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10 Mar 2010 : Column 322W—continued
Stroud
Mr. Drew: 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 Stroud constituency, the effects on that constituency of his Department's policies and actions since 2000. [321476]
Dan Norris: Due to the broad nature of the question and the wide range of DEFRA policies implemented in Stroud, it is not possible to provide a detailed answer in the form requested.
Stroud 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 Stroud, the Government Office for the South West is able to provide information on implementation and the benefits to the area.
Waste Disposal: Fees and Charges
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst (Robert Neill) of 20 July 2009, Official Report, column 745W, on waste disposal: fees and charges, who responded to each of the consultations referred to. [319745]
Dan Norris: The list of respondents for the Consultation on the Incentives for Recycling by Households, May 2007, can be found in the summary of responses:
The respondents to the informal consultation on the draft guidance in June 2008 were:
Local Authority Recycling Committee
Association of Charity Shops
Birmingham City Council
ESRC BRASS Centre, Cardiff University
GMB Union
Campaign for Real Recycling
Chartered Institution of Wastes Management
Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority
Norfolk County Council
Waste Watch
Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council
Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council
Cambridgeshire County Council
County Surveyors Society
Hampshire County Council
Absorbent Hygiene Products Manufacturers Association
Bromsgrove Borough Council
Coventry City Council
South Gloucestershire County Council
London Borough of Sutton
Five responses were from private individuals
The list of respondents to the formal consultation on statutory Good Recycling Service guidance, September 2008, can be found in the summary of responses:
Wales
Departmental Disciplinary Proceedings
Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many (a) disciplinary and (b) capability procedures have been (i) initiated and (ii) completed in his Department in each of the last five years; how much time on average was taken to complete each type of procedure in each such year; how many and what proportion of his Department's staff were subject to each type of procedure in each such year; and how many and what proportion of each type of procedure resulted in the dismissal of the member of staff. [320622]
Mr. Hain: Only a very small number of staff have been subject to disciplinary and capability procedures (including dismissal) and therefore the actual numbers cannot be provided without compromising staff confidentiality in what is a small office of 60 people. We do not routinely collect information on the amount of time spent on these procedures.
Departmental Languages
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many (a) Ministers and (b) civil servants in his Department received coaching in a foreign language in the last 12 months; what expenditure his Department incurred in providing such coaching; and in what languages such coaching was provided. [320538]
Mr. Hain: The Wales Office has not provided coaching in any foreign language to either Ministers or staff in the last 12 months.
Departmental Marketing
Mr. Syms: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Ruislip- Northwood (Mr. Hurd) of 5 January 2010, Official Report, column 103W, on departmental marketing, how much his Department has spent on advertising, marketing, public relations and publicity in relation to the (a) Real Help Now and (b) Building Britain's Future themed campaign to date. [320463]
Mr. Hain: The Wales Office spent £2,151 on the printing of Real Help for Wales Now booklets, but has committed no expenditure on Building Britain's Future themed campaigns.
Departmental Temporary Employment
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales which companies his Department used for providing temporary staff in 2008-09; how many temporary staff were employed in that year; and what the monetary value of contracts with each such company was. [320291]
Mr. Hain: In 2008-09 we used Acorn Recruitment Agency for one member of staff at a cost of £2,365.
Departmental Travel
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much (a) Ministers and (b) staff of each grade in his Department spent on first class travel in the last 12 months. [320396]
Mr. Hain: In the last 12 months the following amounts have been spent on first class travel on official business:
| £ | |
As the Wales Office operates on split sites both in Cardiff and London, Ministers and staff need to travel between offices in the conduct of their duties.
All official travel by Ministers and Civil Servants is undertaken in accordance with the requirements of the Ministerial Code and the Civil Service Management Code.
Economic Situation
Lembit Öpik: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with Ministerial colleagues and the Welsh Assembly Government on the economy in Wales; and if he will make a statement. [320832]
Mr. Hain: I have had regular discussions with both ministerial colleagues and Welsh Assembly Government Ministers on the economy in Wales, including through the National Economic Council and the All Wales Economic Summits, and will continue to do so.
The action taken both in Westminster and in Wales has helped Wales to exit the recession and move towards economic recovery: action that has ensured that there are still 95,000 more people in work in Wales than there were in 1997.
As we look to the future we remain confident but cautious, and will continue to support long-term sustainable growth and provide targeted economic support-to withdraw this now would put the recovery at risk.
Trade Unions
Mr. Syms: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many days staff of his Department spent on trade union activity in the latest year for which figures are available; and what recent estimate he has made of the annual cost to the public purse of such activity. [320669]
Mr. Hain: In line with the ACAS code of practice "Time off for Trades Union Duties and Activities", the trade union representative has spent around 1.5 days on trade union activity in the last current financial year to date. The estimated accumulative cost is around £150.
Transport
Bus Services: Concessions
Peter Luff: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what steps he is taking to ensure the continuing availability of discretionary travel arrangements in rural areas for (a) elderly and (b) disabled persons; and if he will make a statement. [320979]
Mr. Khan: Travel concession authorities in England have the freedom to offer discretionary travel concessions to their older and disabled residents. Local authorities are best placed to know about local needs and circumstances. These enhancements are not part of the statutory minimum and must be funded from an authority's own resources.
After the planned shift of responsibility for concessionary travel administration from lower tier to upper tier local authorities from April 2011, it will be the responsibility of upper tier local authorities to provide discretionary travel concessions for their older and disabled residents. This change will not prevent upper tier authorities from maintaining or introducing local-level discretions, for example where there are differing needs within different parts of a county boundary (such local schemes could for example operate at a district level).
Cycling
Lynne Jones:
To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what estimate he has made of the annual amount spent per head of population in (a) Aylesbury, (b) Brighton, (c) Darlington, (d) Derby, (e) Exeter, (f) Lancaster, (g) Birmingham, (h) Manchester, (i)
Bristol, (j) Cambridge, (k) the West Midlands and (l) England to encourage cycling in each of the last five years. [321418]
Mr. Khan: The four main streams of Departmental funding to encourage cycling in England are local transport plan funding, "cycle city and town" funding, links to school funding and cycle training grants.
This funding is not ring-fenced and local authorities have discretion to spend their allocations in line with their priorities. It is not possible to calculate funding on cycling by head of population.
The Department funds 18 cycle city and towns. Funding for the first six cycle demonstration towns between 2005 and 2010-11 is £5 per head annually and for the second round of cycle city and towns between 2008 and 2010-11 at £8 per head annually. These figures relate to the cycle town area, which may not always be the same as the local authority. In some cases, towns have bid for additional funding.
The Department funds links to school to encourage cycling and walking to schools. As these are linked to individual schools, it is not meaningful to relate this to annual funding per head of population.
Local authorities apply for grants to train school children in Bikeability level 2. Bikeability level 2 is an approved cycle training course normally undertaken by children in years five to six (ages 10-11). The grants are awarded by the number of children the authority proposes to train for the funding year with a maximum grant of £40 per child, additional to those they propose to train from their own funding. The Department keeps no record of local authorities which fund cycle training from their own funds.
Government Car and Despatch Agency
Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport pursuant to the answer of 22 February 2010, Official Report, column 188W, on the Government Car and Despatch Agency, from which departments (a) complaints relating to relief drivers and (b) other complaints were received. [319827]
Paul Clark [holding answer 1 March 2010]: The Government Car and Despatch Agency monitors formal complaints through its ISO 9001 procedures. In the past two years there have been 17 recorded complaints, eight of which refer specifically to the provision of relief drivers. Records are not retained beyond two years.
Complaints relating to 'relief drivers' were received from the following Departments:
| Department | Number of complaints |
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