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21 Feb 2008 : Column 936W—continued
| Imports of other meat products into the UK 2002 to November 2007 | ||||||
| T housand tonnes | ||||||
| 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | January-November 2007 | |
| Source: H M Revenue and Customs. Data prepared by Trade statistics, Agricultural Statistics and Analysis Division, 2007 data is subject to amendments. | ||||||
Pigeons: Licensing
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether a licence is required to (a) breed and (b) keep racing pigeons. [185327]
Jonathan Shaw: DEFRA does not require the breeding and keeping of pigeons to be licensed. However, advice about biosecurity and preventing disease is available for all bird keepers on the DEFRA website or from local Animal Health Offices.
Sheep: Ear Tagging
Mr. Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his policy is on double-tagging upland sheep; and what estimate his Department has made of the likely financial effects on hill farmers of the double-tagging system. [186191]
Jonathan Shaw: In accordance with EU legislation, all sheep which are not intended for slaughter within 12 months of age must be double tagged. In England, the rules apply to sheep and goats born on or after 11 January 2008 and those not officially identified by that date.
An impact assessment on the introduction in England of double tagging of sheep and goats was prepared. This has been placed in the Library of the House.
Sugar: Quotas
Mr. Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he expects to announce his decision on sugar quota levels. [185651]
Jonathan Shaw: We informed British Sugar on 6 February 2008 that the Rural Payments Agency has approved an application from the company for restructuring aid. This was based on the renunciation of 13.5 per cent. of its white sugar production quota, amounting to 165,000 tonnes, and the full dismantling of the York sugar factory.
Wines
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what restrictions apply to the sale of lower alcohol wine (a) within the UK and (b) elsewhere in the EU produced (i) in the UK, (ii) elsewhere in the EU, (iii) in the USA and (iv) in other countries; and if he will make a statement; [186853]
(2) if he will review the restrictions on the sale of lower alcohol wines in the UK; and if he will make a statement. [186857]
Jonathan Shaw:
The minimum permitted alcohol content for wine produced and marketed in the EU is laid down in the Common Market Organisation (CMO) for Wine (Council Regulation (EEC) 1493/99). The requirements vary according to the type of wine
and the region of production. Wines imported into the EU are, in general, subject to the same requirements, although a number of countries, including the US, have concluded bilateral agreements, which provide for wine produced in conformity with national standards to be imported and marketed in the EU.
The agreement reached in December 2007 on a new wine CMO will provide, in due course, for a streamlining of the process of adopting new wine making techniques in the EU. The UK will continue to press for the consideration and the adoption of internationally recognised alcohol reduction techniques, and thereby allow EU wine producers the ability to utilise these processes in the production and marketing of their wines in the EU.
World War II: Medals
Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many applications for the Women's Land Army and Timber Corps badges his Department expects to receive. [186150]
Jonathan Shaw [holding answer 18 February 2008]: The enthusiasm for the badges has been high. We have currently received approximately 9,000 applications and expect this to increase significantly.
Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he expects the design of the badge for Women in the Land Army to be finalised. [186151]
Jonathan Shaw [holding answer 18 February 2008]: The design of the badge has now been finalised.
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much the design of the badge for Women in the Land Army cost; and how much was spent on the design for each of the previous three commissioned badges. [186782]
Jonathan Shaw: The Women’s Land Army badge cost £1,100. This is, and has been, the only badge awarded by DEFRA.
Written Questions: Government Responses
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he will answer Question 180776, tabled on 16 January by the hon. Member for Southend West; what the reason is for the time taken to reply; and if he will make a statement. [186426]
Jonathan Shaw: I regret the delay in answering the hon. Member for Southend West, this was due to an administrative oversight. The question was answered on 7 February 2008, Official Report, column 1341W.
Treasury
Bank Services
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent estimate he has made of the value of deposits in dormant bank accounts in the United Kingdom; and what steps his Department has taken to inform the public of the funds in these dormant bank accounts. [187219]
Angela Eagle: The Dormant Bank and Building Society Accounts Bill is currently before Parliament. It broadly defines a dormant account as a bank or building society account where there has been no customer-initiated activity for a period of at least 15 years. On this basis, an assessment by banks and building societies suggests that between £250 million and £350 million lies currently unclaimed in banks, and up to £150 million unclaimed in the building society sector.
The Government have encouraged the sector to build on its pre-existing arrangements to reunite dormant account holders with their money. The Government welcome the response of the industry and in particular the publicised launch of “mylostaccount.org.uk” by the British Bankers’ Association, Building Societies Association and National Savings and Investments in January. The Government also welcome the commitment of individual banks and building societies to undertake proactive search activity throughout 2008 and up to the introduction of the scheme.
Departmental Buildings
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what fees were paid to private contractors for the operation and maintenance of his Department’s buildings in the last 12 month period for which figures are available. [187595]
Angela Eagle: The Treasury building at 1 Horse Guards road operates and is maintained under a PFI contract. The annual unitary payment made under that contract is £14.037 million at March 1999 prices. The Treasury building at Rosebery Court in Norwich operates and is maintained under an OGCbuying.solutions framework contract. Payments made under that contract in the 12 months from September 2006 totalled some £814,000.
Departmental Information Officers
Mr. Jeremy Browne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many press and communications officers were employed by his Department in each year for which figures are available. [187584]
Angela Eagle: The number of press officers employed within the Chancellor’s Department continues to be 10 full-time equivalents (FTEs). Currently HMT employs nine full time press officers and will be recruiting to fill the vacancy.
The figure for the Office of Government Commerce is two FTEs.
Dorneywood
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what use civil servants in his Department have made of Dorneywood in the last 12 months. [176407]
Angela Eagle: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Member for Lincoln (Gillian Merron), 30 October 2007, Official Report, column 1077W. Ministers and civil servants have used Dorneywood for official events over the past 12 months. Dorneywood is held in trust for use as an official residence, as has been the case under successive Administrations. It is the official residence of the Chancellor of the Exchequer and is also available to Ministers and their civil servants for official engagements. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government’s practice to provide details of all such engagements.
Food: Prices
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effects of recent increases in food prices on the stability of the economy. [187980]
Angela Eagle: Overall, CPI inflation has remained very close to its 2 per cent. target in recent months, despite the peak in food price inflation. The Government will publish their latest assessment of recent economic developments and prospects in the “Financial Statement and Budget Report” on 12 March, in the normal way.
Inflation
Philip Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 6 February 2008, Official Report, column 1198W to Question 184207, on inflation, if he will calculate the likely effect on the overall rate of inflation of increasing the police force’s net pay by (a) 2.5 per cent. and (b) 1.9 per cent. over the next two years. [186504]
Yvette Cooper [holding answer 18 February 2008]: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave him on 6 February 2008, Official Report, column 1198W.
Network Rail: Fines
Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department received in fines levied on Network Rail in each year since its inception; and what his policy is on re-allocating such monies. [180958]
Yvette Cooper [holding answer 22 January 2008]: The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) has imposed penalties totalling £2.65 million on Network Rail in the last three years.
When a private sector body is fined the receipt does not benefit the budget of the individual body that imposed the fine, instead it returns to the Consolidated Fund and benefits public sector finances.
Pay: Public Sector
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the Answer to my hon. Friend the Member for South Cambridgeshire (Mr. Langley) of 21 January 2008, Official Report, columns 1567-69W, on Pay: Public Sector, when he expects data for 2007 to be available. [185259]
Yvette Cooper: Information on the average earnings index is publicly available from the Office of National Statistics at www.statistics.gov.uk. The average earnings index is found within the monthly release of the Labour Market Statistics. The most recent edition (January) of the Labour Market Statistics can be found at:
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