Written Answers to Questions
Tuesday 16 March 2010
Scotland
Future Jobs Fund
Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland pursuant to the answer of 24 February 2010, Official Report, column 552W, on the Future Jobs Fund, which projects the Future Jobs Fund is supporting in Scotland, and how many jobs have been provided through each project. [322406]
Ann McKechin: By the end of the eighth bidding round announced on 15 March 2010, the Government had approved 58 Future Jobs Fund bids to create up to 10,328 jobs in Scotland.
| Bidding organisation | Number of jobs |
Taxation
Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the economic effects in England of the tax proposals set out in paragraphs 4.13 to 4.39 of "Scotland's Future in the United Kingdom", Cm 7738. [322282]
Ann McKechin: The tax proposals set out in the Government's White Paper "Scotland's Future in the United Kingdom" will deliver real financial accountability to the Scottish Parliament and, once fully implemented, mean that a substantial proportion of the Scottish budget will derive directly from taxes determined and raised in Scotland. At the same time, the proposals safeguard the economic and administrative efficiencies inherent to the unified tax system within the United Kingdom.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Floods: Gloucestershire
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much (a) his Department and (b) the Environment Agency have provided to (i) Tewkesbury council and (ii) Gloucestershire county council for flood prevention schemes since the flooding of July 2007; and if he will make a statement. [321053]
Huw Irranca-Davies: DEFRA provides grants to operating authorities in England to manage the risks of flooding and coastal erosion. DEFRA's grants to the Environment Agency to tackle flooding increased from £499.8 million in 2007-08 to £659 million in 2010-11.
The Environment Agency has provided Tewkesbury borough council with £75,000 for capital improvement works. Some £119,000 has been allocated to Tewkesbury borough council for property level flood protection and resilience measures.
DEFRA has allocated Gloucestershire county council £200,000 for surface water management.
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much (a) his Department and (b) the Environment Agency have provided to (i) Tewkesbury council and (ii) Gloucestershire county council for repairs relating to flooding of July 2007; and if he will make a statement. [321054]
Huw Irranca-Davies: The Government made a comprehensive package of over £136 million available to support areas affected by the flooding of summer 2007.
This included around £19 million provided by the Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG) through the Bellwin scheme. Flood-affected local authorities applied for help through the scheme, which provides financial assistance to local authorities dealing with emergencies. Exceptionally, the terms of the scheme were made more generous because of the circumstances of the 2007 floods.
Through the Bellwin scheme £2.8 million was provided to Gloucestershire county council and £350,000 to Tewkesbury borough council. In addition £950,000 was provided to the Gloucestershire police authority.
The other main elements of the £136 million package are:
Around £41 million from the Department for Transport for repairs to the local highway.
£30.6 million from CLG, through the Restoration Fund, that we have been able to release through a successful European Union Solidarity Fund bid.
£18.4 million from CLG for Flood Recovery Grant to support the recovery work of local authorities, and particularly their work with those in greatest and most immediate need. The latest £1 million released on 31 January was allocated to the nine local authorities with the highest number of households still displaced.
£13.5 million from the Department for Children, School and Families for schools and children's services affected by the floods. A total of 858 schools were damaged in the June floods and those in July.
Over £11 million from Regional Development Agencies for businesses affected in their regions.
Over £1.2 million from CLG for local authorities giving council tax discounts, so families do not face council tax bill for homes they could not live in.
£1 million which could be drawn on as contingency reserve by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) for use by Jobcentre Plus to support additional demand for Social Fund Community Care Grants. DWP paid Community Care Grants and Crisis Loans totalling £810,891 to people on qualifying benefits to meet the cost of replacing essential household items.
£1 million from the Department for Culture Media and Sport to support rural tourism in England through promoting rural destinations and visitor attractions. It will also be used to fund a targeted marketing campaign for the regions of England and businesses such as B and Bs, caravan parks and attractions.
The Environment Agency has not provided funding to either Tewkesbury borough council or Gloucestershire county council for repairs relating to the 2007 flooding.
Seals: Canada
Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he last discussed the seal hunt in Canada with the Canadian Government. [322677]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Secretary of State has not held recent discussions with the Canadian Government on the seal hunt in Canada.
The Government's opposition to the annual Canadian seal hunt is well known and remains unchanged. We have lobbied since 2006 to promote EU-wide action and on 23 July 2008, the European Commission proposed an EU-wide ban on trade in seal products from a range of species where it cannot be proved that the seals were killed humanely.
Tree Planting
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to encourage the Forestry Commission to assist in the acquisition and replanting of agricultural land with native species of trees. [321538]
Huw Irranca-Davies: The Delivery Plan for our Strategy for England's Trees, Woods and Forest produced by the Forestry Commission and Natural England includes the objective to create new woodland in priority areas.
The English Woodland Grant Scheme administered by the Forestry Commission offers incentives to landowners to encourage them to plant trees. These grants are part of the Rural Development Programme for England 2007-13. Under the scheme rules it is not permissible to reimburse costs of land acquisition, but the grants do cover a proportion of the planting costs and the agricultural income foregone. The current target for new woodland creation is 2,200 hectares per year of which 2,000 hectares are expected to be on agricultural land.
In the 2009 Low Carbon Transition Plan we set out our intention to support a new drive to encourage private funding for woodland creation and options to achieve this are being explored by the Forestry Commission and DEFRA.
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to encourage the Forestry Commission to reduce the number of trees planted per acre for new growth. [321539]
Huw Irranca-Davies: We are not taking any steps to encourage the Forestry Commission or other landowners to reduce the number of trees planted per hectare and there is no reason to do so. The English Woodland Grant Scheme, administered by the Forestry Commission and which supports most new woodland creation, allows for trees to be planted at a range of densities depending on the purpose of the woodland. These include densities as low as 100 trees per hectare for 'special' broadleaves such as poplar, ranging through 1,600 trees per hectare for native woodlands and up to 2,250 trees per hectare for 'standard' woodlands.
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