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15 Oct 2007 : Column 775Wcontinued
Mr. Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will list his Department's (a) executive agencies, (b) executive non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs), (c) advisory NDPBs, (d) tribunal NDPBs, (e) trading funds and (f) public corporations for each financial year since 2005-06. [156650]
Jonathan Shaw: A full list of delivery bodies in the above categories can be found at notes 37 and 38 of the Department's latest published resource accounts, for the 2005-06 fiscal year. The draft 2006-07 resource accounts include two new executive NDPBs:
The Commission for Rural Communities; and
Natural England.
Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to which individuals and organisations his Departments Tomorrows Climate, Todays Challenge pack has been distributed; and what the cost of distributing the pack has been (a) in total, (b) for research, (c) in staff time and (d) for printing. [157981]
Mr. Woolas:
The Tomorrows Climate, Todays Challenge (TCTC) pack, which was published on 4 June 2007, has been distributed to a very wide range of organisations. To date, DEFRA has distributed
around 4,167 copies of the TCTC pack and will distribute the remaining 5,833 over the course of the year.
I have arranged for a list of the organisations which have been sent the TCTC pack to be placed in the Libraries of the House. Most of the organisations requested the pack and some organisations have been sent more than one copy.
The information the hon. Member requests regarding individuals has not been provided as disclosure of this information would constitute unfair and unlawful use of personal data.
The costs of distributing the pack (including VAT where applicable) are set out in the following table. They do not include figures for producing the content of the DVD included in the pack as this was part of a separate project.
£ | |
(1) Incl. estimated postage costs at £2,000 (£0.48 per packUK first class postage). (2) Research here is taken to mean design and gathering of information as no primary research was undertaken. (3) Excl. staff time at Central Office of Information who developed the pack. This is included in research costs. |
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether he expects to meet the full budget recently requested by the Environment Agency. [154114]
Mr. Woolas: DEFRAs formal Comprehensive Spending Review settlement for 2008-09 to 20010-11 has been announced. The Secretary of State has also announced that annual Government spending on flood and coastal erosion risk management will rise to a minimum of £650 million in 2008-09, and £700 million in 2009-10, reaching £800 million by 2010-11. These figures compare with a forecast spend of £600 million in 2007-08 and is the minimum we propose to spend in each of the coming years. It is too early to determine whether this will be the final allocation, or whether it will be possible to go further.
DEFRA will now consider its own financial allocation process, during which budgets for the Environment Agency will be determined. This process will be based on careful prioritisation across the Department and all its sponsored bodies. Allocations between operating authorities will be confirmed following the medium-term planning exercise for capital projects later this year.
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the fishing opportunities available for UK vessels in 2008; and if he will make a statement. [157274]
Jonathan Shaw:
No such estimates have been made. The second instalment of the scientific advice from the
International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), covering a number of stocks of importance to the UK, is not due to be published until later this month. We do not expect the Commission proposals for these and other relevant stocks to appear until late November.
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what discussions he has had with his counterparts in (a) the Scottish Executive, (b) the Welsh Assembly Government and (c) the Northern Ireland Executive on the UK Operational Programme for the European Fisheries Fund priorities; when he expects the draft Operational Programme to be ready for consultation; and if he will make a statement; [157247]
(2) if he will make a statement on the progress of the UK Operational Programme for the European Fisheries Fund. [157246]
Jonathan Shaw: Officials from the four fisheries administrations in the UK are currently working on the draft UK Operational Programme which will set out our proposals for the European Fisheries Fund (EFF) funding priorities. We aim to consult with fishermen and other stakeholders on the Operational Programme in early 2008.
We cannot finalise the draft programme until agreement is reached on the split of the EFF budget between the devolved Administrations. The UK budget split was discussed by devolved Fisheries Ministers on 5 October without resolution. I am continuing to seek a resolution and, if necessary, will do so through the dispute resolution procedures set out in the devolution agreements.
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much European Fisheries Fund funding is available to the fishing industry in the UK over the period January 2007 to December 2013; how much has already been paid to the UK fishing industry, broken down by (a) licensing district and (b) sector; and if he will make a statement. [157248]
Jonathan Shaw: The UK portion of the European Fisheries Fund (EFF) budget is €137.8 million (approx. £96 million), of which €43 million (approx. £30 million) is for convergence areas and €94.7 million (approx. £66 million) is for non-convergence areas (in current prices).
No EFF payments have been made in the UK to date. Payments cannot be made until the UK has finalised its Operational Programme and received approval of the programme from the Commission.
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the size of the European Fisheries Fund for the period January 2007 to December 2013 is in (a) euros and (b) pounds sterling; and how much is being allocated to each country. [157249]
Jonathan Shaw:
The European Fisheries Fund has a budget of €3,849 million (approximately £2,665
million) for the period 2007-13 (2004 prices). This equates to €4,387 million (approximately £3,038 million) in current prices.
The amount allocated to each country is set out in the following table:
Allocation of EFF to each country in 2004 prices | |||
Euros | |||
Member state | Convergence | Non-convergence | Total |
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for what reasons the UK Operational Programme containing the UK priorities for the European Fisheries Fund will be scrutinised by the European Commission; how long he expects this process to last; and if he will make a statement. [157250]
Jonathan Shaw: The European Commission (EC) will appraise the proposed Operational Programme to determine whether it contributes to the objectives set out in Article 4, the guiding principles set out in Article 19 and the relevant part of the National Strategic Programme. The EC will take into account the ex ante evaluation referred to in Article 48 of the European Fisheries Fund Regulations (1198/2006).
If within two months following receipt of a member state's proposed Operational Programme, the EC considers that the programme is not consistent with the above factors, it may ask the member state to provide additional information. Where appropriate, the EC will ask the member state to adapt the proposed Operational Programme accordingly and re-submit it for approval.
Thereafter, the member state shall submit its Operational Programme to the EC which shall adopt a decision approving it as soon as possible, but no later than four months after the re-submission.
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what funding priorities he has identified for the allocation of grants from the European Fisheries Fund for the period January 2007 to December 2013; and if he will make a statement. [157251]
Jonathan Shaw: The European Fisheries Fund identifies priority axes for funding which, for England, have been provisionally classified as follows:
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