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25 Mar 2008 : Column 122W—continued
Departmental Retirement
Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the effect on the public purse will be as a result of the operation of his Department's voluntary retirement scheme. [194801]
Jonathan Shaw: Based on overall departmental gross pay bill costs the estimated net savings from the voluntary early retirement and severance schemes in the current year and over the next three years will be:
| £ million | |||
| VER | VES | Total | |
Departmental Sick Pay
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the cost of sickness pay to staff within his Department was in the most recent year for which figures are available. [187516]
Jonathan Shaw: For the period 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2007, the total cost of sick pay for all staff in core DEFRA and those executive agencies covered by the core Department's terms and conditions (i.e. Animal Health, Marine and Fisheries Agency, Veterinary Medicines Directorate, Pesticides Safety Directorate and Government Decontamination Service) was £3,376,240.
Dogs
Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many charges have been brought against owners of dogs that attacked postmen in each of the last three years; and how many prosecutions were successful. [195331]
Jonathan Shaw: The information requested is not held by DEFRA or the Ministry of Justice.
Data from the court proceedings database held by the Ministry of Justice are unable to separately identify details of the victims of crime, as this level of detail is not held on their database, unless it is specified in either the statute or offence description.
Dogs: Electric Shock Equipment
Anne Snelgrove: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will meet representatives of the Kennel Club to discuss the use of electric shock collars on dogs. [193844]
Jonathan Shaw: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State recently met with representatives of the Kennel Club, and the use of electric shock collars was discussed. There are no further plans to meet the Kennel Club at present.
Facilities Management
David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the effect that outsourcing of his Department’s facilities management infrastructure will have on his Department’s staff. [194171]
Jonathan Shaw [holding answer 14 March 2008]: As part of the consultation process under the project, an impact assessment has been undertaken, in accordance with departmental guidelines.
Furthermore, as the negotiations with bidders proceed, the welfare of any staff who may be impacted by Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations will be of paramount importance to the programme and further assessments will be undertaken.
David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he expects to make a decision to outsource his Department’s facilities management infrastructure. [194172]
Jonathan Shaw [holding answer 14 March 2008]: The Department’s existing FM infrastructure is delivered through five regional contracts with the private sector.
The current re-procurement project which incorporates the existing FM infrastructure is expect to be concluded by October 2008, the commencement of such contract to be April 2009.
Farms: Inspections
Mr. Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the cost to the public purse of farm inspections was in each of the last five years, broken down by inspection agency. [192034]
Jonathan Shaw: The cost of all on-farm work (covering all types of visit, and not restricted to those classed as inspections) by Animal Health (AH) for 2005-07 are broken down in the following table:
| State Veterinary Service( 1) | Animal Health( 1) | ||
| 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | |
| (1) These figures include the cost of the Egg Marketing Inspectorate and the Dairy Hygiene Inspectorate. | |||
These calculations represent the full costs of on farm work, including back office costs and inspections. Costs for only inspections cannot be separated. Disease outbreak costs are not included in farm work nor abattoir visits.
Prior to 2005 costs are not available as the State Veterinary Service (SVS) did not exist as an agency. The cost to the public purse of the Veterinary Medicines Directorate inspections is nil, as these are part of a charged for service.
Fisheries: Inspections
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much was spent training inspectors that monitor fish landings in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [193202]
Jonathan Shaw: This information is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
However, regular training is provided to staff.
MFA British Sea Fisheries Officers undertake a comprehensive programme of training on both legal and practical issues before receiving their BSFO warrants. Further training is provided where identified and as necessary. These officers also undertake the three week course with the RN to act as mentors and to prepare themselves as training officers for the RN ‘on the job training'.
RN officers undertake a three week course on fisheries legislation prior to appointment to their ships and once within the squadron receive ‘on the job' training from an experienced MFA officer.
Food: Poverty
Mr. Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many people were in food poverty in each of the last three years, broken down by region. [194909]
Jonathan Shaw: Responsibility for issues concerning poverty do not lie with DEFRA. Therefore, we do not hold the information requested.
Food: Procurement
Mr. Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what assessment he has made of the rising global demand for food products on the UK’s ability to secure domestic food supplies; [194806]
(2) what assessment he has made of the effects of rising food costs on (a) food security, (b) food poverty and (c) international food programmes. [194809]
Jonathan Shaw: Food security is about ensuring consumers have access to a stable and adequate supply of food. This requires effective risk management and contingency planning, security of our energy supplies, access to food from a variety of sources and a strong food chain and infrastructure.
The UK currently enjoys a high level of food security, however, we are not complacent and we will continue to monitor the key indicators of our food security.
Responsibility for issues concerning poverty and international development do not lie with DEFRA.
Food: Wastes
Mr. Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) how much food entered the waste stream in each of the last three years; [194905]
(2) what assessment he has made of the effects of food waste from domestic sources on landfill capacity in the last three years. [194906]
Joan Ruddock: Research carried out by the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) estimates that around 6.7 million tonnes of food waste is generated by UK households each year, the equivalent of one third of food bought, or £8 billion worth of produce. A similar amount is produced by businesses, particularly the food manufacturing and retail sectors.
No assessment has been made of the effects of food waste from domestic sources on landfill capacity in the last three years, although approximately 5.25 million tonnes of municipal food waste is sent to landfill in the UK each year.
Mr. Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Waste and Resources Action Programme in encouraging supermarkets to take steps to reduce food waste. [194907]
Joan Ruddock: Signatories to the 2006 Courtauld Commitment between major food and drink retailers, manufacturers and the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) agreed to support WRAP’s business plan target of securing 100,000 tonnes/year of household food waste reduction by March this year. WRAP is currently assessing the programme’s success and new targets are being drawn up which extend to 2011.
As part of the strategy for delivering this reduction, WRAP and its partners are also running a ‘Love Food Hate Waste’ campaign. This campaign is being delivered in partnership with the WI, local authorities, the UK grocery sector, food industry, Government and organisations such as the Food Standards Agency. Its aim is to help people get the most from the food they buy, and waste less of it.
Freedom of Information: Personal Records
Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what mechanisms his Department has in place to maintain the separation of personal data from the information required by section 40 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000; and if he will make a statement. [192140]
Jonathan Shaw: Guidance for staff makes clear that rights of access to personal information under the Freedom of Information Act are limited by the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1998.
If in any doubt staff can consult the departmental data protection officers who form part of our access to information team.
A training day for FOI practitioners in the Department and its agencies was held on 7 March with specific focus on the operation of Section 40.
Geographical Information Systems
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which Government Departments and agencies will have access to the Shared Spatial Information Service. [193893]
Jonathan Shaw: The Shared Spatial Information Service is currently accessible to DEFRA and all members of the wider DEFRA Delivery Network including DEFRA Executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies.
Access has also been provided to a number of other Government Departments with mutual interests in data sharing and to Government offices.
The SPIRE ownership group will be reviewing the access policy during 2008 in anticipation of the broader requirements for sharing spatial data arising from the EC INSPIRE directive.
Hearing Impaired
Mr. Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what provision is made for deaf people to access services provided by his Department through call centres. [194950]
Jonathan Shaw: The DEFRA helpline, the Pet Travel Scheme and the Environment Agency’s inquiries services all provide minicom/textphone facilities, as well as offering e-mail and postal contact addresses. Comprehensive website material is also available in each case.
The Rural Payments Agency’s (RPA) customer contact centre does not have a minicom/textphone, but e-mail and postal address are available, and there is a comprehensive website for Single Payment Scheme and livestock traceability work. The RPA also carries out regular mail-shots and there are drop-in centres at each of the Agency’s sites and facilities for customers to authorise a third party agent to represent them.
Natural England is able to take text-type calls via a service offered by the Royal National Institute for the Deaf. The Government Decontamination Service does not offer a minicom service but provides an e-mail
address on its website and on any published material. The Consumer Council for Water does provide a minicom/textphone service.
Home Energy Efficiency Scheme
Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many vulnerable households with (a) children of zero to four years of age, (b) children of five to 16 years, (c) people in receipt of disability living allowance and (d) people over the age of 60 were assisted under the Warm Front Grant scheme in the financial years (i) 2003-04, (ii) 2004-05, (iii) 2005-06, (iv) 2006-07 and (v) 2007-08, broken down by local authority area. [195121]
Mr. Woolas: I have arranged for the information requested to be placed in the Libraries of the House.
Home Energy Efficiency Scheme: Expenditure
Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much was spent on administration of the Warm Front grant scheme by (a) the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, (b) EAGA plc and (c) local authorities in (i) 2003-04, (ii) 2004-05, (iii) 2005-06, (iv) 2006-07 and (v) 2007-08. [195169]
Mr. Woolas: Warm Front is administered by EAGA plc, as part of their contracted duties as Scheme Manager.
The costs incurred by EAGA in performing this administration are commercially sensitive, and therefore cannot be provided.
DEFRA does not hold information on the value of any administrative costs spent by local authorities on Warm Front.
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