Magistrates' Courts: Enforcement

Jason McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent representations he has received in relation to the future of the enforcement services part of the magistrates courts service. [100403]

Mr Djanogly: HM Courts and Tribunals Service is currently looking at the future of compliance and enforcement services in order to increase the collection of criminal financial penalties over existing levels while reducing the cost of collection.

Since the programme was first announced to staff in January 2011, we have received 92 items of correspondence from Members of Parliament. We have also received one petition from PCS Union members.

We have received 14 formal letters from PCS and have held 11 formal meetings.

No further representations have been made.

Jason McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans he has for the enforcement services part of the magistrates courts service. [100404]

Mr Djanogly: After consideration of the current services and future requirements, I have agreed that HM Courts and Tribunals Service should explore the potential of creating a service delivery partnership, with the objective of building on the improvements we have already made. It is envisaged that any such partnership would be able to provide the level of investment necessary to achieve these objectives.

Prisons: Drugs

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prison officers were (a) accused of, (b) charged with, (c) prosecuted for and (d) convicted of smuggling drugs or other contraband into prisons in the most recent period for which figures are available. [100387]

Mr Blunt: The information is as follows:

(a) There is no single route for submitting accusations of this type but intelligence relating to prison security, including staff corruption, is reported into prison security

19 Mar 2012 : Column 534W

departments. Intelligence data cannot be released as to do so would require significant interpretation and contextualisation and could have implications for order and control, the integrity of security systems and ongoing investigations relating to staff misconduct.

(b)and (c) The responsibility for the investigation and prosecution of crime rests with the police; data relating to prison officers charged and/or prosecuted for any offence are not held centrally by NOMS.

(d) Central records held by the NOMS corruption prevention unit (CPU) in relation to convictions indicate that in the period 1 January 2008 to 14 March 2012, 18 prison officers have been convicted of offences relating to the conveying of drugs into prisons and 11 prison officers have been convicted of offences relating to the conveying of other contraband into prisons. The following table provides a yearly breakdown.

  Convictions relating to the conveying of:
  Drugs by prison officers All other contraband by prison officers

2008

6

0

2009

6

3

2010

2

4

2011

3

3

2012 (to date)

1

1

Note: These figures have been drawn from live administrative data systems which may be amended at any time. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system.

Prisons: Fires

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many cell fires have been reported since 2010; and if he will list the prisons where the incidents took place. [100995]

Mr Blunt: From 1 January 2010 to the 29 February 2012 there have been 1,445 fires in prisons in England and Wales.(1) The following lists the prisons where the incidents took place.

(1) These figures have been drawn from live administrative data systems which may be amended at any time. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system.

Establishment

Acklington

Albany

Altcourse

Ashfield

Aylesbury

Bedford

Belmarsh

Birmingham

Blundeston

Brinsford

Bristol

Brixton

Bronzefield

Buckley Hall

Bullingdon

Bullwood Hall

19 Mar 2012 : Column 535W

Bure

Camp Hill

Canterbury

Cardiff

Castington

Channings Wood

Coldingley

Cookham Wood

Deerbolt

Doncaster

Dorchester

Dover Immigration

Dovegate

Downview

Durham

Eastwood Park

Edmunds Hill

Elmley

Erlestoke

Everthorpe

Exeter

Featherstone

Feltham

Forest Bank

Foston Hall

Frankland

Full Sutton

Garth

Gartree

Glen Parva

Gloucester

Grendon

Guys Marsh

Haverigg

Hewell

Highdown

Highpoint

Hindley

Holloway

Holme House

Hull

Isis

Kingston

Lancaster Farms

Latchmere House

Leeds

Leicester

Lewes

Leyhill

Lincoln

Lindholme

Littlehey

Liverpool

Long Lartin

Low Newton

Lowdham Grange

Maidstone

Manchester

Moorland (Closed)

19 Mar 2012 : Column 536W

Morton Hall

New Hall

Northallerton

Norwich

Nottingham

Onley

Parc

Parkhurst

Pentonville

Peterborough

Peterborough (Female)

Portland

Preston

Ranby

Reading

Risley

Rochester

Rye Hill

Shrewsbury

Stafford

Standford Hill

Stocken

Stoke Heath

Styal

Swaleside

Swansea

Swinfen Hall

The Mount

The Verne

Wakefield

Wandsworth

Warren Hill

Wayland

Wealstun

Wellingborough

Wellington

Wetherby

Wharton

Whitemoor

Winchester

Woodhill

Wormwood Scrubs

Wymott

Wolds

Prisons: Postal Services

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what guidance is provided to prison authorities on monitoring prisoner mail entering and leaving prison. [99084]

Mr Blunt: The policy guidance on the handling of prisoners' mail is contained in Prison Service Instruction 49/2011 Prisoner Communication Services, and is available to all staff and prisoners. There are also local security strategies in place at prisons to support the policy.

All incoming and outgoing prisoners' mail will be examined by staff within the prison post room to check for illicit enclosures, but this will not be routinely opened

19 Mar 2012 : Column 537W

or read. Up to 5% of prisoners' mail is read on a random basis but this does not include legally privileged correspondence.

All prisoners held within the high security estate, and those deemed an increased risk of escape in all prisons, will have their mail opened and read routinely, but again with the exception of legally privileged mail. There is provision for implementing strict monitoring arrangements for any prisoner who is considered a risk to national or prison security, or to public safety.

There are a number of restrictions placed on the contents of prisoners' mail which, if breached, may result in criminal or disciplinary action.

Television: Licensing

Gareth Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people were prosecuted for offences relating to not having a television licence in Dartford constituency in each of the last five years. [100461]

Mr Blunt: The number of persons proceeded against at magistrates courts in the Kent police force area for offences of television licence evasion, from 2006 to 2010 (latest available), can be viewed in the following table:

Centrally held court proceedings data are not available at parliamentary constituency level.

Annual court proceedings data for 2011 are planned for publication in May 2012.

Number of persons proceeded against at magistrates courts for television licence evasion (1) , Kent police force area, 2006 to 2010 (2,3)
Kent police force area 2006 (4) 2007 (4) 2008 2009 2010

Number proceeded against

2

433

3,494

3,966

4,354

(1) Includes offences under the Communications Act 2003, section 363. (2) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (4) Data relating to the Kent police force area for 2006 and 2007 are known to have been under-reported. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services - Ministry of Justice

Victim Support Schemes

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) what estimate he has made of the potential change in administration costs which would result from a move to local commissioning of victim support services; [100326]

(2) what steps he intends to take to ensure that the most vulnerable victims of crime are properly protected if local commissioning of services for victims is introduced; and how continuity of support will be maintained if such victims move house; [100327]

19 Mar 2012 : Column 538W

(3) whether he intends to develop minimum quality standards if local commissioning of victims’ services is introduced. [100328]

Mr Blunt: In our consultation document “Getting it right for Victims and Witnesses”, published on 30 January, we said that priority should be given to the most vulnerable victims, to those who are the most persistently targeted, and to those who are victims of serious crime. We will ensure that these victims receive the support they need, wherever the crime was committed and wherever they live. Any commissioning model would involve a change in administration costs. It is too early to say what this would be, but the Government are determined to keep administration costs to a minimum. Subject to responses to the consultation, we will consider what might need to be done to ensure the quality of victims’ services, should we move to a local commissioning model.

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Agriculture: Storage

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will consider changing the proposal in the nitrate vulnerable zones consultation to amend the Silage, Slurry and Agricultural Fuel Oil Regulations 1991 to remove the exemption for storage structures built before 1991 to use a risk-based approach. [97759]

Richard Benyon: We accept that some structures built before 1991 may be of a standard that does not pose an increased risk compared to stores built under the regulations. We will be exploring how we can minimise the cost to the industry of these proposals through ideas such as transitional arrangements or inspection arrangements. However, we do need to consider the risk posed by older, currently exempt, structures, both to the aquatic environment and to the safety of farm workers, as the regulations cover both these aspects. We will continue to build evidence and gather views as to the best way forward. The Government will consider the responses to the consultation fully and carefully, and expects to publish its response in May.

Animal Welfare: EU Action

Ian Paisley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had with her EU counterparts on the development of animal health legislation. [100599]

Mr Paice: The second round of EU working groups for the revision to the animal health law began in November 2011; officials have attended five of these: on 25 November, 6 December, 9-10 January, 6 February and 15 March.

I met Commissioner Dalli on 6 February this year; DEFRA's Chief Veterinary Officer, Nigel Gibbens, was present at that meeting. Nigel Gibbens also met with the Commission on 25 January and 16 February. The Permanent Secretary met with the Commission on

19 Mar 2012 : Column 539W

12 January. All of these meetings covered the revisions to the animal health law, but it was not the primary purpose of the meetings.

Meetings with the Commission are expected to continue leading up to the new proposals being presented in autumn 2012, and DEFRA officials will continue to work closely with colleagues in all of the devolved Administrations.

I have also written to the Chair of the House of Commons European Scrutiny Committee and the House of Lords Select Committee on the European Union on 9 March, giving updates on progress. I will arrange for copies of these letters to be placed in the Library of the House.

British Overseas Territories

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what her policy was on extending the LIFE+ funding instrument to the British Overseas Territories during negotiations at the EU Environment Council on 9 March 2012; [100376]

(2) what discussions she has had with her (a) French, (b) Dutch and (c) Danish counterparts on opening up the next programming round of LIFE+ to the Overseas Countries and Territories of EU member states; [100385]

(3) what her policy is on allowing British Overseas Territories to bid in the next programming round of LIFE+. [100386]

Richard Benyon: The Commission published a proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the establishment of a Programme for the Environment and Climate Action (LIFE) for 2014-20 in December 2011. An orientation debate on this proposal was held at the EU Environment Council on 9 March. During the debate, the UK argued for the extension of the LIFE programme to all the Overseas Countries and Territories of EU member states. UK officials are in contact with France, the Netherlands, Denmark and the European Commission about this issue.

Conservation

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department is taking to promote the transfer of information on good practice between conservation practitioners. [97528]

Richard Benyon: DEFRA supports a number of initiatives to transfer information on conservation practice.

As a matter of course, all of our funded research, and that of our arm’s-length bodies, is published on the internet and is freely available to all.

As we promised in the Natural Environment White Paper, we are now supporting new conservation initiatives and encouraging those involved to share experience and information both formally and informally. Local nature partnerships and nature improvement area partnerships are good examples.

DEFRA also supports a number of more explicit knowledge exchange projects. These include:

19 Mar 2012 : Column 540W

technical notes and good practice guidance, such as the “Biodiversity Planning Toolkit”, Natural England’s Technical Information Notes and the Food and Environmental Research Agency’s guidance on “controlling invasive non-native species”;

the online search engine “Habitat Management on the Web” provided by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee;

online data sharing initiatives on biodiversity information and action, for example, the “National Biodiversity Network-Gateway” or the “Biodiversity Action Reporting System” (BARS); and

the DEFRA-funded “Ecosystems Knowledge Network” project set up to support sharing of best practice in applying the ecosystem approach to local conservation.

Public Sector: Pay

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many officials in (a) her Department and (b) the non-departmental public bodies for which her Department is responsible are paid (i) £100,000 and (ii) £142,500 or more per annum. [97030]

Richard Benyon: The following table shows the number of staff, directly employed and paid via payroll, who are paid between £100,000 and £142,499 and £142,500 or more in core-DEFRA, the Executive Agencies and main non-departmental public bodies.

Organisation Number paid £100,000 to £142,499 Number paid £142,500 or more

Core-DEFRA

10

2

Animal Health Veterinary Laboratories Agency

2

0

Veterinary Medicines Directorate

1

0

Rural Payments Agency

3

1

Food and Environment Research Agency

1

0

Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science

1

0

Environment Agency

14

3

Natural England

1

0

Joint Nature Conservation Committee

0

0

Marine Management Organisation

1

0

Gangmasters Licensing Authority

0

0

Consumer Council for Water

1

0

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

4

0

For the purposes of determining how many staff were at or above the thresholds, organisations have used base pay, plus taxable benefits and allowances, based on full-time equivalent (FTE).

This response covers core-DEFRA, Animal Health Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA), Centre for Environment Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS), the Food and Environment Research Agency (FERA), the Rural Payments Agency (RPA), the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD), the Environment Agency (EA), Natural England (NE), the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC), the Marine Management Organisation

19 Mar 2012 : Column 541W

(MMO), the Gangmasters Licensing Authority (GLA), the Consumer Council for Water (CCW) and the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew (RBG Kew), which are all covered by the Treasury's pay remit process.

Droughts

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make an assessment of potential water shortages (a) nationally, (b) regionally and (c) by agricultural sector on (i) food production, (ii) food security and (iii) farming income. [99782]

Mr Paice: The Environment Agency published on 13 March its drought prospects for spring and summer 2012:

http://publications.environment-agency.gov.uk/PDF/GEHO0312BWDT-E-E.pdf

This confirms that most of the south-east and eastern England is in drought as a result of two consecutive dry winters with below average rainfall. The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Meriden (Mrs Spelman), chaired a drought summit on 20 February with representatives of sectors affected by the drought who focused on actions to work across sectors to make best use of reduced water resources. Representatives agreed to establish a National Drought Group, which had its first meeting on 12 March.

It is too early to forecast the outcome of the effects of a continued drought on farming and domestic food production. This will depend on a range of factors including rainfall and the measures and decisions taken by farmers and growers individually and collaboratively, and in concert with other water stakeholders. Farmers will take decisions in the light of their local circumstances and their best assessment of how to manage their operations and business through the spring and the summer and beyond.

The impact on domestic farming income will likewise depend on a wide range of production and market factors and interactions. We will continue to work closely with farmers and with water companies and others such as the NFU and the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board. We aim to support them in maintaining domestic production and facilitate a flexible, pragmatic approach in order to mitigate as far as possible the potential consequences of reduced water availability.

DEFRA’s 2010 UK Food Security Assessment was that the UK was food secure and resilient to a wide range of shocks. It included indicators of global water use, but not water use in the UK on the basis that while this could have important impacts on the domestic farming sector, international trade would ensure continued availability of affordable food.

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will assess the potential effect of drought measures on the horticultural sector. [99784]

Richard Benyon: We will be monitoring the situation for crops, including horticultural produce and ornamentals, which could be affected by drought in England. Availability of water for irrigation is particularly important for

19 Mar 2012 : Column 542W

growers of high value horticultural food crops such as soft fruit, tree fruit and salads, who will be accordingly focused on appropriate planting and cultivation decisions and on practical measures to mitigate the impacts of drought.

Production of ornamentals and the retail gardening trades overall represent a significant business sector in the economy. The Horticultural Trades Association has attended each of the drought summits chaired by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Meriden (Mrs Spelman), and is working closely with the water companies and the Environment Agency to ensure that measures to minimise and mitigate the impact of drought are effective and proportionate. DEFRA welcomes the leadership the Horticultural Trades Association and its members can offer in reducing their own water usage and that of their customers, while maintaining the benefits to the environment and to well-being that gardening provides.

Farmers

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of trends in the price farmers received for milk from 1 April 2011. [100452]

Mr Paice: The average milk price in pence per litre paid to UK dairy farmers in each month since April 2011 is given as follows.

  Average price

April 2011

26.41

May 2011

26.38

June 2011

26.62

July 2011

27.21

August 2011

27.59

September 2011

28.13

October 2011

29.09

November 2011

29.45

December 2011

29.33

January 2012

28.84

Sources: DEFRA, RERAD, DARD

Farm gate prices tend to show a degree of seasonality and are usually at their lowest in late spring or early summer when production is at its peak. In every case, the average monthly figures for 2011-12 are higher than the equivalent month in 2010-11. Ultimately, profit levels are the real issue for farmers and these depend on input costs and efficiency of production as well as milk price.

Farmers: Income

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department is taking to support the sustainable growth of total income from farming through (a) livestock farming and (b) arable farming in the UK. [100330]

Mr Paice: The Government are committed to supporting British farming and helping it to develop. Our aim is for the UK to have a competitive and productive agricultural sector. This is embedded in all the work that we do.

19 Mar 2012 : Column 543W

Support to improve the competitiveness of the farming sector is being made available under the Rural Development Programme for England. Within the context of Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reform, we are working to ensure that the next round supports the development of a market-focused competitive industry with improved environmental performance.

We are also working closely with the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board sectors, which fund applied research and knowledge transfer to increase competitiveness and profitability in UK farming. For example, the Home Grown Cereals Authority's (HGCA) Business Improvement activities assist those in the cereals sector to respond more effectively to demand and equip them with the information to make continual improvements to their businesses.

DEFRA funds research on crop genetic improvement and breeding, nutrition and protection to help farmers and growers increase productivity and competitiveness through improving yield, market quality and more efficient targeting of inputs.

Through the Dairy Supply Chain Forum, Government challenge senior sector representatives to discuss the health and future of the dairy sector and identify opportunities which should benefit dairy farmers. These include exploring new export markets or replacing imports with British products to improve our trade balance and therefore demand for British milk supplies. We have also encouraged and supported industry's development of its own voluntary code of practice on contractual relations for farmers.

The Green Food Project, a joint initiative between Government, food and farming industry, and environmental and consumer organisations, aims to explore challenges to improve farmer's productivity, and therefore, competitiveness while also enhancing the environment, considering how any raised tensions can be reconciled.

Farmers: Pesticides

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what advice her Department issues to farmers on efficient methods of fungicide and pesticide application. [100456]

Richard Benyon: As part of their authorisation, plant protection products (which include agricultural pesticides such as fungicides, herbicides and insecticides) carry detailed product-specific directions and conditions of use on their labels. Adherence to these ensures products can be used safely and effectively. In addition the statutory “Code of practice for using plant protection products” contains wide-ranging advice, including, in sections 3 and 4, advice on planning and preparation and working with these products. This encompasses advice on efficient application commensurate with the protection of human health and the environment, and achieving the required control of pests, weeds and/or disease.

Fisheries: Sustainable Development

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to discuss restoring depleted global fish stocks to sustainable levels at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in June 2012. [98136]

19 Mar 2012 : Column 544W

Richard Benyon: The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Meriden (Mrs Spelman), will be attending Rio+20 (the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development) in June 2012. Action on food security and environmentally sustainable agriculture and fisheries, including ensuring that fish stocks are managed sustainably, is a UK priority.

Flooding

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department is taking to warn people of potential flooding. [100377]

Richard Benyon: DEFRA works with the Environment Agency and others in planning for flooding emergencies through the Flood Emergencies Capabilities Programme. This programme is part of the Cabinet Office’s Capabilities Programme which examines the ability of key organisations to cope with a range of emergencies threatening life and property.

The Environment Agency provides flood warnings to the public for flooding from rivers, the sea and groundwater across England and Wales. Warnings can be directly sent to over 1.1 million landline telephones. Those at risk can also sign up to receive warnings through mobile phones, by text message, e-mail and fax. Warnings are added to the Environment Agency’s website as soon as they are issued, as well as to other websites, such as the BBC and popular social networks. They are also broadcast by local radio stations. There is also a free “app” for iPhones and BlackBerrys, so people can monitor flood warnings for their area when they are on the move. Flood warnings give two or more hours notice of impending flooding, so that those at risk can move, with their most valuable items, to a safe place.

Giving people time to prepare relies on good weather forecasts from the Met Office. These are used by the flood forecasting centre, a joint partnership between the Met Office and the Environment Agency and seven regional teams, to forecast flood risk both nationally and locally.

Livestock: Disease Control

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many (a) cattle and (b) sheep were culled as a result of contracting a disease in (i) Cumbria, (ii) the north-west and (iii) England in each of the last 10 years. [98534]

Mr Paice: Cattle and sheep culled as a result of contracting bovine TB, foot and mouth disease (FMD), bluetongue, BSE, brucellosis and scrapie, in the formats held by DEFRA, are as follows.

For bovine TB, the figures can be found on DEFRA's website at:

http://www.defra.gov.uk/statistics/foodfarm/landuselivestock/cattletb/

The following table shows the number of cattle and sheep culled by DEFRA for exotic notifiable disease control purposes. The 2007 figure for cattle comprises of 982 for FMD and five for bluetongue. The 2007 figure for sheep solely represents those culled during the FMD outbreak.

19 Mar 2012 : Column 545W

  England North-west Cumbria
  Cattle Sheep Cattle Sheep Cattle Sheep

2002

0

0

0

0

0

0

2003

0

0

0

0

0

0

2004

0

0

0

0

0

0

2005

0

0

0

0

0

0

2006

0

0

0

0

0

0

2007

987

43

0

0

0

0

19 Mar 2012 : Column 546W

2008

0

0

0

0

0

0

2009

0

0

0

0

0

0

2010

0

0

0

0

0

0

2011

0

0

0

0

0

0

The following table shows the number of cattle culled on suspicion of BSE and the number of confirmed cases.

  England North-west (Cumbria, Cheshire and Lancashire) Cumbria
 

Slaughtered as suspects

Confirmed BSE cases

Slaughtered as suspects

Confirmed BSE cases

Slaughtered as suspects

Confirmed BSE cases

2002

687

387

61

28

40

17

2003

341

141

27

10

21

4

2004

259

70

35

9

16

4

2005

122

35

14

4

9

3

2006

96

10

8

2

3

1

2007

53

7

10

1

5

0

2008

28

1

2

0

1

0

2009

12

1

0

0

0

0

2010

11

0

1

0

0

0

2011

9

0

0

0

0

0

2012

1

0

0

0

0

0

Total

1,619

652

158

54

95

29

The following table shows the number of cattle culled as offspring of confirmed BSE cases and the number of confirmed cases.

  England North-west (Cumbria, Cheshire and Lancashire) Cumbria
  Slaughtered Confirmed BSE cases Slaughtered Confirmed BSE cases Slaughtered Confirmed BSE cases

2002

620

0

40

0

24

0

2003

292

0

20

0

11

0

2004

200

0

23

0

11

0

2005

126

0

12

0

5

0

2006

27

0

1

0

0

0

2007

0

0

0

0

0

0

2008

0

0

0

0

0

0

2009

0

0

0

0

0

0

2010

0

0

0

0

0

0

2011

0

0

0

0

0

0

2012

0

0

0

0

0

0

Total

1,265

0

96

0

51

0

The following table shows the number of cattle culled as birth cohorts of confirmed BSE cases and the number of confirmed cases.

  England North-west (Cumbria, Cheshire and Lancashire) Cumbria
  Slaughtered Confirmed BSE cases Slaughtered Confirmed BSE cases Slaughtered Confirmed BSE cases

2002

0

0

0

0

0

0

2003

0

0

0

0

0

0

19 Mar 2012 : Column 547W

19 Mar 2012 : Column 548W

2004

3

0

0

0

0

0

2005

2,428

2

283

0

95

0

2006

528

0

41

0

16

0

2007

317

0

4

0

2

0

2008

131

0

7

0

5

0

2009

45

0

5

0

3

0

2010

184

0

123

0

0

0

2011

25

0

1

0

0

0

2012

8

0

0

0

0

0

Total

3,669

2

464

0

121

0

The following table shows the number of cattle culled under the Over 30 Months Scheme and the Older Cattle Disposal Scheme and the number of confirmed BSE cases:

  England North-west (Cumbria, Cheshire and Lancashire) Cumbria
  Slaughtered Confirmed BSE cases Slaughtered Confirmed BSE cases Slaughtered Confirmed BSE cases

2002

101,790

11

11,611

2

6,286

1

2003

149,235

13

21,905

1

12,638

1

2004

216,877

7

32,770

1

19,153

1

2005

194,243

4

30,569

2

18,641

1

2006

29,106

2

4,335

0

2,739

0

2007

14,684

0

1,811

0

1,202

0

2008

16,645

1

1,765

0

1,165

0

2009

280

0

22

0

4

0

2010

0

0

0

0

0

0

2011

0

0

0

0

0

0

2012

0

0

0

0

0

0

Total

722,860

38

104,788

6

61,828

4

The following table shows the number of sheep culled on suspicion of scrapie and the number of confirmed cases.

  England North-west (Cumbria, Cheshire and Lancashire) Cumbria
  Slaughtered as suspects Confirmed scrapie cases Slaughtered as suspects Confirmed scrapie cases Slaughtered as suspects Confirmed scrapie cases

2002

327

225

47

43

18

15

2003

303

229

65

55

35

26

2004

250

161

20

14

20

14

2005

149

54

22

10

9

1

2006

132

51

38

19

4

0

2007

24

10

2

0

1

0

2008

10

1

2

1

1

0

2009

11

0

1

0

1

0

2010

2

0

0

0

0

0

2011

48

44

0

0

0

0

2012

1

0

0

0

0

0

Total

1,257

775

197

142

89

56

The following table shows the number of sheep killed in initial culls following confirmation of scrapie on affected holdings and the number of confirmed cases.

19 Mar 2012 : Column 549W

19 Mar 2012 : Column 550W

  England North-west (Cumbria, Cheshire and Lancashire) Cumbria
  Slaughtered Confirmed scrapie cases Slaughtered Confirmed scrapie cases Slaughtered Confirmed scrapie cases

2002

0

0

0

0

0

0

2003

0

0

0

0

0

0

2004

0

0

0

0

0

0

2005

4,681

27

329

2

179

0

2006

2,796

30

302

12

86

0

2007

264

0

0

0

0

0

2008

250

0

9

0

0

0

2009

319

0

150

0

0

0

2010

0

0

0

0

0

0

2011

100

0

0

0

0

0

2012

0

0

0

0

0

0

Total

8,410

57

790

14

265

0

The following table shows the number of sheep killed under the Compulsory Scrapie Flock Scheme and the Voluntary Scrapie Flock Scheme. These animals were not tested for scrapie.

  England North-west (Cumbria, Cheshire and Lancashire) Cumbria
  Slaughtered Slaughtered Slaughtered

2002

0

0

0

2003

0

0

0

2004

38,840

3,318

3,146

2005

63,288

6,391

3,130

2006

28,451

4,044

424

2007

3,350

77

69

2008

3,169

0

0

2009

2,861

65

0

2010

2,010

0

0

2011

6,690

0

0

2012

0

0

0

Total

148,659

13,895

6,769

The following table shows the number of cattle culled as a result of brucellosis which, it should be noted, is based on the best information available.

  England North-west Cumbria

2002

0

0

0

2003

0

0

0

2004

167

0

0

2005

(1)20

0

0

2006

(2)5

0

0

2007

0

0

0

2008

0

0

0

2009

0

0

0

2010

1

0

0

2011

0

0

0

(1) Represents whole of GB; England only figure not available. (2) Includes Scotland; England only figure not available.

Marine Conservation Zones

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) whether marine conservation zones will be designated by the summer 2013; [100324]

(2) if she will consider introducing a second round of additional marine conservation zones to be allocated after 2013. [100325]

Richard Benyon: The Government remain committed to creating a network of marine protected areas in the UK, and aims to designate the first round of marine conservation zones (MCZs) in the summer of 2013, with further designations of sites following thereafter.

I refer the hon. Member to the statement I made on 15 November 2011, Official Report, columns 738-42, which sets out the designation process for MCZs.

Organic Food: Families

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the volume of organic food an average family buys in a week; and what trends have been identified in such purchasing patterns. [100455]

Mr Paice: DEFRA does not hold figures or estimates of household purchases of food and drink specified as organic.

UK figures on sales are available from the Ethical Consumerism Report by the Co-operative Bank. The data are based on administrative records held by ethical labelling organisations and trade associations. The last five years on record are estimated as follows, and show that sales of organic food in 2010 were down 10% on 2009.

Organic food and drink
  UK sales (£ million)

2006

1,737

2007

1,982

2008

1,986

2009

1,704

2010

1,527

Source: Ethical Consumerism Reports (ECR). The Co-operative Bank http://www.goodwithmoney.co.uk/ethicalconsumerismreport

Rights of Way: Coastal Areas

Fiona O'Donnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she plans to bring forward legislative proposals to amend

19 Mar 2012 : Column 551W

legislation on rights of way and the England Coastal Path in response to representations from the Country Landowners Association. [100313]

Richard Benyon: In "The Natural Choice: securing the value of nature", the Government's Natural Environment White Paper, we announced plans to consult on simplifying and streamlining the processes for recording and making changes to public rights of way, based on proposals made by Natural England's Stakeholder Working Group on unrecorded rights of way in its report entitled “Stepping Forward”. As a member of the Stakeholder Working Group, the Country Landowners and Business Association has made clear its continuing support for the proposals in the “Stepping Forward” report. We will be issuing a consultation document in due course.

The Government recognise the concerns of some landowners and the Country Land and Business Association about the implementation of the coastal access provisions in part 9 of the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009, particularly about the extent of the “coastal margin” and the area of additional “spreading room” to which people will have access. We have no plans to amend the 2009 Act but, in the light of the lessons we have learned in the implementation of coastal access at Weymouth, we will be looking to adopt a more efficient and streamlined approach to the future implementation of the coastal access provisions.

Rural Areas: Broadband

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 29 February 2012, Official Report, columns 361-2W, on rural areas: broadband, whether the funding for the rollout of broadband to rural areas is the funding made available to BDUK by her Department. [100591]

Richard Benyon: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is the lead Department for delivery of the Government's broadband policy and Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) is its operational arm.

DEFRA has not made any funding available to BDUK. The Government's £530 million investment in the rollout of rural broadband has been derived from both the Digital Switchover Helpscheme underspend and the TV Licence fee settlement.

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 29 February 2012, Official Report, columns 361-2W, on rural areas: broadband, whether the funding for investment is open to (a) technologies which support standard broadband speeds only and (b) areas which are not rural. [100592]

Richard Benyon: My response to PQ 96195 of 29 February 2012, Official Report, columns 361-62W, referred to two separate but complementary investment programmes.

The £530 million Broadband Delivery UK funding is to help stimulate private investment to deliver superfast broadband to 90% of premises, and standard broadband to all premises in the UK, by 2015. This funding is

19 Mar 2012 : Column 552W

targeted at areas that will not be served sufficiently quickly by the market acting alone. Most, but not all, of these areas will be rural.

The £20 million Rural Community Broadband Fund is operated by DEFRA under the Rural Development Programme for England. It is specifically designed to extend superfast broadband into those 10% hard to reach rural communities that will otherwise only receive standard broadband. It is therefore only available to support technologies that deliver superfast speeds and is not available in urban areas.

Schmallenberg Virus

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had with her EU counterparts on the spread of the Schmallenberg virus. [99787]

Mr Paice: We are in contact with our EU colleagues through discussions at the Commission with the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health, the Directorate General for Health and Consumers, and the Directorate General for Trade as well as the European Food Safety Authority and the EU laboratories involved in testing and research on Schmallenberg virus.

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the potential effect of the Schmallenberg virus on the (a) productivity and (b) revenue of farmers. [99789]

Mr Paice: The situation is still evolving and we will not be able to make a full assessment of the impact on productivity or revenue of farmers until the end of the lambing and calving seasons. However, current indications are that it is not having a significant effect on either.

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the effect of testing for the Schmallenberg virus on the normal operation of the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency. [99790]

Mr Paice: The Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratory Agency continues to meet its obligations through prioritisation and flexibility in the use of its laboratory resources.

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether there is any evidence of under-reporting of the cases of the Schmallenberg virus in England and Wales. [99792]

Mr Paice: The disease is not notifiable and there is no requirement for reporting disease. While there is some evidence AHVLA are not being told about all cases for a variety of reasons, we are satisfied that we are being told about enough to enable us to build an accurate picture of how widespread the disease is.

19 Mar 2012 : Column 553W

Water Supply

Brandon Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department takes to ensure water companies take appropriate action to maximise resources and minimise wastage to conserve water supplies. [100469]

Richard Benyon: All water companies in England and Wales have statutory water resources management plans, which show projections of supply and demand for water over future years, and how the companies aim to balance the two. Water companies manage water resources using a combination of demand management measures, including water efficiency, metering and leakage control, with the development of new water supply resources where needed. These statutory plans are subject to public consultation.

Water companies in England and Wales also have statutory drought plans that set out how they will continue to supply water in a drought. Each drought plan contains a range of measures to be activated depending on the severity and extent of a drought. The measures include extra promotion of water efficiency, publicity campaigns, enhanced leakage reduction, restrictions on water use and pressure reduction. Water companies are required to publicly consult on their drought plans to promote transparency on the steps that they plan to take to manage water resources in a drought.

Health

Alcoholic Drinks: Abuse

Gareth Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in (a) Dartford constituency and (b) Kent received treatment for alcohol dependency in each of the last three years. [100426]

Anne Milton: It is not possible to provide the number of people receiving treatment for alcohol dependency in the constituency of Dartford, as alcohol treatment data are only reported at primary care trust (PCT) level. The number of people receiving treatment for alcohol dependency in Kent for the year 2008-09 to 2010-11 is given in the following table.

  Total number of primary alcohol clients (18+) in treatment in the year
PCT 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11

Eastern and Coastal Kent

1,372

1,162

1,064

West Kent

697

851

797

Source: National Alcohol Treatment Monitoring System.

Ambulance Services: North-west Region

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many ambulances are on duty during the day in (a) Warrington borough, (b) Halton borough and (c) Chester; [100698]

(2) what the average ambulance response time is for (a) an emergency call and (b) other categories of call in Warrington. [100750]

19 Mar 2012 : Column 554W

Mr Simon Burns: The information requested is not collected centrally, but can be requested from North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust direct.

Anticoagulation-related Bleeding

Mr Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what the annual cost to the NHS of anticoagulation-related bleeding was in each of the last five years; [100167]

(2) what steps he is taking to improve clinical outcomes for patients receiving long-term anticoagulation therapy; [100168]

(3) how many people were admitted to hospital as a result of anticoagulation-related bleeding in each of the last five years. [100169]

Mr Simon Burns: Information on the annual cost to the national health service of anticoagulation-related bleeding is not collected centrally.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence published technology appraisal guidance on 15 March 2012 recommending the use of dabigatran etexilate, an orally administered anticoagulant, as an option for the prevention of stroke and systemic embolism within its licensed indication.

The number of people admitted to hospital as a result of anticoagulation-related bleeding in each of the last five years is set out in the following table.

Count of finished admission episodes (1) (FAEs) with a primary diagnosis (2) of anticoagulation-related bleeding for the period 2006-07 to 2010-11 (3)
Activity in English NHS Hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector
  FAEs total

2010-11

188

2009-10

198

2008-09

190

2007-08

226

2006-07

176

(1) Finished Admission Episodes (FAE) A finished admission episode (FAE) is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one health care provider. FAEs are counted against the year in which the admission episode finishes. Admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year. (2) Number of episodes in which the patient had a (named) primary or secondary diagnosis The number of episodes where this diagnosis was recorded in any of the 20 (14 from 2002-03 to 2006-07 and seven prior to 2002-03) primary and secondary diagnosis fields in a Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) record. Each episode is only counted once, even if the diagnosis is recorded in more than one diagnosis field of the record. ICD-10 codes used: D68.3—haemorrhagic disorder due to circulating anticoagulants in a primary position Y44.2—Anticoagulants in any secondary positions (3) Assessing growth through time HES figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. Changes to the figures over time need to be interpreted in the context of improvements in data quality and coverage (particularly in earlier years), improvements in coverage of independent sector activity (particularly from 2006-07) and changes in NHS practice. For example, apparent reductions in activity may be due to a number of procedures which may now be undertaken in out-patient settings and so no longer include admitted patient HES data. Data quality HES are compiled from data sent by more than 300 NHS trusts and primary care trusts in England and from some independent sector organisations for activity commissioned by the English NHS. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain. Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The Health and Social Care Information Centre

19 Mar 2012 : Column 555W

Cholesterol

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment he has made of the level of compliance by service providers with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence clinical guideline 71 on the identification and management of familial hypercholesterolaemia; and if he will make a statement; [100055]

(2) with reference to National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence clinical guideline 71, what plans he has to increase the diagnosis of familial hypercholesterolaemia; and if he will make a statement. [100166]

Mr Simon Burns: No assessment has been made of the level of compliance by service providers with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) clinical guideline, on the identification and management of familial hypercholesterolaemia.

NICE clinical guidelines represent best practice and we expect commissioners to take them fully into account in their decision-making. In view of their complexity and because of the different states of readiness for implementation in the national health service, clinical guidelines are not subject to the same statutory funding direction as NICE's technology appraisals.

Everyone having an NHS Health Check will have a cholesterol test. We have taken the opportunity in the Best Practice Guidance for the NHS Health Check programme to highlight familial hypercholesterolaemia for consideration if an individual's total cholesterol is >7.5 mmol/l—as set out in the NICE clinical guideline.

Familial hypercholesterolaemia will also be one of the issues considered during the development of the Cardiovascular Disease Outcomes Strategy.

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence to complete the development of a quality standard on identification and treatment of familial hypercholesterolaemia. [100056]

Mr Simon Burns: We have asked the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) to develop a Quality Standard on familial hypercholesterolaemia, as part of a library of approximately 170 NHS Quality Standards. NICE has not yet published a timescale for the development of this Quality Standard.

Clinical Commissioning Groups

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) when he plans to publish regulations on the independent commissioning by clinical commissioning groups of NHS services; [100133]

(2) by what date he plans to publish regulations on commissioning by local clinical consortia of services provided by local GPs. [100607]

19 Mar 2012 : Column 556W

Mr Simon Burns: The Health and Social Care Bill provides for sector specific regulations for commissioners of NHS services, which would apply to clinical commissioning groups and the NHS Commissioning Board. The Government's intention is that commissioners should have a full range of options, including the option of securing services through competition, or without competition, with decisions taken in the best interests of their patients.

Regulations would require commissioners to act transparently and be able to justify their decisions in terms of patients' best interests.

The Government intend to publish a consultation on the regulations in the summer and then make the regulations so that they come into force from April 2013.

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what discussions his Department has had with (a) the NHS Commissioning Board, (b) the European Commission and (c) the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on the application of European competition law to the decisions of the proposed clinical commissioning groups; and if he will make a statement; [100191]

(2) what discussions officials in his Department have had with officials in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on the application of European competition law to the decisions of the proposed clinical commissioning groups; and if he will make a statement. [100663]

Mr Simon Burns: The Health and Social Care Bill provides for sector specific regulations for commissioners of NHS services, which would apply to clinical commissioning groups and the NHS Commissioning Board. The Government's intention is that commissioners should have a full range of options, including the option of securing services through competition, or without competition, with decisions taken in the best interests of their patients. Regulations would require commissioners to act transparently and be able, to justify their decisions in terms of patients' best interests.

This sector-specific approach is consistent with the Department of Health's view that commissioners of NHS services would not be acting as undertakings for the purpose of the Competition Act 1998, in respect of their purchasing activities, and would not be required to competitively tender for services in all circumstances under the Public Contracts Regulations 2006. We understand that officials have discussed this interpretation of the Competition Act 1998 with colleagues in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. We are not aware of any such discussions with the European Commission. The NHS Commissioning Board is yet to be established.

Coeliac Disease: Health Services

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Government are taking to reduce the number of people with undiagnosed coeliac disease. [100857]

19 Mar 2012 : Column 557W

Paul Burstow: All general practitioners should be familiar with the recognition and treatment of coeliac disease. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) published a clinical guideline on the recognition and assessment of coeliac disease in 2009, and other guidance is available from sources familiar to general practitioners (GPs) such as Patient Co UK. In addition, the Food Standards Agency works closely with Coeliac UK, health professionals and dieticians to improve awareness of the disease and to ensure that, once diagnosed, individuals are provided with the right information to help them make safe food choices and to manage their condition effectively. Ministers have included coeliac disease in the list of topics referred to NICE for the development of quality standards.

Diabetes: Chiropody

Gareth Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of diabetes patients in West Kent primary care trust received foot-care checks in 2011. [100425]

Paul Burstow: There are two sources of data for assessing the extent to which foot checks are provided: the National Diabetes Audit and the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) achievement data.

The National Diabetes Audit 2009-10 shows that, from data received by 97.1% of practices, 82.9% of diabetics registered in NHS West Kent primary care trust (PCT) had foot checks performed. Audit data for 2010-11 are due to be published in November 2012.

The QOF indicators for diabetic foot care in 2010-11 were as follows:

DM09: The percentage of patients with diabetes with a record of the presence or absence of peripheral pulses in the previous 15 months; and

DM10: The percentage of patients with diabetes with a record of neuropathy testing in the previous 15 months.

According to NHS West Kent PCT, QOF data for 2010-11, for DM09 the underlying achievement for practices in the PCT was 92.2% and for DM10 91.8%. Underlying achievement means the percentage of eligible patients (excluding those who were excepted from the indicator) who received the checks. The exception rate in NHS West Kent PCT was reported as 7.8% for DM09 and 7.9% for DM10.

The QOF gives an indication of the overall achievement of a practice through a points system. It contains groups of indicators, against which practices score points. The results are published annually. Practices are allowed to exception-report (exclude) patients were either treatment is not judged appropriate or who have failed to attend booked appointments. Therefore when analysing the data, it is important to acknowledge both figures.

The differences in results between the audit and QOF may be ascribable to variations in scope and data assessment methodology. We intend to work with stakeholders to understand the reasons for the differences and to identify what needs to be done as a result.