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26 Mar 2009 : Column 590W—continued
Performing Arts
John Mason: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether his Department has engaged any (a) actors, (b) musicians and (c) other performers to support its initiatives over the last five years. [264061]
Huw Irranca-Davies: The Department's record/financial systems are not able to identify this information within the disproportionate cost threshold.
Poultry: EC Law
Mr. Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what steps his Department is taking to implement European Council Directive 99/74EC prohibiting the use of conventional cages for laying hens; [264767]
(2) what recent reports he has received of the timetable in EU member states for the implementation of European Council Directive 99/74/EC on the prohibition of conventional cages for laying hens. [265683]
Jane Kennedy: Directive 1999/74/EC of 19 July 1999 lays down minimum standards for the protection of laying hens, one of the provisions of which is a ban on conventional cages for laying hens by 1 January 2012. It was implemented in England by regulations made on 24 June 2002 and by similar legislation in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. All Member states have implemented the directive. We have received no recent reports from other member states but the Commission's report of January 2008 recommended that the 2012 deadline for an EU-wide ban on the use of conventional cages be maintained and the Government remain committed to this deadline.
Rabbits
Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of levels of rabbit damage in the last five years. [265484]
Huw Irranca-Davies: No assessments have been made of the levels of rabbit damage in the last five years. The last published estimate, in 2002, was around £115million of damage to agriculture in GB annually.
Recreation Spaces: Urban Areas
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which pieces of land have been registered as a town green under the Commons Act 2006. [264922]
Huw Irranca-Davies: This information is not held centrally or by DEFRA, but by each individual Commons Registration Authority.
Rural Development Programme
Mr. Paice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what formal notifications and requests for revisions have been made in accordance with Articles 6-12 of Council Regulation 1974/2006 to
amend the Rural Development Programme for England; and how many opportunities to notify the Commission of amendments remain in the programming period. [264749]
Huw Irranca-Davies: We have asked the European Commission to consider two amendments to the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) 2007-13 since it was approved in December 2007.
The first notification of a proposal to amend the programme was made in October 2008, principally to put in place a number of changes to our agri-environment scheme, Environmental Stewardship (ES), recommended by the ES Review of Progress, which was published in May 2008. A second notification was made in February 2009 and was made to put in place the changes to provide support for the uplands, as announced by the Secretary of State in December 2008, make additional ES options available for farmers in the Isles of Scilly, and to update the programme's state aid provisions. Neither of these amendments has yet been approved by the Commission.
The implementing rules (Commission Regulation (EC) No 1975/2006) allow us to propose up to four revisions to our programme in each calendar year until the programming period concludes at the end of 2013.
Tilbury Marshes
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the flora and fauna of Tilbury marshes; what assessment he has made of the scientific value of the marshes; and if he will make a statement. [266172]
Huw Irranca-Davies [holding answer 25 March 2009]: The Environment Agency has undertaken an inventory of habitat at Tilbury marshes using aerial photography as part of its Thames Estuary 2100 project. Tilbury marshes has the potential to enhance its existing freshwater habitat which could help compensate for loss of this type of habitat due to changes to flood defences in the Thames estuary.
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment has been made of the importance of the Tilbury marshes to the flood plain; and if he will make a statement. [266173]
Huw Irranca-Davies [holding answer 25 March 2009]: Freshwater flooding of Tilbury marshes has been recently assessed by the Environment Agency and 30 per cent. of the marshes have a 1 per cent. (one in 100) or greater chance of flooding each year. The area at risk of flooding is concentrated to the north of the marshes.
Tourism: Rural Areas
Mr. Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he last met the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport to discuss policy on tourism in rural areas. [263127]
Huw Irranca-Davies: The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has not met with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport specifically to discuss policy on rural tourism. He is, however, working closely with a number of Cabinet colleagues, including the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, on their policies affecting the one fifth of the population who live in rural areas.
My hon. Friend the Minister for Culture, Creative Industries and Tourism, has recently written to me endorsing the Government effort to support and promote rural businesses during the current economic downturn, and I am hoping to meet with her in the near future to discuss rural tourism and other matters of mutual interest.
Water: Meters
Mr. Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many water meters were installed by water supply companies in houses in Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency in each of the last three years. [264975]
Huw Irranca-Davies: The following table shows how many water meters have been installed by Thames Water (the company that supplies the Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency) for the last three years, in existing and new properties.
Water companies do not provide information to Ofwat broken down by constituency.
| Meters installed by Thames Water | |||
| 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | |
Wood
Mr. Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what provision the European Commission's proposed Regulation on the obligations of operators who place timber and timber products on the market makes in respect of powers for member states (a) to seize illegal timber that may enter the market and (b) to penalise operators trading in such timber. [264705]
Huw Irranca-Davies: The Commission's proposal for a regulation—the ‘due diligence regulation’—states that an operator which first places timber or timber products on the market must apply a system of due diligence to minimise the risk of placing illegal timber on the Community market.
The nature of the penalties to be applied in respect of a breach of the regulation has not yet been established. Member states, not the European Community, have competence in relation to the conferral of powers on enforcement bodies and the setting of penalties, and no decision has yet been made by the UK Government on
seizure of illegal timber which has entered the Community market, or on penalties for operators trading in such timber.
We will be consulting on the UK negotiating position on the regulation and the European Parliament's amendments to the regulation in March 2009.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Afghanistan: Detainees
Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 26 November 2008, Official Report, columns 1741-42W, on Afghanistan: detainees, if he will now disclose the relevant information. [246739]
Bill Rammell: According to our records, the answer of 28 April 2003 was based on discussions with the US at the time regarding allegations about the detention of terrorist suspects on Diego Garcia. We were informed that terrorist suspects were not being detained on the island. This was confirmed at the political/military talks on Diego Garcia in June 2003.
My officials will be in touch with the hon. Member to provide the relevant information.
Africa: Armed Conflict
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department has contributed to the Africa Programme of the Conflict Prevention Pool in each year since 2001. [265124]
Gillian Merron: From 2001 to 2007, the Government funded its conflict related programme activity through the Global Conflict Prevention Pool (GCPP) and Africa Conflict Prevention Pool (ACPP), owned and managed tri-departmentally by the Department for International Development (DfID), Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the Ministry of Defence (MOD). By bringing together the Government's development, diplomatic, and defence interests and expertise, this ensured a coherent response to conflict prevention. In 2001, all three Departments contributed funds to form these pools (£2.1 million disbursed by the FCO; £14.4 million by the DfID and £3.2 million by the MOD), but in subsequent years funds have been allocated directly from the Treasury.
The Conflict Prevention Pool (CPP) was set up in April 2008 as a successor to the former Global and Africa Conflict Prevention Pools, focussing activity through regional programmes where the UK can have its biggest impact, and through thematic programmes to deal with cross-cutting conflict prevention issues. The CPP commands a total of £112 million in 2008-09 of which the Africa Conflict Prevention Programme is forecast to spend £68 million. From FY 2001-02 to 2007-08, the Government have spent approximately £341 million through the Africa Conflict Prevention Pool. This is detailed by year in the following table:
| Amount (£ million) | |
Anti-Semitism
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 9 March 2009, Official Report, column 41W, on anti-Semitism, on what recent occasions (a) he and (b) other Ministers in his Department have condemned anti-Semitism; and if he will make a statement. [264674]
Gillian Merron: The Government condemn all acts of racism, anti-Semitism and religious intolerance. My hon. Friend, the Minister of State, (Bill Rammell) specifically re-iterated this in the House of Commons on 13 January 2009, Official Report, column 132, and my noble Friend Lord Malloch-Brown, the Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN, during the Gaza debate in the House of Lords on 6 February 2009, Official Report, column 931.
The London Declaration of the recent conference held by the Inter-parliamentary Coalition Combating anti-Semitism, co-hosted by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, called on legislators to “expose, challenge and isolate political actors who engage in hate against Jews and target the state of Israel as a Jewish collectivity.” It also calls on governments to “challenge any foreign leader, politician or public figure who denies, denigrates or trivializes the Holocaust and must encourage civil society to be vigilant to this phenomenon and to openly condemn it.” My noble Friend Lord Malloch-Brown addressed the conference and condemned anti-Semitism in unequivocal terms.
Binyam Mohamed
Mr. Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Government gave permission to the US to share UK intelligence with the Moroccan intelligence services in relation to (a) the interrogation of Binyam Mohamed and (b) other matters between 2001 and 2004; and if he will make a statement. [259361]
David Miliband: It is the long-standing policy of the Government not to comment on intelligence matters.
The High Court's Judgment in the case of R (Binyam Mohamed) v Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs of 21 August 2008 said,
“it is clear that the United States authorities have never informed either the SyS or any other part of the United Kingdom Government about BM's whereabouts in the period between 17 May 2002 and his transfer to Bagram in May 2004”.
Mr. Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Government shared UK intelligence relating to (a) the interrogation of Binyam Mohamed and (b) other intelligence matters directly with the Moroccan intelligence services between 2001 and 2004; and if he will make a statement. [259362]
David Miliband: It is the long-standing policy of the Government not to comment on intelligence matters. The High Court's Judgment in the case of R (Binyam Mohamed) v Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs of 21 August 2008 said,
“it is clear that the United States authorities have never informed either the SyS or any other part of the United Kingdom Government about BM's whereabouts in the period between 17 May 2002 and his transfer to Bagram in May 2004”.
Chevening Scholarships
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much private sector funding for Chevening scholarships there was is 2008. [266261]
Caroline Flint: Private sector funding for Chevening scholarships in 2008-09 (financial year) is £3.8 million. There is also £2 million funding from higher education institutions.
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the cost of the Chevening scholarships scheme was in 2008. [266262]
Caroline Flint: The total cost of the Chevening scholarship scheme in 2008-09 (financial year) will be £27.5 million.
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many Chevening (a) scholarships and (b) fellowships were awarded in 2008. [266263]
Caroline Flint: There were 977 Chevening scholars and 213 Chevening fellows in 2008-09.
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many Chevening (a) scholarships and (b) fellowships have been awarded since the inception of the programme. [266264]
Caroline Flint: Since the Chevening programme started in 1984-85 we estimate that there have been about 32,000 scholars. Since the fellowship scheme was introduced in 2004-05 there have been 961 fellows.
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