Previous Section Index Home Page

14 Jun 2006 : Column 1208W—continued


October November December January February March

Permanent

2,278

2,262

2,250

2,230

2,235

2,312

FTA (Fixed Term Appointments)

286

281

280

277

307

314

Casuals

489

571

592

588

591

591

Total (Actual Staff numbers)

3,053

3,114

3,122

3,095

3,133

3,217

Permanent

2,160.84

2,142.79

2,129.95

2,110.66

2,112.26

2,187.72

FTA (Fixed Term Appointments)

280.09

275.13

273.29

270.24

300.01

307.01

Casuals

480.69

548.84

559.80

557.78

561.04

563.18

Total (Full-time equivalent)

2,921.62

2,966.76

2,963.03

2,938.68

2,973.31

3,057.90


2006-07
April May

Permanent

2,301

2,348

FTA (Fixed Term Appointments)

295

322

Casuals

577

565

Total (Actual Staff numbers)

3,173

3,235

Permanent

2,174.85

2,219.31

FTA (Fixed Term Appointments)

287.41

314.41

Casuals

550.19

538.61

Total (Full-time equivalent)

3,012.44

3,072.33

Note:
The rise in staff numbers between April and May is due to the amalgamation of Horticultural Marketing Inspectorate (HMI) and Defra's Investigation Branch (IB) into RPA

14 Jun 2006 : Column 1209W

Single Farm Payments

Mr. Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the impact of the delay in single farm payments upon feed merchants; and if he will make a statement. [73410]

Barry Gardiner: Feed merchants are, to varying effects, likely to be affected by the cash-flow issues faced by farming business waiting for receipt of payments under the 2005 Single Payment Scheme (SPS). Over £1.3 billion, representing 89 per cent. of the total value of such payments, has been disbursed and the Rural Payments Agency remains focused on paying the outstanding sums as soon as possible for the benefit of all concerned.

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment the Rural Payments Agency made of the efficiency of the (a) historic system and (b) regional average area system of calculation for the Single Payment Scheme prior to the implementation of the Single Payment Scheme; and what such assessment the Agency has undertaken since undertaking the implementation of the Single Payment Scheme. [66707]

Barry Gardiner: The Rural Payments Agency contributed to the advice supplied to Ministers before the decision was taken to adopt the flat rate model of the Single Payment Scheme. That advice pointed to a greater degree of challenge in implementing a flat rate, as opposed to a historical, model of the SPS, but at no point was any suggestion made that the chosen model was undeliverable. Given that EU regulations required member states implementing the SPS in 2005 to notify the Commission of their chosen models by 1 August 2004, subsequent assessment of different models would not serve any practical purpose.

Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the average Single Farm Payment is for England; and if he will make a statement. [76026]

Barry Gardiner: As at 6 June 2006 the number of full and partial payments made under the Single Payment Scheme was 96,000, with a total value of £1.33 billion.

The average payment based on the above values is £14,000.

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many recipients of single farm payments have yet to receive any payment, broken down by county area. [76044]

Barry Gardiner: The total number of single payment scheme customers is approximately 120,000. As at 6 June 2006, 24,000 customers had not received either a full or partial payment.

Details of payments made in England up to 30 June 2006, including by constituency and county, will be published in due course.

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he expects all single farm payments will have been made in full. [76181]


14 Jun 2006 : Column 1210W

Barry Gardiner: The payment window for the 2006 Single Payment Scheme opens on 1 December 2006 and runs until 30 June 2007.

The Rural Payments Agency is working hard to ensure that payments are made as soon as possible within this time frame. Staff have already started basic validation checks on a proportion of the 2006 application forms.

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will take steps to ensure that farmers who have now received their single farm payments will receive interest due on the delayed payments. [76183]

Barry Gardiner: The question of interest arises only in respect of payments made after the legal deadline of 30 June. We have not reached that point yet and I do not want to deflect the Rural Payments Agency in the interim period from concentrating on its main priority, which is to ensure that outstanding payments are made as soon as possible.

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations he has received from the European Commission on the UK Government’s implementation of the Single Farm Payment Scheme. [76186]

Barry Gardiner: The Department and the European Commission are in regular contact in order to help further our common interest in ensuring that the Single Payment Scheme is implemented as smoothly as possible.

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the extent to which the dynamic hybrid system has contributed to the delays in the Single Payment Scheme. [66709]

Barry Gardiner: Experience among member states implementing the Single Payment Scheme in 2005 has indicated that there is a greater degree of challenge in implementing flat rate models. However, the precise timing of payments in each member state will have been dependent on a range of factors.

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs by what processes and for what reasons the decision was reached to use a dynamic hybrid system of calculation for the single payment scheme. [66713]

Barry Gardiner: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Derby, South explained her reasons for adopting the flat rate model of the Single Payment Scheme when she announced that decision on 12 February 2004, Official Report, column 1585. This followed analysis of advice and supporting data from officials, responses to a public consultation document and discussions with stakeholders.

Tendring Hundred Water Company

Mr. Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the extent to which Tendring Hundred Water Co. is conserving water during the present drought. [76205]


14 Jun 2006 : Column 1211W

Ian Pearson: The Environment Agency's report, “Drought Prospects 2006—Spring Update”, explains the likely consequences of a continuing rainfall deficit and recommends action by water companies. The report recommends that water companies in Norfolk and Suffolk should monitor their water resources carefully and be prepared to take further steps to manage supply and demand if the drought intensifies. This report is available from the Agency's website:

Each water company has specific plans to manage short-term water shortages depending on the severity of a drought. These drought plans are a statutory requirement, and also subject to public consultation. A consultation on Tendring Hundred Water services draft drought plan is currently in progress. This can be viewed on the company's website at:

Water Shortages

Mr. Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has to meet water companies to discuss the issue of leaks; and what guidance his Department has issued to water companies on leakages. [74783]

Ian Pearson: The Secretary of State and I met with representatives of the water industry, including water companies, on 1 June. Leakage reduction was discussed and a commitment was reached to keep leakage
14 Jun 2006 : Column 1212W
targets—set by the Economic Regulator—under review, taking account of costs, technology and best practice. All parties are set to meet again before the end of the year.

Ofwat is responsible for leakage target setting and enforcement. A Leakage Study commissioned jointly by Ofwat, the Environment Agency and Defra was published in March 2003, and all water companies were asked by Ofwat to update their appraisals of leakage in line with best practice identified in the study. Ofwat assesses the leakage appraisals to ensure that water companies meet the best practice principles identified in the report.

The study is available at: http://www.ofwat.gov.uk/aptrix/ofwat/publish.nsf/Content/tripartitestudycon tents.

Water Supplies

Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the leakage of water in each water supply company region in each financial year since 1997. [76452]

Ian Pearson: Water company leakage figures are published annually by the water services regulation authority (publicly known as Ofwat) in the ‘Security of supply, leakage and the efficient use of water’ reports. Total water company leakage for each year since 1996-97, in megalitres per day, was reported as follows:

1996-97 1997-98 1998-99 1999-2000 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05

Anglian

242

240

206

190

194

224

192

216

214

Bournemouth and W Hants

29

26

26

23

23

22

22

22

22

Bristol

65

59

56

54

55

55

53

53

53

Cambridge

16

14

13

13

13

14

14

14

14

Dee Valley

13

12

12

13

12

11

11

10

11

Dwr Cymru

357

329

306

288

260

224

192

216

214

Folkestone and Dover

12

9

9

8

9

8

8

8

8

Mid Kent

38

36

30

29

29

29

28

30

29

Northumbrian North

192

184

171

168

164

161

153

160

155

Northumbrian South

85

82

76

73

72

73

67

70

67

Portsmouth

31

32

31

30

30

30

30

30

30

Severn Trent(1)

479

399

344

340

340

340

514

512

502

South East

99

108

98

97

85

75

72

69

69

South Staffordshire

90

82

77

76

72

71

71

71

74

South West

129

101

92

84

84

83

84

84

83

Southern

113

99

95

93

92

92

92

92

92

Sutton and East Surrey

27

26

25

24

24

24

24

24

24

Tendring

6

6

6

5

6

5

5

5

5

Thames

108

906

770

662

688

865

943

946

915

Three Valleys

199

172

157

145

140

157

152

152

149

United Utilities

666

579

510

487

463

452

465

479

500

Wessex

129

110

100

88

84

79

75

75

73

Yorkshire

430

377

342

317

304

297

296

295

293

(1) In spring 2003, Severn Trent Water revised its water balance data. The company attributed most of the increase in leakage to methodological changes.

Next Section Index Home Page