| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
9 Mar 2004 : Column 1390W—continued
Branding
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will assess the benefits for English farmers of an English brand to compete with the Welsh and Scottish brands for beef and lamb. [157705]
9 Mar 2004 : Column 1391W
Alun Michael: The branding of lamb and beef is a matter for the industry under the auspices of the English Beef and Lamb Executive (EBLEX). Defra strongly support the steps being taken by EBLEX to launch a marketing strategy for English beef and lamb.
Departmental Buildings
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list London buildings leased by her Department; what the total cost of such leases was in the latest year for which information is available; how many staff work in each building; and what the nature of their employment is. [156599]
Alun Michael: The Department leases the following London buildings for use by its civil servants and Ministers, where we are the sole occupier:
| Staff | ||
|---|---|---|
| 10 Whitehall Place, SW1 | 326 | |
| Nobel House, 17 Smith Square, SW1 | 550 | |
| Ergon House, 17 Smith Square, SW1 | 568 | |
| 1A Page St, SW1 | 682 | |
| Eastbury House, 30–34 Albert Embankment, SE1105 | ||
| Cromwell House, Dean Stanley Street, SW1 | 183 | |
| 55 Whitehall, SW1(4) | (4)Currently vacant | |
| 3–8 Whitehall Place, SW1(5) | (5)Currently beingredeveloped | |
(4) Although currently vacant, 55 Whitehall is being prepared for occupation by all of Defra's family of organisations moving from another central London location. It should be ready by September 2004.
The total cost of the leases for these buildings for 2002–03 was £12,174,290.
The Department also has agreements with other Government Departments to occupy space in their buildings:
| Staff | |
|---|---|
| Ashdown House | 646 |
| 9 Millbank | 255 |
| Woburn Place | 132 |
Note:
Staff numbers quoted include part time staff, agency temps and consultants.
Farmers' Markets
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what help her Department gives to the setting-up of farmers' markets in England. [156110]
Alun Michael: Defra makes provision under the England Rural Development Programme for grants for projects promoting farmers' markets. Within the last year we awarded £100,256 to the National Association of Farmers' Markets (NAFM—now known as the National Farmers' Retail and Markets Association) to raise the profile of farmers' markets across England and to increase public awareness of them. NAFM also received funding from Defra under the Agriculture Development Scheme for the publication of information booklets and to help producers develop
9 Mar 2004 : Column 1392W
their knowledge of sales and marketing; and to help NAFM develop its certification programme for accrediting farmers' markets. The Countryside Agency, which we grant aid, also provided start-up funding to NAFM. In addition, in November 2002, my noble Friend, the Lord Whitty wrote to all Local Authorities outlining the benefits farmers' markets bring and the role they play in bringing urban and rural communities together. They offer an excellent outlet for farmers to sell their produce direct to consumers and the Department is keen to encourage their development.
Grazing Land
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much land in (a) the United Kingdom and (b) Europe is used for (i) grazing and (ii) growing food for animals; and what the figures were 10 years ago. [156835]
Alun Michael: The information is as follows:
| 1993 | 2003 | |
|---|---|---|
| Permanent grass | 5,274,280 | 5,683,469 |
| Temporary grass | 1,582,160 | 1,200,550 |
| Sole rights rough grazing | 4,878,598 | 4,329,287 |
| Common rough grazing | 1,228,901 | 1,236,392 |
(ii) As some crops are grown for human as well as animal consultation, it is not possible to provide a complete total of the crops grown for animals but the June agricultural census indicates that the totals of crops grown specifically for stock feeding are:
| Total fodder crops(5) | |
|---|---|
| 1993 | 388,081 |
| 2003 | 414,877 |
(5) Includes Turnips and Swedes, Fodder, beet and mangolds, Kale, Cabbage, savoy, kohlrabi and rape, all others for stock feeding.
Source:
June Agricultural Census
Comparable figures are published from the EU Farm Structure Survey (Farm Structure Survey 1999/2000 ISBN 92–894—5618—3). The latest estimates for the Survey in 1999–2000 indicate that the area of permanent grassland and meadow was 45 m hectares for the EU 15 and 9 m hectares for the UK.
Separate figures are not available for stock feeding crops.
Fuller information on the surveys and results can be obtained from the Eurostat website.
Rights of Way
Mr. Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to ban electric shopping scooters from rights of way; and if she will make a statement. [159258]
Alun Michael: We have no plans to ban electric shopping scooters. Section 34 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 provides that anyone driving a mechanically
9 Mar 2004 : Column 1393W
propelled vehicle off-road or on a road that is a footpath, bridleway or restricted byway without lawful authority is guilty of an offence. However, where an invalid carriage is being used in accordance with the Use of Invalid Carriages on Highways Regulations 1988, section 20(1)(b) of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Person Act 1970 provides an exemption for such vehicles. It specifically excludes the section 34 offences from applying to invalid carriages.
Temporary Staff
Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many staff the Department employs on a temporary basis through employment agencies; what percentage this is of total staff employed; and how much the Department paid employment agencies to supply temporary staff in (a) 2001–02, (b) 2002–03 and (c) 2003–04 to the most recent date for which figures are available. [158247]
Alun Michael: There are no central records of the number of staff employed on a temporary basis through employment agencies. Departmental accounts show payments to employment agencies for the supply of temporary staff and consultants as follows: 2001–02—£27.03 million; 2002–03—£19.6 million; 2003/end of February 2004—£14.7 million.
INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Afghanistan
Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assistance the Government are giving to the Afghan Government in reforming the civil service in Afghanistan. [159890]
Mr. Gareth Thomas: DFID has provided technical assistance to the Independent Administrative Reform and Civil Service Commission, Office of the President, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Rural Reconstruction and Development and the Ministry of Health. We also provided support last year for ministerial expenses.
We have also committed funds to the Second Emergency Public Administration Programme, which is to be managed and co-funded by the World Bank. This programme will provide further support to the Independent Administrative Reform and Civil Service Commission; it will also provide technical assistance to a number of key Ministries for the preparation and implementation of the Priority Reform and Restructuring process. We also plan to support the establishment of an effective Cabinet Secretariat.
All of these initiatives aim to help the Afghan Government work towards a merit-based, effective, well-structured civil service that can deliver the services the Afghan people need.
Burma
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much money his Department has provided in (a) 2002–03 and (b) 2003–04 to tackle HIV/AIDS in Burma. [157475]
9 Mar 2004 : Column 1394W
Mr. Gareth Thomas: DFID's funding to tackle HIV/AIDS in Burma totalled £2.86 million in 2002–03 and is expected to total £2.84 million in 2003–04. The money is given to a UN Administered fund supported by DFID and three other donors for work on HIV/AIDS in Burma. Operational management is by a Technical Working Group chaired by UNAIDS. The Fund supports the work of international and national non-government organisations, UN agencies, and the Government's National Aids Programme.
Our work to tackle HIV/AIDS is essential to preventing the humanitarian situation in Burma worsening considerably and it is in line with the EU Common Position.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |