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12 May 2004 : Column 332W—continued
Planning Inspectorate
Mrs. Helen Clark: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how the planning inspectorate has ensured that value for money was achieved when employing external consultants; and who was responsible for making such value for money assessments. [170045]
Keith Hill:
The Planning Inspectorate follows standard Government purchasing procedures including best practice guidance issued by the Office of
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Government Commerce from time to time. Particular care is taken to achieve value for money in the procurement of external consultancy which is always handled by the Agency's specialist procurement unit.
Public Bodies
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the staff numbers were for 2003 of the (a) Standards Board for England, (b) Advisory Panel on Beacon Councils and (c) Review of the Needs Indices used in the allocation of housing capital resources to local authorities and registered social landlords. [172471]
Keith Hill: The information requested is as follows.
(a) The number of staff in post at the Standards Board for England on 31 March 2003 was 105,
(b) the Advisory Panel on Beacon Councils, an advisory Non-Departmental Public Body, has no staff. Its board of 10 core members and 10 specialist advisors is supported by officials in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, and
(c) I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 29 March 2004, Official Report, column 1257W.
Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre
Mr. Edward Davey: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he expects the planned re-valuation of the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre to be (a) finished and (b) published; and if he will make a statement. [169116]
Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister expects the revaluation to be completed later in 2004. The valuation report will not be published, but the valuation amount will be included in the Office for the Deputy Prime Minister's Resource Accounts for 2004–05.
Regional Assemblies
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to his answer of 1 April 2004, Official Report, column 1649W, on regional assemblies, what proportion of the set-up costs of elected regional assemblies he estimates will be (a) premises, (b) wages and salaries, (c) equipment and stationery and (d) other costs for (i) the North East, (ii) the North West and (iii) Yorkshire and the Humber. [169441]
Mr. Raynsford: Available estimates, rounded to the nearest 5 per cent. are:
| North East | North West | Yorkshire and the Humber | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premises | 10 | 5 | 5 |
| Staff and supplies | 35 | 20 | 25 |
| Other | 55 | 75 | 70 |
Tourism
Mr. Moss: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much was spent by local authorities in promoting tourism in each of the last 10 years to (a) domestic markets and (b) overseas markets. [172393]
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Mr. Caborn: I have been asked to reply.
The only information available, for English local authority net expenditure on tourism, is as follows:
| Amount (£ million) | |
|---|---|
| 1998–99 | 75 |
| 1999–2000 | 92 |
| 2000–01 | 99 |
| 2001–02 | 106 |
| 2002–03 | 109 |
| 2003–04 | 102 |
Sources:
Revenue (Outturn) Forms 1998–99 to 2002–03, and Revenue Account (budget) form 2003–04.
ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS
Combined Heat and Power
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the development of combined heat and power in the UK in the last three years. [171031]
Mr. Morley [holding answer 5 May 2004]: In 2000 we announced a target of achieving at least 10,000 megawatts of Good Quality CHP capacity by 2010 and to developing a Strategy to achieve it. We consulted on a draft Strategy in 2002, reaffirmed our commitment to the target in the February 2003 Energy White Paper and published "The Government's Strategy for Combined Heat and Power to 2010" on 26 April of this year.
Development of CHP in terms of installed capacity for each of the last three years for which we have figures is: 4,730MWe in 2000, 4,753MWe in 2001 and 4,742MWe in 2002. A figure for 2003 will become available when the annual Digest of UK Energy Statistics (DUKES) is published in the summer by DTI.
Environmental Support
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on progress being made on the introduction of new entry level schemes for environmental support. [168792]
Mr. Morley: Entry Level Stewardship (ELS) has been developed in response to recommendations made by the Policy Commission on the Future of Farming and Food. The ELS is intended to tackle countrywide environmental problems such as diffuse pollution, loss of biodiversity and landscape character and damage to the historic environment. A pilot scheme has been running in four areas of England since February 2003, and an evaluation of these pilots has confirmed that the scheme is popular with farmers and has the capacity to deliver widespread environmental benefits.
Following the success of the pilot, Defra intend to launch Entry Level Stewardship (ELS) as part of a new agri-environment scheme called Environmental Stewardship in early 2005. Proposals for the new scheme have recently been submitted to the European Commission for approval. It is proposed that the ELS should be open to all farmers in England and that they
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will be paid at a flat rate of 30 per ha in return for carrying out a certain amount of environmental management options across their whole farm.
A parallel Organic Entry Level Stewardship (OELS) is proposed, which will have the same design as the standard Entry Level Scheme but would be tailored towards organic farming systems. It is proposed that organic farmers will receive a higher payment rate of 60 per ha, in recognition of the contribution that organic farming systems make towards increases in soil health and fertility, benefits for biodiversity and wider landscape benefits.
Entry Level Stewardship and its Organic equivalent will be complemented by Higher Level Stewardship, which is designed to build on the basic Entry Level in order to deliver significant environmental benefits in targeted high priority situations and areas. Further information on Environmental Stewardship will be available once Commission approval has been received. Final details of the new Scheme will be made available immediately prior to the launch in 2005. Application packs will not be available until the launch of the Scheme.
Flooding
Mr. Michael Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what assessment she has made of the impact of flash flooding in (a) Worcester, (b) Worcestershire and (c) England and Wales; and if she will make a statement; [170130]
(2) what advice she has received on the future incidence of flash flooding. [170131]
Mr. Morley: I understand the recent flash floods in Worcester resulting from exceptionally intense rainfall equivalent to around a month's rain in just a few hours. This caused extensive highway flooding and some local property flooding. This flooding was from surface runoff and storm sewer/highway drain overflow and not from the main river system.
Although the Environment Agency (EA) issued a Floodwatch and were operating a local storm balancing system on the Barbourne Brook in Worcester, the wider emergency response to the flash flooding fell for the most part to Severn Trent water and the local highway authority who are primarily responsible for responding to such incidents, the EA will be assisting its partners in the follow up investigation and the review of the storm event.
The Government recognise the need for Integrated Drainage Plans for urban areas prone to such flooding, and this will be considered as part of Defra's new strategy on flood and coastal erosion risk management. However any assessment on flash flooding would need to take into account detailed knowledge of the drainage systems in the area, the local topography, together with modelling of the effects of different types of event. This information is not generally available and carries a high degree of uncertainty. The EA are in the meantime working with Research Councils and the Flood Risk Management Research Consortium to develop improved modelling and prediction of flooding in urban areas.
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Mr. Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) if she will estimate how many properties in Cheltenham will be affected by flooding in a once in 100-year event if no bund is constructed at Cox's Meadow; [168387]
(2) if she will estimate how many properties will be affected by flooding in a once in 100-year event if (a) the Cheltenham Flood Alleviation Project including the bund at Cox's Meadow and (b) the Cheltenham Flood Alleviation Project approved in 1998 is constructed; [168388]
(3) if she will publish the results of modelling used to assess the impact of flooding in Cheltenham of a once in 100-year event; [168389]
(4) if she will make a statement of the expected impact on Cheltenham caused by a once in 100-year flooding event. [168390]
Mr. Morley: The final stage of the Cheltenham Flood Alleviation Scheme is currently being considered by Defra for formal approval.
The Project, including the bund at Cox's Meadow and the Project approved in 1998, was designed to protect over 600 properties from flooding up to, and including, a one in 100 year flood. I understand from the Environment Agency (EA) that with no bund constructed at Cox's Meadow, the majority of the 600 properties identified at risk before the project began would remain vulnerable.
The extent and impact of the 100 year modelled floods were published in the EA's Environmental Report for the Combined Works Contract dated October 2003. This report is available from Cheltenham Library or the local EA office at Tewkesbury. A summary of the modelling that has been prepared for the EA by their consultant's specifically for the benefit of interested parties and members of the public is also available from the local EA office.
Linda Perham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assistance her Department has provided to alleviate the risk of flooding in the London borough of Redbridge since 2000. [164878]
Mr. Morley: The Environment Agency has powers to undertake works to manage flood risk on designated "main rivers" while Redbridge borough council has similar powers for "ordinary watercourses" in their area.
The Agency is undertaking a study into flood risk from the River Roding which is due to report in December 2004. Working with Thames Water (which has responsibility for the drainage system) and the council, the Environment Agency aims to agree a strategy to reduce flood risk in the area. Funding of the Environment Agency's Flood defence function will almost entirely be funded by Defra from 1 April 2004.
Defra has also grant-aided the council for two studies—the Seven Kings Water Hydraulic Study and the Cran Brook Hydraulic Study, both carried out in 2001–02. Our grant amounted to £9,225.00 and £7,425.00 respectively for these two studies. I understand the council plans to apply for grant aid for
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a further study in 2004–05 into flood risk adjacent to the River Roding in the Chigwell Road and Roding Lane South areas.
In addition the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister supports the borough's own flood defence expenditure through the local government funding system.
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