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9 Mar 2006 : Column 1675W—continued
Vandalism
Mr. Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many instances of vandalism were reported in (a) Suffolk and (b) England in each year since 1997. [56362]
Hazel Blears: The requested information is given in the following table. Offences of vandalism are recorded within the criminal damage group classification.
(13)Numbers affected by changes in the counting rules and expanded coverage of recorded crime. Data not comparable with earlier years.
(14)Numbers affected by the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standards which came into effect in 2002–03. Data not comparable with earlier years.
Women in Custody
Dr. Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when an announcement will be made of the outcome of the inquiry into the treatment of vulnerable women in custody. [56699]
Fiona Mactaggart: Baroness Scotland expects to make a statement about who will conduct this review, aspects of its methodology, its timetable and terms of reference within a few weeks. I anticipate that the review will be completed by the end of 2006.
Young Offenders
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Government are taking to rehabilitate young offenders while in custody; and if he will make a statement. [55961]
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Fiona Mactaggart: The Detention and Training Order (DTO), which is the principal sentence for those young people under 18 whom the courts decide need to be sentenced to custody, is specifically designed to promote rehabilitation. The order is in two parts, the first spent in custody and the second under supervision in the community.
It is intended that work begun during the first part—for example on education and training—should form the basis for continued development when the young person returns to the community. Youth offending teams (YOTs) are involved in sentence planning throughout the whole of the order and supervise the young person during the community part. The Youth Justice Board is committed to giving young people in custody the opportunity to turn away from offending and to acquire the learning and skills that will help them towards a more positive future.
The board, which has invested on a large scale in educational facilities for young people in custody, is working to the following targets for young people in custody: all young people entering secure facilities will have a training plan developed and subsequently reviewed in accordance with the National Standards for Youth Justice Services; all young people will be assessed by a clinician on reception for vulnerability and substance misuse; all young people entering secure facilities will be tested for literacy and numeracy, with 80 per cent. of young people on DTOs of six months or more improving by one skill level or more in literacy and/or numeracy, to the level of need set out in their individual learning plan; in 2005–06, 90 per cent. of young people will receive 30 hours a week of education, training, and personal development activity compliant with the National Specification for Learning and Skills.
For young people in young offender institutions (YOIs), the expected performance will be 25 hours. Additionally, YOIs will ensure that attendance rates for timetabled education and training sessions do not fall below 90 per cent.
ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS
Biofuel
21. Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on Government support for those growing biofuel plants. [57042]
Jim Knight: Farmers can receive the single payment for oilseed rape and wheat grown on set-aside land under a biofuel contract. The EU's Energy Aid payment can be claimed where these annual crops are grown on non set-aside land. Sugar beet will soon be eligible to receive the same support.
Emissions Trading
22. Mrs. Cryer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress she has made in incorporating aviation in the second phase of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme. [57043]
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Margaret Beckett: We took this forward as one of the priorities of our presidency of the EU Environment Council. There it was agreed that inclusion of aviation seemed to be the best way forward. We are actively involved in the Commission's Aviation Working Group, which is considering how aviation can be included in the EU ETS. The results of which, will feed into a legislative proposal which we expect the Commission to produce by the end of this year.
Centre for Ecology and Hydrology Research
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions her Department has had with the Natural Environment Research Council following its decision to close the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology research facilities last year. [52057]
Mr. Morley: Since the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) published for consultation its proposals for the future of the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH), Defra officials have had discussions with CEH primarily focusing on the implications of the proposals for the delivery of Defra contracts. The Defra Chief Scientific Adviser attended a NERC Council meeting on the 2 February at which CEH was discussed, and Defra has submitted a response to the NERC consultation.
Climate Change
Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on progress towards meeting climate change targets. [57035]
Margaret Beckett: The UK expects to exceed by about 7 percentage points its Kyoto protocol commitment to reduce the UK's greenhouse gas emissions by 12.5 per cent. below 1990 levels by 2008–12. The UK is committed to moving beyond our Kyoto protocol target and towards our national goal to reduce UK carbon dioxide emissions by 20 per cent. below 1990 levels by 2010.
Mr. McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on Scotland's contribution to the UK's international climate change targets. [57024]
Margaret Beckett: I understand that Scotland will be publishing its revised climate change programme shortly.
EU Funding
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much her Department received from the EU in 2004–05; how much was paid to farmers in each category of payment; how much was used for administration; and if she will make a statement. [52468]
Jim Knight:
In 2004–05 the department's income from the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF) was £2.5 billion, its expenditure under schemes wholly or partly funded by EAGGF was £2.9billion and the total administration costs of the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) was £249 million. In
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addition, the department reclaimed £0.8 billion on behalf of the other UK CAP Paying Agencies. Full details are available in RPA's 2004–05 accounts (HC82), presented to Parliament in July 2005.
Defra's Fisheries Directorate received three amounts from the EU. £1.4 million was received under Data Collection Regulations (EU Regulations 1543/2000, 1639/2001 and 1581/2004) for the funding of scientific work, such as surveys carried out at sea and biological sampling. Under an EU Aid scheme in which all Member States can apply for funding towards their fisheries enforcement control programmes (Commission Decision 2004/465/EC as amended) the Marine Fisheries Agency (formally the Sea Fisheries Inspectorate) received £0.6 million. Under the Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance (FIFG) Defra received £6.2 million.
Defra's EU & International Agriculture Division received £296,000 to cover the costs of an EU twinning project.
Defra's Animal Health and Welfare Directorate General received a payment of £286,885 in respect of Classical Swine Fever. Additionally, while not received in the financial year 2004–05, included in the Department's 2004–05 Accounts is an accrued sum of £4,367,441 income from the EU Veterinary Fund as contribution towards the cost of genotyping blood samples for the National Scrapie Plan, the actual funding of which was received in 2005–06.
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