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8 Apr 2010 : Column 1496W—continued
Our high commissions in Pretoria and Gaborone work closely with the Department For International Development (DFID) Southern Africa (based in Pretoria, South Africa), responsible for DFID's work in Lesotho, Botswana and Swaziland. Tackling HIV in the region is a priority for DFID Southern Africa. For example, DFID Southern Africa is funding a £23 million Behaviour Change Communication Programme across 10 countries (including Lesotho, Botswana and Swaziland), reaching
60 per cent. of the youth population. They are also contributing £18 million to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Children and AIDS Regional Initiative across six countries (including Lesotho, Botswana and Swaziland), helping orphans and vulnerable children affected by HIV and AIDS. At the national level in Lesotho, DFID Southern Africa is providing £2.5 million to the Apparel Lesotho Alliance to Fight AIDS (ALAFA) programme, providing HIV prevention, treatment and care services to 48,000 factory workers, 80 per cent. of whom are women.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Air Pollution: Shropshire
Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Transport on air quality in Shropshire. [325438]
Jim Fitzpatrick: There have been no recent discussions between the Secretary of State for Environment Food and Rural Affairs and the Secretary of State for Transport on air quality in Shropshire. Ministers from both Departments met recently to discuss transport measures to improve air quality in the UK, and DEFRA and Department for Transport officials meet regularly to discuss national and local transport measures to improve air quality.
Climate Change
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues on the effects of climate change on the UK's wildlife and habitat. [325614]
Huw Irranca-Davies: Recent discussions with ministerial colleagues include Government's publication "Climate Change: Taking Action". This brings together the key themes from central Government Departments and is available from the Libraries of the House. The effects of climate change on biodiversity are considered in further detail in DEFRA's Adaptation Plan and the specific supplement on adaptation and the natural environment, available on the DEFRA website.
Coastal Erosion
Mr. Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much the Environment Agency spent on sea defences in (a) total, (b) East Anglia and (c) Essex in each of the last 10 years. [325454]
Huw Irranca-Davies: The following figures show the Environment Agency's spend on coastal and tidal schemes in England, East Anglia and Essex.
| Sea and tidal schemes in England | |
| £ million | |
| Sea and tidal defences capital expenditure figures | ||
| £ million | ||
| East Anglia | Essex | |
Departmental Information Officers
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the cost to his Department was of employing press and media officers in the last 12 month period for which figures are available; and what the cost to his Department was of employing such staff in the financial year 1996-97, expressed in real terms. [324808]
Dan Norris: The total cost of employing staff in the DEFRA press office for the period of 1 April 2009 to 28 February 2010 was £906,316.80. Figures for March 2010 are not yet available.
DEFRA was established in 2001. There are therefore no figures available for press office costs in 1996-97.
Departmental Internet
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many complaints his Department received regarding difficulties using its website in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement. [325198]
Dan Norris: There have been no complaints about the DEFRA website in the last three years through DEFRA's formal complaints process or via ministerial correspondence.
We do not keep statistics of the ad hoc website feedback received by e-mail through the "Contact Us" option on the site. Where negative comments are received they are generally about the content rather than the operation of the website.
In the month following the September 2009 redesign of the DEFRA website we received about 120 e-mails-many more than usual. This generally arose from unfamiliarity with the new design, and the in-house DEFRA web team followed up and helped overcome any temporary difficulties among users.
In March 2010 DEFRA carried out a random website user survey which invited visitors to the DEFRA website to give a general comment on the website, as well as answer a series of structured questions about what they were using it for. Approximately two thirds of these general comments were negative. Many were not specifically about the website but they are all being followed up by the in- house team.
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department spent on external website design consultants in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement. [325216]
Dan Norris: Expenditure on external website design consultants in the last three years is shown in the following table.
| Design consultancy costs (£) | |
Full external costs for the DEFRA website for this period were provided in the answer given on 27 January 2010, Official Report, column 871W to the hon. Member for Welwyn Hatfield (Grant Shapps).
Departmental Language Coaching
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 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. [320417]
Dan Norris: In the last 12 months 13 staff members have received foreign language coaching at a cost of £11,643.90. The coaching is provided in French, Spanish and German.
DEFRA has significant involvement in the EU policy agenda and the provision of language training for appropriate staff helps ensure that the Department can engage effectively with its European contacts.
Ministers did not receive foreign language coaching.
Departmental Legal Costs
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department and its predecessors have spent in (a) legal fees and (b) compensation on legal cases concerning remuneration of its employees in each of the last 10 years. [322059]
Dan Norris: There have been no legal cases wholly concerning remuneration of employees brought against the Department for Environment and Rural Affairs or its executive agencies for the past four years. DEFRA is not able to provide data for any period prior to this. There are a number of cases concerning remuneration currently in progress but figures for these are not yet available as proceedings are still active.
Departmental Official Hospitality
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the five most expensive hospitality events hosted by his Department and its agencies were in the last three years; and what (a) the cost and (b) purpose of each such event was. [324656]
Dan Norris: DEFRA and its agencies conduct many public events throughout the year and the costs of each are carefully managed to ensure best value for money is achieved consistent with the objectives and purpose of the event. No central record is maintained of these events.
DEFRA does not conduct hospitality events, these being precluded by the civil service code. But some hospitality, e.g. refreshments and buffets may be provided at events.
Core financial systems do not always record the specific nature of the events and as all event costs are not directly allocated to a single account, the answer could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
No central records are kept by DEFRA of the events conducted by its eight agencies so to collect and collate answers would also incur disproportionate cost.
Departmental Publications
Mr. Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 15 December 2009, Official Report, column 974W, on departmental publications, if he will place in the Library a copy of each of the last 10 editions of his Department's Landscape staff magazine. [324306]
Dan Norris: We have arranged for a copy of each of the last 10 editions of Landscape to be placed in the Library.
Departmental Telephone Services
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to the answer of 3 November 2009, Official Report, column 801W, on departmental telephone services, whether contracts were awarded for the provision of services relating to helplines. [324112]
Dan Norris: With reference to the answer of 3 November 2009, Official Report, column 801W, and from information held centrally a contract was awarded to Vertex Data Science Ltd. on 18 October 2008 for a period of five years, to expire 17 October 2013. The helpline contract provides a single point of contact for all DEFRA general inquiries.
Farming Link
Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the (a) production, printing and distribution costs and (b) circulation figures are of his Department's publication Farming Link. [325315]
Dan Norris [holding answer 6 April 2010]: Farming Link is a 16-page full-colour A4 magazine and is DEFRA's main way of communicating with farmers and growers. It is produced and distributed to 136,462 addresses four times a year. As well as a printed version, an online version is produced which includes a searchable PDF as well as individual articles.
Costs for 2009-10 were as follows:
| Edition | Contractor | Cost (£) |
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