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30 Oct 2006 : Column 49W—continued
Population Projections
Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether a race equality impact assessment was undertaken on the decision to use current methodology for population projections in the local government funding system. [94221]
Mr. Woolas: No. I consulted widely on the implementation of multi year settlements for local government. This consultation included the option, which was largely supported and subsequently adopted, to use sub-national population projections instead of the mid-year population estimates as the main driver of population in the local government funding distribution system.
Regeneration (Thames Gateway)
Mr. Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what weight is given to design quality in the built environment in delivering regeneration objectives in the Thames Gateway; and what definition she uses of an acceptable level of design. [94111]
Yvette Cooper: Good design is a prerequisite for creating sustainable, cohesive communities and is therefore central to delivering regeneration objectives in the Thames Gateway.
My Department is working closely with others in the Thames Gateway Strategic Partnership to secure improved design quality. We will be setting out our expectations for high quality design in the Thames Gateway, along with a package of measures to support good design in our Interim Strategic Framework, which will be published on 22 November 2006.
Supporting People Programme
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has for the future funding of Supporting People. [97525]
Mr. Woolas:
As I announced on 19 July 2006, Official Report, columns 22-23WS, Supporting People grant allocations to local authorities have been confirmed for 2007-08. Funding for Supporting People
beyond that year will be determined through the Comprehensive Spending Review.
We have also consulted on a number of funding-related issues, including approaches to future grant distribution and to new investment, as part of our on-going work to develop a Supporting People strategy. Our initial response following that consultation was set out in “Supporting Independence: Next Steps in our Supporting People Strategy” published on 11 July 2006, and we will publish our full Supporting People strategy in due course.
Sustainable Homes
Mr. Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what standards the proposed code for sustainable building sets for water consumption levels per capita. [97841]
Angela E. Smith: The proposed water efficiency levels in the code for sustainable homes are currently being finalised.
Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she expects the voluntary code for sustainable homes to be implemented. [98197]
Angela E. Smith: I hope to launch the code for sustainable homes before the end of the year.
Taskforce Data
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the (a) cost, (b) objectives, (c) key performance indicators, (d) performance against each such indicator and (e) achievements are of (i) the Urban Task Force, (ii) Local Strategic Partnerships, (iii) the Neighbourhood Renewal Unit, (iv) the Active Community Unit, (v) the Social Exclusion Unit and (vi) the Urban Policy Unit. [93235]
Mr. Woolas [holding answer 12 October 2006]: The information requested in respect of the Neighbourhood Renewal Unit, the Social Exclusion Unit and the Urban Policy Unit is available in the Department for Communities and Local Government Annual Report and on the Department’s website at www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1501648. On item (i) the Urban Task Force reported in July 1999 and information can be found in the annex to the 2000 Urban White Paper “Our Towns and Cities: the Future”.
Local Strategic Partnerships are voluntary partnerships which bring together, at a local authority level, the different parts of the public sector as well as the private, business, community and voluntary sectors. They were formally introduced in the Local Government Act 2000 alongside the duty for local authorities, in partnership with the community and local agencies and organisations to produce a Community Strategy to improve the well-being of their area.
The work of the Active Communities Unit was part of the Home Office. It has now been incorporated in the office of the third sector in the Cabinet Office. Information
on the performance of the former Active Communities Unit is available in the Home Office departmental report available on the Home Office website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/documents/annual-report-06.pdf?view=Binary.
Valuation Office Agency
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 18 July 2006, Official Report, column 367W, on the Valuation Office Agency, for how many households in England the Valuation Office Agency holds ACORN data. [94751]
Dawn Primarolo: I have been asked to reply.
ACORNā"¢ data acquired by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) relates to all households in England. This is held centrally at an aggregated level and not by reference to individual households. The data are not incorporated into the VOA's database.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Abattoirs
Mr. Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many abattoirs in England serve the (a) cattle, (b) sheep and (c) poultry sectors. [96685]
Barry Gardiner: The following table shows, as at September 2006, the number of abattoirs in England approved or authorised to serve the cattle, the sheep or the poultry sectors. The figures indicate the number of abattoirs approved or authorised to slaughter each species, some slaughter more than one species.
| Species slaughtered | Number of abattoirs |
Mr. Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many abattoirs in England are licensed to offer organic meat processing; and what type of meat each deals with. [96697]
Mr. Bradshaw [holding answer 24 October 2006]: There are 55 plants in England registered to process organic meat. Forty-five are red meat slaughterhouses, 38 are red meat cutting plants, six are white meat slaughterhouses, 10 are white meat cutting plants and seven deal with meat preparation. The majority of cutting plants are co-located with the slaughterhouses.
This number excludes meat processors registered on the license of an organic producer.
Mr. Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many abattoirs are in operation in England; and if he will make a statement. [96709]
Barry Gardiner [holding answer 24 October 2006]: There are currently 246 red meat abattoirs and 95 poultry meat abattoirs authorised to operate in England. Of these, 233 red meat and 82 poultry meat abattoirs were operating during the month of September 2006. A number of abattoirs may not be operating at any one time for a variety of reasons, such as seasonal operation, refurbishment or commercial reasons.
The hon. Gentleman will recall the answer I gave to him on 14 July 2006, Official Report, column 2173W. This noted that the number of slaughterhouses in England has fallen in recent years, reflecting a longer-term trend for consolidation, and that the Government recognise the importance of an adequate network of slaughterhouses to ensure that all sustainable production needs can continue to be met. I also refer my hon. Friend again to the answer given by my predecessor on 9 November 2005, Official Report, column 476W.
Agency Budgets
Mr. Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the (a) original and (b) revised budget for 2006-07 are for (i) British Waterways, (ii) the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, (iii) Natural England, (iv) Food from Britain, (v) the Independent Scientific Group on Cattle TB, (vi) the Marine Fisheries Agency, (vii) the Pesticides Safety Directorate, (viii) the Rural Payments Agency, (ix) the State Veterinary Service and (x) the Veterinary Laboratories Agency; and what the planned budget for 2007-08 is in each case. [96147]
Barry Gardiner [holding answer 23 October 2006]: The (a) original and (b) revised resource budgets for 2006-07 for the named bodies were as follows:
(i) British Waterways—£52.461 million to £48.527 million
(ii) Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science—£33.3 million to £32.4 million
(iii) Natural England—£207.751 million to £193.551 million
(iv) Food from Britain—£5.358 million to £4.965 million
(v) Independent Scientific Group on Cattle TB—No change at £230,000
(vi) Marine Fisheries Agency—£31.233 million to £29.511 million
(vii) Pesticides Safety Directorate—£11.2 million to £10.361 million
(viii) Rural Payments Agency—£214.031 million to £237.031 million
(ix) State Veterinary Service—£91.347 million to £88.347 million
(x) Veterinary Laboratories Agency—£94.769 million to £92.419 million.
No changes have been made to the original capital budgets for 2006-07 for these bodies other than an increase for the (viii) Rural Payments Agency—£4.99 million to £27.99 million.
Planned budgets for 2007-08 are still being discussed with the relevant bodies.
Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when Stearthill Farms Ltd. (RPA Ref: 108841927) will receive its single farm payment award. [96366]
Barry Gardiner [holding answer 23 October 2006]: The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) has confirmed that advance payments were made to this applicant on 10 May 2006 and 7 July 2006. A further payment is due following an award from the National Reserve. The RPA is unable to give a date for the payment but this will be as soon as it is possible.
Agricultural Support
Mr. Hancock:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much has been paid to farmers in grant aid and subsidy in each
year since 1997, expressed in (a) actual and (b) real terms; and what future such payments are planned, expressed in the same terms. [94933]
Barry Gardiner: The following tables show subsidies and other payments paid direct to farmers in the United Kingdom between 1996 and 2005 in current prices (or “actual terms”) and in real terms at 2005 prices with the retail prices index.
The data include subsidies and other payments funded by the EU. They exclude compensation for losses due to foot and mouth disease in 2001 and other capital transfers.
| Subsidies and other payments made to farmers in current prices: United Kingdom | |||
| £ million | |||
| Coupled subsidies( 1) | Decoupled subsidies and other payments( 2) | Total subsidies and other payments | |
| Subsidies and other payments made to farmers in real terms at 2005 prices: United Kingdom | ||||
| Retail prices index (2,000=100) | Coupled subsidies( 1 ) (£ million) | Decoupled subsidies and other payment( 2 ) (£ million) | Total subsidies and other payments (£ million) | |
| (1) Payments directly linked to the production of agricultural products, eg sheep annual premium, beef special premium scheme, less levies, eg milk superlevy. (2) Payments not linked to the production of agricultural products, eg single payment scheme, agri-environment schemes, support for less favoured areas. (3) Data for 2005 are provisional. Note: Excludes compensation for losses due to foot and mouth disease in 2001 and other capital transfers. | ||||
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