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Departmental Advertising

Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what criteria are used by her Department to determine (a) on which satellite television stations advertisements on behalf of her Department or its agencies are screened and (b) the frequency of screenings of advertisements. [201308]

Alun Michael: The criteria used for all campaigns are individually assessed to take into account the campaign objectives, the target audience and any specific regional factors.

The media buyers secure the most effective advertising slots to match the brief at the most competitive prices within the budget allocated.

Frequency of screening will depend on a consideration of how many times an audience needs to see the message before it will achieve the desired effect and the size of the audience for any particular television spot.

Travel Expenditure

Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much the Department spent on first-class travel in each year since 1997. [206566]

Alun Michael: The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost. All travel complied with the requirements of the Ministerial Code, travel by Ministers and the Civil Service Management Code.

Departmental Staff

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of her Department's staff are based in London. [207962]

Alun Michael: Information on regional distribution of staff as at 1 April 2003 is available in the Libraries of both Houses, and also at: http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/management_information/statistical_information/statistics/contents_for_civil_service_statistics_2003_ report/index.asp

Table D shows the numbers of staff by regional distribution.

Figures relating to 1 April 2004 are due to be published during February 2005.

Energy Efficiency

Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the accuracy of the seasonal efficiency of domestic boilers in the UK system for measuring the energy efficiency of domestic heating boilers. [209498]

 
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Mr. Morley: The Seasonal Efficiency of Boilers in the UK (SEDBUK) methodology was developed in close partnership with the heating industry. Its accuracy is principally determined by the laboratory tests defined in European Standards necessary to show compliance with the EU Boiler Efficiency Directive (42/92/EEC). As with any assessment there are uncertainties of measurement and these are estimated to be within ±2½ per cent. The accuracy of the laboratory tests is propagated directly to the SEDBUK figure.

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions her Department has had with the Treasury on (a) the case for a windfall tax on excessive profits made by oil and gas producers and (b) the use of revenues from such a tax to fund a domestic energy efficiency programme; and if she will make a statement. [209653]

Mr. Morley: My officials, ministerial colleagues and I are in regular contact with our HM Treasury counterparts about a range of subjects. Decisions on taxation are of course a matter for my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Environmental Schemes

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the costs to UK companies of parallel participation in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme and the Climate Change Agreement. [209847]

Mr. Morley: The costs of participation in both EU ETS and CCAs have not been estimated. However, the current proposals involving a certain degree of overlap in reporting were a response to industry's concerns that separating the targets between the two schemes would be too difficult. The data required for reporting are essentially the same for the two schemes.

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress has been made towards ensuring compatibility of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme and the Climate Change Agreement. [209849]

Mr. Morley: My officials work closely with the industry led Emissions Trading Group to ensure the two schemes can work alongside each other. We have made several changes to the structure of the schemes to reflect their concerns while continuing to ensure that the environmental benefits of the schemes are maintained.

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when a decision will be made on the possible exclusion from the first phase of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme for companies participating in a Climate Change Agreement. [209862]

Mr. Morley: We are discussing some outstanding issues with the Commission in relation to the UK NAP. Once these are resolved we will be able to issue installation level allocations and make a formal application to the Commission for temporary exclusion for CCA installations. Our revised timetable for the announcement of installation level allocations was published on 23 December, and under this we aim to
 
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make an application for temporary exclusion by the end of February. We must then wait for a decision by the Commission.

Fareshare

Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what (a) representations she has received from and (b) discussions she has had with Fareshare on the (i) Landfill Tax Credit Scheme and (ii) financing of Fareshare's work to distribute supermarket food to the homeless. [209651]

Mr. Morley: The Landfill Tax Credit Scheme (LTCS) was reformed in 2003, as a result of which waste projects are no longer eligible for funding. My Department has been contacted directly by Fareshare, and by others on its behalf, on a number of occasions over the last six months. In response to these representations, we have explained the reasons for the reform of the LTCS and suggested possible alternative sources of Government funding.

Farm Payments

Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many (a) farmers and (b) contractors are waiting to receive the full amount of compensation due to them following the outbreak of foot and mouth in 2001; and what sum of money that represents. [208075]

Alun Michael: All compensation payable for animals that were compulsorily slaughtered during the FMD epidemic in 2001 has been paid. There are 15 outstanding claims for increased compensation still being considered. The quantum involved will be the subject of arbitration or negotiation in those cases.

Contractors who provided goods, works or services during FMD were paid for doing so. They were not paid 'compensation'.

Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much of the money granted to the UK by the EU following the 2001 foot and mouth outbreak has been paid to farmers. [208255]

Mr. Bradshaw: The co-financing payment received from the EU Commission was a contribution towards the costs of compensation for compulsorily slaughtered animals that had already been paid to farmers and the costs of disease control operations, e.g. cleansing and disinfection, that had already been met by the UK Government.

Flooding

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether City of York local authority representatives will be allocated a full position on the Regional Flood Defence Committee. [208860]

Mr. Morley: Local authority representation on the Yorkshire Regional Flood Defence Committee (RFDC), as with all other RFDCs, is based upon council tax data for the constituent councils, with seats or part seats allocated accordingly.
 
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Due to the increase in size of the Yorkshire RFDC from 13 to 15 members as a result of a recent review, it was decided that the most equitable distribution of local authority seats on the Yorkshire RFDC was for the City of York to share a seat with North Yorkshire. In addition, North Yorkshire have an individually allocated seat. The sharing of seats is commonplace among RFDCs.

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the allocation of funding for flood defence in York. [208861]

Mr. Morley: I understand the Environment Agency is currently undertaking a major strategic study (the River Ouse 'Project Appraisal Guidance (PAG) 2' Study) which will examine the need to provide improved flood protection including to properties in York. The outcome of the draft report is due for public consultation in spring 2005.

The Yorkshire Regional Flood Defence Committee long-term plan (up to 2013–14) has allocated an initial sum of £30 million to implement improvements identified in the strategy. Some of these improvements will benefit York city. A more accurate estimate will only be possible when the results of the final strategy report are released later this year.

Approximately £270,000 will be spent in 2004–05 and in future years, on maintaining and improving the condition of flood defences for the benefit of York. (This work includes grass cutting on banks, controlling vermin and routine maintenance and improvement of the extensive mechanical and electrical equipment which forms part of the flood defences, as well as more extensive repairs to the flood defences as identified in the regular, programmed inspections.)

Extensive improvements have recently been carried out to refurbish the pumps at the Foss Barrier, to repair the flood defences at North Street and to the Clifton Ings barrier bank. The total cost of the works carried out since the floods of autumn 2000 is over £500,000.

Maintenance of and improvements to the flood warning system for York, flood mapping, development control activity, strategic planning and other costs amount to approximately £400,000 to £500,000 per annum, including in 2004–05.

The flood warning service for York is comprehensive and staged. Depending on the projected levels in the River Ouse, different warnings are issued to serve different parts of the city. The Environment Agency's knowledge of the catchment area enables warnings to be provided well in excess of two hours before the actual flooding occurs, thereby allowing recipients to take action to protect their property and possessions.

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 14 December 2004, Official Report, column 1001W, on Sellafield flooding, if she will make a statement on the impact on Sellafield of the heavy rain of 9 to 11 January. [209261]

 
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Mr. Morley: I understand from the Environment Agency that Sellafield suffered no flooding from the rivers Calder and Ehen or from the sea as a result of the heavy rain of 9–11 January 2005.

There were some localised problems caused by rainwater and high winds, but the safety and security of the site was maintained at all times.

Roger Casale: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what action she has taken to update the list of areas at risk from flooding to take account of forecasts by climate change experts; and what proposals on this she has received from the Environment Agency. [209523]

Mr. Morley: The Environment Agency is responsible for flood risk mapping in England. Areas at risk of flooding are shown on the Flood Map on the agency's website. This data are also provided to local planning authorities and others enabling them to make decisions about future development and planning. The Flood Map takes account of the current conditions, and does not show the anticipated effects of future climate change.

The Environment Agency is currently undertaking a scoping study to identify the best way to depict the likely increase in the risk of flooding. A number of options are being considered. The agency anticipate that this scoping will be complete by summer 2005.

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