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20 Jan 2005 : Column 1042W—continued
ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS
Christmas Cards
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many departmental staff have responsibility for preparing Christmas cards. [205193]
Alun Michael: A member of staff in Defra's Communications Directorate takes on managing the production of Christmas cards as an additional duty as the festive period approaches. There is no additional staff cost. The estimated cost of answering questions on this issue from the right hon. Member is £221 to date.
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many hours of staff time were taken up in preparation of Christmas cards in 2004. [205197]
Alun Michael: No record was kept of the time taken by Defra staff to manage the production of Christmas cards but it was minimal and did not involve extra cost.
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many official Christmas cards were sent out by her Department in (a) 2003 and (b) 2004. [205200]
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Alun Michael: The number of official departmental Christmas cards sent out were as follows:
| Number | |
|---|---|
| 2003 | 7,000 |
| 2004 | 7,000 |
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of official departmental Christmas cards included a contribution to charity in their cost; and which charities benefited from such a contribution. [205207]
Climate Change Levy
Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects to respond to the application for climate change levy exemption submitted by the British Apparel and Textile Confederation on behalf of Black Sheep Textiles. [208166]
Mr. Morley: Black Sheep Textiles submitted an incomplete application in April 2004 for a Climate Change Agreement, which are agreements with energy intensive industries whose participants receive an 80 per cent. discount from the CCL Climate Change Levy in return for meeting energy efficiency targets. My officials asked for the outstanding information from the company via the trade association on several occasions so that the application could be processed. The last request was made in September 2004. When the complete application is received, it will be processed within the usual 10 working days.
Darwin Mounds
Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the protection afforded to the Darwin Mounds referred to in her letter of 2 July to the hon. Member for Linlithgow. [206897]
Mr. Bradshaw: Following a request from the Department, on 20 August 2003 the European Commission introduced measures to protect the Darwin Mounds from damaging fishing activities. These restrictions are closely monitored by the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency. No breaches of the restrictions have been identified.
In April 2005, the Department will outline details of a proposed research project to determine the current condition of the coral reef structures on the Darwin Mounds.
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Energy Efficiency
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many households in Hendon have benefited from (a) Warm Front and (b) Warm Front Plus schemes; how many were pensioners in each case; what the (i) average and (ii) maximum awarded under the scheme was in each case; and if she will make a statement. [207949]
Mr. Morley: Since the launch of the Warm Front scheme in June 2000 and the end of December 2004 approximately 430 households in Hendon received assistance under Warm Front of which 79 were pensioner households.
Some 395 pensioner households received assistance under Warm Front Plus.
The average Warm Front grant to each household was approximately £350 and the average Warm Front Plus grant was approximately £570.
The grant maxima available under Warm Front is £1,500 and £2,500 is available under Warm Front Plus.
Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of dwellings in England meet or exceed the energy efficiency standard of SAP 65. [209654]
Keith Hill: I have been asked to reply.
On the basis of the 2001 English House Condition Survey, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister estimates that 16 per cent. of the housing stock meets or exceeds SAP 65.
Farm Produce Prices
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the average (a) farmgate and (b) retail price was of (i) one kilogram of (A) beef, (B) lamb, (C) pork, (D) chicken, (E) turkey, (F) bacon, (G) dessert apples, (H) potatoes, (I) carrots, (J) cauliflower, (K) peas and (L) runner beans, (ii) one pint of (x) milk, (y) cream and (z) yoghurt, (iii) one dozen eggs and (iv) one litre of (X) English wine and (Y) brandy in (1) 1975, (2) 1980, (3) 1985, (4) 1990, (5) 1995, (6) 2000, (7) 2003 and (8) 2004, broken down by (I) organic and (II) conventionally produced foodstuffs. [204157]
Alun Michael: Where available the farmgate prices and retail prices are shown in the following tables.
While regular price series are not separately available for organically produced food, prices provided by the Soil Association for 2000 are provided.
Differences in the level of processing vary by commodity and over time which will affect the trends shown within the tables.
n/a = Information not available
(8) Prices are consistent with those used in Agriculture in the United Kingdom to calculate the UK farmers' share of the value of a basket of food items.
(9) 2004 figures are provisional
(10) Meat and Livestock Commission UK Market Survey Report, untrimmed prices adjusted for drip loss
(11) Office for National Statistics, average retail prices
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n/a = Information not available
(12) Prices are consistent with those used in Agriculture in the United Kingdom to calculate the UK farmers' share of the value of a basket of food items.
(13) 2004 figures are provisional
(14) Meat and Livestock Commission UK Market Survey Report
(15) Defra
Source:
Soil Association
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