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30 Jun 2010 : Column 561W—continued
Flood Control: Chatham
Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much her Department has spent on flood protection measures in Chatham and Aylesford constituency in each year since 1997. [4514]
Richard Benyon: The Environment Agency allocates funding to stretches of river and areas at risk of flooding rather than to parliamentary constituencies.
The Environment Agency completed the Aylesford Tidal Medway Bank Slip in 2006 at a cost of £75,000, refurbished the Aylesford Pumping Station in 2008 at a cost of £25,000 and replaced the Lower Medway Tributaries Weedscreen in 2009 at a cost of £25,000.
The Environment Agency also has an annual programme of works for the River Medway Catchment.
Flood Control: Kent
Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what funding her Department has allocated to flood defence projects in Kent in (a) 2010-11 and (b) each of the next three financial years. [4511]
Richard Benyon: The Environment Agency's indicative programme of works in the Kent and East Sussex area for the next three years is as follows:
| £ | |
The figures shown are from the Environment Agency's ten year medium-term plan.
These figures are indicative. Funding for future years is subject to the outcome of the Comprehensive Spending Review each autumn, and priorities at the time.
Sustainable Development
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what position the EU plans to take at the Rio+20 UN Conference on Sustainable Development. [4625]
Mr Paice: The EU adopted Council conclusions on the 2012 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development on 11 June. The conclusions set out political support for the conference, endorse the two agreed themes, "'green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication' and 'institutional framework for sustainable development'", and welcome the organisational structure to support the preparatory process. The EU is strongly committed to playing an active and constructive role and will be developing more detailed positions in the run up to the second preparatory committee meeting, due to take place next February.
Timber
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had with her EU counterparts on measures to prevent the illegal logging of timber. [4876]
Mr Paice:
The UK is a strong supporter of EU legislation to eliminate the flow of illegal timber onto the market-commonly called the Due Diligence Regulation. The EU is close to agreement on a strong regulation that will include a prohibition to prevent illegal timber from entering the EU market. We are working with all EU member states, the Commission,
and the European Parliament to finalise this agreement. The Secretary of State recently discussed the draft regulation with Germany, Portugal and Denmark.
Cabinet Office
Departmental Official Cars
Mr Watson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many (a) civil servants and (b) special advisers in (i) his Department, (ii) the Prime Minister's Office, (iii) the Deputy Prime Minister's office and (iv) the office of the Leader of the House are entitled to the use of (A) a car with a dedicated driver, (B) a car from the Government car pool and (C) a taxi ordered through a departmental account. [3192]
Mr Maude: No civil servants or special advisers in this Department have a dedicated Government car or driver.
As was the case under the previous Administration, civil servants, including special advisers, may use a taxi or car from the Government car pool in properly defined circumstances.
Written Questions: Government Responses
Mr Watson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office when he plans to answer (a) question (i) 130, on departmental manpower, (ii) 27, on travel guidance for Government departments and (iii) 287, on departmental official vehicles, tabled on 25 May 2010 and (b) question 595, on the Coalition Press Office, tabled on 26 May 2010. [3846]
Mr Maude: I refer the hon. Member to my answers of 17 June 2010, Official Report, column 520W, on the coalition press office (595); 22 June 2010, Official Report, column 177W, on departmental manpower (130) and 28 June 2010, Official Report, column 446W, on departmental official vehicles (287).
The question on travel guidance was transferred to HM Treasury on 28 May 2010.
Deputy Prime Minister
Chevening
Mr Watson: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many rooms at Chevening have been allocated for his use; and what allocation of staff has been made to support him when in residence. [597]
The Deputy Prime Minister: I have been nominated as the occupant of Chevening.
Lobbying
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to his answer of 15 June 2010, Official Report, column 321W, on lobbying, what external organisations he plans to consult on the statutory register of lobbyists other than the UK Public Affairs Council. [5236]
Mr Harper: We will consult with those organisations that have an appropriate interest in this area before introducing a statutory register of lobbyists.
Monarchy: Succession
Mr Bain: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will bring forward proposals to change the law to enable Roman Catholics or those married to Roman Catholics to succeed to the throne. [5060]
Mr Harper: There are no current plans to amend the laws on succession.
Business, Innovation and Skills
Business: Government Assistance
Mrs McGuire: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many businesses in Stirling constituency have taken up the Working Capital scheme since its inception. [4072]
Mr Prisk: The Working Capital Scheme (WCS) was launched last year to provide guarantees for banks: individual businesses were not eligible to apply for these guarantees. No further guarantees will be available under the WCS although existing guarantees will be honoured.
East of England Development Agency
Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assets were owned by the East of England Development Agency in each year since its inception; and what the monetary value was of each of those assets in each of those years. [4815]
Mr Prisk: The East of England Development Agency (EEDA) owned assets for the purposes of investment, development and operation to the value of:
| £ 000 | |||
| Investment a sset( 1) | Development a sset( 2) | Operational a sset( 3) | |
| (1) An Investment Asset is defined as a property acquired for the purpose of producing income for its owner. In practice, EEDA acts as an interim owner of assets until a development company or equivalent is in a position to purchase the asset. Investment assets are sold on at market value. (2) A Development Asset is defined as land inherited or acquired for the purpose of developing following clearance, decontamination and securing planning permissions. Under the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors valuation standards (Red Book rules), RDA land is valued at proposed end use which may result in a different valuation from current market value without restrictions. (3) Operational assets include the following categories; Furniture and Equipment IT Hardware IT Software (operational software) Software Licences Websites which will have an economic monetary benefit in the future. | |||
Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much the East of England Development Agency has spent on (a) administration and (b) projects in each year since it was established. [4870]
Mr Prisk: The information requested is available in the annual report and accounts published by EEDA and deposited annually in the Libraries of the House. The report and accounts for the year ending 31 March 2010 will be deposited in the Libraries of the House before the summer recess.
Manufacturing Industries: Motor Vehicles
Mrs McGuire: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many cars were purchased under the scrappage scheme in Stirling constituency during the scheme's operation. [4071]
Mr Prisk: Using data based on the locations of dealerships and data for scrappage transactions which have been completed and vehicles delivered, there have been 1,513 completed scrappage transactions in Stirling constituency. Due to the nature of the scheme, we will not have final data on completed scrappage transactions until approximately the beginning of September this year.
Public Finance
Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the capacity of the private sector to absorb redundancies in the public sector arising from reductions in departmental expenditure limits. [4703]
Danny Alexander: I have been asked to reply.
Public sector organisations will need to reform to live within the tighter spending envelope necessary to tackle the deficit. It will be for public sector employers to determine the exact workforce implications in line with their overall budget reductions-which will be determined by the Spending Review.
The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has published its independent assessment of economic prospects taking into account all measures in the Budget (Budget 2010, HC 61). The OBR forecasts that employment will rise from 2011 onwards, reaching 30.1 million (1.1 million above its 2009 level) by 2015.
Regional Development Agencies: Pay
Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the gross salary and pensions benefits was of the (a) chief executive, (b) deputy chief executive and (c) other executive directors of each regional development agency in each year since their inception; and if he will make a statement. [4871]
Mr Prisk: The information requested is available in the annual reports and accounts published by the individual RDAs and deposited annually in the House of Commons Library. The reports and accounts for the year ending 31 March 2010 will be deposited in the Library before the summer recess.
Simon Hughes
Mr Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions Ministers in his Department have had with the hon. Member for Bermondsey and Old Southwark on student finance. [4368]
Mr Willetts: MPs frequently meet BIS Ministers to be briefed on policy issues on which this Department leads.
Health
Cervical Cancer: Screening
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for the future of cervical cancer screening in the NHS; and if he will make a statement. [4926]
Mr Burstow: The independent Advisory Committee on Cervical Screening (ACCS) advises on the development of the cervical screening service in England, monitors its effectiveness and efficiency and advises on research within the provision of the service.
The December 2010 meeting of the ACCS will discuss the future strategic direction of the programme based on recent and imminent research findings into new screening technologies and methodologies. The discussion will involve human papillomavirus (HPV) triage for women with mild or borderline screening results, HPV testing as primary screening, and automated reading of cervical samples. The discussion will also include the impact of HPV vaccination on the programme, as the young women vaccinated in the early waves of the vaccination programme approach the age at which they will be invited for cervical screening.
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