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14 Dec 2004 : Column 992W—continued
Departmental Management Board
Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what role is played by the two non-executive directors on her Department's management board; and what remuneration each receives. [204323]
Alun Michael: The role of non-executives is to use their experience outside Government to bring an independent perspective and constructive challenge to all of the board's business, in particular to the areas of change management, performance management, and risk.
One of the non-executives is also chair of our Audit and Risk Committee. Other duties carried out by them include: co-chairing a performance management committee that analyses the Department's balanced scorecard, membership of the Ministerial Challenge Panel on regulation, and assisting the Senior Appointments Board in certain recruitment exercises and remuneration issues.
Their remuneration is £10,000 per annum (plus reasonable expenses).
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to introduce an automatic e-mail notification facility for announcements and publications issued by her Department and those public bodies reporting to her. [203684]
Alun Michael: Defra has no specific plans at the moment to introduce an automatic e-mail notification service. We are currently working with our recently-appointed strategic IT supplier to review the ways that we supply information electronically to Defra's customers and to the public, and consideration will be given to the introduction of such a service as part of the review.
Emissions Trading
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what studies the Government has made of (a) sulphur dioxide and (b) nitrous oxide trading in the United States; and what conclusions it has drawn. [203666]
Mr. Morley:
While the Government has not undertaken any specific studies on the US trading systems for SO 2 and NOx, the US experience in this area
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has informed the development of trading schemes to address emissions of greenhouse gases, in particular the UK Emissions Trading Scheme and the implementation of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme. It has also informed work on implementation of the revised Large Combustion Plants Directive and has prompted the Government's call for the integrated pollution prevention and control Directive to be further amended so as to facilitate greater potential for emissions trading.
Farmers
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many dairy farmers there were in the UK in each of the last five years. [201131]
Alun Michael: The following figures show the number of principal farmers, partners, directors and their spouses (if working on the holding) in England on holdings where dairy is the predominant activity. Figures for the other UK countries fall under the jurisdiction of the devolved authorities.
| Number of farmers, partners, directors and spouses | Number of holdings | |
|---|---|---|
| Main holdings only | ||
| 1999 | 33,216 | 15,623 |
| Main and minor holdings | ||
| 2000 | 31,418 | 14,841 |
| 2001 | 29,732 | 14,053 |
| 2002 | 30,014 | 14,231 |
| 2003 | 28,438 | 13,235 |
Notes:
1. A register improvement exercise increased the number of holdings in 2001. The 2000 figures for main and minor holdings are therefore not comparable with the later figures.
2. From 2000 we have maintained a combined database of all holdings .Prior to that, the census database was of main holdings only. A separate database was held of minor holdings but these were only surveyed once every five years or so.
Source:
June Agricultural Census
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many farmers there were in the UK in each of the last five years. [201132]
Alun Michael: The following figures show the number of principal farmers, partners, directors and their spouses (if working on the holding) in England and the number of holdings they are working on. Figures for the other UK countries fall under the jurisdiction of the devolved authorities.
Note:
A register improvement exercise increased the registered holdings in 2001. The 2000 figures for main and minor holdings are therefore not comparable with the later figures.
Source:
June Agricultural Census
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Human Rights Act
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many cases have been brought against her Department under the Human Rights Act 1998; and what the cost has been in (a) legal fees to defend cases and (b) compensation payments. [202365]
Alun Michael: The whole point of the incorporation of the European Charter on Human Rights into domestic law was to allow human rights considerations to be considered fully at every level of the legal system as a matter of course rather than having to be considered separately and laboriously as a single issue. Not surprisingly, the great majority of cases brought against the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs involve human rights only when they are brought in support of other litigation—as a 'backstop' claim.
As a result this makes any human rights elements to a case very hard to count separately. The subjects of the convention rights themselves are, to a very great extent, already actionable in existing domestic law.
For these reasons it would not be possible to apportion costs and compensation payments as requested without reviewing every single case handled by this Department since October 2000, which would give rise to disproportionate cost.
Pigs/Pigmeat Sales
Mr. Bacon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of (a) pork, (b) bacon and (c) ham sold in UK supermarkets is (i) British produced and (ii) bears the Meat and Livestock Commission's Quality Standard Mark. [203124]
Alun Michael: Proportions are set out in the following table:
| (a) Pork | (b) Bacon | (c) Ham | |
|---|---|---|---|
| (i) British produced | 83 | 41 | 41 |
| (ii)Bears Quality Standard Mark | 62 | 16 | 14 |
However, in addition to the above figures several large supermarkets 1 currently supply 100 per cent. British fresh pork, but do not carry the Quality
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Standard Mark. The British Pig Executive (BPEX) is working closely with them to encourage the use of the QSM on their packaging.
1 Waitrose, Marks and Spencer and Budgens supply 100 per cent. British fresh pork, and Morrisons supply predominantly British fresh pork.
Mr. Bacon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the size of the UK pig herd was in (a) 1994, (b) 1999 and (c) 2004. [203126]
Alun Michael: The following figures show the size of the pig herd in England. Figures for the other UK countries fall under the jurisdiction of the devolved authorities. Numbers for 2004 are currently provisional, final figures are due to be published on 16 December 2004.
| Total pigs | |
|---|---|
| (a) 1994 | 6,591,684 |
| (b) 1999 | 6,163,443 |
| (c) 2004 | 4,089,352 |
Source:
June Agricultural Census
Mr. Bacon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations her Department has received regarding the impact of pork imports on domestic pig production. [203157]
Alun Michael: We are aware of the British Pig Industry's concerns surrounding the impact of pork imports, not least following the recent British Pig Executive (BPEX) report. This report sought to illustrate the additional cost and detrimental market effects on UK pig producers in achieving high welfare standards.
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