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5 Jun 2008 : Column 1072W—continued
Departmental Legislation
Mr. Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which Acts for which his Department has policy responsibility received Royal Assent between 1 May 1997 and April 2008; and which provisions within those Acts have not been brought into force. [204894]
Jonathan Shaw: DEFRA was formed with effect from June 2001. Since that time it has sponsored (or supported, for Acts resulting from Private Members' Bills; these Acts are asterisked) the primary legislation listed in the following table. Regarding which provisions are in force, a single picture with the precise details of whether particular provisions of an Act have commenced (whether for all or some purposes, and whether in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland as applicable) is information within the public domain which can be accessed using legislation subscription services, while individual Acts and commencement orders can be accessed severally without subscription on the Office of Public Sector Information (OPSI) website. In very broad terms, however, the picture is as indicated in the table.
Departmental Public Participation
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department spent on (a) written consultation, (b) consultation roadshows and (c) stakeholder focus groups in each of the last three years. [205850]
Jonathan Shaw: DEFRA carries out consultation exercises as an integral part of our policy development work. Consultations are funded from local budgets rather than centrally and overall spend could be calculated only at disproportionate cost.
While complying with the Government’s Code of Practice on Consultation, the scale and approach of DEFRA’s consultations varies depending on what is appropriate for the issues and stakeholder groups involved. This ranges from consultations with a specific, small group of stakeholders (e.g. Consultation on the Reform of the EU Fruit and Vegetable Regime, which received 12 responses) to far-reaching policies that use multiple approaches to consult with a wider range of stakeholders (e.g. the Climate Change Bill, consultation on which received 16,919 responses).
Departmental Research
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what science and research projects his Department commissioned in each year since 2001; how long each project was expected to last at the time it was commissioned; what cost his Department incurred in relation to each project; and if he will make a statement. [206659]
Jonathan Shaw: An overview of DEFRA’s scientific R and D since 2001 is provided in my response to question 3623. Details of all DEFRA-funded scientific research projects commissioned since 2001 are available through the DEFRA R and D website at
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what science and research projects his Department has commissioned which are ongoing; for how long each project is commissioned to run for; what cost has been incurred by his Department on each; when each project is expected to finish; and if he will make a statement. [206660]
Jonathan Shaw: At any one time, DEFRA is responsible for around 2,000 science-related projects. Most of these are research projects commissioned to underpin DEFRA policy formulation and development, but we also fund major ‘Non-R and D’ programmes covering our monitoring, testing and surveillance activities. Projects range in timescale from single events for sharing knowledge to long-term studies expected to run until 2012 or beyond.
I will place a list of ongoing DEFRA research and development projects in the Library.
Details of all these DEFRA funded projects are available through the DEFRA R and D website at
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department spent on scientific research and development in each year since 2001; and if he will make a statement. [206661]
Jonathan Shaw: The information requested is as follows:
| Financial year | Spend (£ million) |
The acquisition and use of evidence is central to the development and delivery of robust policies and operations, and underpins DEFRA’s reputation and ability to influence.
In 2007-08 around 95 per cent. of DEFRA’s research and development budget was spent by policy groups to directly support their strategic priorities. The remaining funds were used by the central evidence teams to fund cross-cutting and horizon scanning work. In addition to expenditure on research and development, approximately £200 million was spent in 2007-08 on other science, including surveillance, monitoring, field trials and knowledge transfer.
The Secretary of State has asked the DEFRA chief scientific adviser, Professor Bob Watson, to conduct an internal review of current R and D investment. Professor Watson is working with colleagues to find ways in which to
streamline the process of R and D proposal development;
better integrate planning and focus more on cross-links with other areas of DEFRA and its network of agencies;
make more effective use of uncommitted funds, and ensure a better balance in strategic investment profiles;
encourage greater flexibility in budgets to better respond to in-year changes in priorities; and
ensure monitoring and evaluation is commissioned to better assess the impact of policies.
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department plans to spend on scientific research and development in each of the next five years; and if he will make a statement. [206662]
Jonathan Shaw: DEFRA plans to spend approximately £132 million on scientific research and development in the financial year 2008-09, representing about 5 per cent. of DEFRA’s total programme budget. DEFRA also plans to continue to fund other science activity, including surveillance, monitoring, field trials and knowledge transfer.
The future spending plans for scientific research and development across the next five years have not yet been agreed. Our focus will continue to be on ensuring that the science that the department procures and uses is both fully relevant to our needs and of the highest quality.
The DEFRA Chief Scientific Adviser, Professor Bob Watson, is leading efforts to improve the way in which DEFRA strategically manages and uses evidence, including scientific research and development. These efforts are mainly being directed through DEFRA’s new Evidence Programme, which was formally established in April 2008. Key elements of this programme, including the development of an Evidence Strategy, were recently explored at a workshop with key DEFRA staff, colleagues from the Environment Agency and Natural England and members of DEFRA’s Science Advisory Council (an independent, non-departmental public body providing expert advice on science policy and strategy). An event is planned for September 2008 to discuss DEFRA’s draft evidence investment strategy with other funders and representatives of the science community.
Emergency Services: Radioactive Materials
Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether his Department has completed the improvement in the system performance of the Nuclear Emergency Planning and Radioactive Incident Monitoring Network; and what the improvements have cost. [207737]
Mr. Woolas: A programme of work to improve the performance of the Radioactive Incident Monitoring Network (RIMNET) system has recently been completed. This has involved some upgrades to system hardware and corresponding software adjustments. The cost of this improvement work has been met by the system supplier.
Forests: Finance
Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department spent on programmes to combat deforestation in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [207609]
Mr. Woolas: The Government have deployed both funding and other resources, such as expertise, and representation through the UN, G8 and Forest Law Enforcement and Governance processes. The causes of deforestation are complex, and actions to address it overlap with governance and biodiversity initiatives.
In March 2007, the Government announced a £50 million UK contribution to a fund to help conserve the Congo Basin rain forest. This will support proposals by 10 central African countries to protect the Congo Basin rain forest from destruction, and will strengthen the work of other donors who are already active in the region.
In Bali last December, the UK announced a contribution of £15 million to the World Bank’s Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) which will help developing countries to work out how they can participate in and benefit from evolving incentive mechanisms for avoiding deforestation. The FCPF will provide support for technical and institutional capacity building through a Readiness Fund, and pilot different approaches for providing financial incentives.
Under the Darwin Initiative, the Government have committed more than £65 million to 490 projects in more than 146 countries. Specifically, the Darwin Initiative has funded over 100 projects in over 40 countries with the specific aim of conserving forest biodiversity at a cost of over £15 million of funding.
The UK is contributing £24 million to support implementation of the EU’s Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Action Plan. This involves bilateral agreements between the EU and timber-producing countries that will help them develop and implement timber licensing systems. The agreements will seek to address broader governance problems that allow illegal logging and forest destruction in these countries.
The Government support a number of other initiatives, for instance by working with Indonesia under the Indonesia-UK Partnership Forum. The UK provided funding and expertise to help the Government of Indonesia prepare for the UN climate negotiations in Bali, in December. This included a contribution from the Department for International Development of £0.25 million to help Indonesia work on reducing emissions from deforestation.
Concrete: Sittingbourne
Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what further steps the Environment Agency has taken on the illegal crushing of concrete by KKB at Four Gun Field in Sittingbourne. [208806]
Jonathan Shaw: I understand that KKB at Four Gun Field has a Paragraph 24 exemption under the Environmental Permitting Regulations 2007. This is registered with Medway unitary (England and Wales) authority and allows the crushing of concrete at Four Gun Field.
The Environment Agency is part of a multi-agency group including Swale borough council, Medway unitary authority and Kent county council which will take necessary action as and when it is required.
Natural England: Forests
Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will bring forward measures to make Natural England a statutory consultee for applications to fell ancient woodlands. [209003]
Joan Ruddock: We have no plans to change the current consultation arrangements for tree felling proposals received by the Forestry Commission. This includes consultation with Natural England where felling affects a National Nature Reserve, Site of Special Scientific Interest, Special Protection Area, Special Area of Conservation, Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty or Heritage Coast.
New Forest Verderers
Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will implement a system for consultation with relevant local organisations in the New Forest prior to decisions being taken on the appointment or reappointment of the Official Verderer at the end of his term of office. [208810]
Joan Ruddock: We have no plans to change the current arrangements for the selection of a person to be recommended for appointment as Official Verderer. The selection process follows the principles of the Code of Practice for Ministerial Appointments to Public Bodies with appointment on merit being the overriding principle.
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