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30 Mar 2006 : Column 1099W—continued
Farming
Mrs. Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will provide rural development funding to English farmers to develop farm health plans. [60037]
Jim Knight: We are currently consulting on the priorities for the new Rural Development Programme for England to run from 2007–13. In the consultation we do not propose to fund farmers for the development of farm health plans. However, £6 million of separate funding will be made available over the next two financial years to pump prime the farming industry to encourage active farm health planning.
Flood Prevention
Mr. Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list research funded by her Department which is (a) completed, (b) under way and (c) proposed on the development of flood management strategies and plans for the Suffolk coast and its tidal rivers; and what is the estimated cost of such research between 2003–04 and 2008–09. [56930]
Mr. Morley: The Environment Agency is the principal authority with responsibility for flood risk management in England. Most of the Agency's flood risk management activities are funded by Defra grant in aid. The Agency is promoting five studies which are currently underway, namely Thorpeness to Hollesley Coastal Strategy (£330,000 between 2003–04 and 2008–09), Stour and Orwell Estuary Strategy (£575,000), Deben Estuary Strategy (£550,000), Aide Ore Estuary Strategy (£625,000) and Blyth Estuary Strategy (£565,000).
Suffolk coastal district council is developing its Felixstowe Strategy (£110,000), partly in partnership with the Agency for the southern part which covers flood risk as well as coastal erosion and is complete. (The cost given covers both the flood risk and coastal erosion components as Defra does not hold separate figures for these). A review of the Lowestoft to Harwich Shoreline Management Plan is underway, led by Suffolk coastal district council (£110,000). This will cover both flood risk and coastal erosion but the respective costs of
30 Mar 2006 : Column 1100W
these two components have not been separately estimated. Both these studies will be supported by Defra funding.
Fowl Cull
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what support her Department has provided to the north-east in preparation for a potential culling of fowl. [62408]
Mr. Bradshaw: Defra has issued extensive guidance to bird keepers on bio-security measures to protect their birds from avian influenza.
If it became necessary to cull birds, compensation would be paid for any healthy birds compulsorily slaughtered to control the disease. If needed, we would also establish a Welfare Disposal Scheme to fund the collection and disposal of poultry.
IBM Guildford
Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answers of 2 February 2006, Official Report, column 630W, on IBM Guildford, if she will place in the Library a copy of the official representations made to IBM. [56497]
Jim Knight: Every Defra or IBM staff member, who registers their car with Accommodation Section at Defra Guildford, is issued with the following notice.
Car parking information and procedures at Guildford
This note is intended to advise all vehicle drivers of the procedures and restrictions of parking at Defra Guildford.
Yellow Passes: Cars can only be parked on site if a yellow car pass is displayed in the front window of the vehicle.
Red Passes: All new starters to the site can apply for a red car pass from Chris Wood ext 3396 or when their photographic site pass is made.
Accommodation Unit will regularly monitor the situation and as directed by the security guards, red car pass holders may be invited to park on site if space allows on any given day. As permanent vacancies occur red car passes will be exchanged for yellow ones in order of issue.
Car park spaces especially designed for staff with a disability are available outside the main blocks and staff who hold special passes have priority over these at all times. However, these spaces may be used after 10am by everyone but will be expected to vacate the space if a special pass holder arrives to park later.
Car parking for visitors in the visitor's car park must be reserved prior to their arrival by email to 'GUI.Accommodation@Defra.gsi.gov.uk' mailbox.
The request must contain name & company of visitor; car registration if possible, expected time of arrival and duration of stay.
Accommodation Unit will do their best to accommodate every request and a 'first come, first served' system is in operation with a maximum of up to 2 spaces for any one meeting being reserved in any one day, unless previously discussed and agreed.
A minimum of 24 hours notice must be given (unless in exceptional circumstances) and bookings will be taken up to two months in advance only. Accommodation Unit will continue to be as flexible as possible to requests for the visitor's car park during low usage periods.
Due to the shortage of car parking availability on site it is clear that some staff and externals are using local side streets for parking. Accommodation Unit continue to receive complaints from local residents about cars being parked in an illegal manner and blocking personal drive entrances.
Defra has a responsibility as a good neighbour and we therefore ask everyone who parks locally to do so in a considerate and orderly manner. In line with the travel plan, we ask you not to park in Down Road, Pitt Farm Road, Daryngton Drive, Carroll Avenue, Gateways and Broadwater Rise. The council have established some controlled parking zones near by and wherever possible it would be helpful if you could park in these designated areas.
A copy of the statement will be placed in the Library.
Merlin Biosciences Ltd.
Mr. David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she has met (a) Sir Christopher Evans and (b) representatives of Merlin Biosciences Ltd. in the past 12 months; and if she will make a statement. [61764]
Jim Knight: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has met neither Sir Christopher Evans nor representatives of Merlin Biosciences Ltd. in the past 12 months.
Milk Co-operatives
Mrs. Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment has been made of the impact of competition laws in the UK on the development of large scale milk co-operatives. [60035]
Jim Knight: The Department has not made any assessment of the impact of competition law on the development of large scale milk-co-operatives in the UK. We have, however, drawn the industry's concerns about the way that competition law is applied in the dairy sector to the attention of the Department of Trade and Industry and the Office of Fair Trading.
National Parks
Mr. Atkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects to implement the recommendations of the Wooller report into the funding of national parks. [61602]
Jim Knight:
The Wooller report made recommendations for amending the model for allocating National Park and Broads Authority Grant. We have already taken forward its recommendation to introduce a baseline of £1 million per park into the funding model. We began implementing the revised funding model in 2004–05 and 2005–06. However budget pressures have prevented further movement in this direction. The position will now be reviewed in the Comprehensive Spending Review.
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The report also made recommendations on corporate planning. Officials are discussing with the National Park Authorities how these can best be implemented.
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