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26 Jun 2007 : Column 681W—continued
Farmers: Income
Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the number and proportion of farmers in (a) Cornwall, (b) the South West and (c) the UK who are living below the poverty line. [144221]
Barry Gardiner:
The Government’s preferred measure of “low income” is income that is less than 60 per cent. of the median equivalised income for all UK households after tax. The Farm Business Survey is not able to provide figures for income net of tax and the figures below are therefore based upon a modified low income threshold of £13,800 calculated before tax.
Data on farm household income are available for 2005-06 only and not at the UK level.
| Estimated number of farm households below the modified low income threshold | Estimated proportion of households below the modified low income threshold (percentage) | |
| Source: Farm Business Survey, 2005-06 | ||
Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the average annual earnings for farmers in (a) Cornwall, (b) the South West and (c) the UK in each year since 1979. [144222]
Barry Gardiner: Information is not available in the precise form requested. The following table shows average net farm income per farm in (a) Cornwall (b) the South West Government Office Region and (c) the UK in each year since 1980-81. Data are not available on a comparable basis for earlier years.
| Average net farm income (£-farm) | |||
| March- February | Cornwall | South West | United Kingdom |
| Source: Farm Business Survey | |||
Net farm income is defined as the return to the principal farmer and spouse for their manual and managerial labour and on the tenant type capital of the business. It excludes all income arising from outside the farm business.
Fisheries: Finance
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what funding the Government have allocated to the inshore, under 10 metre fishing fleet in the last 10 years. [142668]
Mr. Bradshaw [holding answer 14 June 2007]: From 1997 to 2006 some £1.5 million of Government and European funds has been paid to owners for modernising fishing vessels in England.
Figures are not held separately for under 10 metre vessels.
Horses: Animal Welfare
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he plans to introduce a code of practice for tethering; and if he will make a statement. [145925]
Barry Gardiner: A code of practice on the tethering of horses will be introduced as soon as possible in line with available resources. No timetable has yet been set.
Livery Yards: Licensing
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he plans to require livery yards to be licensed; and if he will make a statement. [145924]
Barry Gardiner: Secondary legislation, under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, concerning livery yards will be introduced as soon as possible in line with available resources. No timetable has yet been set.
Pollution Control
Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with (a) the senior management and (b) the trades union representatives of the Environment Agency on the implications for (i) pollution control and (ii) employment of field inspectors of the proposed changes in the pollution monitoring and control regime. [145850]
Mr. Bradshaw: The change from area office permitting to four national permitting centres is an operational matter for the Environment Agency. As such, it is its responsibility and the Secretary of State has had no discussions with either the senior management or trade union representatives about it.
The Agency understands that the scale of change can give rise to uncertainty for staff and has ensured that everyone in the organisation is aware of the programme of change. The Agency has full and regular consultation with the trade unions on the changes and potential impact on their members. The implementation of business changes which impact on staff is carried out in accordance with a set of principles agreed with the trade unions.
Sewers
Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) when he expects the statutory instrument enabling the transfer of private sewers in the area including Lime Grove, Sittingbourne to the ownership of Southern Water will be (a) drafted, (b) made and (c) tabled; and if he will make a statement; [145746]
(2) what issues the forthcoming further public consultation on the transfer of private sewers to water companies will cover which (a) were and (b) were not raised in either of the two previous consultations on the transfer of private sewers; and what the reasons are for the further consultation. [145748]
Ian Pearson: In 2003, a public consultation reviewing existing private sewers in England and Wales sought views on a number of possible solutions to the problems caused by them, including the adoption of private sewers by water and sewerage undertakers.
The Government announced on 22 February that existing private sewers and lateral drains connected to the public sewer in England should be transferred into the ownership of the nine statutory water and sewerage companies. The Government undertook to consult on a range of ways transfer could be implemented and to examine how to prevent the proliferation of new private sewers. The consultation will also pose questions on the scope of assets to be included in transfer.
The consultation on implementation options will take place over the summer and will run for 12 weeks. Following this, regulations will be drafted, consulted on and amended accordingly. The timing of the process cannot be stated with any certainty, but the earliest date for regulations to be in force is likely to be summer 2008.
Water Sports: Bournemouth
Mr. Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he plans to grant a licence to Bournemouth for the operation of the artificial surf reef. [145618]
Ian Pearson: An application to construct an artificial surf reef at Boscombe is under consideration by the Marine and Fisheries Agency and its advisers. An assessment is being made of the environmental, navigational and fisheries implications, taking into account the views of a number of consultees. A meeting has been arranged with the applicant and Bournemouth district council, to discuss aspects of the project.
Once this assessment has been completed a decision will be made as to whether to issue a licence.
Work and Pensions
Child Support
Mr. Evennett:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many cases of (a) full compliance, (b) partial compliance and (c) non-compliance by the
partner without care were recorded by the Child Support Agency in each of the last five years. [144885]
Mr. Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive. He will write to the hon. Gentleman.
Child Support: Lancashire
Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which electoral wards in West Lancashire have the highest numbers of Child Support Agency claimants. [144966]
Mr. Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive. He will write to my hon. Friend with the information requested.
Children Support Agency
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was collected in maintenance by the Child Support Agency in each year since 1993-94; what the cost of running the agency was in each year; how much he expects it to collect in 2007-08; what the expected cost is of running the agency in 2007-08; and if he will make a statement. [145362]
Mr. Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive. He will write to the hon. Gentleman with the information requested.
Letter from Stephen Geraghty, dated 26 June 2007:
In reply to your recent Parliamentary question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply for the Chief Executive.
You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much was collected in maintenance by the Child Support Agency in each year since 1993-1994; what the cost of running the Agency was in each year; how much he expects to collect in 2007-08; what the expected cost of running the Agency in 2007-08; and if he will make a statement.
Such information as is available, is presented in the attached table.
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