| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
8 Feb 2010 : Column 674W—continued
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Agriculture: Subsidies
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what costs have been incurred by the Rural Payments Agency for claims processed under schemes they administer in each year since 2008. [316523]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The net running costs of the Rural Payments Agency for 2008-09 covering the administration of approximately 60 schemes delivered by the agency and 30 schemes delivered by other organisations amounted to £240,792,000. This is as reported in the agency annual report and accounts.
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many single payment scheme claims made in 2009 remain outstanding. [316524]
Jim Fitzpatrick: As at 31 January 2010, out of the total SPS claimant population of 107,500, approximately 12,800 have not received a payment because their claim is still undergoing the necessary validation checks.
Blaydon
Mr. David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will set out, with statistical information related as directly as possible to the Blaydon constituency, the effects on Blaydon of his Department's policies and actions since 2000. [315302]
Dan Norris: Due to the broad nature of the question and the wide range of DEFRA policies implemented in Blaydon, which falls under the Gateshead council, it is not possible to provide a detailed answer in the form requested.
As a local authority, Gateshead is obliged through statute to comply with central Government legislation. DEFRA's policy responsibilities are summarised in its departmental strategic objectives (DSOs) that have been agreed with the Treasury:
To promote a society that is adapting to the effects of climate change, through a national programme of action and a contribution to international action.
To promote a healthy, resilient, productive and diverse natural environment.
To promote sustainable, low carbon and resource efficient patterns of consumption and production.
To promote an economy and a society that are resilient to environmental risk.
To champion sustainable development.
To promote a thriving farming and food sector with an improving net environmental impact.
To encourage a sustainable, secure and healthy food supply.
To provide socially and economically sustainable rural communities.
To be a respected Department delivering efficient and high quality services and outcomes.
DEFRA publishes annual departmental reports which set out progress against its Public Service Agreement targets and DSOs. The 2009 Report is available at:
Past reports are available online in the National Archives.
For information on a specific DEFRA policy in Blaydon, the Government Office for the North East is able to provide information on implementation and the benefits to the area.
Care Farms
Mr. Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will commission research into the number, uses and viability of care farms in England. [314290]
Jim Fitzpatrick: Care farming is a general term for the therapeutic use of farming practices, although there is no standard model in the UK. Care farms play an important role in offering a learning or therapeutic environment for a range of groups, such as the mentally ill, ex offenders and disaffected young people.
The services of care farms will generally be commissioned by agencies such as NHS trusts, local authorities or probation services.
DEFRA has not commissioned any research into the number, uses and viability of care farms in England, however they are growing in number. Some of the organisations who have already benefited from their valuable services are best placed to assess their use and viability based on experience to date.
Cleethorpes
Shona McIsaac: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will set out, with statistical evidence relating as closely as possible to Cleethorpes constituency, the effects on that constituency of his Department's policies since 1997. [315343]
Dan Norris: Due to the broad nature of the question and the wide range of DEFRA policies implemented in Cleethorpes, it is not possible to provide a detailed answer in the form requested.
As a local authority, Cleethorpes is obliged through statute to comply with central Government legislation. DEFRA's policy responsibilities are summarised in its departmental strategic objectives (DSOs) that have been agreed with the Treasury:
To promote a society that is adapting to the effects of climate change, through a national programme of action and a contribution to international action.
To promote a healthy, resilient, productive and diverse natural environment.
To promote sustainable, low carbon and resource efficient patterns of consumption and production.
To promote an economy and a society that are resilient to environmental risk.
To champion sustainable development.
To promote a thriving farming and food sector with an improving net environmental impact.
To encourage a sustainable, secure and healthy food supply.
To provide socially and economically sustainable rural communities.
To be a respected department delivering efficient and high quality services and outcomes.
DEFRA publishes annual departmental reports which set out progress against its public service agreement targets and DSOs. The 2009 Report is available at:
Past reports are available online in the National Archives.
Domestic Waste: Waste Disposal
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what targets have been set for local authorities in relation to collection of (a) residual and (b) recyclable household waste; and which such targets are based on policies of (i) his Department and (ii) the European Commission. [314946]
Dan Norris: Under the Local Authority Performance Framework each local authority is free to choose 35 from the full list of 198 National Indicators to prioritise as part of their Local Area Agreement and 85 per cent. of authorities have chosen at least one waste management target as a local priority.
The level of their ambition in setting individual targets is agreed in negotiation between the local authority and the relevant Government office for the region. Furthermore the policies and practices required for those targets to be met are a matter for individual local authorities to determine.
Local authority efforts to improve their performance contribute towards the national targets for recycling and waste reduction that were set in the Waste Strategy for England 2007, based on DEFRA's policies.
For the reporting year 2009-10, the following targets have been included in Local Area Agreements:
| NI 191-Residual household waste per household | |
| Authority | Target (kg per household) |
| NI 192-Percentage of household waste sent for reuse, recycling and composting | |
| Local authority | Target (Percentage) |
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |