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28 Jun 2010 : Column 358W—continued

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Agriculture: Environment Protection

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent representations she has received on the new stewardship schemes applied by Natural England. [4155]


28 Jun 2010 : Column 359W

Mr Paice: The newest strand of Environmental Stewardship is Uplands Entry Level Stewardship. This was launched in February and welcomed by a number of farming groups. Some representations have recently been made about the requirement for tenant farmers with lets of less than five years to have their application countersigned by their landlord. However, this requirement is necessary to meet European Union rules governing land management under agri-environment, and to ensure sufficient time for the accrual of environmental benefits and make the scheme effective. DEFRA has worked closely with industry and environmental groups throughout the scheme development, and guidance has been published jointly with the Tenancy Reform Industry Group to support tenants and landlords considering joining Uplands ELS.

Biodiversity

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment she has made of levels of biodiversity. [4579]

Richard Benyon: 'UK Biodiversity Indicators in your pocket' was published on 20 May 2010. Of the 33 measures assessed, 24 (72%) are 'improving' or 'showing little or no overall change' since the baseline year of 2000, compared with 11 (33%) over a longer term assessment of change.

These figures show that some improvements have been made-for example in relation to populations of widespread bats and woodland birds, both of which have declined dramatically in the past. More land is managed in environmental schemes and more people are volunteering, but many pressures on biodiversity remain high and some species, such as farmland birds and sea birds, have continued to decline.

Biodiversity is one of DEFRA's top priorities. We will be taking action through a White Paper on the natural environment and will promote green spaces and wildlife corridors to restore and increase biodiversity.

Departmental Manpower

Mr Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many (a) front-line and (b) other staff were employed by (i) her Department and (ii) each of its agencies in the latest year for which figures are available; and what her most recent estimate is of the annual cost to the public purse of employing staff of each type at each of those bodies. [535]

Richard Benyon: The Department and its Executive Agencies contain a mix of staff working in a wide range of areas, including policy development, analysis and research, operational services to the public, and support functions. We have not at this stage carried out a detailed analysis of how many posts fall into which category and so information on the breakdown between front-line and other staff is not held by the Department.

The following table shows the total number and cost of staff employed by the Department.


28 Jun 2010 : Column 360W
Department/Agency Number of staff Cost of staff (£ million)

DEFRA (core department)

2,516

121.7

Animal Health

1,590

56.2

Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science

561

20.2

Food and Environment Research Agency

852

30.4

Marine and Fisheries Agency

268

9.7

Rural Payments Agency

3,528

123.1

Veterinary Laboratories Agency

1,203

41.2

Veterinary Medicines Directorate

155

6.8


The numbers of staff shown are full-time equivalents as at 31 March 2010.

The cost of staff includes salaries plus employers' National Insurance and Superannuation contributions, and covers the 2009-10 Financial Year.

The Marine and Fisheries Agency is included in the table as it was not subsumed into the Marine Management Organisation non-departmental public body until 1 April 2010.

Fisheries: Northern Ireland

Ms Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will ensure that representatives of the Northern Ireland Executive will be part of the UK delegation to the Fisheries Council on 29 June 2010; and if she will make a statement. [4501]

Richard Benyon: The Northern Ireland Fisheries Minister, Michelle Gildernew, will not be part of the UK team attending the Agriculture and Fisheries Council on 29 June. She will, however, be sending officials from the Northern Ireland Executive to accompany me, the UK Fisheries Minister.

Flood Control

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will consider the merits of changing her Department's method of flood risk rating from ratio projections to high, medium and low ratings. [4513]

Richard Benyon: In the National Flood Risk Assessment, the Environment Agency has used both a ratio and a description (significant, moderate, low) to express the likelihood of a particular flood occurring.

The three categories used to describe the likelihood of flooding are:

Food: Imports

Paul Goggins: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what quantity of imported fresh produce was (a) examined and (b) rejected at (i) Heathrow and (ii) Manchester airports in the last (A) six months, (B) 12 months and (C) two years. [4640]

Mr Paice: Fresh fruit and vegetables being imported into England are examined by two main inspectorate bodies, the Horticultural Marketing Inspectorate (HMI) and the Plant Health and Seeds Inspectorate (PHSI).


28 Jun 2010 : Column 361W

The following tables show the quantity of fresh fruit and vegetables covered by EU marketing standards examined and refused entry(1) by the HMI at Heathrow and Manchester airports in the last six months, 12 months and two years.

Figures for last six months have dropped due to the deregulation/simplification-at both EU and national
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level-resulting from changes to the EU rules on marketing standards and how they are implemented in the UK.

Last six months 1 January to 31 June 2010 Last 12 months 1 July 2009 to 31 June 2010 Last two years 1 July 2008 to 31 June 2010

Number of consignments Weight in KG Number of consignments Weight in KG Number of consignments Weight in KG

Heathrow

18

50,438

90

449,337

2,853

2,708,068

Manchester

0

-

0

-

139

29,726


Last six months 1 January to 31 June 2010 Last 12 months 1 July 2009 to 31 June 2010 Last two years 1 July 2008 to 31 June 2010

Number of consignments refused entry Weight in KG Number of consignments refused entry Weight in KG Number of consignments refused entry Weight in KG

Heathrow

6

23,075

14

42,413

317

302,630

Manchester

0

-

0

-

30

6,659


The following tables show the quantity of fresh fruit and vegetables and cut flowers examined and refused entry by the PHSI at Heathrow and Manchester airports in the last six months, 12 months and two years. Where consignments are subject to HMI and PHSI controls and the HMI decide to inspect a commodity, their inspection includes inspection for PHSI purposes. As a consequence, there is likely to be a small amount of overlap between the HMI and PHSI tables.

Heathrow airport

Period Number. consignments examined Weight examined (tonnes) Number stems examined Number consignments rejected Weight rejected (tonnes) Number stems rejected

Produce

6 months

844

767

-

54

10.7

-

12 months

1,986

1,930

-

91

24.88

-

24 months

7,600

3,980

-

197

43.72

-

Flowers

6 months

191

124

4,585,268

3

-

12,592

12 months

359

222

6,955,726

6

-

19,402

24 months

1,067

742

20,611,02 0

12

-

44,162


Manchester airport

Period Number. consignments examined Weight examined (tonnes) Number stems examined Number consignments rejected Weight rejected (tonnes) Number stems rejected

Produce

6 months

943

390

-

24

3.03

-

12 months

2,311

1,131

-

49

24.99

-

24 months

5,005

2,616

-

164

123.03

-

Flowers

6 months

101

15

671,000

0

-

0

12 months

238

41

2,095,000

0

-

0

24 months

649

1,277

5,149,000

9

-

193,335

Notes:
1. Six months: January 2010 to June 2010
2. 12 months: July 2009 to June 2010
3. 24 months: July 2008 to June 2010
Source:
The Plant Health and Seeds Inspectorate

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