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20 Apr 2009 : Column 88W—continued
(d) The hon. Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban) on 12 November 2008, Official Report, columns 1226-27W.
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) which ICT projects his Department and its predecessors initiated and abandoned before completion in each year since 1997; what costs were incurred in each project; who the contractors for each were; on what date each was (a) commenced and (b) abandoned; and if he will make a statement; [251392]
(2) when he plans to answer question 251392, tabled on 22 January 2009, on ICT projects; and if he will make a statement. [264177]
Huw Irranca-Davies: The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) does not hold a current comprehensive list of ICT projects at the level of detail requested. This could be compiled only at disproportionate cost.
However, the hon. Member is referred to the response my Department provided to the hon. Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr. Hammond) on 17 October 2008, Official Report, columns 1516-17W. No further ICT projects and programmes have been cancelled since that response.
Departmental Redundancy
Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to the answer of 27 January 2009, Official Report, columns 332-4W, on redundancy, how many staff left his Department under staff exit schemes with a severance package worth (a) between £100,000 and £125,000, (b) between £125,001 and £150,000, (c) between £150,001 and £200,000, (d) between £200,001 and £250,000, (e) between £250,001 and £500,000, (f) between £500,001 and £1,000,000 and (g) over £1,000,000 in each year since 2005-06. [264286]
Huw Irranca-Davies: As a result of structural changes to the Department and to meet cross-Government targets to reduce headcount within Departments DEFRA has managed the exit of a number of staff over recent years. The initial investment in reducing the headcount will lead to significantly reduced future pay costs on staff.
These included both voluntary and involuntary leavers to whom payments were made. As is common to other Government Departments, the structures of these payments were based on the rules contained within the Civil Service Pension Scheme.
For staff leaving on compulsory or flexible early severance terms, or in receipt of a statutory redundancy payment, the size of the package represents the lump sum compensation payment made.
For staff leaving on compulsory, flexible or approved early retirement terms, the size of the package includes:
any lump sum compensation payment made on departure (compulsory terms only);
the capitalised cost of paying a pension or annual compensation payment (ACP) before pension age;
the cost of any pension enhancement (compulsory and flexible terms only) and the cost of bringing forward the payment of the pension lump sum (for those in classic).
These figures are therefore the initial provision for the early departure liabilities caused by the staff’s departures and include any cash payments made during the period.
Packages also include any payments made on an ex gratia basis.
The split of the 245 voluntary leavers and two involuntary leavers who had severance packages of over £100,000 in the last three financial years is:
| Voluntary leavers | ||||||||
| 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | Grand total | |||||
| Pay range | S | ER | S | ER | S | ER | S | ER |
| Involuntary leavers | ||||||||
| 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | Grand total | |||||
| Pay range | S | ER | S | ER | S | ER | S | ER |
Environment Agency: Administration
Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much the Environment Agency spent on administration costs in each of the last three years. [265754]
Jane Kennedy: The total expenditure by the Environment Agency on administration costs in each of the three years to 31 March 2009 is as follows:
| 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09( 1) | |
| (1) Estimate based on management accounts as at 28 February 2009. | |||
The administration costs for 2008-09 are split between National Corporate costs of £36 million and Regional Operational Support costs of £66 million.
During this period, the Environment Agency has restructured both the Finance and Human Resources Directorates, which will generate significant cost savings in future years.
Farmers: Income
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate his Department has made of the likely average business income from a cropping farm in 2008-09. [268399]
Jane Kennedy [holding answer 2 April 2009]: The average farm business income on a cropping farm in England in 2008-09 has been provisionally estimated to be around £50,200 for cereal farms and £53,600 for general cropping farms(1). This represents a fall of around a third compared to the previous year, as cereal prices have fallen and input costs have increased.
Farm Business Income is the headline measure of the profitability of farm businesses. It represents the financial return to all unpaid labour (farmers and spouses, non-principal partners and directors and their spouses and family workers) and on all their capital invested in the farm business, including land and buildings.
(1) The estimates for 2008-09 are based on information available in early January 2009 for prices, animal populations, marketings, crop areas and yields and are subject to a margin of error, particularly because farm income tends to be the relatively small difference between output and input.
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the average business income from cropping farms was in each of the last 10 years. [268400]
Jane Kennedy [holding answer 2 April 2009]: The average farm business income(1), the preferred measure of farm profitability, is only available from 2003-04. The alternative measure of net farm income(2) is available for the years up to 2007-08.
(1) Farm business income represents the financial return to all unpaid labour (farmers and spouses, non-principal partners and directors and their spouses and family workers) and on all their capital invested in the farm business, including land and buildings.
(2 )Net farm income is defined as the return to the principal farmer and spouse alone for their manual and managerial labour and on the tenant type capital of the business. An imputed rent is deducted for owner-occupied farms as is a charge for other unpaid labour.
| Average farm business income | ||
| £/farm | ||
| March/February years | Cereals | General cropping |
| Source: Farm Business Survey | ||
| Average net farm income | ||
| £/farm | ||
| March/February years | Cereals | General cropping |
| Source: Farm Business Survey | ||
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