. More stringent rules are applied to tests where there is known infection in the herd. Animals may not be moved from infected herds until the problem is resolved. This prevents onward spread.

DARD has also recently completed a policy review of all aspects of the existing control measures for this disease to identify what further or different measures are necessary to reduce the incidence of TB. The aim of the

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Policy Review is to reduce the incidence of TB substantially within five years and to achieve a year-on-year reduction in the meantime. An announcement on taking forward the policy review recommendations will be made shortly.

David Burnside: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many cattle were infected with tuberculosis in Northern Ireland in each of the last 12 months; what the average period of time taken to remove infected cattle from herds after receiving tuberculosis test results was in each of the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement on how the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is dealing with the problem. [108876]

Mr. Pearson: In the 12 month period from 1 April 2002 there have been 16,359 Bovine Tuberculosis reactors. The average time from completion of the Tuberculin test to slaughter of these reactors is 23.7 working days. The figures for each month are as follows:

Month Number of TB reactors Working days test to slaughter

April 2002 1,291 24.1

May 2002 1,117 21.3

June 2002 655 22.5

July 2002 706 19.2

August 2002 1,310 21.4

September 2002 1,062 21.1

October 2002 1,199 22.2

November 2002 2,182 25.4

December 2002 1,456 30.2

January 2003 2,313 26.2

February 2003 1,745 23.0

March 2003 1,323 15.6

Total 16,359 23.7

Month	Number of TB reactors	Working days test to slaughter
April 2002	1,291	24.1
May 2002	1,117	21.3
June 2002	655	22.5
July 2002	706	19.2
August 2002	1,310	21.4
September 2002	1,062	21.1
October 2002	1,199	22.2
November 2002	2,182	25.4
December 2002	1,456	30.2
January 2003	2,313	26.2
February 2003	1,745	23.0
March 2003	1,323	15.6
Total	16,359	23.7

Bovine Tuberculosis is among the most difficult animal health problems facing Northern Ireland today. The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has a range of measures in place to control bovine TB, There is an extensive programme of identification and removal of infected animals combined with control on movements. DARD test all animals annually and all animals that show a positive result to the test are slaughtered. More stringent rules are applied to tests where there is known infection in the herd. Animals may not be moved from infected herds until the problem is resolved. This prevents onward spread.

To facilitate the removal of reactor animals, additional livestock valuation officers have been recruited and additional capacity added for the slaughter of reactors, which are older than 30 months of age. The process from completion of the Tuberculin test to slaughter of a reactor is being closely monitored and efficiencies sought. It is important to appreciate that because of the current high levels of Brucellosis in Northern Ireland that the removal of reactors to this disease is given priority which has an effect on the removal of TB reactors.

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Policy Review is to reduce the incidence of TB substantially within five years and to achieve a year on year reduction in the meantime. An announcement on taking forward the policy review recommendations will be made shortly.

Brunei Citizens (Training)

Mr. Viggers: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what arrangements there are for the training of Brunei citizens in Northern Ireland. [110078]

Jane Kennedy: No specific arrangements have been made for the training of Brunei Citizens in Northern Ireland.

Should a demand for such training emerge the Northern Ireland Department for Employment and Learning will respond as appropriate.

Castlereagh break-in

Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when Sir John Chilcot presented his report on the break-in at Castlereagh on 17 March 2002 to the Government. [105917]

Mr. Paul Murphy: Sir John Chilcot has not completed his report into the break-in at Castlereagh Police Station. I will inform the House when I have received the report.

Departmental Finance

Mr. Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much money remained unspent at the end of each of the past five years in respect of financial allocations to the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety; and how much of this unspent allocation has been returned to the Treasury in each of these years. [109211]

Mr. Pearson: With the introduction of Devolution in Northern Ireland in December 1999, NI Departments restructured and increased in number from six to 11, thus it is not possible to provide the information requested in respect of DHSSPS prior to 1999. In addition, information on 2002–03 will not be available until June and the table which follows therefore covers the period 1999–2000 to 2001–02.

Underspend £ million Amount returnedto Treasury

1999–2000 ⁽²⁵⁾13.8 Nil

2000–01 ⁽²⁵⁾^,⁽²⁶⁾17.6 Nil

2001–02 ⁽²⁷⁾49.1 ⁽²⁸⁾Nil

	Underspend £ million	Amount returnedto Treasury
1999–2000	⁽²⁵⁾13.8	Nil
2000–01	⁽²⁵⁾^,⁽²⁶⁾17.6	Nil
2001–02	⁽²⁷⁾49.1	⁽²⁸⁾Nil

⁽²⁵⁾ Cash basis.

⁽²⁶⁾ For the 2000–01 year, the departmental budget was planned, managed and controlled on a cash basis, with a retrospective adjustment to a resource basis to facilitate the transition to Resource Accounting and Budgeting. However, the cash figure better reflects departmental performance in managing spend for that year.

⁽²⁷⁾ Resource basis.

⁽²⁸⁾ In accordance with the Treasury End Year Flexibility Scheme, the original claim for 2001–02 was based on provisional outturn and amounted to £39.6 million. The difference between this and the final underspend figure of £49.1 million will be drawn down in 2003–04, subject (as is always the case in respect of end year flexibility) to agreement by the Treasury of the necessary call on the Reserve.

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