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Age Discrimination

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her Department's policy is towards age discrimination. [202361]

Alun Michael: The Department is fully committed to equality on the basis of age. One of the stated values of the Department is that we create an environment for our employees and customers, free from discrimination on the grounds of age.

In anticipation of the Age Legislation in October 2006, the Department has identified policies and procedures where the legislation will have an impact and the Department is working to ensure that all areas of its work is fully reviewed for any age bias.

The Department has already introduced flexibility around the retirement age that enables older staff to stay on until 65. In addition diversity training, which is available to all Defra employees, includes raising awareness of age discrimination.

Carbon Trust

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the (a) resource budget, (b) staff numbers and (c) running costs were of the Carbon Trust in 2003–04. [202141]

Mr. Morley: The Carbon Trust, as a private company, publishes annual accounts containing the information you have requested. The report for 2003–04 can be accessed via www.thecarbontrust.co.uk

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on collaboration between the Carbon Trust and the Clean Energy Group. [202143]

Mr. Morley: The Carbon Trust takes a strong interest in international low carbon programmes and investment initiatives. The Trust keeps in close touch with a number of agencies, including the Clean Energy Group and other US organisations, to exchange best practice in how low carbon technologies can best be developed and brought to market more quickly. The Carbon Trust is a private company funded by Defra and the Devolved administrations.

Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the United Kingdom will ratify the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. [202068]

Mr. Morley: The UK ratified the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety on 19 November 2003 and it entered into force in the UK on 17 February 2004.

Crèche Facilities

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what crèche facilities are provided by her Department; and at what cost. [202360]

Alun Michael: Defra currently makes the following childcare provisions:
 
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Workplace Provisions

We have on on-site workplace nurseries at five of our sites, Kings Pool in York, CSL Sand Mutton, Guildford, London and Bristol. Defra in Exeter has recently closed and with it the childcare provision.

We have the following partnership arrangements providing workplace provision in London, Bristol and elsewhere through such providers as Buffer Bear, Childcare Enterprise; Frendz club.

Childcare Vouchers and Payment to a Third Party

This does not apply in Defra and we operate neither scheme.

Salary Sacrifice Scheme

This is due to start between January and April 2005.

Defra provide 150 full-time subsidised nursery places across the five sites mentioned above. The actual number using the nursery is higher than this figure due to many of the places being allocated on a part time basis. The cost of nursery places and the amount of subsidy varies for each location.

The places are allocated as follows:

London	11
Bristol	3
York Kings Pool	49
York CSL	47
Guildford	40

School holiday playschemes places are available to departmental and agency staff across eight sites. The number of users varies at each site and for each school holiday period. These are: London, York, Bristol, Guildford, Nottingham, Taunton, Weybridge and Worcester.

The overall budget for childcare provision is currently £88,500 for York and London. Other sites are funded from local budgets.

We are aiming to review current fees and subsidies in 2005.

Departmental Estate

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the cost has been of criminal damage to her Department's buildings in each of the last two years. [202357]

Alun Michael: The occurrence of criminal damage to the Department's buildings over the past two years has been so low that separate records have not been kept.

Departmental Expenditure

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the cost of (a) new builds, (b) demolition rebuilds and (c) private finance initiative projects in her Department in each of the last two years. [202350]

 
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Alun Michael: Defra estimates its expenditure over the last two years on the following activities to have been:
£

	2002–03	2003–04
(a) New builds	14,709,000	30,878,000
(b) Demolition rebuilds	51,000	605,000
(c) Private finance initiative projects	Nil	1,029,000

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her estimate is of the cost of building refurbishment carried out by her Department in each of the last two years. [202354]

Alun Michael: Refurbishment work carried out on the Defra estate in the last 2 years was estimated to cost:
£

2002–03	3,804,000
2003–04	9,783,000

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the cost was of (a) in-house canteen and (b) other catering services provided by her Department in each of the last two years. [202356]

Alun Michael: From information held centrally, the cost of running the Department's canteen facilities in financial year 2002–03 was £432,328 and in financial year 2003–04 the cost was £453,490.

Emissions

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the total amount of (a) carbon dioxide and (b) greenhouse gas emissions per person in the United Kingdom, broken down by (i) emissions produced within the UK, (ii) emissions including those produced in other countries for goods exported into the UK, (iii) emissions including those produced in other countries for goods exported into the UK but excluding goods exported from the UK and (iv) international aviation relating to UK activities. [202067]

Mr. Morley: (i) In 2002, the most recent year for which data are available, emissions of carbon dioxide (CO ₂ ) in the UK were 551.0 million tonnes, and emissions of total greenhouse gases, weighted together using global warming potentials, were equivalent to 648.4 million tonnes CO ₂ . The population of the UK was just over 59 million in 2002, making the average emissions on a per person basis for CO ₂ 9.30 tonnes and 10.95 tonnes CO ₂ equivalent for total greenhouse gases.

(ii & iii) Under internationally agreed guidelines, carbon dioxide and total greenhouse emissions associated with the production of goods are reported in the greenhouse gas inventory of the country in which the goods are produced. Emissions from goods exported from the UK are not separately estimated.
 
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(iv) Emissions associated with international air transport appear in national greenhouse gas inventories as a memo item and are not included in national totals. Total UK emissions of CO ₂ from international aviation were estimated to be 26.9 million tonnes of CO ₂ in 2002, and emissions of total greenhouse gases were estimated to be 27.3 million tonnes of CO ₂ . Emissions per passenger are not estimated.

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