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9 Feb 2010 : Column 827W—continued
Freshwater Fisheries Act 1975. Paragraph 4 of that Schedule omits offences in sections 6 (fixed engines), 7( fishing weirs) and 8 (fishing mill dams) of that Act. Paragraph 5 omits offences in section 16 (boxes and cribs in weirs and dams); paragraph 6 omits offences in section 17 (restrictions on taking salmon or trout above or below an obstruction or in mill races).
Environmental Stewardship Scheme: Manpower
Mr. Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many Natural England advisers are working in each Higher Level Stewardship scheme (a) target area and (b) Government Office region. [315994]
Huw Irranca-Davies: The number of Natural England advisers working on Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) by Government Office region for 2009-10 are shown in the following table(1).
(1) Figures provided by Natural England
| Government office region | Total (full-time equivalents (FTE)) |
| Notes: 1. There are 200 FTEs working on HLS, creating new agreements, and maintaining and monitoring existing agreements. 2. An FTE is equivalent to 210 working days and is used instead of numbers of advisers for two reasons: 1) Advisers do not necessarily spend their whole time working on HLS; 2) Some advisers will be part-time. 3.(.)The numbers of FTEs in each region is related to the amount of existing HLS work, the proportion of land that is within target areas within the region and the overall RDPE budget allocated to that region. | |
Figures to show adviser or FTE distribution by target area are not available as adviser/FTE numbers vary through the year. For reference, the target areas within each Government Office region are shown on the interactive map available at:
Floods: Lewes
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department has spent on flood protection measures in Lewes constituency in each year since 1997. [315771]
Huw Irranca-Davies: The following table shows the amount the Environment Agency has spent on managing flood risk in the Lewes constituency for each year since 1997. The figures include new or improved defences, minor improvement works, maintenance, incident response, flood warning improvements, and grants to local authorities for integrated urban drainage.
| £ | |
These figures are from the Environment Agency's flood defence grant in aid records.
In addition, Lewes district council has been awarded up to £282,000 under DEFRA's household flood protection grant scheme. This funding must be claimed by March 2011.
Work using locally raised funds, as well as strategies and plans identifying the needs of a much wider area, has been excluded.
Food Supply
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what funding his Department has provided to local food chain initiatives in the last 12 months; and which such initiatives received that funding. [315961] [Official Report, 22 February 2010, Vol. 506, c. 1MC.]
Jim Fitzpatrick: During the past 12 months (from 4 February 2009) £11,806,666 has been committed under the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) to support local food chain initiatives. This funding is administered by the Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) and the breakdown of spend by region is as follows:
| RDA | RDPE spend (£) |
In the same period, RDAs have also provided £4,385,078 from their single pot to support local food chain initiatives, to which DEFRA makes a contribution. The RDPE and single pot money is supporting a range of initiatives including the funding of delivery organisations in the region, support for individual food producers and retail outlets, food hubs and farmers' markets.
In addition, the National Farmers' Retail and Markets Association (FARMA) was awarded a DEFRA Agricultural Development Scheme grant of £176,000 over three years from January 2008, £63,500 of which has been provided within the last 12 months. The award was for a project aimed at improving performance in the farm 'direct sales' sector by means of a producer verification scheme for farmers' markets, and an assurance scheme for farm shops.
Hemsworth
Jon Trickett: 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 Hemsworth constituency, the effects on Hemsworth of his Department's policies and actions since 2000. [316305]
Dan Norris: Due to the broad nature of the question and the wide range of DEFRA policies implemented in Hemsworth, it is not possible to provide a detailed answer in the form requested.
As a local authority, Hemsworth 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 Hemsworth, the Government office for Yorkshire and the Humber is able to provide information on implementation and the benefits to the area.
Reservoirs
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many flood storage reservoirs have been (a) decommissioned and (b) created in each of the last five years. [315911]
Huw Irranca-Davies: The number of Environment Agency flood storage reservoirs that have been (a) discontinued and (b) constructed during the last five years, and which fall under the Reservoirs Act 1975 are shown in the following table. The Environment Agency does not hold figures for third-party reservoirs, as reservoir use is not listed on the Public Register.
| (a) Number of reservoirs discontinued | (b) Number of reservoirs constructed | |
There are six additional reservoirs currently under construction.
Rivers
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent steps his Department has taken to encourage local river restoration. [315910]
Huw Irranca-Davies: In the current financial year, DEFRA has provided £3.25 million to the Environment Agency and £1.75 million to other organisations such as the Association of Rivers Trusts to undertake river restoration projects and work towards meeting our Water Framework Directive objectives.
As part of this work, over 150 obstructions to fish passages have been made passable or have been removed.
Snow and Ice
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the costs to his Department arising from the severe weather conditions in the period 4 January to 18 January 2010; and if he will make a statement. [313587]
Dan Norris: There were no direct costs to the core Department as a result of the severe weather conditions in the period 4 January to 18 January. There were some indirect costs from staff time being re-prioritised to prepare for, and co-ordinate the Department's response to, the situation.
Special Protection Areas: Cats
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what guidance his Department and Natural England has issued to local authorities on banning residents in new housing developments owning cats as a planning condition in areas with Special Protection Areas Status; and which local authorities have implemented Avoidance Strategies with suggested or recommended domestic cat bans. [311657]
Mr. Ian Austin: I have been asked to reply.
None. The implementation of Avoidance Strategies is not monitored centrally.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Afghanistan: Politics and Government
Mrs. Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has had discussions with the Afghan Government on the composition of its delegation to the London conference on Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement. [313975]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The composition of the Afghan delegation to the London Conference on Afghanistan was a matter for the Afghan Government. The Afghan Government ensured that all relevant Ministers were in attendance.
Asia: Religious Freedom
Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports his Department has received on the treatment of religious minorities in (a) North Korea, (b) Iran, (c) Saudi Arabia, (d) Somalia and (e) the Maldives. [316239]
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