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Written Answers to Questions

Monday 17 May 2004

ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Departmental Computers

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to update computer (a) hardware and (b) software standard packages used in her Department. [166363]

Alun Michael: The wide range of Defra's responsibilities and its geographic spread result in a variety of computer hardware and software being employed. These are constantly reviewed and updated where necessary in order to ensure they continue to meet business requirements, offer value for money and are fully supportable.

The supply of computer hardware and software standard packages to Defra is currently subject to an outsourcing procurement exercise.

Food Labelling

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the use of the red tractor logo on food produced in the UK. [172451]

Alun Michael: The Red Tractor logo is privately owned and its use on food is licensed by a private company, Assured Food Standards (AFS). The logo denotes foods which comply with standards of production set by AFS or by schemes that AFS has recognised as being equivalent. The Government plays no part in setting those standards nor in validating its operations.

Greenhouse Gases

Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she will take during 2004 (a) to increase awareness of the dangers of global climate change and (b) to promote education about ways in which (i) citizens, (ii) businesses, (iii) public services and (iv) the media can help the Government to    reach its target for cutting greenhouse gas emissions. [171228]

Mr. Morley: The Department provides funding to two key bodies which as part of their activities run programmes to promote energy efficiency and climate change, including advertising schemes, events, marketing, and awards.

The Energy Saving Trust encourages the sustainable use of energy in the domestic and small business sectors. Work includes an Energy Efficiency campaign to encourage domestic consumers to take up energy efficiency measures.
 
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The Carbon Trust aims to enable UK business and public sectors to move towards a sustainable, low carbon economy while maintaining business competitiveness. Their recent "Lifeblood" campaign has had wide coverage.

"Energy Efficiency: the Government's Plan for Action" published on 26 April confirms the Government's commitment to raising awareness on climate change and its links to energy use. As stated in the Action Plan, the Government are exploring the scope for a new climate change information campaign.

The UK has also signed up to Article 6 of the UN   Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), through which Parties to the Convention have a legally binding commitment to carry out activities on education, public awareness, public access to information, public participation and international co-operation.

At the Eighth Conference of the Parties to the Convention (COPS) in New Delhi, in October-November 2002, the Parties adopted a five-year non-binding Article 6 work programme, known as the New Delhi Work Programme to steer Parties towards implementation of Article 6. As part of this, UK officials are currently involved in the planning stage of a web-based internet clearing house that will act as hub for public users to find out information on Article 6 related activities carried out by different countries.

Milk (Lancashire)

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many milk processing companies in Lancashire are available for farmers in Lancashire to sell the milk they produce. [172072]

Alun Michael: There are 112 milk processing establishments in Lancashire, approved under the Dairy Products (Hygiene) Regulations 1995. However, producers are not restricted to delivering their milk to purchasers or processors within their county. Farmers in Lancashire can therefore deliver their milk to milk processing companies outside Lancashire.

Orchards

Mr. Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what advice her Department gives on how many years should elapse before apple trees can be replanted in the same field. [168144]

Alun Michael: Defra has not issued advice on this subject.

Parish Councils

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many (a) parish and (b) town councils have been awarded Quality status in (i) Lancashire and (ii) Chorley. [172071]

Alun Michael: To date no applications for Quality status has been received from parish councils or town councils in Lancashire or Chorley. However, the Lancashire and Mersey County Training Partnership
 
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(CTP) has received 14 registrations from clerks who are working towards the Certificate in Local Council Administration. So far one clerk has passed the qualification that was developed in line with the Quality Council Scheme launched in August 2003.

Websites

Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the total annual cost of her Department's websites, including those of its agencies, was in the most recent year for which figures are available. [159514]

Alun Michael: The use of websites is now a mainstream of communication for any organisation in the public sector or the private sector and for business units throughout any large organisation. Direct operating costs for the main Defra website (www. defra.gov.uk)—including technical and staff costs associated with hosting of the site, and staff costs for the central team with lead responsibility for updating and maintaining the content of the site—are estimated at around £294,000 for the financial year 2003–04.

Additional costs arise from the activities of a large number of staff in business units across the Department, contributing to the content of the website as part of their communications activities, but an overall cost for this could not be accurately estimated without incurring disproportionate cost.

A number of other websites are operated by the Department and its agencies, for which costs are either covered by the budgets for specific programmes (and not separately identified), or included within the above figures. Detailed information is not held centrally for other websites managed by the Department, its agencies and non-departmental public bodies, and could not be obtained without incurring disproportionate cost.

CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

Community Sports

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the effects of Government expenditure policy on community sports since 1994. [173478]

Mr. Caborn: The Government has invested over £3 billion Exchequer and lottery funding in sport since 1997. Government policy is to marry mass participation with sporting excellence, as illustrated by the 45 County Sports Partnerships, comprising local authorities, schools, governing bodies of sport and the voluntary sector, established to generate competitive and grass roots sport. Community sport has also benefited from unprecedented investment in facilities, improving community access. To complement this, the Government is investing in coaching and volunteering to deliver community activities. For children and young people the Government is investing almost £120 million this year to deliver the entitlement to high quality PE and School Sport.
 
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Licensing Act

Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what consultations were held with the police about the effects of binge drinking on local alcohol and violence problems before the introduction of the Licensing Act 2003; and what consultations are going on now about its implementation. [173665]

Mr. Caborn: Prior to the publication of the White Paper on licensing reform in April 2000 (Cm 4696), the Association of Chief Police Officers ("ACPO") were thoroughly consulted on the related development of the policy. Following the publication of the White Paper, ACPO, the Association of Police Superintendents' Association and the Police Federation engaged in the public consultation, as well as several individual police forces. In developing the legal instructions for the Licensing Bill, ACPO provided advice to officials in weekly meetings. In July 2002, a Licensing Bill Advisory Group was formed which included a wide range of stakeholders, including ACPO, and assisted the Government in preparing the Bill. The Group met on a weekly basis and continued to meet regularly throughout the Bill's parliamentary stages. Since Royal Assent in July 2003, this Group has continued to meet on a monthly basis to discuss issues relating to the implementation of the Licensing Act 2003. In addition, during the House of Commons stages of the Licensing Bill, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State also met ACPO to discuss underage drinking and the way in which the Bill dealt with children and the then Minister responsible, the hon. Member for Pontypridd (Dr. Howells), also met ACPO to discuss other general licensing issues. More recently, I have met the police in a Working Group which is examining issues relating to alcohol related violent crime.

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