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7 Nov 2005 : Column 25W—continued
Flooding
Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much has been allocated to complete the Morecambe sea defence scheme; and when work will commence. [24554]
Mr. Morley: Defra approved the final two phases of the Morecambe coastal works for grant aid in October this year. Lancaster city council is currently running a procurement exercise to secure a contractor and they expect to start work in this financial year. The amount of Government grant will reflect the price negotiated as part of the procurement process.
Foot and Mouth
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what payments to contractors who undertook work for the Government during the foot and mouth outbreak are outstanding; and if she will make a statement. [25433]
Mr. Bradshaw: Invoices to the value of £5.1 million remain disputed and unpaid. The Department is disputing payment in those cases where it believes on the basis of the quantum, accounting, technical and legal advice it has received that it was overcharged for goods, services and works during the foot and mouth disease outbreak.
In all other cases, the Department has paid businesses for the goods, services and works provided at its request in connection with the outbreak in 2001.
Gershon Review
Mr. Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress has been made, in terms of (a) headcount reductions and (b) cost savings, in achieving the efficiency objectives set for the Department by the Gershon review. [21296]
Jim Knight: Progress on achieving the efficiency objectives set for the Department by the Gershon review was reported in Budget 2005 and in the departmental annual report. The latter can be viewed on Defra's website at http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/deprep/default.htm. It contains details of headcount reductions and cost savings. Further progress will be reported in the autumn performance reports and at aggregate level in the pre-Budget report.
Mr. Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs who in the Department has been made responsible for achieving the efficiency objectives set for the Department by the Gershon review. [21318]
Jim Knight:
The right hon. Margaret Beckett, Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is responsible for the overall delivery of the Department's efficiency programme.
7 Nov 2005 : Column 26W
Lord Bach, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for sustainable farming and food has specific responsibility for efficiency. Ministers' biographical details can be viewed at www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/ministers/index.asp.
Greenhouse Emissions
Richard Ottaway: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assumptions of economic growth were made when setting the targets for the reduction of greenhouse emissions. [19086]
Malcolm Wicks: I have been asked to reply.
The central economic growth assumption was for a long term growth rate of 2.35 per cent. per annum. The sensitivity of projected emissions to possible alternative outcomes for economic growth was examined by analysis using assumed low and high growth rates of 1.75 per cent. and 2.85 per cent. per annum respectively.
Household Waste
Ms Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which local authorities have a fortnightly collection of household waste. [22865]
Mr. Bradshaw: A number of local authorities operate partial fortnightly collections. Some of their properties receive a fortnightly collection and the remainder are weekly, or they operate an alternating system with residual waste collected one week followed by a collection of recyclable material in the following week.
No central source holds the information requested but the waste and resources action programme have provided the information given in the table.
3 Fortnightly collection only partly rolled out across a local authority.
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