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Philippines

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance his Department has provided to the mudslide-affected region of the Philippines; and if he will make a statement. [58038]

Hilary Benn: DFID carefully monitored the situation following the mudslides of 17 February and concluded that needs were well covered by the Government of the Philippines, which is providing helicopters, military manpower and financial aid for those affected. Donors such as the United States, China, Japan, Australia and the United Nations Children's Fund are also providing assistance. Therefore, although DFID support has not been necessary, we continue to monitor the situation and will respond if needed.
 
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SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Efficiency Targets

Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Solicitor-General what the target level of employment, expressed as full-time equivalents, is in his Department by April 2008, in order to meet his Department's civil service work force reductions target set out in the 2004 Spending Review. [52848]

The Solicitor-General: Neither the Crown Prosecution Service nor the Serious Fraud Office were set any work force reduction targets in the 2004 Spending Review. The planned numbers for full-time equivalents for the CPS for April 2008 is 7642; and for the Serious Fraud Office is 300.

The target for the Treasury Solicitor's Department is to achieve a head count reduction of 36 by 2007–08 benchmarked against the level of business activity in 2004–05. The Department continues to recruit staff as business demand grows; but the introduction of efficiencies ensures that the growth of head count is lower than the growth in business.

The Revenue and Customs Prosecutions Office did not come into existence until after the SR04 targets were set. The head count reduction set for its predecessor organisation, the Customs and Excise Prosecutions Office was met. The new Department has a target level of full-time equivalents of 270 staff by April 2008.

Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Solicitor-General what interim targets he has set for achieving (a) the agreed efficiency target for the Law Officers' Department and (b) the Civil Service work force reductions targets for (i) gross reductions in posts, (ii) net reductions in posts and (iii) relocations for the Law Officers' Departments as set out in the 2004 Spending Review; what the baseline figures are against which these interim targets are assessed; on what dates they will take effect; and by what dates these interim targets are intended to be met. [52907]

The Solicitor-General: The annual targets for the efficiency savings and the work force reductions set for the Treasury Solicitor's Department in the 2004 Spending Review are:

	Non-cashable savings (£ million)	Cashable Savings (£ million)	Headcount reduction
2004–05	0.6	-	6
2005–06	0.1	0.2	5
2006–07	0.2	0.4	10
2007–08	0.3	1.2	15

The CPS was set interim efficiency targets in the 2004 Spending Review as shown in the following table:
Efficiency Savings Targets

	Target deadline	Savings (£ million)
2005–06	31 March 2006	20.1
2006–07	31 March 2007	26.6
2007–08	31 March 2008	34.1

 
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£ million

	2005–06	2006–07	2007–08
Efficiency Savings Targets	20.1	26.6	34.1
Target Deadline	31 March 2006	31 March 2007	31 March 2008

The baseline, against which the efficiency targets are measured, is the CPS's 2004–05 Resource Departmental Expenditure Limit of £454.8 million.

The following table shows the target that the CPS has set to achieve its relocation programme target and the date by which this target is intended to be met.

	Relocation schedule
Relocation Target	40
Target Deadline	31 March 2008

The baseline against which the relocation programme target is measured is the number of posts in the South East and Eastern Service Centres in 2002–03.

The Revenue and Customs Prosecutions Office (RCPO) has no target for the relocation of posts. Its cashable efficiency savings, set against 2004/financial baselines, as amended for additional work transferred to the office, are set out in the following table:

	£ million
2005–06	0.73
2006–07	1.46
2007–08	2.17

RCPO also has productive time targets measured against a baseline of 2004–05 work force statistics as follows:

	£ million
2005–06	0.16
2006–07	0.32
2007–08	0.50

The Serious Fraud Office was not set any work force reduction or relocation targets in the 2004 Spending Review; but has efficiency targets to deliver savings of:

	£ million
2005–06	1.3
2006–07	2
2007–08	2.815

Sentencing Comparison

David Simpson: To ask the Solicitor-General if he will take steps to make information available to allow comparison between judges of their sentencing for offences. [57452]

Ms Harman: I have been asked to reply.
 
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Sentencing decisions by the judges for offences are a matter of public record. They are often reported by the media and may also feature in the law reports and legal and academic journals. Given the public nature of these decisions the Government has no plans for change.

ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Animal Welfare

Anne Snelgrove: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps the Government has taken to improve animal welfare since 1997; and what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of these steps. [55804]

Mr. Bradshaw: This Government are fully committed to improved animal welfare. The Animal Welfare Bill is the most significant piece of legislation in this area for nearly a century. It will introduce a formal duty of care for non-farmed animals and toughen the penalties available to the courts.

This builds on the work we have already done to improve the welfare of farmed animals. We have worked with Member States to improve legislation in the European Union on transport, laying hens, pigs and general farm animal welfare.

Further steps the Government have taken include a ban on fur farming, which came into force on 1 January 2003. The introduction of the Hunting Act 2004 also makes it illegal to hunt wild mammals with dogs, and completely bans hare coursing. Work to protect the variety and diversity of wildlife is being taken forward under the England Biodiversity Strategy. We have also put in place a number of specific measures, such as the code of good practice on the use of snares and the production of various technical advisory leaflets on wildlife management.

Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures are being taken (a) to increase detection of and (b) to prevent the mistreatment of farm animals in the UK. [56120]

Mr. Bradshaw: This Government are fully committed to high welfare standards for all farmed animals. We have some of the highest standards of farm animal welfare, including enforcement measures, in the EU.

The State Veterinary Service (SVS) carries out welfare inspections on farms to check that legislation and the welfare codes are being followed. In addition to spot checks and planned visits, the SVS follows up all complaints and allegations of poor welfare on specific farms as a matter of urgency. Where welfare problems are found, the SVS takes enforcement action, which can include issuing improvement notices requiring remedial action by the farmer or initiating prosecution. Follow-up visits are made to check compliance with the legislation. The SVS also co-operates closely with other organisations such as local authorities and the RSPCA.
 
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Avian Influenza

Mr. Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the use of vaccination against H5N1 avian influenza in Hong Kong in 2002–03. [56674]

Mr. Bradshaw [holding answer 7 March 2006]: My officials have examined and made assessments of the use of vaccination against H5N1 worldwide, including the outbreak in Hong Kong in 2002–03.

Vaccination was used successfully to help eliminate H5N1 in Hong Kong, and this has been well documented.

However, this experience cannot easily be translated to other countries. The poultry industry in Hong Kong is limited to only a few hundred farms with some backyard flocks. The small size of the territory and its animal health infrastructure meant that it was easier than normal to undertake the monitoring required when using such vaccines.

In this country, there is a broad consensus that preventive vaccination does not currently provide an effective and efficient means of controlling avian influenza and that good biosecurity followed by housing of birds is the best response to a heightened threat.

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what procedures would be followed in order to ban the import of poultry from a country which has cases of H5N1 avian influenza. [57252]

Mr. Bradshaw: If there is an outbreak of disease likely to present a risk to human or animal health, including highly pathogenic avian influenza, in a non-EU country, Community legislation allows appropriate safeguard action to be taken, which may include a ban on imports from all, or from parts, of the affected country. In the UK we implement the Community safeguard measures by the issue of a legal document called a Declaration that sets out the details of the ban or trade restrictions imposed. It is a criminal offence to import animals or products in contravention of the Declaration.

If a serious disease outbreak occurs in an EU member state, appropriate measures to contain the disease, as laid down in Community law, must be taken by the member state in which the outbreak occurs. It is also possible for additional safeguard measures to be introduced, as has been the case in respect of the recent H5N1 avian influenza outbreaks in some member states.

Mr. Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department is taking to monitor the import of poultry meat from countries in which avian influenza is present. [57748]

Mr. Bradshaw [holding answer 13 March 2006]: Imports of poultry meat from third countries affected by highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza have been banned. HM Revenue and Customs has increased checks on passengers, freight and post from those countries, and other enforcement bodies remain vigilant.
 
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Within the EU, it is the responsibility of the authorities in any member state where the disease has been confirmed to ensure that movement restrictions applying to specified zones around the outbreak are observed. Trade in poultry meat may still continue from areas of EU member states not affected by the disease. HM Revenue and Customs, along with the other enforcement bodies, are aware of the restrictions in place in other member states and have enhanced checks accordingly.

Mr. Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she has taken to ensure that the poultry industry cleans and disinfects all crates, containers and modules and other equipment before and after use to prevent the possible spread of avian influenza. [57749]

Mr. Bradshaw [holding answer 13 March 2006]: Under the Transport of Animals (Cleansing and Disinfection) (England) (No.3) Order 2003 any means of transport used to transport animals, including detachable parts such as crates and containers used to transport birds, must be cleansed and disinfected within 24 hours after use or before they are used again. This is enforced by local authorities.

Defra has issued extensive guidance to all bird keepers encouraging them to adopt effective biosecurity measures. These are also outlined on the Defra website. A list of approved veterinary disinfectants is available from: <http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/control/testing_disinfectants.htm

Mrs. Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what recent representations she has received about the protection from avian influenza of endangered species kept in zoos; and if she will make a statement; [55046]

(2) what recent representations she has received from rare breed poultry keepers and hobby farmers on the vaccination of birds; and if she will make a statement. [55064]

Mr. Bradshaw: We have received a wide range of representations and are working closely with stakeholders on these issues. Defra is considering a preventive vaccination programme for zoo birds and rare breeds in the UK for conservation purposes. This will be based on a scientific and veterinary risk assessment. If we decide to implement such a programme, it will require prior approval from the Commission.

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proposals for (a) compensation and (b) aid are being considered by the Government should the slaughter of UK poultry be necessary if avian influenza affects the UK poultry sector. [56079]

Mr. Bradshaw: We would pay compensation for healthy birds compulsorily slaughtered to control avian influenza. If needed, we would also establish a Welfare Disposal Scheme to fund the collection and disposal of poultry.
 
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Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research her Department is carrying out on products which may be able to destroy the H5N1 virus. [57575]

Mr. Bradshaw: The Department is not currently funding any research projects into the development of products that may be able to destroy the H5N1 (Avian Influenza) virus.

A list of veterinary disinfectants approved for use in England is available on the Office of Public Sector Information website at: http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2005/20051908.htm.

Dilutions for use against Avian Influenza (AI) are included.

A statutory mechanism is in place which allows veterinary disinfectants to be placed on the approved list if they demonstrate efficacy in statutory laboratory testing.

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