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24 Nov 2008 : Column 832W—continued
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Information released on a disclosure can be disputed for a number of reasons including the inclusion of locally held non-conviction information which the applicant believes to be inaccurate or misleading; situations where an applicant has had their identity stolen; or the inclusion of data which an applicant was unaware would appear on the disclosure.
The CRB cannot provide a figure to determine how many individuals have been affected by records that were found to be incorrect because an applicant may apply for several disclosures in a year and the CRB only records the number of disputes that were raised.
The CRB is committed to ensure that it maintains high levels of accuracy and the aforementioned table shows that the proportion of upheld disputes has reduced year on year.
Written Questions: Government Responses
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects to answer question 214526, tabled by the hon. Member for Lewes on 24 June 2008, on US personnel. [226561]
Mr. Alan Campbell: I replied to the hon. Gentleman on 10 November 2008, Official Report, column 783W.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Agriculture: Subsidies
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what administration costs were incurred in respect of processing claims made under the Rural Payments Agency in each of the last three years. [236613]
Jane Kennedy [holding answer 17 November 2008]: The Rural Payments Agency administers a wide range of Common Agricultural Policy schemes including the Single Payment Scheme, internal market schemes, external trade measures, milk quotas and the Older Cattle Disposal Scheme. The following table sets out the cost for administering these CAP schemes for the last three years.
| Financial year | £ million |
Financial years cover the period 1 April to 31 March.
Mr. Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much the Government has allocated in national aid for nut growers in each of the last five years, broken down by type of nut. [238095]
Jane Kennedy: No national aid has been given to nut growers in the past five years.
Air Pollution: EU Law
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he expects the provisions of the EU Air Quality Directive to be implemented; and if he will make a statement. [228798]
Huw Irranca-Davies: Directive 2008/50/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 May 2008 on ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe, came into force on 11 June and must be transposed into national legislation by 10 June 2010. DEFRA will work with the devolved administrations to achieve this.
Over the past 10 years the quality of our air has improved and apart from some hotspots alongside busy roads in major cities we are meeting our current objectives for all pollutants in 99 per cent. of the UK.
The UK is likely—along with a number of other European countries—to use new provisions in the directive to apply for more time to meet the requirements in respect of particulate matter (PM10) and nitrogen dioxide. This is because, despite the improvement we have seen in recent years, we are unlikely to meet the current 2010 deadline for nitrogen dioxide. For PM10—where the problem is confined chiefly to London—the deadline has already passed and we are still exceeding the limits in some areas. The problem with nitrogen dioxide is mainly about existing pollution from traffic in London and in other major cities across the UK.
Subject to public consultation, we expect to submit an application to the European Commission for flexibility in the compliance date in respect of PM10 early in 2009. The due date for compliance with the limit value for nitrogen dioxide is 2010 and we expect to submit an application for this pollutant in 2010, again after a period of consultation. If applications were granted by the Commission, the maximum period of ‘extra time’ for implementation would be an extension to 2011 for PM10 and until 2015 for nitrogen dioxide.
We are determined to take action to tackle the remaining exceedences of the limit values alongside busy roads in some cities particularly London. Following publication of the revised UK Air Quality Strategy in July 2007, we are continuing to make progress on implementing new measures. Budget 2008 includes an incentive through vehicle excise duty of £120 (a saving of £60) for Euro V compliant vans registered between 1 January 2009 and 31 December 2010 remaining in place for the lifespan of these vehicles.
Angling
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of (a) people employed in the recreational sea angling sector and (b) businesses serving the recreational sea angling sector. [236623]
Huw Irranca-Davies:
A DEFRA-funded study carried out by Drew Associates into the economic impact of the recreational sea angling sector in England and Wales was published in 2004. This study estimated that 18,889 people were employed in the sector, of which
5,652 resulted from shore angling, 3,092 from charter boats and 10,145 from private boat angling. We do not have an estimate of the number of businesses serving the recreational sea angling sector but the same report found that sea anglers generated some £71 million net income in England and Wales for suppliers of services to the sector. Suppliers included tackle and food retailers and accommodation-related businesses.
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many meetings he has had with (a) representatives of the commercial fishing sector and (b) representatives of the recreational sea angling sector since January 2008. [236624]
Huw Irranca-Davies: Since my appointment, I have met representatives of the commercial fishing sector and the recreational sea angling sector on 22 October at a meeting with UK marine fisheries stakeholders to discuss priorities for the annual end of year European negotiations over fishing opportunities. I subsequently met representatives of the commercial fishing sector ahead of the November EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council, and I have recently accepted an invitation to meet recreational sea angling representatives to discuss issues of concern to them.
Animal Welfare
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will hold discussions with his EU counterparts with a view to minimising the number of tests on animals within the EU. [229826]
Jane Kennedy: The European Regulation 1907/2006 concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) requires all sectors of industry across the EU to assemble data about the properties and potential human health and environmental impacts of the substances they manufacture in, or import into, the EU and market. Industry will need to carry out more tests in order to fulfil this obligation, but this is balanced by provisions which prohibit duplication of any tests involving animals and promote the use wherever possible of alternative, non-animal, methods for assessing hazards.
The United Kingdom will continue to play an active role within the European Union and in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development to maintain the drive towards new non-animal alternative test methods leading to regulatory approval for their use. We expect the first amendments to the European Test Methods Regulation under REACH to be put to member states for approval early in the new year.
Animal Welfare: Codes of Practice
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the cost has been to his Department of producing the new draft codes of practice for (a) cats, (b) dogs and (c) equines. [237405]
Jane Kennedy [holding answer 19 November 2008]: The cost of the consultation exercise on the draft codes of practice, excluding staff costs, was around £1,000.
Animals: Infectious Diseases
Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to introduce a comprehensive surveillance of infection in imported pet animals. [236357]
Jane Kennedy: The current DACTARI (Dog and Cat Travel And Risk Information) system has been designed to provide a surveillance system for all exotic diseases, although its primary focus is on Leishmaniasis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis and Dirofilariasis. The DACTARI system is for the voluntary reporting of such diseases by veterinary surgeons.
All the diseases reported through the scheme are transmitted by vectors such as insects (e.g. leishmaniasis is transmitted by a sandfly) and not from direct contact with an infected dog or cat. Leishmaniasis is one of the more serious diseases as it can also affect humans. The Health Protection Agency monitors information on human cases diagnosed through their laboratory services.
Birds: Conservation
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate his Department has made of the number of robins living in England in each of the last five years. [237238]
Huw Irranca-Davies: The population of robins in England is not estimated annually. The last estimate was made by Brown and Grice (2005), covering the period 1990-2000. This estimated that the average annual breeding population during that period was 2,969,000 pairs.
The British Trust for Ornithology’s Breeding Bird Survey is based on recording birds in randomly selected 1 km squares every year. While it does not provide estimates of total abundance, it does provide an index of population trends for common and widespread birds. The index for the robin in England has shown an increase of 26 per cent. in the period 1994-2007.
Bluetongue Disease
Mr. Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what systems exist to monitor the prevalence of blue tongue disease throughout the UK. [237134]
Jane Kennedy: DEFRA has a number of scanning and targeted surveillance measures in place to monitor bluetongue in England, as detailed in the UK-wide Bluetongue Control Strategy.
This includes specific surveillance work targeted at higher risk areas, and a requirement on anyone who suspects the presence of bluetongue disease to report this to DEFRA (through Animal Health, who then follow up with a veterinary investigation).
DEFRA also conducts post-import tests on all susceptible animals imported from continental Europe, for all bluetongue serotypes, and urges industry to consider the risks and check the health and vaccination status of any animals sourced from within the UK or abroad.
Bovine Tuberculosis: Vaccination
Mr. Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what systems are in place to establish (a) how many doses of BtV8 vaccine have been purchased by farmers from vets and (b) what proportion of them have been administered. [237133]
Jane Kennedy: Vaccination against bluetongue in England and Wales is voluntary. Vaccine is delivered through existing veterinary medicine supply chains, an approach agreed with the livestock industry to ensure the simple, rapid roll-out of vaccine to protect animals earlier this year. Because the approach to vaccination is voluntary, no definitive figures can be provided on the numbers of sales from veterinary practices to farmers, or the number of livestock actually vaccinated.
However, to date, sales data from the supply chain suggest enough vaccine has been sold to vaccinate around 60 per cent. of the susceptible livestock population in England.
British Waterways: Public Relations
Mr. Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what payments British Waterways (a) has made in the last 12 months and (b) is contracted to make to Cavendish Public Affairs; and for what purposes. [238467]
Huw Irranca-Davies: British Waterways has paid £58,309.28 + VAT to Cavendish in the last 12 months. Future payments to Cavendish are dependent on levels of support required, and this is due for consideration by British Waterways in early 2009.
Cavendish has provided a range of support services to British Waterways over the last 12 months including Select Committee preparation, parliamentary events management, and advising on building links with local authorities.
Climate Change
Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many staff were employed in his Department's climate change group on 1 October 2008. [236736]
Huw Irranca-Davies: As at 1 October 2008, 510 full-time equivalents were employed in DEFRA's Climate Change Group.
Departmental Consultants
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many external consultants are undertaking work for his Department. [233254]
Huw Irranca-Davies: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The Departmental Report, published annually, contains much helpful information on DEFRA’s expenditure and I refer the hon. Member in particular to Chapter 9 of the 2008 Report: Better Regulation and Corporate Services.
Departmental Contracts
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which organisations provided goods and services for his Department in relation to (a) hospitality and entertainment, (b) advertising and promotion, (c) consultants, (d) photography, (e) media training, (f) media monitoring, (g) foreign language tuition, (h) hotel accommodation, (i) external legal advice, (j) recruitment and (k) public affairs in each of the last 10 years; and what the 10 most valuable contracts were in each case. [233424]
Huw Irranca-Davies: DEFRA came into being in June 2001. The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The departmental report, published annually, contains much helpful information on DEFRA's expenditure and I refer the hon. Member in particular to chapter 9: Better Regulation and Corporate Services and chapter 10: Defra's Delivery Partners, of the 2008 report. Copies of previous departmental reports are held in the Library of the House.
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