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11 Dec 2007 : Column 399W—continued
Nuclear Weapons
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the projected expenditure on the Nuclear Warhead Capability Sustainment Programme is (a) in each year from 2008-09 to 2010-11 and (b) over the lifetime of the programme from 2005 to 2015. [170843]
Des Browne: Our financial planning for the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) from 1 April 2008 makes no distinction between management and operation costs and those associated with the Nuclear Warhead Capability Sustainment Programme (NWCSP), which we announced on 19 July 2005, Official Report, column 59WS. This reflects the incorporation of the NWCSP into the core AWE programme, expenditure on which over the next three years is expected to be:
| £ million at outturn prices | |
On the same basis, expenditure at AWE over the last three years was:
| £ million at outturn prices | |
In line with our announcement of July 2005, some £1.1 billion of the expenditure for the years 2005-06 to 2007-08 is associated with sustaining key skills and facilities.
Spending plans for 2011-12 and beyond will be set as part of the Government’s spending review process.
RAF Menwith Hill
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date the decision was taken to give permission to the US Administration to use Menwith Hill in the Missile Defense system; who took the decision; and what (a) formal agreement and (b) memorandum of understanding was produced. [172359]
Des Browne: The Government’s agreement to missile warning data being routed through RAF Menwith Hill for use in the US missile defence system was given in an exchange of classified letters between the US Defense Secretary (dated 29 June 2007) and the UK Secretary of State for Defence (dated 17 July 2007).
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Agriculture: Subsidies
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much the Government has been obliged to pay to the European Commission as a result of late payments under the new Single Farm Payment Scheme. [165965]
Jonathan Shaw: The current estimate of the total financial correction to be imposed on the UK for failure to meet payment deadlines in respect of the 2005 Single Payment Scheme (SPS) is around £70 million. No such corrections are expected for subsequent scheme years.
Angling: Welsh Assembly Government
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) whether he has received any representations on amending or reforming the main concordat with the Welsh Assembly Government on fishing; and if he will make a statement; [172024]
(2) whether he plans to change the main concordat with the Welsh Assembly Government on fishing; and if he will make a statement. [172025]
Jonathan Shaw: I currently have no such plans, nor am I aware of any representations to change the concordat with the Welsh Assembly Government in respect of fisheries.
Avian Influenza: Disease Control
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what restrictions he has placed on the holding of (a) pigeon shows and (b) other bird shows because of avian influenza; and if he will make a statement. [170645]
Jonathan Shaw [holding answer 3 December 2007]: EU legislation requires that all bird gatherings are banned unless the member state is satisfied that a risk assessment shows that gatherings would not significantly increase the risk of avian influenza. Therefore, consistent with previous outbreaks, following confirmation of avian influenza in Suffolk on 12 November, all bird gatherings, including falconry displays, fairs, markets, shows (including pigeon shows), exhibitions and pigeon races, were banned throughout Great Britain. This is because in the immediate aftermath of an outbreak there is great uncertainty over undetected infection elsewhere in the country, which means that all bird gatherings are high risk activities.
This ban was kept under constant review, and following a veterinary risk assessment, all bird gatherings outside non-restricted areas were permitted again from 23 November. As before, this is under the normal general licence conditions of good biosecurity, notification to Animal Health seven days prior to an event and record-keeping. Also, birds coming from outside the British Isles (for example, the UK, Republic of Ireland and the Isle of Man but excluding the Channel Islands for these purposes) cannot be taken to a gathering for 28 days after their importation, and pigeons must be isolated from other birds for at least seven days after a race.
Avian Influenza: Pigeons
Mr. Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations he has received from the Royal Pigeon Racing Association on movement restrictions imposed as a result of avian influenza; and if he will make a statement. [171660]
Jonathan Shaw: We have received representations from the Royal Pigeon Racing Association as a result of the most recent avian influenza outbreak. They questioned the proportionality of placing a ban on all bird gatherings nationwide, which includes pigeon shows, markets and racing.
In the immediate aftermath of an outbreak, there is great uncertainty over undetected infection elsewhere in the country, which means that all bird gatherings are high risk activities. Following confirmation of avian influenza in Suffolk on 12 November, and consistent with EU requirements and previous outbreaks, all bird gatherings were banned throughout Great Britain.
In the case of the current outbreak and the outbreak at Holton earlier this year, we established within two weeks that the risk of disease circulating outside the restricted zones had returned to the normal low level. The ban was therefore lifted, outside restricted areas, from 23 November.
Avian Influenza: Suffolk
Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department has spent on accommodation for officials in Suffolk since the outbreak of avian influenza at Park Farm in Redgrave; and for (a) how many officials and (b) how long such accommodation was provided. [170125]
Jonathan Shaw: The latest information available indicates that the cost of providing hotel accommodation for officials working on the avian influenza outbreak between 12 November and 2 December was £121,300. 160 individuals were provided with accommodation for a total of 1,295 nights. These figures are subject to revision to take account of any confirmed changes to accommodation from our booking agent.
In an emergency, a large number of staff need to be found hotel rooms near to the local disease control centre at very short notice. DEFRA employs the services of an external provider to ensure that the most appropriate accommodation is secured and provides the best value for money.
Climate Change: United Nations
Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) how many officials are travelling to the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Bali; and what estimate he has made of the (a) cost and (b) volume of carbon dioxide produced by their flights; [172017]
(2) what consideration he gave to minimising carbon dioxide emissions in the organisation of the UN Climate Change Conference in Bali; and whether consideration was given to replacing the Conference with multi-lateral conference calls. [172018]
Mr. Woolas: The total number of UK Government (including agencies) delegates, including officials and Ministers, attending the UNFCCC conference in Bali is 47. The carbon dioxide emissions attributable to the Defra delegation's flights has been calculated to be 209 tonnes of CO2 equivalent. The cost to offset this quantity of CO2, via the Government Carbon Offsetting Fund (GCOF), which offsets all UK Government ministerial and official travel overseas, is £2,071.19.
While much necessary contact can be made by electronic means, it is not possible to reach agreement among 192 countries on complex issues without meeting.
Significant multilateral and bilateral conference calls do of course, take place.
Departmental Data Protection
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what reviews have been undertaken of his Department’s rules on data protection in the last two years; if he will place in the Library a copy of the report of the last review of his Department’s compliance with data protection laws; and if (a) his Department and (b) his Department’s agencies will undertake a review of their compliance with data protection laws; [168087]
(2) how many employees of each grade in his Department (a) have access to confidential or sensitive data and (b) are authorised to download such data to disc; how many of his Department’s employees have undergone data protection training in the last 12 months; what the average length of time is that each employee of (i) his Department and (ii) his Department’s agencies has spent on data protection training; how many investigations of employees of his Department for improperly accessing confidential information have taken place in the last 12 months; how many such investigations resulted in cases of disciplinary action; and what the circumstances of each of those cases were; [168273]
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what procedures are in place in his Department to ensure that personal information relating to members of the public is (a) stored and (b) transported securely; [168477]
Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether he proposes to review how his Department transports data; and whether his Department uses TNT to transport data; [169216]
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department has taken to protect the personal data on members of the public which it holds. [171419]
Jonathan Shaw: I refer the hon. Members to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 21 November 2007, Official Report, column 1179. The review by the Cabinet Secretary and security experts is looking at procedures within departments and agencies for the storage and use of data. A statement on departments' procedures will be made on completion of the review.
Mr. Philip Hammond:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on how many occasions in (a) his Department and (b) its agencies confidential data have been downloaded on to compact discs (i) without and (ii) with encryption in the last 12 month period for which figures are available; how many of those discs have been posted without using recorded or registered delivery; what procedures his Department has in place for the (A) transport, (B) exchange and (C) delivery of confidential or sensitive data; what records are kept of information held by his Department being sent outside the Department; what changes have been made to his Department’s rules and procedures on data protection in the last two years; on how many occasions his Department’s procedures and rules on data protection have been breached in the last five years; what those breaches were; what procedures his Department has in place on downloading confidential
data on to computer discs before its transfer; what technical protections there are in his Department’s computer systems to prevent access to information held on those systems which is not in accordance with departmental procedures; and if he will place in the Library a copy of each of his Department’s rules and procedures on the protection of confidential data on individuals, businesses and other organisations; [168253]
Mr. Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many breaches of data protection security there were in (a) his Department or (b) his Department's agencies in each of the last five years; and if he will provide details of each breach; [168837]
Mr. Rob Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many breaches of the Data Protection Act 1998 requiring investigation there have been in the last five years in his Department; what the nature of such breaches were; and what the results of the investigations were in each case. [169257]
Jonathan Shaw: I refer the hon. Members to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 21 November 2007, Official Report, column 1179. The review by the Cabinet Secretary and security experts is looking at procedures within Departments and agencies for the storage and use of data. A statement on Departments' procedures will be made on completion of the review.
In addition to this I also refer the hon. Member to a previous response made on 13 June 2007, Official Report, column 1028W, regarding the number of breaches.
Mr. Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on how many occasions the Information Commissioner was contacted by his Department to report breaches of data protection security in each of the last five years. [168811]
Jonathan Shaw: There have been no occasions where the Information Commissioner has been contacted by the Department to report breaches of data protection security.
In addition to this response I also refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 21 November 2007, Official Report, column 1179. The review by the Cabinet Secretary and security experts is looking at procedures within Departments and agencies for the storage and use of data. A statement on Departments’ procedures will be made on completion of the review.
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many confirmed data security breaches there have been in his Department in the last 36 months; and what action was taken after each occurrence.[169898]
Jonathan Shaw: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 21 November 2007, Official Report, column 1179. The review by the Cabinet Secretary and security experts is looking at procedures within Departments
and agencies for the storage and use of data. A statement on Departments’ procedures will be made on completion of the review.
In addition to this, I also refer the hon. Member to a previous response made on the 13 June 2007. Official Report, column 1028W, regarding the number of breaches.
Departmental Pay
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many and what proportion of his Department's staff are employed within each salary band; what the title and role of each position within each salary band is; and for each salary band what the (a) bonus structure, (b) retirement provision, (c) expenses provision, (d) total expenses incurred in each of the last 10 years, (e) average age of employee, (f) number of (i) women and (ii) men and (g) ethnic composition is. [171405]
Jonathan Shaw: In DEFRA, staff pay bands generally equate to administrative grade equivalents. The number and proportion of DEFRA staff employed in each grade equivalent as at 30 November 2007 is shown in the following table.
| Grade equivalent | Full-time equivalents | Percentage |
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