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Single Farm Payments

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) pursuant to her oral answer of 11 March 2004, Official Report, column 1640, on single farm payments, what the nature of Mr. Dring's memorandum was; for what purpose it was written; for what purpose it was submitted to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food; and whether the memorandum was requested by senior officials in MAFF; [162111]

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(2) pursuant to her oral answer of 11 March 2004, Official Report, column 1640, on single farm payments, when the memorandum from Mr. Dring was (a) written and (b) received by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food; what discussions were held between Mr. Dring and his senior managers in MAFF following receipt of the memorandum; and what assessment was made of the memorandum by legal officials in MAFF; [162112]

(3) pursuant to her oral answer of 11March 2004, Official Report, column 1640, on single farm payments, who in the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food made the decision not to submit Mr. Dring's memorandum to Dr Iain Anderson's inquiry into the foot and mouth outbreak. [162113]

Mr. Bradshaw: Mr. Dring wrote a personal statement during the summer of 2001 on his own initiative to document events in the light of the prospect of a court case against Robert Waugh and because he believed the information might be of help to any inquiry after the outbreak. It was not a formal report. He sought advice from his senior manager on 29 October 2001 who discussed the handling of the statement with the Department's Inquiry Liaison Unit. The statement was passed to them on 13 December 2001. The Inquiry Liaison Unit was responsible for passing to the Inquiry teams information on behalf of the Department. Individual officers retained the right to submit personal submissions, but Mr. Dring did not make a submission to the Anderson Inquiry. His personal statement is now in the Library of the House.

Small Business Support

Brian Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the support programmes for small businesses that (a) her Department and (b) its agencies have financed, including Common Agricultural Policy payments in each of the last five years; how much money was allocated for each scheme in each year; how much money has gone unclaimed under each scheme; and how many small businesses have benefited from each scheme. [161255]

Alun Michael: Information is available in the form requested only at disproportionate cost, but I hope the following will be helpful.

The Cross-Cutting Review of Government Services for Small Business, published by the Small Business Service in December 2002, recorded that Defra and its agencies provided support to small businesses through over 120 schemes offering:

Grants (including EU production subsidies to agriculture)

Advice

In-kind support

The review estimated a total cost for these schemes of £3,120 million per year, the majority of which comprised production subsidies paid out under Pillar 1 of the Common Agricultural Policy. Some information about the range of schemes provided can be found in the Departmental Estimates for the year ending 31 March 2003, which are available in the Libraries of the House.

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Although the 2002 review did not record how many businesses had benefited from the schemes operated, it recorded that Defra has significant contact with approximately 200,000 small and medium sized enterprises a year.

A review of rural funding schemes was announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on 11 November 2003, and is now in progress.

PRIME MINISTER

Credit Card Debt

Q9. John Mann: To ask the Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the level of credit card debt. [163186]

The Deputy Prime Minister : I have been asked to reply.

Last year, the Department for Trade and Industry published a White Paper on consumer credit that looked at credit card debt in the UK, suggested ways of tackling unmanageable levels of debt and offered advice to consumers looking for credit. The Government are working with the credit industry to ensure responsible lending and to increase access to free debt advice. I am also aware that the Bank of England publishes monthly statistics on credit card debt.

TRANSPORT

Car Usage

Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has set targets for reducing car usage over the next 20 years. [162040]

Mr. Jamieson: The Government have not set targets for car usage. The Government's strategy is to reduce congestion and to reduce the environmental effects through investment in public transport, better traffic management and support for cleaner motoring.

Hazardous Substances (Carriage at Sea)

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his answer of 15 January 2004, Official Report, column 40W, on ships (dangerous cargoes), how many incidents resulted in (a) court actions and (b) fines; and what the (i) nature of the conviction and (ii) financial penalty was in each case. [162971]

Mr. Jamieson: None of the incidents referred to in 2001 and 2002 resulted in court actions. In all of these cases it was either not possible to ascertain which vessels had lost the dangerous cargoes, or the spill occurred within harbour limits. In the latter case, it would be for the appropriate harbour authority to take forward court action.

Speed Cameras

Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish the accident records for each speed camera site in Essex. [156315]

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Mr. Jamieson: Safety cameras in Essex are operated by the Essex Safety Camera Partnership. My Department will shortly publish collision and casualty information for all Safety Camera Partnerships in England and Wales.

TREASURY

Civil Service Jobs

Mr. Byers: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to ensure that there is a co-ordinated approach across Government Departments to (a) the reduction in civil service jobs (i) announced in the Budget Statement and (ii) that may follow from the Gershon Review and (b) the proposals to relocate employment of civil servants contained in the Lyons report; and if he will make a statement. [163266]

Mr. Boateng [holding answer 23 March 2004]: Sir Peter Gershon will be working with Departments to help them prepare efficiency submissions as part of their overall spending plans to the 2004 Spending Review. These proposals will take account of departments' relocation plans submitted to the Lyons Review. Departments will be expected to integrate their plans on efficiency and relocation.

Accounting Officers

Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on (a) the circumstances in which an accounting officer should seek a direction from a Minister before authorising expenditure, (b) the number of occasions since 6 June 2001 that such directions have been sought by accounting officers and (c) the Department and sum involved and the purpose of the expenditure for which a direction was sought in each case. [162894]

Ruth Kelly: The circumstances in which an accounting officer should seek a direction from a Minister before authorising expenditure are set out in paragraphs 15–18 of the Treasury document, "The Responsibilities of an Accounting Officer", as updated in March 2004. This document is published as annex 4.1 of the Treasury guidance, "Government Accounting". It may be viewed online at www.government-accounting.gov.uk.

The number of occasions since 6 June 2001 when such directions have been sought by accounting officers is four. The Departments concerned, together with general subject matter of each direction, were detailed in the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Twickenham (Dr. Cable) on 30 October 2003, Official Report, column 311W; the answer given by the Economic Secretary on 23 June 2003, Official Report, column 617W; the answer given by the Chief Secretary on 10 June 2002, Official Report, column 1037W; and in the answer given by his predecessor on 8 May 2002, Official Report, column 253W, relating to the direction issued in the then Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions in 2002 and not, as stated in column 253W, in 2001.

The Treasury is advised when a ministerial direction is issued, but comprehensive information on the sums involved and the purpose of the expenditure related to the direction is not provided to the Treasury by Departments.

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Age-Related Allowances

Mr. Todd: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will (a) raise the figure below which pensioners may retain the full benefit of age-related allowances and (b) reduce the effect of the taper above that figure. [163342]

Ruth Kelly: The purpose of the age-related allowances is to give extra help to those aged 65 and over who have to rely on relatively modest incomes. They are therefore subject to an income limit, which is reviewed as part of the Budget process. The Government have no plans to alter the rate of the taper where income exceeds the limit.

Age-related personal allowances will increase in line with earnings rather than prices in April 2004 and will continue to do so for the remainder of this Parliament.

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