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15 Sept 2004 : Column 1577W—continued
Severely Disadvantaged Areas
Mr. Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many farms are located within land designated as (a) moorland within the upland severely disadvantaged area and (b) other land within the upland severely disadvantaged area. [186560]
Alun Michael: The number of farms that have submitted an area aid application for 2004 and are located within land designated as (a) moorland within the severely disadvantaged area is 30 and (b) other land within the severely disadvantaged area is 2,778.
Mr. Liddell-Grainger:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many farms straddle the border between land classified as
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moorland within the upland severely disadvantaged area and other land within the upland severely disadvantaged area. [186561]
Alun Michael: The number of farms that have both land classified as moorland within the upland severely disadvantaged area and other land within the upland severely disadvantaged area is 3,068.
Sudden Oak Death Syndrome
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the risk from sudden oak death syndrome to woodlands in the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty; and if she will make a statement. [187259]
Mr. Bradshaw: Central Science Laboratory and Forest Research have prepared a Pest Risk Assessment (PRA) for the whole of Great Britain which concludes that a number of tree species are potentially at risk from Phytophthora ramorum, the cause of Sudden Oak Death. The PRA also compared long-term British climatic data with that in Oregon where the disease is also present. This suggests that it is principally the south and the west of the country that are at the highest risk. The Forestry Commission completed a nation-wide survey of trees earlier this year and no evidence of the disease was found in trees at any of the 1,217 sites visited, which included some sites in the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The Forestry Commission has just completed a second more limited survey of 109 plots in England and Wales. While some of the 73 samples taken are still being processed, to date none of these have proved positive for P. ramorum.
Travel Costs
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the travel costs were of civil servants in (a) her Department, (b) the predecessor Department and (c) the related agencies in each year since 1997. [183903]
Alun Michael: The following table shows overall departmental expenditure recorded since the Department was formed in 2001. These figures exclude agency figures which are shown in the agency table. There are no figures provided for the period prior to Defra's formation as Defra was formed primarily from two predecessor Departments and as this information could only be provided incurring disproportionate cost.
| Year end 31 March | Departmental travel |
|---|---|
| 2001–02 | 11,192 |
| 2002–03 | 7,170 |
| 2003–04 | 7,069 |
The figures for 2001–02 and 2002–03 include travel expenses incurred as a result of foot and mouth disease.
All travel was in accordance with the requirements of the Civil Service Management Code.
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The expenditure figures for related agencies of civil servants in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is as follows:
| Defra agencies | |
|---|---|
| 2001–02 | 4,065 |
| 2002–03 | 4,205 |
| 2003–04 | 4,951 |
Note:
The Defra agencies include: Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Central Science Laboratory, Pesticide Safety Directorate, Rural Payments Agency, Veterinary Laboratories Agency, Veterinary Medicines Directorate.
Veterinary Antibiotics
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of the total tonnage of veterinary antibiotics used in the UK, in the most recent year for which figures are available, were used for (a) farm animals and (b) domestic and other animals. [187478]
Mr. Bradshaw: The VMD collects and publishes figures annually on the UK sales of veterinary antimicrobials, including those sold for use in both food producing and non-food producing animals. It is reasonable to assume that there is a close correlation between these figures and the quantities of antimicrobials used in the UK. These figures are collected on a voluntary basis and the reports are available on the VMD web site at www.vmd.gov.uk under the publications and general tabs or from Dr. Kay Goodyear (telephone 01932 338409).
The most recent available figures show that of the 457 tonnes of active ingredient of veterinary therapeutic antimicrobials sold for use in 2002, 403 tonnes were products indicated for use in food-producing animals only, 24 tonnes were indicated for use in non food-producing animals only and 30 tonnes were indicated for use in both food-producing and non food-producing animals.
Water (South-West)
Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has held with Ofwat about recent increases in water rates in the South West. [186964]
Mr. Morley: The Secretary of State has not met with Ofwat recently. However, I have meetings with Philip Fletcher, Director General of Water Services, from time to time at which we discuss a range of issues including water prices.
Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what central Government funding is available to defray the cost of replacing and updating water and sewerage pipes in the South West. [186965]
Mr. Morley:
There is no central Government funding for pipe or sewer replacement for any area. It is for water and sewerage undertakers to maintain their networks, and the costs are taken into account by Ofwat in setting price limits.
15 Sept 2004 : Column 1580W
Water Framework Directive
Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress she has made on implementing the Water Framework Directive; and if she will make a statement. [186356]
Mr. Morley [holding answer 13 September 2004]: The Water Framework Directive sets out a staged timetable, up to 2015, for member states to transpose it into national law and implement its requirements.
The directive was transposed into English law at the turn of the year and implementation is well under way. Notification of the UK competent authorities was sent to the European Commission on 22 June 2004. The next key stage is the characterisation of river basin districts, identifying the pressures and impacts of human activity on the water environment, which must be completed by 22 December 2004. The Environment Agency, as competent authority for England and Wales, is working hard to ensure timely delivery of this analysis. They published initial characterisation results for public review on 1 September 2004.
Woodland Grant Scheme
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many applications were made to the Woodland Grant Scheme in each of the last three years; how many were successful; and what was the total sum of grant awarded in each year. [187151]
Mr. Bradshaw: For the Forestry Commission's Woodland Grant Scheme in England the number of applications made, number approved and the value of the grants in the approved schemes since 2001 are given in the following table.
| Financial year | Woodland grant scheme applications | Approved schemes | Value of grants in approved schemes (£ million) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001–02 | 2,500 | 2,184 | 17.9 |
| 2002–03 | 2,801 | 2,239 | 18.4 |
| 2003–04 | 3,017 | 2,333 | 23.0 |
Note:
The processing of applications takes a number of weeks so applications may have been received in a different year to that in which they were approved.
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many applications under the Woodland Grant Scheme were received between 1 April and 28 June; what the total sum of money applied for was; how many of these applications have been successful; and what the total sum of grant approved is. [187152]
Mr. Bradshaw: The Forestry Commission received a total of 700 applications for a total of £3.9 million between 1 April and 28 June 2004 of which £1.1 million has so far been approved. The current status of all these applications is given in the following table.
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Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what grants will be available from her Department or the Forestry Commission between now and 31 March 2006 to assist the creation of new woodlands. [187256]
Mr. Bradshaw: The Forestry Commission will continue to pay the woodland creation grants approved in existing Woodland Grant Scheme (WGS) contracts. These contracts extend beyond 31 March 2006 and include capital grants for establishment, additional grants for afforestation of improved agricultural land and for creating new woodland with public access. A range of premiums will also be paid to support the National Forest, Community Forests, South West Forest and the North West's 'Forest Futures' initiative.
Subject to meeting the technical and administrative requirements of the WGS, grants will also be paid on those applications received before the WGS closed to new applications for new planting, but which have yet to be approved.
Payments will also be made under the associated Farm Woodland Premium Scheme operated by Defra. This makes annual payments in accordance with the terms of the scheme for up to 15 years. This scheme will apply to some of the WGS applications which have yet to be approved.
It is expected that from mid 2005 new applications for grant aid will be accepted by the Forestry Commission for woodland creation under the English Woodland Grant Scheme. This will be in time for planting to take place in the 2005–06 planting season, with grant payments being made from April 2006.
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many woodland grants were made by her Department or by the Forestry Commission in respect of woodlands in (a) the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and (b) Buckinghamshire in each of the last four financial years; what the sum of such grants was in each such year; and if she will make a statement. [187257]
Mr. Bradshaw: The Forestry Commission made the following payments in the Chilterns AONB and Buckinghamshire under the Woodland Grant Scheme in the last four years.
| Financial Year | Number of Claims Paid | Claim Value £000 |
|---|---|---|
| 2000–2001 | 170 | 200.2 |
| 2001–2002 | 167 | 273.7 |
| 2002–2003 | 174 | 273.5 |
| 2003–2004 | 120 | 187.3 |
15 Sept 2004 : Column 1582W
| Financial Year | Number of Claims Paid | Claim Value £000 |
|---|---|---|
| 2000–2001 | 176 | 238.8 |
| 2001–2002 | 186 | 327.6 |
| 2002–2003 | 179 | 270.0 |
| 2003–2004 | 134 | 198.6 |
In addition to the Woodland Grant Scheme, the Farm Woodland Premium Scheme administered by Defra made annual payments to farmers in compensation for income forgone as a consequence of converting agricultural land to woodland.
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many applications for woodland grants her Department and the Forestry Commission has received during the current financial year in respect of woodlands in (a) the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and (b) Buckinghamshire; what the total sum applied for was; how many such applications, and to what aggregate value, have been approved; and if she will make a statement. [187258]
Mr. Bradshaw: Between 1 April and 28 June the Forestry Commission received nine applications for a total of £19,000 on land within the Chilterns AONB and 11 applications for a total of £22,000 on land within Buckinghamshire. The current status of these applications is given in the table below together with the value of those approved.
| Status | Number |
|---|---|
| Application withdrawn by applicant or rejected by the Forestry Commission | 1 |
| Awaiting information from the applicant in order to continue processing | 1 |
| Application currently being processed by the Forestry Commission | 4 |
| Grant offer made | 1 |
| Offer accepted by applicant | 2 (Value of £1,600) |
| Status | Number |
|---|---|
| Application withdrawn by applicant or rejected by the Forestry Commission | 1 |
| Awaiting information from the applicant in order to continue processing | 4 |
| Application currently being processed by the Forestry Commission | 2 |
| Grant offer made | 2 |
| Offer accepted by applicant | 2 (Value of £1,900) |
In addition to the Woodland Grant Scheme, the Farm Woodland Premium Scheme administered by Defra and which makes annual payments to farmers in compensation for income forgone as a consequence of
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converting agricultural land to woodland is included with the one grant offer made in the Chilterns AONB area.
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