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13 Feb 2006 : Column 1540W—continued
Cattle Valuation
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what advice she received on the variations in value of cattle by (a) breed and (b) pedigree. [49097]
Mr. Bradshaw: New cattle compensation arrangements were introduced on 1 February 2006.
The Department has obtained cattle sales data from a wide range of sources across Great Britain for the last 14 months. Analysis of these data has identified the degree of variation within each of the 47 cattle categories now used to determine compensation through our system of table valuation. And this approach will be repeated on an annual basis. No breed specific reviews have been carried out.
Compulsory Cattle Slaughter (Compensation)
Mr. Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for what reason the compensation tables for cattle which have been compulsorily slaughtered do not provide values for pedigree beef bovines under six months of age. [49092]
Mr. Bradshaw [holding answer 6 February 2006]: Compensation categories have been drawn up with the assistance of industry advisers. There is no table value for pedigree cattle under six months. Animals that age would always be suckling, and it would be unusual to sell them without the dam.
Correspondence
Mr. Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to her answer of 25 January 2006, Official Report, column 2110W, on correspondence, if she will send the promised reply by 10 February. [50989]
Mr. Morley: A reply to my right hon. Friend was despatched on 7 February 2006.
Early Retirement
David T.C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many of her Department's employees have taken early retirement due to ill-health in each of the past five years for which figures are available. [46871]
Jim Knight:
Defra was created in June 2001, and the figures in the following table show the number of staff who have taken early retirement due to ill-health since then.
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| Number of staff | |
|---|---|
| 2001(14) | (15)5 |
| 2002 | 16 |
| 2003 | 19 |
| 2004 | 13 |
| 2005 | 16 |
(14) 9 June to 31 December.
(15) Less than 5.
The figure for 2001 is not specified on grounds of confidentiality.
Fallen Stock
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to review the fallen stock scheme. [49984]
Mr. Bradshaw: The Department commissioned an independent review of the scheme at the end of 2005, and a report is expected around Easter.
Kyoto Targets
Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress the Government have made towards meeting the Kyoto summit targets; and what steps are being taken to ensure that the targets are met. [50901]
Mr. Morley: The UK's commitment under the Kyoto protocol is to achieve a reduction of 12.5 per cent. of emissions in the basket of six greenhouse gases. The gases in the basket are carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), methane (CH 4 ) and nitrous oxide (N 2 O), plus the hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs) and sulphur hexafluoride SF 6 . The reduction is to be achieved relative to base year emissions in 1990 for CO 2 , CH 4 and N 2 O, and in 1995 for the other gases. It applies to average emissions, weighted together using global warming potentials, over the first commitment period, 2008–12.
Latest available figures indicate that, on this basis, UK greenhouse gas emissions were 14.6 per cent. lower in 2004 than the base year total. Policies and measures already in place, plus the additional policies and measures introduced as part of the current review of the UK's climate change programme, will achieve further reductions during the commitment period. This will ensure that the Kyoto commitment is met.
Quarantine Regulations
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on her review of quarantine regulations. [50807]
Mr. Bradshaw: I assume that the hon. Member is referring to the review of avian quarantine following publication of the independent report of quarantine procedures for captive birds (excluding poultry) in the UK in December 2005.
The report contains 32 recommendations to improve the safeguards to animal and human health that the current avian quarantine system provides. We are looking carefully at all of the recommendations in close
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consultation with EU partners and other stakeholders. And we will implement any essential recommendations before imports of captive birds resume.
Stroud EU Life Bid
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what reasons were given for the rejection of the Stroud EU Life bid; and whether a new bid may be submitted to EU Life Plus. [49441]
Mr. Morley: Life-Environment is a Europe-wide programme to fund innovative demonstration projects that support the development of European environment policy.
Selection of projects for co-financing is competitive as there are no national allocations in the Programme. Projects are evaluated by policy officers at the European Commission and a panel of independent experts. Projects are evaluated against a range of criteria using a point scoring system. In the 2004–05 application round €71 million was available to co-finance projects and the Commission received 534 bids, of which 88 (16 per cent.) were supported.
The UK submitted 26 bids and 10 (35 per cent.) were co-financed. However, the bid submitted by Stroud did not score highly enough under the evaluation process to secure co-financing. The Commission advises applicants directly of the reasons for rejection.
The full political process to agree the Life+ Regulation has yet to be completed but it is envisaged that in 2007 Life+ will replace the current Life Programme and a number of other funding programmes currently managed by DG-Environment in the European Commission. One major difference from the current arrangements will be that the Programme will be implemented at member state level through national annual work programmes, agreed by the European Commission. Until the details of the work programme are developed and approved, it is not possible to say if the Stroud bid would be eligible for support under the new Life+ Programme.
Waste Management
Mr. Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Lewes (Norman Baker) of 28 November 2005, Official Report, column 20W, on waste management, if she will break down the figures by local authority area. [43804]
Mr. Bradshaw: Pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Lewes (Norman Baker) of 28 November 2005, Official Report, column 20W, the results provided for both commercial and industrial waste at regional level cannot be broken down to local authority level.
The amount of municipal waste disaggregated by disposal method is only available for local authorities with a responsibility for municipal waste disposal. Therefore figures for disposal and unitary local authorities for 2001–02, 2002–03 and 2003–04 from the Defra Municipal Waste Management Survey have been placed in the Library of the House.
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CABINET OFFICE
Departmental Staff
Bob Spink: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many of his Department's staff are paid on a performance-related basis. [50077]
Mr. Jim Murphy: All Cabinet Office employees are rewarded based on their performance. Annual salary increases reflect overall performance and bonuses are available to reward delivery of specific outcomes.
HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION
Staff
Bob Spink: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission how many staff of the House are paid on a performance-related basis. [50492]
Nick Harvey: At 18 January 2006 1,292 of the House's 1,626 staff were in pay arrangements with a performance-related element.
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