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22 Nov 2007 : Column 1053W—continued
Pay: Public Sector
Dr. Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the levels of average public sector pay increases were in each year since 1997. [166349]
Andy Burnham: The Office for National Statistics publishes data on increases in public sector pay—the Average Earnings Index (AEI)—which is available at www.statistics.gov.uk This data refers to the average earnings of a work force or sector (in the form of an index), and the growth of this each year, which includes the effect of things like progression rates, work force and pay system restructuring, changes in work force composition, and the basic pay awards (the uplift of pay scales), among others.
Public-Private Forum on Identity Management
David Davis: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects the report from the Public-Private Forum on identity to be published; and for what reasons its publication has been delayed. [166097]
Andy Burnham: Sir James Crosby was appointed to establish and chair the Public-Private Forum on Identity Management in July 2006 with a remit to produce a preliminary report to Ministers by Easter 2007. In March 2007 he discussed his preliminary conclusions with the then Chancellor of the Exchequer and was invited to work on with the Forum to produce a fuller report later in the year. The report is now being finalised. It is expected to be delivered to Ministers later this year, as agreed with Sir James. No date has been fixed for publication, which may be later this year or next year.
Tripartite Arrangements
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what scenarios have been used to test the effectiveness of the tripartite arrangements between his Department, the Bank of England and the Financial Services Authority. [164466]
Kitty Ussher [holding answer 15 November 2007]: The tripartite arrangements have been tested regularly over recent years. For public policy reasons details of the scenarios are not published where they cover financial stability events.
The authorities have also regularly tested their responses to operational disruption scenarios. Since 2004 the tripartite has arranged an annual market-wide exercise, involving both the authorities and a cross-section of financial sector firms, to test responses to operational disruption covering terrorist attacks and pandemic influenza outbreak.
Reports on these exercises can be found on the UK Financial Sector Continuity website:
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Beaches: Financing
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how the funding formula for local government takes account of the costs of managing and providing facilities on beaches for local authorities in coastal areas. [165323]
John Healey: I have been asked to reply.
Formula grant is largely calculated on the basis of the socio-economic and demographic characteristics of an authority, for example the number of visitors to an area, together with the number of band-D equivalent properties within the area. Formula grant is an unhypothecated block grant, and decisions on local spending priorities are for local authorities to take.
Beaches: EU Law
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for what reasons each of the 20 coastal bathing sites which did not meet minimum bathing water standards in summer 2007 did not meet those standards; and if he will make a statement. [166553]
Mr. Woolas: My Department holds information on nine of the 20 bathing waters in the UK which failed to meet the minimum standards during the 2007 bathing season.
The reasons for failure at these nine sites are set out in the following table. These were mainly a combination of sewage pollution and/or diffuse water pollution from agriculture.
In addition, eight of these nine failures were affected by exceptionally heavy or persistent rainfall, as this summer was the wettest since records began.
| Region | Bathing Water | Main reason(s) for failure | Affected by rainfall |
Information on bathing water failures in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland is held by the relevant devolved administrations.
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) for what reasons the requirement to test bathing water once every fortnight has been changed to once every month in the draft Bathing Water Regulations 2008; and if he will make a statement; [166632]
(2) what he estimates the effect on his Department's expenditure will be of testing bathing water once a month instead of once a fortnight; and if he will make a statement. [166634]
Mr. Woolas: The revised Bathing Water Directive (rBWD) requires, as a minimum, that no fewer than four bathing water samples are taken per bathing water per season. These requirements are reflected in the draft transposing regulations for England and Wales, which were recently issued as part of a Government consultation on the implementation of the rBWD.
As discussed in the consultation document, the Environment Agency is currently investigating the risks associated with changes to its current monitoring
programme (from 20 samples per bathing water) to reflect the reduced frequency of sampling allowed by the rBWD.
My Department and the Welsh Assembly Government are awaiting the outcome of the Environment Agency's investigations before making any decisions about future sampling frequency. Initial indications are that a reduction in sampling frequency may be limited.
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what budget has been allocated for the monitoring and testing of beaches in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [166633]
Mr. Woolas: The Environment Agency is the competent authority in England and Wales for monitoring and testing water quality at bathing waters designated under the European Bathing Waters Directive.
In 1997, the Agency routinely tested water quality at 447 sites. This had increased to 494 sites by 2007. The Environment Agency takes approximately 20 water samples per site every year during the bathing season (from 15 May to 30 September).
Since 1997, the money that has been spent on monitoring and testing beaches has increased in line with the number of bathing waters identified under this legislation.
The number and cost of bathing waters monitoring from 1997 - 2007 is set out in the following table:
| Number of bathing waters | Cost (£000) | |
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for what reason he proposes to amend the Bathing Water Regulations 2007. [166635]
Mr. Woolas: I assume that the hon. Member is referring to the Bathing Water (Classification) Regulations 1991, which transposed the current Bathing Water Directive (cBWD), 76/160/EEC.
A revised Bathing Water Directive (rBWD), 2006/7/EC, which came into force in March 2006, updates and simplifies the cBWD.
New legislation (the Bathing Water Regulations 2008, which is currently the subject of a public consultation) is required to transpose the rBWD into UK law, and revoke the 1991 regulations at the same time.
Fisheries: Navy
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which vessels are available to the Marine and Fisheries Agency and the Fishery Protection Squadron for enforcing fisheries rules; and if he will make a statement. [166430]
Jonathan Shaw: There are three River Class vessels and three Hunt Class vessels available to the Marine and Fisheries Agency and the Fishery Protection Squadron in 2007-08.
The three River Class vessels available are HMS Tyne, HMS Severn and HMS Mersey.
The three Hunt Class vessels available are HMS Quorn, HMS Ledbury and HMS Brocklesby.
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many patrol days the River Class offshore patrol vessels have provided for the Fishery Protection Squadron in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement. [166431]
Jonathan Shaw: The following tables record the number of days that both the River and Hunt Class patrol vessels have patrolled in the last 19 months.
| Patrol days 2006-07 | ||||||||||
| Month | Days | Profile | Ships | Contract days | Total profile | Total days | Balance | OPVs | IPVs | % OPVs |
| OPV = Offshore patrol vessel = Rivers IPV = Inshore patrol vessel = Hunts | ||||||||||
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