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7 Jun 2010 : Column 10W—continued
The total spend is made up by the following: manpower (military and civilian wages), marketing, recruiting incentives, recruitment vehicles and fuel, equipment support, rent, infrastructure, utilities and depreciation (costs for recruiting offices etc.) and the IT system used during the application process.
Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on recruitment advertisements in national and local media in (a) England, (b) Scotland, (c) Northern Ireland and (d) Wales in each of the last five years. [667]
Mr Robathan: The majority of advertising conducted by the Ministry of Defence is targeted at the recruitment of personnel to the armed forces and civil service. In addition, the Department may promote other initiatives such as Armed Forces Day.
The data are not held or listed against country as requested, but represent UK-wide activity. Information for 2009-10 is not yet available.
| Advertising spend | ||||
| £ million | ||||
| Print (press and poster) | Online and interactive TV | TV and cinema | Radio | |
Royal Fleet Auxiliary
Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the future of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary; and if he will make a statement. [1037]
Nick Harvey: The arrangements for delivering maritime operational support through the Royal Fleet Auxiliary have been under review since the end of last year. This work has not yet been completed and may in any case be affected by the Strategic Defence and Security Review. It would be premature to speculate about its outcome at this stage.
Trident
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether plans for the replacement of Trident will be included in the Strategic Defence Review. [1300]
Dr Fox: Both the value for money review of the Trident programme and the re-examination of the UK's declaratory nuclear policy will be conducted within the framework of the Strategic Defence and Security Review.
Wales
Departmental Billing
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what percentage of invoices from suppliers to her Department were paid within 10 days of receipt in (a) March and (b) April 2010. [1284]
Mrs Gillan: In March and April 2010 respectively, 98.8% and 95.6% of invoices were paid by the Wales Office within ten days.
Departmental Electronic Equipment
Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many (a) plasma and (b) LCD televisions there are in ministerial offices in her Department. [398]
Departmental Manpower
Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many full-time equivalent staff at each Civil Service grade are employed in the private office of each Minister in her Department. [121]
Mrs Gillan: There are currently 3.63 full-time equivalent (FTE) staff in my office and 3.0 FTE in the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State's office. The following table shows a breakdown of the FTEs by grade:
| Number | |||
| Grade | SofS office | PUSS office | Total |
Departmental Mobile Phones
Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales which Ministers in her Department have been issued with (a) a Blackberry, (b) an iPhone, (c) another make of mobile telephone and (d) a personal digital assistant supplied by the Department. [1421]
Mr David Jones: Both the Secretary of State and I have been issued with a standard mobile telephone.
Departmental Official Cars
Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many Government (a) cars and (b) drivers are allocated to Ministers in her Department. [304]
Mrs Gillan: The current interim arrangements for The Wales Office are (a) three cars and (b) two drivers allocated to departmental Ministers. Two cars are in London and one is in Cardiff. This is supplemented by the use of pool cars as needed.
The new Ministerial Code, published on 21 May 2010, contains changes that affect ministerial entitlement to travel by Government car. It states that:
"the number of Ministers with allocated cars and drivers will be kept to a minimum, taking into account security and other relevant considerations. Other Ministers will be entitled to use cars from the Government Car Service Pool as needed."
The Department for Transport and its Government Car and Despatch Agency are working with Departments to effect the transition to the new arrangements.
The Ministerial Code, published on 21 May 2010, is available on the Cabinet Office website.
Departmental Public Expenditure
Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when and in what form she plans to publish a list of all items of expenditure by her Department over £25,000. [284]
Mrs Gillan: The Prime Minister has written to Cabinet Ministers(1) reiterating transparency commitments made in the Coalition Programme for Government, and setting out a timetable for achieving them. In particular, all new items of central Government spending over £25,000 will be published online in an open format from November 2010.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Agriculture: Subsidies
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much her Department allocated for potential disallowances and penalties for claims made against the Rural Payments Agency in each of the last five years. [424]
Mr Paice [holding answer 2 June 2010]: The following financial provisions were created in the Department's annual accounts in each of the last five years for potential disallowances and late payment penalties arising from the Rural Payments Agency's administration of CAP schemes. These provision figures represent the Department's estimate of what disallowance was expected to arise in future years. In most cases the actual amounts are only known several years later. Please note that the following figure for the 2009-10 financial year has not yet been audited by the National Audit Office.
| £000 | |
| (1) The reduction in 2007-08 was due to a reassessment of potential disallowance upon receipt of further information from the EC. | |
Biofuels
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is on increasing the number of anaerobic digestion facilities for the production of biogas. [547]
Richard Benyon: We will introduce measures to promote a large increase in energy from waste through anaerobic digestion. Central to this will be work to facilitate an increase in the number of anaerobic digestion facilities producing biogas from waste.
Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control
Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of culling badgers as a means of controlling TB in cattle; and if she will make a statement. [892]
Mr Paice: The Government have committed that, as part of a package of measures, we will introduce a carefully-managed and science-led policy of badger control in areas with high and persistent levels of bovine TB.
We need to consider all the issues carefully, including the scientific evidence, to work out the detail of the package to ensure we get it right. We will be looking at vaccine and culling options as part of that package.
Cattle: Animal Welfare
Mr Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will bring forward proposals to (a) set standards for welfare in cows and (b) prohibit the factory farming of dairy cows; and if she will make a statement. [1125]
Mr Paice: The welfare of livestock, including cows, is protected by the Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) Regulations 2007 and the Animal Welfare Act 2006. There are codes of recommendations published on the DEFRA website which farmers are required by law to have access to, and be familiar with, which encourage high standards of husbandry. Enforcement action can be taken against farmers who do not comply with this legislation.
The Government welcome innovative and entrepreneurial efforts by dairy farmers to improve their global competitiveness, while protecting the environment and meeting animal welfare standards. All dairy cattle, in whatever system they are kept, are protected by comprehensive animal welfare legislation in England. It is important to recognise that poor welfare can occur in both intensive and extensive systems, and the most significant influence on the welfare of livestock is the stock-keeper, not the system in which it is reared.
Departmental Manpower
Mr Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her estimate is of the cost to the public purse of proposed reductions in numbers of non-front line staff in her Department and its agencies. [489]
Richard Benyon: The Chancellor's statement about savings of £6.2 billion across the public sector outlined that DEFRA and its arm's length bodies would contribute to £162 million of this saving. As a Department we have identified some specific areas where savings will be achieved in addition to the efficiencies being implemented across the Civil Service.
At present, no decisions have been taken on reductions in the numbers of staff. It is therefore not possible to make an estimate of the cost. Any staff reductions will be made in line with business need and with a view to providing value for money.
Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers
Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many special advisers (a) she and (b) each named Minister in her Department (i) has appointed to date and (ii) plans to appoint. [309]
Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many (a) political appointments and (b) other personal appointments she has made since her appointment; and at what estimated annual cost to the public purse. [372]
Richard Benyon: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by the Prime Minister on 3 June 2010, Official Report, column 99W.
Departmental Official Cars
Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many Government (a) cars and (b) drivers are allocated to Ministers in her Department. [294]
Richard Benyon: Under the arrangements inherited from Ministers in the previous Government, the current interim arrangements for DEFRA are (a) two cars and (b) two drivers allocated to departmental Ministers, supplemented by the use of pool cars if needed.
The new Ministerial Code, published on 21 May 2010, contains changes that affect ministerial entitlement to travel by Government car. It states that "the number of Ministers with allocated cars and drivers will be kept to a minimum, taking into account security and other relevant considerations. Other Ministers will be entitled to use cars from the Government Car Service Pool as needed".
DEFRA Ministers have decided not to have allocated cars and drivers. DEFRA is working with the Department for Transport and its Government Car and Despatch Agency to effect the transition to the new arrangements.
The Ministerial Code, published on 21 May 2010, is available on the Cabinet Office website.
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