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1 July 2009 : Column 248W—continued
—continuedDefence: Inflation Index
Sir Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress his Department has made in establishing a defence-specific inflation index. [283300]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The programme of work is on course and in April 2010, as notified to the HCDC over scrutiny of the 2006-07 annual report and accounts, the MOD will publish estimates of defence inflation for financial years 2006-07 through to 2008-09. For financial year 2009-10 a provisional estimate of defence inflation will be produced in September 2010.
Departmental Older Workers
Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many staff in his Department will reach the age of 65 years in the year 2011. [283367]
Bill Rammell: 1,157 MOD civilian employees will reach age 65 by the beginning of the year 2011.
Nuclear Weapons: Arms Control
Joan Walley:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what reports he has received on the implications for UK defence policy of the recent statement by Russian Prime
Minister, Vladimir Putin, on the disarmament of nuclear weapons; and if he will make a statement. [282010]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: We believe in the vision of a world free from nuclear weapons. We are committed to working towards multilateral nuclear disarmament, and are encouraged that Russia also shares this commitment. We also welcome the fact that Russia and the US are currently engaged in negotiations over a successor to the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty. As the Prime Minister announced on 17 March, we will soon be publishing further UK proposals in a “Roadmap to 2010”.
Northern Ireland
Bill of Rights: Northern Ireland
Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what progress his Department has made on preparation of a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland in the last six months; [282174]
(2) when the consultation on a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland will be launched. [282175]
Mr. Woodward: The Government have been considering the proposals put forward by the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission for a package of new statutory rights and duties on public authorities. It is taking time to consider fully all these detailed proposals. The Government aim to publish a consultation paper after the parliamentary summer recess.
Departmental Training
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Welwyn Hatfield of 2 April 2009, Official Report, columns 1457-61W, on departmental training, what service was provided by Oasis training. [279283]
Mr. Woodward: Oasis is the Northern Ireland Office in-house IT network infrastructure, providing a platform for e-mail and general administration tools.
Olympic Games 2012
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether any full-time equivalent members of staff in (a) his Department and (b) its associated public bodies are working on projects relating to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. [283162]
House of Commons Commission
Members: Allowances
Mr. Dai Davies:
To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission how much was spent on the redaction of
material relating to hon. Members’ allowances prior to publication; who undertook the redaction process; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the guidelines provided for the conduct of the redaction work. [282239]
Nick Harvey [holding answer 24 June 2009]: The scanning and redaction of material relating to hon. Members’ allowances was undertaken by staff employed by The Stationery Office, the contractor employed for this project. Final figures are not yet available but, to the end of March 2009, the cost of redaction has been £451,966.
The redaction was undertaken in two phases—copies of the redaction guidelines for each phase will be placed in the Library.
Leader of the House
Ministerial Duties: Working Hours
Mr. Redwood: To ask the Leader of the House how many hours she spent on her ministerial duties in the week commencing 21 June 2009. [283543]
Ms Harman: I was on ministerial duty at all times.
Mr. Grieve: To ask the Leader of the House how many hours between 4 May 2009 and 5 June 2009 each Minister in her Office who is also a Member of the House worked. [282778]
Ms Harman: Ministers spend as much time as necessary to fulfil their ministerial duties.
Energy and Climate Change
Committee on Climate Change: Buildings
Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will place in the Library a copy of the (a) Display Energy Certificate and (b) advisory report for the offices of the Committee on Climate Change at Manning House, Carlisle Place. [283257]
Mr. Kidney: The CCC leases the fourth floor of Manning House and does not have control over the management of the building. The building managers have not as yet applied for a display energy certificate or advisory report to be undertaken, although the CCC has requested that this is done. We are therefore unable to place a copy of these in the Library. The CCC has installed carbon footprint trackers and is monitoring energy usage for its floor of the building. It has also applied to have an energy performance certificate produced for its offices. The CCC's corporate carbon management policy will be published in its annual report and accounts for 2008-09 which will be laid before both Houses’ Libraries by 22 July 2009.
Fuel Poverty
Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will place in the Library a copy of the (a) agenda and (b) minutes of the Fuel Poverty Summit convened by Ofgem in April 2008. [283244]
Mr. Kidney: The Department does not hold a copy of the agenda and minutes of the summit.
Information about the summit can be found on Ofgem's website. This includes introductory remarks from Lord Mogg, Ofgem's chairman, at:
the Fuel Poverty Action Plan which was agreed at the summit at:
and the relevant press release at:
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Beaches: Barmston
Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for what reasons water samples have not been taken from the sea at Barmston in East Yorkshire in 2009; what recent representations he has received on sampling sea waters and Barmston’s ability to obtain Bathing Beach Standard; and if he will make a statement. [282748]
Huw Irranca-Davies: The Environment Agency, with the agreement of DEFRA, decided to stop sampling water quality at Barmston at the start of 2008. This decision was taken due to increased coastal erosion which placed staff under unacceptable health and safety risks when accessing the necessary sampling point.
Barmston is an identified bathing water under the Bathing Water Directives (76/160/EEC and 2006/7/EC). An alternative site for the sampling point is being considered.
The Secretary of State has not received any representations regarding sampling bathing water quality at Barmston and will not be making a statement.
Departmental Energy
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which official is responsible for the energy efficiency of his Department’s estate. [280561]
Dan Norris: The permanent secretary is responsible for DEFRA’s energy efficiency.
Departmental Food
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of the (a) meat, (b) fruit and (c) vegetables procured by his Department in the last 12 months was produced in the UK. [281944]
Dan Norris: A second report on the proportion of domestically produced food used by Government Departments and also supplied to hospitals and prisons under contracts negotiated by NHS supply chain and HM Prison Service was published in November 2008, covering the year from 1 April 2007 to 31 March 2008. This report and the first one covering the previous year can be found at:
The report gives details of the proportion of individual meat, fruit and vegetable categories purchased.
Although it is too early to show a trend, the report indicates that the amount of domestically produced food consumed by Government Departments in England is increasing. The proportion of domestically produced food procured by DEFRA has gone up from 79.5 per cent. in 2006-07 to 85 per cent. in 2007-08. We expect to publish a third report at the end of 2009.
Forests
Ms Angela C. Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what area and proportion of land in each forest district managed by Forestry Commission England has potential for lowland heathland re-creation (a) has been replanted with conifers since 2005 and (b) is scheduled for conifer re-planting. [282479]
Huw Irranca-Davies: The potential area of lowland heath based on recent Forestry Commission surveys in each forest district and the area that has been replanted since 2005 is given in the following table. The area scheduled for replanting following clear felling is given based on the existing management plans to 2020. These plans are subject to revision in the light of new policy developments and any operational considerations such as wind damage, disease etc.
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