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22 Jan 2009 : Column 1584W—continued
This information has been extracted from the report published in December 2008, “Final assessment of progress on PSA3”. The full report is available at:
St George's Day
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many items of correspondence he has received on (a) St. George’s Day and (b) St. Patrick’s Day in the last 12 months. [247741]
Barbara Follett: As at 13 January we have identified 14 items of correspondence from the last 12 months which have St. George’s Day as the main subject and one item of correspondence that has St. Patrick’s Day as the main subject.
It is possible that further correspondence could mention St. George’s Day or St. Patrick’s Day as secondary issues, but this correspondence could be identified only at disproportionate cost.
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans his Department has to promote St George’s Day in 2009. [247743]
Barbara Follett: On 23 April, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport will fly the St. George’s Flag alongside the Union Flag to celebrate St. George’s Day.
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much public funding is available from his Department to groups wishing to celebrate St George’s Day. [247744]
Barbara Follett: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has no public funding available to groups wishing to celebrate St. George’s Day.
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether his Department has had discussions with tourism agencies about marking St. George's Day in 2009. [248360]
Barbara Follett: DCMS has had no specific discussions with tourism agencies about marking St. George's Day in 2009. However VisitEngland and some individual regions will have celebrations to mark St. George's Day in 2009. For example VisitEngland will highlight St. Georges Day events on enjoyengland.com as well as hosting Enjoy England Awards for Excellence on this date.
Taking Part Survey
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the average standard deviation was of the datasets of his Department’s Taking Part survey in each year since 2005. [247334]
Barbara Follett: The term ‘standard deviation’ refers to the variance, or spread, of data around the mean (standard deviation is the square root of the variance). Standard deviations can be calculated for individual estimates from Taking Part, rather than the overall dataset.
Confidence intervals are derived from the variance and the sample design, and are published for all Taking Part estimates. These indicate the range in which true percentages could fall.
To see an example, please refer to the latest report at:
Taxis
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much his Department spent on taxis in each of the last three years. [247585]
Barbara Follett: All official travel is undertaken in accordance with rules set out in the Department's staff guide under Travel and Subsistence and is consistent with the Civil Service Management Code.
The expenditure on taxis by the Department in each year since 2005 is set out in the following table. These figures represent expenditure on taxis and black cabs. In addition, some expenditure on black cabs and taxis is included in general travel and subsistence account and cannot be separately identified except at disproportionate cost.
| Amount (£) | |
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Biofuels: Wood
Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the accuracy of data on the availability and use of wood and its contribution to the sustainability of future biomass energy projects. [249125]
Huw Irranca-Davies: Estimates of the availability and use of wood have been published by the Forestry Commission over a number of years. DEFRA has not undertaken an assessment of this information. The Forestry Commission publishes on its website the details of the methodologies used to compile the figures so that those using the information can make their own assessment of its accuracy.
Carbon Emissions: Rural Areas
Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what account his Department takes of the capacity of rural areas to absorb carbon dioxide in formulating its climate change policy. [249987]
Huw Irranca-Davies: My Department is undertaking further work to understand the realistic potential of the natural environment to act as a sink or store of carbon dioxide and also the greenhouse gas emissions resulting from management of the land. This takes account of the role of forests, soils, land-use and agriculture. My Department also supports a Rural Climate Change Forum to consider the ways in which rural areas can help mitigate and adapt to climate change. We will take all of this information into account as part of the Government’s approach to meeting their commitments under the Climate Change Act.
Common Fisheries Policy
Bill Wiggin:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what his estimate is of the number of boats in the UK that would require a licence or other form of authorisation to facilitate recreational fisheries under Article 47 of
the Council Regulation establishing a community control system for ensuring compliance with the rules of the Common Fisheries Policy; [249749]
(2) what the estimated cost is of implementing and enforcing Article 47 of the Council Regulation establishing a community control system for ensuring compliance with the rules of the Common Fisheries Policy in the UK; [249750]
(3) what assessment he has made of the likely effects of the provisions of Article 47 of the Council Regulation establishing a community control system for ensuring compliance with the rules of the Common Fisheries Policy on the marine environment; and if he will make a statement; [249752]
(4) what his estimate is of the number of people who will require a licence under the terms of Article 47 of the Council Regulation establishing a community control system for ensuring compliance with the rules of the Common Fisheries Policy; [249753]
(5) what assessment he has made of the likely effects of the proposals under Article 47 of the Council Regulation establishing a community control system for ensuring compliance with the rules of the Common Fisheries Policy on tourism; and if he will make a statement; [249754]
(6) what assessment he has made of the effects of the proposals in Article 47 of the Council Regulation establishing a community control system for ensuring compliance with the rules of the Common Fisheries Policy on compliance with the rules of the Common Fisheries Policy; and if he will make a statement; [249757]
(7) what his assessment is of the likely effects on (a) the economy, (b) jobs and (c) the number of recreational sea anglers of the provisions of Article 47 of the Council Regulation establishing a Community control system for ensuring compliance with the rules of the Common Fisheries Policy; and if he will make a statement. [249759]
Huw Irranca-Davies: In England there are some 400 charter angling vessels that would require an authorisation under Article 47 of the proposal as currently drafted, plus an as yet unquantified number of privately owned vessels. As part of the process of negotiating this proposal we shall be seeking clarification from the Commission on a number of issues relating to Article 47. Until we have that clarification it is difficult accurately to assess its potential impact in the areas referred to in these questions. We shall be seeking stakeholders views on these points and considering them in more detail in the impact assessment that my officials are drawing up and which we shall publish as part of the formal consultation procedure.
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) when (a) he and (b) his officials were consulted on the terms of Article 47 of the Council Regulation establishing a community control system for ensuring compliance with the rules of the Common Fisheries Policy; and if he will make a statement; [249755]
(2) when he expects Article 47 of the Council Regulation establishing a Community control system for ensuring compliance with the rules of the Common Fisheries Policy to be (a) (i) discussed in and
(ii) approved by the Council of Ministers and (b) implemented and transposed; and if he will make a statement. [249758]
Huw Irranca-Davies: Neither I nor my officials were consulted before the Commission published the current proposal on 17 November. The proposal is scheduled for initial discussion by Ministers at the June Fisheries Council although I would not expect it to be approved then. The proposal has an envisaged implementation date of 1 January 2010, subject to negotiation.
Construction: Thames Gateway
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the dredging of the Thames in Castle Point constituency as part of the Thames Gateway port development will commence. [250069]
Huw Irranca-Davies: Consents to undertake dredging to develop and subsequently maintain navigational areas within the London Gateway Port are given by the London Gateway Port Harbour Empowerment Order 2008 and issued by the Department for Transport. They came into force on 16 May 2008.
The timing of the proposed dredging is a commercial decision for the Harbour Authority, London Gateway Port Ltd.
Departmental Data Protection
Mr. Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of contractors and suppliers to (a) his Department and (b) its agencies has reported compliance with the Government's security standards following publication of the report, Data Handling Procedures in Government, and the accompanying document, Cross-departmental Actions: Mandatory Minimum Action, on 25 June 2008. [245322]
Huw Irranca-Davies: The information is not available in the form requested. Since 1 July 2008 the DEFRA delivery network has been using the standard OGC security clauses for all new contracts and has also checked the compliance of its strategic IT partner with all the mandatory requirements of the Data Handling Review. In addition we have asked all information asset owners, responsible for assets containing personal protected information across the DEFRA network, to seek assurances from any other contractors or suppliers handling information on their behalf. Assurances have been received from all bar one of the owners in core DEFRA, and in respect of all executive agencies, except the Rural Payments Agency. In both cases the process of confirming assurances is under way but not yet complete.
Departmental Public Consultation
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on which occasions his Department has convened a citizens’ jury or randomly drawn panel of people to aid the Department’s policy making since 2000; whether the participants were paid in each case; and if he will make a statement. [243038]
Huw Irranca-Davies: DEFRA was formed in June 2001. However, inquires with policy leads have revealed the following examples of where DEFRA has convened a Citizen’s Jury since 2001:
In December 2005-January 2006, the Air and Environment Quality Division (now Atmosphere Quality and Industrial Pollution programme) ran a Citizen’s Jury to explore public views on air quality in order to inform the development of future policies and strategies. Members of the jury were paid to participate in the event.
In November 2007, a DEFRA-funded research project (WU0112) employed a Citizen’s Jury approach to explore people’s understanding of risk associated with the microbial pollution of water courses; public attitudes to culpability given the current scientific and policy evidence base, particularly as this related to the role of livestock farming; where public priorities were in terms of appropriate level and types of policy intervention and mitigation; and views regarding responsibilities for taking action to reduce microbial risks. Members of the jury were paid to participate in the event.
When used carefully and appropriately, Citizens’ Juries can be a helpful way of eliciting public preferences to factor into policy decision making.
Departmental Telephone Services
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many telephone numbers for which callers are charged at the rate applicable to 0845 numbers are used by (a) his Department and (b) its executive agencies for public access to services. [246980]
Huw Irranca-Davies: From information held centrally, there are 38 telephone numbers for which callers are charged at the rate(s) applicable to 0845 numbers—four for core-DEFRA, 14 for DEFRA's executive agencies and 20 for non-departmental public bodies. None of the numbers are revenue sharing.
Members of the public using these numbers are charged by their telephone providers at their agreed rates. On 8 January 2009, BT announced that its consumer customers will no longer pay these charges from 16 January 2009. As from this date 0845 numbers will be included in their calls packages. Those not on a calls package and business customers will continue to pay the applicable or agreed 0845 rates.
Fishing Catches
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the (a) monetary value and (b) weight of fish landed in the UK for domestic consumption was in the last 12 months, broken down by country of registration of fishing vessel. [248985]
Huw Irranca-Davies: The live weight and value of fish landed into the UK for domestic consumption in 2007 are shown in the following table:
| Vessel nationality | Live weight ( Thousand tonnes) | Value (£ million) |
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