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22 Feb 2010 : Column 47W—continued
Ragwort
Mr. Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the effects of ragwort on the health of horses and grazing stock. [317321]
Huw Irranca-Davies:
The Government are aware of the effects of ragwort on the health of horses and grazing stock and in 2004 issued a Code of Practice on
How to Prevent the Spread of Ragwort. The Code applies to Common ragwort (Senecio jacobaea) which is one of five injurious weeds specified in the Weeds Act 1959. Common ragwort is the only one of the five weeds listed in the Act which is poisonous to horses and other grazing animals.
The code was drawn up in consultation with a steering group which included the British Horse Society and includes an environmental appraisal which drew on evidence from a number of sources of the effects of ragwort poisoning on horses and other livestock. The code provides comprehensive guidance to all land owners and occupiers on how to take a cost effective approach to weed control.
DEFRA's policy under the Weeds Act 1959 is to control injurious weeds where there is a threat to animal welfare or agricultural activities. DEFRA's policy is not to eradicate Common Ragwort and other injurious weeds because in the right place, Common Ragwort and the other specified weeds make an important contribution to the biodiversity of the countryside.
Mr. Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will bring forward proposals to make his Department's guidance on controlling the spread of ragwort more effective. [317322]
Huw Irranca-Davies: The Government's "Code of Practice on How to Prevent the Spread of Ragwort" was published in July 2004 and we have no immediate plans to review the code.
Stress
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will place in the Library a copy of the advice issued to staff of his Department on stress recognition and management. [314523]
Dan Norris: DEFRA encourages staff to use our comprehensive intranet-based toolkit information on the awareness, prevention and management of stress in and outside the workplace. An additional resource offering information, guidance and various sources of confidential support is also accessible to all departmental staff on an externally hosted microsite, via our occupational health provider.
DEFRA is currently developing a new Stress policy and anticipates this will be published on its intranet for the information of all staff and managers by this summer.
I will place copies of our advice in the Library.
Trees
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether he plans to increase the net number of trees in the next five years. [317396]
Huw Irranca-Davies: Our Strategy for England's Trees, Woods and Forests puts a strong emphasis on planting the right tree in the right place. We will be taking an integrated approach to see where additional woodland can complement other activities.
As part of the Low Carbon Transition Plan announced in July, the Forestry Commission and DEFRA are working to develop the framework needed for a step change in the level of woodland creation for the next 15 years. As part of this, the Forestry Commission will be working with partners in each region to identify scope for increasing the area of woodland.
Veterinary Services: Complaints
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent representations he has received on the consideration by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons of complaints relating to veterinary services; and if he will bring forward proposals to amend the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 to provide for the regulation by his Department of complaints procedures in relation to veterinary services. [317006]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The President of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) has written to request that DEFRA put forward a legislative reform order (using powers in the Legislative and Regulatory Reform Act 2006) to change the constitution of the Disciplinary Committee and Preliminary Investigation Committee. The President of the British Veterinary Association has written in support of the RCVS proposal.
I am due to meet the Action Group Against the Professional Conduct Department of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons on 2 March to discuss their concerns about the current system for investigating complaints against veterinary surgeons.
Written Questions: Administrative Delays
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he plans to answer Question 300896, on departmental pay, tabled on 18 November 2009. [313134]
Dan Norris: I replied to the hon. Member on 28 January 2010, Official Report, columns 1004-06W.
Culture, Media and Sport
Barking Park
Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what charging regime is in place for users of Barking Park car park; and how much revenue has been received from such charges in each of the last five years. [316735]
Margaret Hodge [holding answer 10 February 2010]: While my Department is responsible for the Royal Parks, which manages the eight Royal Parks and a number of other open spaces, Barking Park is not one of these.
Barking Park is run by the London borough of Barking and Dagenham and any information regarding car parking charges would have to be requested directly from them.
Brass Bands: Finance
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what progress he has made in the provision of additional funding for brass bands. [316638]
Margaret Hodge: The provision of additional funding for brass bands is being undertaken by Arts Council England who advise they are unable to provide the full breakdown of information within the necessary timeframe.
I have therefore asked the chief executive of The Arts Council England to write direct to the hon. Member.
Copies of the reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Departmental Disabled Staff
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many and what proportion of staff in (a) his Department and (b) the executive agency for which he is responsible are disabled; and what the average salary in (i) his Department and (ii) the executive agency is of (A) full-time disabled staff, (B) full-time non-disabled staff, (C) part-time disabled staff and (D) part-time non-disabled staff. [317909]
Mr. Sutcliffe: My Department currently employs 15 (3.1 per cent.) disabled staff. The Royal Parks Agency currently employs five (4 per cent.) disabled staff. These figures show those employees who have actually declared a disability.
The average salary across all grades in both DCMS and the Royal Parks Agency is set out in the table.
| £ | ||
| Full-time | Part-time | |
Departmental NDBPs
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on how many occasions he has met representatives of each of the advisory non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department in the last 12 months. [317009]
Mr. Bradshaw: I have met with representatives of the advisory non-departmental public bodies sponsored by the Department at a number of events in the course of my duties. The Minister for Culture has also held 14 formal meetings with these bodies.
Departmental Public Relations
Mr. Hurd:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) with reference to the answer of 5 March 2009, Official Report, column 1744W, on
departmental public relations, how many staff in his Department and its agency are (a) embedded communicators and (b) members of the Government Communications Network but are not listed in the Central Office of Information White Book; [315163]
(2) how many staff in his Department and its agencies (a) have the status of embedded communicators and (b) are members of the Government Communications Network but are not listed in the Central Office of Information White Book. [315171]
Mr. Bradshaw: No members of staff in my Department or its agency, the Royal Parks, are embedded communicators. In addition to the Department's central communications directorate, the Government Olympic Executive (GOE) has a communications team consisting of 5.8 communications staff. This team is considered, and has been included in previous responses as, part of the Department's communications staff.
Within my Department all members of the Government Communications Network (GCN) are listed in the Central Office of Information (COI) White Book. The Royal Parks Agency has four communications staff belonging to the GCN that are not listed in the COI White Book.
Departmental Surveys
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) how much his Department spent on each (a) survey and (b) independent report it commissioned in each of the last five years; and which organisation was contracted in each such case; [317158]
(2) what (a) surveys and (b) independent reports commissioned by his Department were undertaken in each of the last five years; how much each cost; and which organisation undertook each. [317521]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The table shows how much my Department spent on our commissioned surveys and independent research reports for each year over the last five years, with the relevant organisation given in each case.
| Commissioned organisation | Cost( 1) | |
| (1) All figures rounded to the nearest £1.000. | ||
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