Prerogative Power of Mercy
Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what criteria are in place in relation to the advice he offers on the use of the prerogative power of mercy. [47320]
Mr Blunt: Anyone convicted of a criminal offence can seek to appeal their conviction and/or sentence. If an appeal is unsuccessful, or in exceptional cases where there has been no appeal, the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) can review the case. If the CCRC think there is a real possibility that the conviction and/or sentence would not be upheld, they can refer the case back to the appeal court.
By long-standing convention, the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, my right hon. and
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learned Friend the Member for Rushcliffe (Mr Clarke), would only recommend exercise of the Royal Prerogative of Mercy in relation to a criminal conviction if new evidence had come to light which had not been considered by the court and it was impractical to refer the case to an appellate court to hear the new evidence. This policy reflects the constitutional position that it is the courts, not the Government, which decide whether a person is guilty of a criminal offence and, if they are, the appropriate sentence.
Prison and Probation Ombudsman: Personnel
Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many former Prison Service staff worked for the Prison and Probation Ombudsman in (a) 2005, (b) 2006, (c) 2007, (d) 2008, (e) 2009 and (f) 2010. [45347]
Mr Blunt: As the head of an independent organisation, it is a matter for the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman to determine their staff. Staff have been recruited from a wide variety of employment backgrounds, including some having previously worked for HM Prison Service and probation. Detailed information on the precise numbers of staff, who have been employed by the prisons and probation ombudsman and previously employed by HM Prison Service, could be obtained only by access to the complete career history of all staff working for the PPO in these years. This is not held centrally by the PPO or MoJ and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many Prison Service staff were seconded from the Prison Service to the Prison and Probation Ombudsman in (a) 2005, (b) 2006, (c) 2007, (d) 2008, (e) 2009 and (f) 2010. [45348]
Mr Blunt: As the head of an independent organisation, it is a matter for the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) to determine their staff. Staff are recruited or seconded from a wide variety of employment backgrounds, including some who have previously worked for HM Prison Service and probation. The following table gives numbers, as supplied by the PPO, of staff seconded from the prison service.
| Staff seconded by the PPO from the prison service by year | |
|
|
Number of staff (1) |
| (1) Number seconded in December of that year. | |
Probation: Expenditure
Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the outturn expenditure was for each probation trust in 2009-10. [47731]
Mr Blunt: The following table provides outturn expenditure for each probation trust and board in 2009-10.
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| £ million | ||
| Area | Probation Trust/(Board) | 2009-10 |
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All Probation Boards were replaced by trusts on 1 April 2011. There are currently 35 Probation Trusts in total.
Public Bodies Reform Programme
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 16 March 2011, Official Report, columns 9-10W, on the public bodies reform programme, what estimate he has made of the savings to his Department net of costs incurred in the assumption of additional departmental responsibilities to accrue from (a) the abolition of 11 public bodies within his Department's area of responsibility, (b) the merger of four such bodies and (c) the change in function of four such bodies. [48147]
Mr Kenneth Clarke: I will reply to the hon. Member as soon as possible.
Secure Training Centres: Restraint Techniques
Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) pursuant to the answer of 22 November 2010, Official Report, columns 125-28W, on secure training centres: restraint techniques, what the nature was of the minor injuries that resulted from the use of control and restraint procedures in each young offender institute juvenile unit in each month since April 2008; [45358]
(2) pursuant to the answer of 22 November 2010, Official Report, columns 125-26W, on secure training centres: restraint techniques, what the nature was of the serious injuries that resulted from the use of control and restraint procedures in each young offender institute juvenile unit in each month since April 2008. [45359]
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Mr Blunt: I have outlined in table 1 the number of minor injuries sustained as a result of using Control and Restraint (C&R) in young offender institutions (YOIs) for 15 to 17-year-olds. These have been updated since my last answer to the hon. Member for 25385 on 22 November 2010, Official Report, columns 125-28W, as the data are now available for 2009-10 following the publication of the “Youth Justice Board Statistics 2009/2010”.
I have outlined in table 2 the number of serious injuries sustained as a result of using C&R in YOIs for 15 to 17-year-olds. These have also been updated since my last answer to you for 25384 on 22 November 2010, Official Report, columns 125-26W, as data are now available for 2009-10 following the publication of the “Youth Justice Board Statistics 2009/2010”.
Data on the nature of minor or serious injuries that resulted from the use of C&R procedures are not held centrally by the Youth Justice Board (YJB). The YJB collects data across all secure establishments based on the following definitions:
Minor injury requiring medical treatment
This includes cuts, scratches, grazes, bloody noses, concussion, serious bruising and sprains where medical treatment is given by a member of staff or a nurse. Treatment could include cleaning and dressing wounds, providing pain relief and monitoring symptoms by a health professional (eg in relation to concussion). This includes first aid administered by a staff member.
Serious injury requiring hospital treatment
This includes serious cuts, fractures, loss of consciousness, damage to internal organs and poisoning. Where 24-hour healthcare is available the young person may remain onsite. At other establishments, the young person will be taken to a local hospital. Treatment will reflect the more serious nature of the injuries sustained and may include stitches, re-setting bones, operations and providing overnight observation.
The nature of the injuries that have been reported in the tables will fall under these definitions specified.
| Table 1: Minor injuries following the use of control and restraint procedures | |||||||||||||
| 2009 | 2010 | 2009- 10 | |||||||||||
|
|
Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Jan | Feb | Mar | Total |
| Table 2: Serious injuries following the use of control and restraint procedures | |||||||||||||
| 2009 | 2010 | 2009-10 | |||||||||||
|
|
Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Jan | Feb | Mar | Total |
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21 Mar 2011 : Column 802W
| (1) Data are not collected separately for Phoenix Unit (a specialist unit) within Ashfield YOI. (2) and (3) The spike in May-June 2009 has been explained by the decommissioning of Lancaster Farms YOI site which led to a sudden influx to Hindley YOI of young men from outside the traditional catchment area for the YOI. This, combined with the increasing overall numbers, contributed to a short period of instability, including increased assaults amongst the young people. The YOI introduced a new 'rewards and sanctions' system for the inmates which helped bring stability from July 2009. However, it should also be noted that the information collected on injuries after restraint may include pre-restraint injuries (such as injuries from a fight or assault). (4) Data are not collected separately for Anson Unit (a specialist unit) within Wetherby YOI. | |||||||||||||
Sentencing
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 10 March 2011, Official Report, column 1283W, on sentencing, what assessment has been made of the potential effects on (a) the police, (b) businesses, (c) individuals and (d) the probation service of increasing the maximum discount available for an early guilty plea. [47393]
Mr Blunt: If an increased discount for an early guilty plea had the desired effect of encouraging defendants to plead guilty at an earlier stage in the proceedings, it would potentially reduce burdens on the police (and the Crown Prosecution Service) to the extent that less effort would need to be devoted to assembling evidence, and on the probation service to the extent that where shorter sentences were imposed, a smaller percentage of offenders would be subject to post release supervision and these periods of supervision would also be shorter resulting in a reduction in probation workload, although it would also be possible for there to be greater demand on the service through a long community order rather than a short prison sentence. Victims and witnesses would benefit from a prompt resolution of the case, as they would no longer need to worry about having to go to court to give evidence. We would not anticipate that there would be any effect on businesses.
Sentencing: Appeals
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 10 March 2011, Official Report, column 1284W, on sentencing: appeals, what power a Crown court appeal tribunal has to send a case to the Crown court for sentence where it believes that the magistrates court’s powers are insufficient in all circumstances. [47391]
Mr Blunt: When the Crown court determines an appeal against conviction or sentence in a magistrates court, its sentencing powers are limited to those that were available to the magistrates court.
Social Security Benefits: Appeals
Dame Anne Begg: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) what the (a) median and (b) longest waiting time was for appeals to be heard in respect of (i) disability living allowance and (ii) employment and support allowance in the latest period for which figures are available; [47347]
(2) what estimate he has made of the (a) median and (b) longest time period between (i) application for appeal and (ii) determination of that appeal in respect of (A) disability living allowance and (B) employment and support allowance in the latest period for which figures are available; [47348]
(3) what estimate he has made of the (a) median and (b) longest waiting time for an appeal to be heard in respect of (i) disability living allowance and (ii) employment and support allowance in each region in the latest period for which figures are available. [47349]
Mr Djanogly: The Tribunals Service is collating this information. I will write to the hon. Member shortly and put a copy of the answer in the Library of the House.
Theft: Dogs
Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether theft of a dog is a crime; and what the sentencing guidelines are in connection with such an offence. [47519]
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Mr Blunt: A person is guilty of theft if he dishonestly appropriates property belonging to another with the intention of permanently depriving the other of it. The maximum penalty is seven years' imprisonment. The Sentencing Guidelines Council, the predecessor body to the Sentencing Council, issued guidelines on theft and these can be accessed on the council's website.
Victims: Compensation
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the monetary value is of outstanding compensation payments to victims of crime. [47231]
Mr Djanogly: There is currently an estimated outstanding liability of around £660 million. This estimate includes all cases in the system, so most of these cases are still under investigation.
Youth Justice Board
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the potential savings to his Department arising from the abolition of the Youth Justice Board for England and Wales. [47740]
Mr Blunt: Abolition of the Youth Justice Board is estimated to achieve savings in order of £6 million across the four years of the spending review period. Further savings may be identified during the detailed consideration of the transition although there may be transition costs to absorb from these savings.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Agriculture
Dr Wollaston: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures she is taking to promote sustainable farming; and what assessment she has made on the effect this will have on (a) Totnes constituency, (b) South Devon and (c) England. [47526]
Mr Paice: The first priority in DEFRA’s business plan is to support British farming and encourage sustainable food production. Sustainable farming is essential to protect the natural resources on which future food production depends, and to protect biodiversity and the countryside. We are working closely with industry partners to achieve this: by backing the industry led Campaign for the Farmed Environment and Greenhouse Gas Action Plan. Specific support that DEFRA provides to farmers to help them undertake sustainable farming is funding via the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) in the form of agri-environment schemes such as Entry Level Stewardship, Higher Level Stewardship and Uplands Entry Level Stewardship. We also provide advice and guidance on effective nutrient management of land to maximise efficiency whilst minimising environmental impacts.
The Department uses a number of complementary approaches to assess the economic, environmental and social impacts of sustainable farming policies, including on the wider rural economy, but measured principally at a national level. These include specific evaluation
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projects, such as that of the RDPE, monitoring the uptake of relevant schemes, such as Entry Level Stewardship and the Campaign for the Farmed Environment, and developing comprehensive indicator sets to monitor progress along the economic, environmental and social vectors. Among these a small number of high level impact indicators will be used to track progress with respect to the DEFRA business plan but a much wider range of information is available, in particular, from the Agricultural Change and Environment Observatory indicator set, published at:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/evidence/statistics/foodfarm/enviro/observatory/indicators/index.htm
Anaerobic Digestion
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) if she will set limits on the use of energy crops in anaerobic digestion programmes; [46728]
(2) what her policy is on the use of energy crops in anaerobic digestion programmes; [46729]
(3) if she will estimate the quantity of crops used in anaerobic digestion programmes in each of the last three years. [46730]
Richard Benyon: As indicated in the ‘Renewable Heat Incentive’ report published by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) on 10 March, the Government recognise that at farm scale some energy crops may be required in combination with slurries and that such crops can be grown as part of the normal agricultural rotation. Furthermore, there is land available which is not suitable for the production of food crops but which may, therefore, be used to supply energy-crop only anaerobic digestion (AD) plants. However, it is not our policy to encourage energy crop-based AD, particularly where these crops are grown to the exclusion of food producing crops.
If evidence shows that there is a large scale use of crops in AD, and a resulting land use change to support this, then measures will be considered to address the issue. DECC and DEFRA will discuss how such a mechanism could work in practice, including possible measures to exclude the large scale use of energy crops in AD from renewable heat incentive support.
Animal Welfare
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent representations she has received on issuing a strategy on standards of welfare of domestic animals. [45417]
Mr Paice: I am not aware of DEFRA having received any recent representations on this subject.
Cotton Subsidies
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has held with (a) her EU counterparts and (b) the European Commission on EU cotton subsidies. [47849]
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Mr Paice: The UK has consistently argued within the EU in favour of decoupling and against harmful export subsidies, although the specific subject of cotton subsidies has not been raised at the Agriculture Council itself since May 2010.
The forthcoming common agricultural policy reform negotiations will provide a major opportunity for the UK to raise this issue and seek an end to all coupled payments, including those to the cotton sector.
Dairy Farming
Dan Byles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the number of dairy farmers who have left the industry in each of the last 10 years. [47630]
Mr Paice: The following table gives the number of registered UK dairy production holdings recorded each June for the last 10 years for which figures are available, together with the change from the previous year.
|
|
Holdings | Change from previous year |
Dan Byles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the (a) number and (b) average income of (i) farmers and (ii) dairy farmers in the latest period for which figures are available. [47631]
Mr Paice: The June Survey of Agriculture and Horticulture shows that there were 20,000 dairy farmers(1) and 165,000 farmers in total in England at June 2009. We estimate that there were 170,000 farmers in total at June 2010; estimates are not yet available by farm type.
The latest results from the Farm Business Survey estimate average Farm Business Income at £56,000 for dairy farms and at £43,400 for all farm types in England for the year ending February 2010. Forecasts for the main farm types have recently been published for the year ending February 2011. For dairy farms in England average Farm Business Income is forecast to be approximately £42,500.
(1) Farmers are defined as principal farmers, partners, directors and spouses. Farm type is classified by the activity which contributes more than two thirds of the total standard gross margin for the holding. These figures relate to commercial holdings only which are those above the thresholds for the 2010 census.
Departmental Billing
Stewart Hosie:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of invoices from suppliers her Department paid within
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10 days of receipt in January and February 2011. [45091]
Richard Benyon: The following table shows the 10-day payment performance to suppliers for the core Department and Executive agencies.
| Percentage | ||
|
|
January 2011 | February 2011 |
Departmental Food
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) when she expects her Department to meet the Government's commitment to source food that meets British or equivalent standards of production; [43297]
(2) what her policy is on placing agencies of Government Departments under a commitment to source food that meets British or equivalent standards of production subject to no overall increase in costs. [43305]
Mr Paice: It is a Government commitment to ensure that food procured by Government Departments, and eventually the whole public sector, meets British standards of production wherever this can be achieved without increasing overall costs.
We are introducing Government Buying Standards (GBS) for food and catering, which will be mandatory for central Government Departments and executive agencies and promoted to the wider public sector. The external review of our proposed GBS criteria ended on 24 January and we are taking account of all the responses before we finalise the standards this month.
We also published new guidance in January to help ensure that Government Departments and executive agencies source food meeting British or equivalent standards of production, subject to no overall increase in costs. We will report on departmental progress against this commitment in June.
Departmental Procurement
Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many procurement projects with a monetary value greater than (a) £10 million, (b) £50 million and (c) £100 million (i) her Department and (ii) each non-departmental public body and agency for which she is responsible was engaged upon in the latest period for which figures are available. [45559]
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Richard Benyon:
The following table shows how many procurement projects with a monetary value greater than (a) £10 million, (b) £50 million and (c) £100
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million (i) the Department and (ii) each non-departmental public body and agencies engaged upon for the periods 2009-10 and 2010-11.
| Fiscal year 2009-10 | Fiscal year 2010-11 | |||||
|
|
>£10 million | >£50 million | >£100 million | >£10 million | >£50 million | >£100 million |
Departmental Public Appointments
Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which public bodies sponsored by her Department (a) have been and (b) are to be closed, merged or reorganised following her appointment; and how many (i) women and (ii) men who are public appointees at each body will no longer hold such an appointment in consequence. [47114]
Richard Benyon: The coalition Government are committed to increasing the accountability of public bodies, and this involves reducing their number and their cost to the taxpayer. The proposals for the majority of bodies across all departments were announced and published on 14 October 2010. An updated list reflecting changes since October 2010 has been published on the Cabinet Office website this month.
Summary information on public appointments is published annually by the Cabinet Office. This includes data on gender. Copies of the most recent report can be downloaded from:
www.civilservice.gov.uk/ndpb
Regulation
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on how many occasions her Department has consulted representatives of small businesses on the effects of proposed new regulations since 6 May 2010. [46143]
Richard Benyon: A total of 15 formal written consultations have been launched by my Department since May 2010. Two of these consultations explored new regulations. The others were about updating existing regulations.
All these consultations have included small businesses or the Federation of Small Businesses.
Departmental Security
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for what reasons persons not employed by Government Departments or agencies are issued with passes entitling them to enter her Department’s premises. [43210]
Richard Benyon: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 8 February 2011, Official Report, column 136W. For security reasons it would be inappropriate to provide information on why individuals not employed by DEFRA are issued with passes that permit access to the Department’s premises.
Dutch Elm Disease
Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what information her Department holds on the number of elm trees that were killed by Dutch elm disease on land owned or managed by the Forestry Commission in each year since 2000. [43806]
Mr Paice [holding answer 3 March 2011]: The Forestry Commission does not record information about the mortality of trees due to Dutch elm disease on the public forest estate.
Farms: Sky Lanterns
Mr Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent representations she has received on the effects on farmers and rural communities of the use of sky lanterns. [47313]
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Mr Paice [holding answer 17 March 2011]:I have received a number of representations expressing concerns, which I share, on the risks to livestock of releasing sky lanterns. There are concerns of fire, damage to property, littering, and harm to livestock when a lantern lands nearby or on crops for feed.
DEFRA is working with other Government Departments and the farming unions to see what action can be taken to reduce the risks. We are urging consumers to think twice about releasing lanterns and recommending farmers remain alert to the dangers posed especially when they land near livestock or in fields of standing crop.
Fisheries
Mel Stride: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment the Environment Agency made of the recommendations and conclusions of the 2008 report by the University of Hull International Fisheries Institute on the condition assessment of Atlantic salmon in Dartmoor rivers. [47380]
Richard Benyon: The Environment Agency commissioned the report under the Habitats Directive Review of Consents, and it formed part of the assessment.
The Environment Agency has since implemented a number of recommendations from the report. The monitoring programme has been extended and the Environment Agency have either amended or agreed to amend 13 abstraction licences on Dartmoor. This has resulted in a significant reduction in the amount of water abstracted, which benefits the river environment and Atlantic salmon.
Food Labelling
Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is on labelling of retail products containing monosodium glutamate. [46412]
Mr Paice: The Food Labelling Regulations 1996 (as amended) require additives used as ingredients in foods to be declared in the ingredients list on food labels. Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is one such additive and when labelled must be identified by the term “flavour enhancer” followed by either “Monosodium Glutamate” or “E621”.
Forestry Commission
Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she plans to take to ensure that the Forestry Commission retains and develops its reserved research capability. [44542]
Mr Paice:
We remain committed to research that will benefit the forestry industry as part of the GB activities of the Forestry Commission, and to maintaining our front-line science capacity, especially in high priority areas like plant health research. However, all activity areas have been asked to make reductions to meet the requirements of the spending review. Delivery of the Science and Innovation Strategy will remain a key
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element. Reducing transaction and back office costs will allow funding to be concentrated on evidence and science. High priority areas such as tree health and climate change will receive increased funding and we will work with other funders to ensure continued access to appropriate research capacity and capability, and to explore partnership opportunities to ensure best value for money.
Forest Research, which is a GB agency of the Forestry Commission, will restructure, and reprioritise its work as a result of the spending review settlement. The devolved Administrations in Scotland and Wales are being kept informed of developments. Forest Research will shortly be consulting staff on a proposed restructuring programme; no decisions will be made until the results of the consultation with staff and trade unions are known.
Tree health and plant biosecurity is a high priority and therefore I have asked my chief scientific adviser, Professor Bob Watson, to advise on the issues, opportunities and priorities for new research, and to ensure research outputs can have maximum impact on management solutions. Professor Bob Watson is jointly leading a project with the Forestry Commission director general, Tim Rollinson, to develop an “action plan” for tree health and plant biosecurity. One strand of the action plan will consider the issues, priorities and research opportunities. Professor Watson is already taking this forward with the Forestry Commission, Forest Research and the Food and Environment Research Agency, along with other interested parties such as the research councils and experts in academia. As well as identifying priorities for research, we are keen to explore all possible avenues for partnerships and co-funding to deliver this new work.
Forests
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many hectares of land were (a) bought from and (b) sold to (i) private owners, (ii) community or charitable bodies and (iii) other public bodies by the Forestry Commission in each year since 1981. [39045]
Mr Paice [holding answer 8 February 2011]: Land acquired and added to the public forest estate between January 1997 and 10 February 2011, including where the freehold of an existing leasehold wood was purchased, amounted to 5,432 hectares. Of this area, 3,986 hectares was classified as being from private owners, 242 hectares from community or charitable bodies and 1,204 hectares from other public bodies.
Disposals from January 2003 to 10 February 2011 amounted to 7,292 hectares, of this, 6,355 hectares was classified as being to private owners, 353 hectares to community or charitable bodies and 584 hectares to other public bodies.
Information before the dates specified above could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent representations she received from the Confederation of Forest Industries on her policy on the disposal of land owned and managed by the Forestry Commission. [43374]
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Mr Paice: In the period since the end of the consultation on the future of the public forest estate in England, we have not received any written representations from the Confederation of Forest Industries (ConFor) on this matter. However, I did meet the chief executive of ConFor in February to discuss the public forest estate and since the consultation has ended, ConFor has written to request a further meeting. He has since been invited to serve on the panel that will review the future of the public forest estate in England.
Gangmasters Licensing Authority
Mr Thomas:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many people worked on the enforcement of employment rights and related protections in the Gangmasters
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Licensing Authority in each of the last five years; how many people she expects to work on such matters in that body in each of the next three years; and if she will make a statement. [47437]
Mr Paice: The Gangmasters Licensing Authority (GLA) employs a number of staff in frontline roles which support its compliance and enforcement activities. These staff are involved in processing gangmasters licence applications, analysing intelligence reports and carrying out compliance and enforcement inspections.
The number of frontline staff employed by the GLA in each of the last five financial years is set out in the following table. The table also includes a forecast of the number of licensing, enforcement and intelligence staff the GLA expects to employ in each of the next three financial years.
| Officer | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | 2011-12 | 2012-13 | 2013-14 |
| (1) The compliance officer and enforcement officer roles were combined in 2009-10. | ||||||||
Genetically Modified Organisms: Somerset
Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many parties were involved in the contamination of a winter oilseed rape crop with the GM trait GT73 at a location in Somerton and Frome constituency in 2008; who owned (a) the land involved, (b) the seed varieties contaminated and (c) the GM trait; and whether the seed variety involved (i) has been placed on or (ii) is under assessment for inclusion on the National List of Varieties. [32840]
Mr Paice: Two parties were directly involved in the seed contamination incident in the Somerton and Frome constituency in 2008. They were the farmer who grew some of the affected seed in part of a field on his holding, and the company who owned the seed. The latter was a subsidiary of Aardvark Investments SA. The GT73 trait is owned by the company Monsanto. The conventional seed variety is not being considered for inclusion on the UK National List.
The question of whether the name of the farmer involved in this incident should be disclosed has in effect just been reviewed in a relevant case before an Information Tribunal. In this, the GM Freeze organisation appealed against a decision by the Information Commissioner that DEFRA was justified in not disclosing the precise location of the Somerset incident, in part because it would serve to reveal the identity of the farmer and could unfairly prejudice his interests. After considering the matter in detail, the tribunal has recently decided to dismiss the GM Freeze appeal, upholding the stance taken by the Information Commissioner and DEFRA.
Horse Racing: Animal Welfare
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will meet representatives of the British Horseracing Authority to discuss the use of the whip in horseracing; and if she will make a statement. [47976]
Mr Paice: There are no plans for the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to meet the British Horseracing Authority (BHA).
We consider that the guidelines laid down by the BHA, in conjunction with the Animal Welfare Act, provide protection for horses against misuse of the whip.
Labelling
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of her policy on the labelling of products to indicate whether they contain material from the offspring of cloned animals since December 2010. [43998]
Mr Paice: The Food Standards Agency and the European Food Safety Authority have advised that, for cattle and pigs, current evidence suggests that meat and milk from healthy descendants of clones is as safe as that from traditionally bred animals. The Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes reached the same conclusion on 25 November 2010.
There is no suggestion currently that food from clones themselves would be sold for human consumption. The agency concluded on 7 December that, for food safety purposes, mandatory labelling of meat and milk from the descendants of cloned cattle and pigs would be unnecessary and disproportionate, providing no significant food safety benefit to consumers.
It is not possible to establish whether meat or milk derive from an animal with a clone in its ancestry. Any mandatory labelling imposes costs and needs to be enforceable. Labelling to the effect that a product may be derived from an animal with a clone in its ancestry is unlikely to be helpful to consumers.
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If some parts of industry wish to set up their own system of labelling for the offspring of clones, they are of course free to do so, providing that they carry out the necessary checks to justify any claims that they make.
Milk Prices
David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had with representatives of supermarkets on the proportion of the retail price of milk paid to dairy farmers; and if she will make a statement. [46832]
Mr Paice: On 20 January I chaired the Dairy Supply Chain Forum, which included representatives of supermarket retailers. We had productive discussions on the health and future of the dairy sector, the trade balance, the EU Commission’s legislative proposals and industry sustainability. We did not explicitly discuss the issue of milk prices because this would not be appropriate under competition law.
Peat
Mr Brine: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what steps she plans to take to ensure that future peat replacement targets are met by the gardening and horticulture industry; [47767]
(2) what consideration she has given to the regulation of the use of peat in horticultural compost. [47768]
Richard Benyon: A public consultation on future policy to further reduce and eventually phase out the horticultural use of peat in England recently closed, on 11 March. The consultation proposed that a voluntary, partnership approach is followed to deliver phase out targets, including for the amateur gardener market and professional horticulture, and sets out the rationale for doing so. Consultation responses are now being analysed, and will inform the development of a future policy framework.
Phytophthora Ramorum
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether her Department has commissioned any research on measures to combat phytophthora ramorum; and whether she has made an assessment of its likely effects in the next 10 years. [45219]
Mr Paice: DEFRA has invested £1.5 million of research on Phytophthora ramorum and Phytophthora kernoviae since April 2009 as part of its five-year £25 million Phytophthora Disease Management Programme. The Food and Environment Research Agency and Forest Research are the lead partners in carrying out the research, which supports disease management in woodlands, heathland and heritage gardens and parks. It builds on a substantial body of research funded by DEFRA, the Forestry Commission, the EU, the industry and other bodies since 2002. Progress with the research and the wider programme was reported to an open meeting in Cornwall on 11 March.
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Assessments of the likely impacts of Phytophthora ramorum have been carried out through specific UK and EU pest risk analyses and through an impact assessment which supported the business case for the DEFRA Phytophthora Disease Management Programme. Additional economic research aims to refine economic impact assessments by better determining the values of the habitats at risk (woodlands, heathland, heritage gardens).
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she is taking steps to counter the spread of sudden oak death in trees in Richmond Park. [45220]
Mr Paice: We are taking the spread of sudden oak death (Phytophthora ramorum) very seriously with a five-year, £25 million Phytophthora Disease Management Programme. Notwithstanding this the disease has not been found in Richmond park. Research and findings to date show that the areas most at risk are in the south-west and west of the country.
Plastics: Recycling
Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will estimate the amount of plastic waste which was recycled in 2009-10. [47052]
Richard Benyon: DEFRA does not hold a figure for the overall plastic recycled in 2009-10. However, a report from the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) “Realising the value of recovered plastic—an update” (spring 2010) estimates that around 4.5 million tonnes of plastics enters the UK waste stream each year. In 2009, it is estimated that around 900,000 tonnes of this material was recovered for recycling.
Refrigerators: Waste Disposal
Tristram Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will take steps to reduce the number of supermarket refrigeration display cabinets disposed of in landfill sites. [46140]
Richard Benyon: The disposal of refrigerating display cabinets in the UK is controlled by the following regulations:
The EC regulations on substances that deplete the ozone layer require ozone-depleting substances to be removed from commercial refrigeration equipment before it is disposed of.
The UK waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) regulations encourage the separate collection of WEEE, including refrigerating display cabinets, establish minimum treatment standards and set minimum recovery and recycling targets.
The UK Government are also promoting the reuse of WEEE by providing financial and other support for the development of a publicly available specification on the “Reuse of used and waste electrical and electronic equipment—process management specification” (PAS 141).
Veterinary Services: Finance
Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what the budget of the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (a) was in each of the last five years and (b) will be in each of the next four years; [46769]
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(2) what the budget of the Veterinary Laboratories Agency (a) was in each of the last five years and (b) will be in each of the next four years. [46770]
Mr Paice: The budgets of the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) and the Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA) for the years requested are set out in the following table.
| £ million | ||
|
|
VMD | VLA |
Figures for the four subsequent years are not yet finalised and will be allocated on an annual basis.
Water Abstraction
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which rivers are being investigated under the Environment Agency’s Restoring Sustainable Abstraction Scheme; and in respect of which rivers (a) preliminary investigations have been completed and restoration solutions have been recommended and (b) preliminary investigations are ongoing. [46352]
Richard Benyon: The Environment Agency has 226 ongoing investigations under the Restoring Sustainable Abstraction Programme, covering rivers and wetlands. Investigations have been completed and restoration solutions recommended for 85 schemes.
Since 2008, 321 schemes have been completed, and action has been taken to deliver environmental improvements for 143 of these. The remaining 178 schemes required no further action.
Details of the number of investigations by river are not collated by the Environment Agency and to source the information would involve disproportionate cost. The Environment Agency is also unable to release into the public domain information that could identify individual abstractions or licence holders for reasons of confidentiality.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Bahrain: Politics and Government
Mr Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his Bahraini counterpart; and if he will make a statement. [45324]
Mr Hague: I spoke to the Bahraini Foreign Minister on 16 March to express serious concern at the deteriorating situation on the ground and to call for restraint from all sides following the declaration of a state of emergency in Bahrain.
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I stressed that it was vital that all security forces in the country exercised restraint, used minimum force and worked to create the conditions for dialogue.
I encouraged him to return to the process of political dialogue as, even at this stage, it presented the way out of the current crisis.
In addition to this the Prime Minister spoke to the King of Bahrain on 15 March warning against the use of force and encouraging dialogue.
Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has discussed with his counterpart in Bahrain the implications of the deployment in that country of military forces under the auspices of the Gulf Co-operation Council. [47909]
Alistair Burt: The intervention by Gulf countries must be consistent with a response through reform, not through repression, and help create an environment in which dialogue can take place. We call on all security forces in the country to exercise the utmost restraint and to avoid using unnecessary force. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague) stressed this point when he spoke to the Bahraini Foreign Minister, H. E. Shaikh Khalid Bin Ahmed Bin Mohamed on 16 March. He also urged the need for genuine political reform.
BBC World Service
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the 648 kHz medium radio wave frequency has been allocated to a body other than the BBC. [46826]
Mr Jeremy Browne: The BBC World Service is still operating the 648 kHz frequency. They have said that they will be relinquishing the frequency at the end of March.
Frequency allocation is the responsibility of Ofcom. They have said that there will be a public consultation exercise before re-allocation of the frequency.
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate has been made of the financial saving to be achieved by the BBC World Service ceasing transmission on the 648 kHz medium radio wave frequency; and what proportion of the total planned budget reduction for the BBC World Service this amount represents. [46827]
Mr Jeremy Browne: The BBC World Service estimates that the cessation of broadcasts on the 648 kHz MW frequency at the end of this month will save it approximately £260,000 per annum. This represents around 2.6% of the approximately £10 million annual savings the World Service plans to make in its distribution budget by the end of the first three years of the spending review period, and around 0.6% of the £46 million per annum of savings in its overall operating budget over the same period. At the end of this period the BBC World Service will be funded from the television licence fee.
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British Overseas Territories
Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent consideration he has given to the recommendations of the Seventh Report of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Session 2007-08, HC 147, on the Overseas Territories, in respect of the Government's oversight responsibility for the Overseas Territories. [48008]
Mr Bellingham: The Government take their oversight responsibility for the Overseas Territories very seriously.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, updated the House on our approach to the Overseas Territories in a written ministerial statement on 10 March 2011, Official Report, column 76WS.
Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers
Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department has spent on (a) salaries and (b) pension entitlements for special advisers in the financial year 2010-11 to date. [46578]
Alistair Burt: I refer the hon. Member to the Cabinet Office website which reports details of special advisers employed on a quarterly basis:
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/special-adviser-data-releases
The estimated pay bill includes pension costs.
Appointment as a special adviser is pensionable under the civil service pension arrangements. Special advisers have a choice of pension arrangements, which are set out in the Model contract for special advisers:
Nuvos—a defined benefit occupational pension scheme that currently has a 3.5% member contribution rate. Employer contribution rates from 1 April 2010 range from 16.7% of pay for those earning under £21,000 a year, to 24.3% for those earning more than £74,000 a year.
A partnership pension account—this is a stakeholder pension with an employer contribution based on age.
Departmental Public Bodies
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 16 March 2011, Official Report, columns 9-10WS, on the public bodies reform programme, what estimate he has made of the savings to his Department net of costs incurred of the assumption of additional departmental responsibilities to accrue from (a) the abolition of three public bodies within his Department's area of responsibility and (b) the change in function of two such bodies. [48139]
Mr Jeremy Browne: On 16 March 2011 the Minister for the Cabinet Office issued a written ministerial statement updating Parliament on progress on public bodies reform. That statement also announced that Departments estimate cumulative administrative savings of at least £2.6 billion will flow from public bodies over the spending review period.
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I anticipate net overall administrative savings from structural reforms to the Foreign and Commonwealth public bodies over the spending review period of £30,000. Overall administrative reductions from reform of all Foreign and Commonwealth departmental public bodies are estimated to be £275,000 over the spending review period.
Diplomatic Service: British Nationals Abroad
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent steps his Department has taken to improve consular services for UK citizens overseas. [46612]
Mr Jeremy Browne [holding answer 16 March 2011]: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) received over 1.9 million consular inquiries in 2009-10. We dealt with almost 20,000 serious consular assistance cases, including approximately 6,000 deaths and 6,000 detentions of British nationals. In addition, we respond to major crises; and issue replacement travel documents to British nationals whose passport is lost, stolen or otherwise unavailable and they need to travel urgently.
We continually review our consular services to ensure that they are the best we can provide: focused on providing assistance to the most vulnerable as efficiently as possible and building working relationships with partners where they are able to provide services that the FCO cannot.
On 16 December 2010, Official Report, column 121WS, I announced that the Government would restore Exceptional Assistance Measures for all British nationals affected by a terrorist attack overseas, regardless of whether or not they have travel insurance.
We have enhanced our support to British nationals involved in international parental child abduction to bring UK court orders to the attention of local authorities and to lobby to lift travel restrictions where there is an imminent risk of harm to the child.
Since 1 November 2010 we have been working with Victim Support National Homicide Service to provide support to bereaved people living in England and Wales following a murder or manslaughter overseas. We are currently working on further enhancements to the support we can provide to victims of murder and manslaughter overseas, as I informed members during a Westminster Hall debate on 3 November 2010, Official Report, columns 285-92WH. We will announce any significant changes to the House, and incorporate them into our publication ‘Support for British nationals abroad: A Guide’.
In respect of crisis responses, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs announced on 23 February 2011 that he would establish a review, directly reporting to Ministers, into the FCO's arrangements for the evacuation of British nationals in a crisis.
Egypt: Politics and Government
Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of political movements in Egypt; what recent discussions he has had with the Government of (a) Israel, (b) Jordan and (c) Egypt on this issue; and if he will make a statement. [R] [47682]
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Alistair Burt: In the past there has not been the political space in Egypt for a strong democratic opposition to be able to develop. We believe that it is important that the political reform process in Egypt includes representatives from every part of society. Before parliamentary elections are held in Egypt, opposition groups will need time to coalesce and form their respective platforms.
During my visit to Egypt from 9 to 11 March, I met the Prime Minister and other members of the Government, and encouraged them to work out a public timetable for elections to allow for the development of effective political parties. A key first step to this action will be a new law on political parties. We understand that the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces will issue such a law shortly after the referendum on constitutional reforms. We will continue to urge the Egyptian Government to engage in meaningful dialogue with opposition and activist groups to build trust with them so as to enable the aspirations of the people to be realised.
The Prime Minister last spoke to King Abdullah of Jordan on 17 March, when they discussed various regional events. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and the Secretary of State for Defence met with Defence Minister Barak when he visited London on 17 March 2011 and discussed a number of regional issues, including Egypt. Egypt has played an important role in the middle east peace process and its peace agreement with Israel is vital to regional stability.