| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
8 July 2009 : Column 818W—continued
Grants: Tamworth
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many residents of Tamworth constituency have received funding from the (a) Rural Enterprise, (b) Processing and Marketing Grants and (c) Vocational Training scheme in each year since the inception of each such scheme; and for what period such funding was allocated from each such scheme. [283845]
Dan Norris: The Rural Enterprise Scheme, the Processing and Marketing Grant and Vocational Training Scheme formed part of the England Rural Development Programme (ERDP) which closed on 31 December 2006. The Programme covered the period 2000 to 2006. The following table provides the number of projects approved under these schemes in the West Midlands region during the life of the ERDP. Figures are not available at a constituency level. Figures for the actual number of trainees assisted under the Vocational Training Scheme are available only on a national (England) basis.
| Calendar yea r — January to December | ||||||||
| Scheme | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | Total |
| Source: DEFRA. | ||||||||
Grocery Trade: Competition
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with the Competition Commission on its proposed grocery supply code of practice. [284687]
Jim Fitzpatrick: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has not discussed the proposed Groceries Supply Code of Practice (GSCOP) with the Competition Commission.
In its inquiry into the groceries market the Commission found that one of the features that adversely affected competition in the market was the exercise of buyer power by certain grocery retailers with respect to their suppliers of groceries, through the adoption of supply chain practices that transfer excessive risks and unexpected costs to those suppliers. The GSCOP is being introduced by the Competition Commission, which is an independent public body, in response to this finding.
Incinerators
Mr. Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which individuals and organisations were invited to make submissions to the Environment Agency’s H14 ecotoxicity consultation in 2007. [284472]
Dan Norris: The Environment Agency’s consultation on H14 ecotoxicity was a public consultation to which any individual or organisation was welcome to respond. The consultation period started on 10 September 2007 and finished on 6 November 2007.
I am arranging to have placed in the Library of the House the responses to the consultation on H14 ecotoxicity.
Pesticides Safety Directorate: Consultants
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much the Pesticides Safety Directorate spent on external consultants in each of the last five years. [281635]
Dan Norris: External consultancy spend in each of the last five financial years for the Pesticides Safety Directorate was as follows:
| Spend activity | Amount (£000) | |
Property Searches
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions his Department has had with the (a) Information Commissioner's Office, (b) Local Government Association and (c) Department for Communities and Local Government on the classification of local authority property search data as environmental information; and if he will make a statement. [284135]
Dan Norris: Officials in my Department have had discussions with all these bodies on the classification of local authority property search data as environmental information and these discussions are ongoing.
We understand the Information Commissioner intends to issue further guidance shortly.
Recycling
Mr. Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will take steps in co-operation with local authorities to ensure that recycling initiatives facilitate the participation of older people in composting and re-use schemes. [284051]
Dan Norris: While decisions on the most suitable waste management solution for an area are best left to the local authority concerned, DEFRA has always advised waste collection authorities to be open-minded and understanding when considering particular residents' needs, and flexible in the solutions the authority offers. Many local authorities offer assisted collections to the elderly to ensure, among other things, that they are able to fully participate in recycling and reuse initiatives.
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which Government Office regions have regional recycling forums. [284139]
Dan Norris: Four of the Government Office Regions have dedicated Regional Recycling Forums: the North West, North East, London and the South East.
Regional Planning and Development: Finance
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much funding his Department had provided to each regional improvement and efficiency partnership on the latest date for which information is available; and for what projects such funding was allocated. [284141]
Dan Norris: In 2008-09, DEFRA and the Department for Communities and Local Government provided £4 million to Regional Improvement and Efficiency Partnerships (RIEPs) for the delivery of a Climate Change Best Practice Programme. Responsibility for this programme passed from DEFRA to the Department for Energy and Climate Change on its creation in October 2008.
DEFRA provided a further £500,000 in 2008-09 and 2009-10 to support the RIEPs work on waste. The funding was paid to Improvement and Efficiency South East, which leads the RIEPs’ national work in this area, to support local authorities develop partnership working on waste. This can help promote improvements to service delivery and realise efficiencies.
Veterinary Laboratories Agency: Manpower
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many (a) directors, (b) senior managers, (c) specialist and delivery managers and (d) executive support and administration staff there were in each Veterinary Laboratories Agency office in each of the last five years. [283516]
Jim Fitzpatrick: I have placed in the House Library the tables providing information on staff numbers at each of the VLA’s 16 locations over the last five years.
Voluntary Organisations
Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what grants his Department made to third sector organisations in 2007-08; how much was paid; and what the purpose of each such grant was. [284597]
Dan Norris: DEFRA does not hold this information centrally. The Department's grant programmes are administered by a wide range of delivery bodies.
To collect the information centrally would incur disproportionate cost.
Waste Disposal: Fees and Charges
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will place in the Library a copy of the ROAME document produced for his Department's research project on impacts of household charging in England, WR0708. [284140]
Dan Norris: DEFRA does not create ROAME (Rationale, Objectives, Appraisal, Monitoring, Evaluation) statements for individual research projects but the process is adopted to provide a clear statement of rationale for developing projects under particular evidence programmes. ROAME statements have been created for each of the themes (A-F) of DEFRA's Waste and Resources Evidence Strategy (2007-11). The project WR0708 falls under Theme A of this programme: Understanding Economics and Incentives. As requested, the ROAME statement for this part of the programme has been placed in the House Library.
Water Meters
Mr. Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will discuss with Ofwat the introduction of a social tariff by water companies for low-income households which face higher costs from water metering. [284332]
Huw Irranca-Davies: Assistance is currently available to low income households that are metered through the Government’s Vulnerable Groups Tariff, also known as WaterSure. This caps bills at the average bill for their water company if they receive means-tested benefits and suffer either from a medical condition which causes a substantial increase in the use of water or have three or more dependent children under 19 in full-time education. The independent Walker Review of charging for household water and sewerage services is looking at whether WaterSure should be revised.
Mr. Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the effect on low-income households of water metering. [284333]
Huw Irranca-Davies: The interim report of the independent Walker Review of charging for household water and sewerage services was published on 29 June. It includes analysis of the costs and benefits of metering and the affordability of water. The report is available on DEFRA’s website.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |