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Written Answers to Questions
Monday 18 October 2004
ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS
Farm Payments
Mr. Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what target dates she has set for payment of integrated administration and control system entitlements for the 2003–04 capping year; and what date she has set for completion of payment of the first entitlement to the single farm payment. [191640]
Alun Michael: The Integrated Administration and Control System (IACS) payment target as published in the Rural Payments Agency Business Plan is "to process and pay at least 96.14 per cent. of valid IACS claims by value within the EU deadline".
The following table gives the payment windows for the individual schemes.
2004 scheme year | Payment window (regulatory and internal) |
|---|---|
| Arable area payments (AAPS) | 16 November 2004 to 31 January 2005 |
| Non food set-aside | 16 November 2004 to 31 March 2005 |
| Protein crop premium | 1 December 2004 to 30 June 2005 |
| New energy crop aid | 1 December 2004 to 30 June 2005 |
| Area payment for nuts | 1 December 2004 to 30 June 2005 |
| Sheep annual premium | 16 October 2004 to 31 March 2005 |
| Beef special premium | Advance payments 16 October 2004 to 31 March 2005 |
| Balance payments 1 April 2005 to 30 June 2005 | |
| Extensification payment | Advance payments 16 October 2004 to 31 March 2005 |
| Balance payments 1 April 2005 to 30 June 2005 | |
| Slaughter premium | Advance payments 16 October 2004 to 31 March 2005 |
| Balance payments 1 April 2005 to 30 June 2005 | |
| Suckler cow premium | Advance payments 16 October 2004 to 31 March 2005 |
| Balance payments 1 April 2005 to 30 June 2005 | |
| Hill farm allowance | 95 per cent. of claims to be paid by 31 March 2005 |
| Aid for grain legumes | Deadline for payment is 60 days from the publication of the aid rate, this is usually around 15 November. |
| Hops income aid and special temporary measures | 16 October 2004 to 31 December 2004 |
| Dairy premium scheme and additional dairy payment | 16 October 2004 to 30 June 2004 30 June 2005 |
| Single payment scheme | 1 December 2005 to 30 June 2006 |
Horse Passports
Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many horse passports have so far been issued, broken down by issuing authority. [190722]
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Alun Michael: The following is a list of the most recent figures that English Passport Issuing Organisations (PIOs) have submitted to Defra. Forty-nine out of fifty-seven have submitted such information. No figures have been received for seven organisations and one organisation has ceased trading.
| Names of Passport Issuing Organisations | Passports Issued |
|---|---|
| American Saddlebred Assosiation GB | 134 |
| Anglo European Studbook | 11,175 |
| American Quarter Horse Association—UK | 937 |
| Arab Horse Society | 13,065 |
| British Association Purebred Spanish Horse Ltd | 400 |
| British Connemara Pony Society | 1,294 |
| British Driving Society | 11,728 |
| British Hanoverian Horse Society | 600 |
| British Harness Racing Club | 335 |
| British Horse Society | 10,198 |
| British Miniature Horse Society | 1,470 |
| British Percheron Horse Society | 755 |
| British Show Jumping Association (BSJA) | 2,358 |
| British Skewbald and Piebald Association | 694 |
| British Spotted Pony Society– | 200 |
| Caspian Breed Society UK | 140 |
| Caspian Horse Society | 165 |
| Cleveland Bay Horse Society | 1,117 |
| Dales Pony Society | 536 |
| Dartmoor Pony Society | 4,526 |
| Donkey Breed Society | 4,581 |
| EquiCours/Selle Francais | 15 |
| Exmoor Pony Society | 1,161 |
| Farmkey | 4,207 |
| Gypsy Cob Society | 100 |
| Hackney Horse Society | 705 |
| Haflinger Society | 510 |
| Horse Passport Agency | 42,746 |
| Horse Passports Ltd | 1,160 |
| Hurlingham Polo Association | 4,312 |
| Icelandic Horse Society | 391 |
| Irish Draught Horse Society GB | 361 |
| Lipizzaner Society of GB | 171 |
| Lustiano Breed Society GB | 185 |
| Miniature Mediterranean Donkey Association | 144 |
| National Pony Society | 144 |
| New Forset Pony Breeding and Cattle Society | 9,528 |
| Pet ID Uk | 79,736 |
| Pleasure Horse Society | 12,500 |
| Shire Horse Society | 3,609 |
| Sport Horse Breeding of GB | 16,678 |
| Sports Pony Studbook Society | 232 |
| Spotted Horse and Pony Society | 1,298 |
| Spotted Pony Breed Society GB | 497 |
| Suffolk Horse Society | 181 |
| Trakehner Breeders Fraternity | 876 |
| United Saddlebred Association—UK | 134 |
| Wetherbys ID | 29,761 |
| Wetherbys thoroughbred | 123,066 |
| Total: | 400,816 |
INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Palestine
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress is being made in reducing poverty in the Palestinian territories. [190654]
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Hilary Benn: Little progress is being made in reducing poverty in the Palestinian territory. Palestinian poverty has increased dramatically since September 2000. According to the latest World Bank report, approximately 50 per cent. of Palestinians are living in poverty on less than $2.1 per day. 16 per cent. of the total population currently live in deep or absolute poverty on less than $1.5 per day. While international aid has not prevented the increase in poverty, it has prevented even more Palestinians falling into extreme poverty and desperation.
Poverty reduction is unlikely to be achieved without a major reform of the Israeli imposed closure regime. This would allow the Palestinian economy to grow again and humanitarian aid to be delivered effectively.
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what measures his Department is taking to encourage transparency and accountability in (a) European and (b) international funding to the Palestinian Authority. [190655]
Hilary Benn: Substantial progress has been made since 2002 in improving the transparency and accountability of the Palestinian Authority's (PA) financial management systems. This has largely been the result of work by the Palestinian Finance Minister with donor encouragement.
DFID supported a World Bank Country Financial Accountability Assessment that endorsed the major improvements made. It also identified action needed to further improve systems. The World Bank Public Financial Management Reform Trust Fund has encouraged further financial reform. Disbursement of funding is conditional on the PA's achievement of agreed benchmarks, including on financial control management, auditing, and procurement. DFID and the EC have contributed to the Trust Fund. The World Bank and donors are carefully monitoring the use of donor funds. This benchmark approach was also successfully used by the EC in its earlier budget support to the PA. Allegations about the misuse of these funds have been looked at in great detail, but no conclusive evidence has been found that EC funds have been used for anything other than their original purpose.
OLAF, the independent EU anti-fraud office, has also been investigating these matters for over a year. OLAF's provisional assessment of 10 August stated that, to date there is no evidence that funds from the non-targeted EU Direct Budget Assistance to the Palestinian Authority have been used to finance illegal activities, including terrorism. This is a provisional assessment. The investigations are still on-going.
TRANSPORT
Inter-modal Transport
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the role of inland waterways and inland ports in inter-modal transport. [191088]
Mr. Jamieson:
Inland waterways and ports are a valuable resource in the promotion of inter-modal transport. As set out in the recent White Paper "The
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Future of Transport", the Government want to encourage freight traffic to be shifted from road to both rail and water where this is practical, economic and environmentally beneficial.
Rail Works (Environmental Impact)
Mr. Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consultations Network Rail has carried out with English Nature regarding plans which have significant environmental impact. [190631]
Mr. McNulty: Network Rail advises that it aims to contact relevant statutory bodies such as English Nature and Scottish Natural Heritage, well in advance of operations in order to ensure that any necessary permissions or licences are obtained. If environmental surveys have identified that operations may have significant environmental impact, communication with these statutory bodies and their experts will then take place to identify procedures that may reduce the impact while still ensuring the safety and reliability of the railway.
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