| Police officer strength by basic command unit, 31 March 2011 (1) | ||
| Full-time equivalents | ||
| Police force | BCU | Police officers |
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| (1) These figures are based on full-time equivalents that have been rounded to the nearest whole number, due to rounding there may be an apparent discrepancy between totals and the sums of constituent items. Figures include those officers on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave. (2) As the force was restructured and BCUs redefined part way through the period these data are not available. | ||
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Police: Voluntary Organisations
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the effect of changes in police funding on the relationship the police have with the voluntary sector and the NHS. [100087]
Nick Herbert [holding answer 15 March 2012]: The Home Office is working closely with the Department of Health to ensure that partnership working continues between the NHS and the police.
The Home Office has also provided £10 million through the Community Action Against Crime: Innovation Fund to support local crime reduction projects and strengthen relationships between the voluntary sector and the police.
Proceeds of Crime: EU Action
Mr Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the UK has fully enacted the provisions of EU Council Framework Decision 2005/212/JHA; and what assessment her Department has made of its effectiveness in dealing with the confiscation of crime- related proceeds. [101928]
James Brokenshire [holding answer 26 March 2012]: In respect of serious, habitual criminals, the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 has an effective scheme for the confiscation, not only of the proceeds of an instant conviction, but also the entire illegitimate wealth derived from crime. This accords with the extended confiscation regime set down by this framework decision. Extended confiscation is an important aspect of our asset recovery regime and the Government continually review all tools available to them for seizing the proceeds of crime.
Procurement
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many contracts her Department had with (a) Capita and (b) Serco in the last 12 months. [103167]
Damian Green: The Home Department including its executive agencies held three contracts with Capita and eight contracts with Serco in the last 12 months.
Metal Theft
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects to implement proposals for reform of the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 1964. [102163]
James Brokenshire: The Government amendment to the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill to tackle metal theft is still subject to parliamentary scrutiny.
We continue to consider steps for broader reform of the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 1964. The proposals will be implemented as soon as practicable following Royal Assent.
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Metal Theft
Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether itinerant dealers will be exempt from legislation to ban the cash trade in scrap metal. [100395]
James Brokenshire [holding answer 19 March 2012]:All scrap metal dealers, whether or not they are itinerant, will be prohibited from using cash.
Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the efficacy of current border arrangements for (a) detecting and (b) seizing stolen scrap metal passing through UK border controls. [97099]
Damian Green: Border Force is the lead law enforcement body at the border with a unique position in protecting the United Kingdom from criminal activity, terrorism threats, revenue, customs and immigration offending, while facilitating legitimate travellers and trade. Its targeting operation works closely with other law enforcement agencies to inform detection at the border, including of stolen goods. In the event of detection the matter is referred to the relevant agency for appropriate action.
Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many itinerant collectors were operating in the UK in the last three years; how many of these (a) were registered under the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 1964 (SMDA), (b) had record keeping exemptions under section 3(1) of the SMDA and (c) had applied for and maintained a waste carrier's licence in that period; and how many inspections of itinerants' records maintained either under section 2 or section 3 of the SMDA have been carried out by the relevant authorities in the last three years. [101385]
James Brokenshire [holding answer 26 March 2012]: There is no accurate information available on the total number of itinerant collectors operating in the UK. Information relating to both the registration under the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 1964 and section 3(1) orders for itinerant collectors, is held and maintained by the relevant local authorities rather than centrally.
While the Environment Agency maintains a central record of Waste Carrier Licence applications, the information cannot be broken down to identify itinerant collectors against other businesses.
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons itinerant collectors are exempted from a proposed ban on cash payments for scrap metal. [102164]
James Brokenshire:
The only exemption will be for those itinerant collectors who have registered with their local authority and also been granted an order under section 3(1) of the 1964 Scrap Metal Dealers Act. The section 3(1) order was intended to spare very small local businesses from some of the record-keeping requirements the Act places on larger dealers, and can be granted only by the local authority in consultation with the chief police officer. As enforcement of the new offence of cash payment will be reliant on those record-keeping
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requirements, including the additional requirement inserted by the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill, it is appropriate that those who are currently exempt from those requirements are also exempt from the new offence. However, by definition these itinerant collectors have no capacity to process scrap metal, and will need to sell whatever they collect to a dealer who is subject to the new offence.
We will work with the Local Government Association and Association of Chief Police Officers on advice for local authorities and police forces on enforcement of the requirements of the Scrap Metal Dealers Act and the criteria for issuing any new section 3(1) orders.
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will bring forward the date for the completion of the review of the offence of buying scrap metal for cash. [102165]
James Brokenshire: We will review the impact of the proposed new offence after five years, in line with current guidance on new regulation. In the interim, we will be monitoring the effectiveness of this measure as part of our ongoing efforts to reduce metal theft and strengthen the licensing regime for scrap metal dealers. As part of this we will be reviewing the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 1964.
Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will publish the risk assessment prepared by her Department in respect of the decision to exclude itinerant metal dealers from its proposed ban on cash trade in scrap metal. [102719]
James Brokenshire: All scrap metal dealers, whether or not they are itinerant, will be prohibited from using cash.
Tigers: Conservation
Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions she has had with Interpol about the communication of nominal criminal intelligence at international level to facilitate enforcement operations against the illegal trade in tiger products in source and transit countries. [103139]
James Brokenshire: The National Wildlife Crime Unit works closely with the Serious Organised Crime Agency in respect of sharing intelligence relating to international investigations into the illegal trade in tiger parts and derivatives. Intelligence is passed via the National Central Bureaux to Interpol and where appropriate to overseas partners in line with agreed protocols.
Vodafone Group
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many contracts Vodafone has been awarded by her Department in the last 12 months. [103198]
Damian Green: The Home Office including its executive agencies has awarded one contract to Vodafone in the last 12 months.
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Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what contracts her Department has with Vodafone. [103199]
Damian Green: The Home Department including its executive agencies holds one contract with Vodafone for the provision of mobile voice and data telecommunications services.
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many times the Permanent Secretary in her Department has met Vodafone representatives in the last 12 months. [103200]
Damian Green: Home Office Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of international partners, as well as organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors, as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Agriculture: Storage
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she expects to provide grant aid in the event that the storage of silage, slurry and fuel oil derogation is removed. [102253]
Richard Benyon: The Government's consultation on implementation of the Nitrates Directive and possible changes to the 2010 regulations on the protection of water (slurry, silage and agricultural fuel oil) closed on 16 March. Responses are now being analysed, and the Government's response is expected to be published in late May.
It is the Government's long-standing policy not to subsidise businesses to comply with legal requirements. However, under the Capital Allowances Act 2001, agricultural businesses are entitled to make use of the annual investment allowance. This enables businesses to claim full tax relief, up to £25,000 of capital expenditure, on most plant and machinery expenditure in the year it is incurred, and this includes capital works on silage and slurry stores.
In addition, assistance is available for the construction of some storage-related infrastructure. Where it operates, grants of 50% of the capital costs of a wide range of works, up to a limit of £10,000, are available under the Catchment Sensitive Farming Initiative. Eligible works include ancillary structures, such as roofs over silage and slurry stores, but not construction of the stores themselves.
There are also grants of up to £25,000 available under the Farming and Forestry Improvement Scheme. Similar to the Catchment Sensitive Farming Initiative, these grants are not available for construction of storage itself, but can be used for ancillary works such as covers for slurry stores which, by keeping out rainwater, can reduce the cost of the store by reducing the volume of storage needed.
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Air Pollution: Greater London
Mr Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the Mayor of London's compliance with the requirement to issue pollution alerts. [100484]
Richard Benyon: The legal requirement to issue pollution alerts rests with the Secretary of State (under regulation 21 of the Air Quality Standards Regulations 2010) rather than the Mayor of London. The Secretary of State has a duty to inform the public by means of radio, television, newspapers or the internet if information thresholds for sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and ozone (as set out in schedule 5 to the regulations) are exceeded. The Secretary of State provides online information to the public on current and forecasted air quality at:
http://uk-air.defra.gov.uk
at all times, and this meets the requirements of this duty. In addition, a freephone service is available.
DEFRA has also undertaken to issue a press release when the first ozone episode occurs each year. This is to draw attention to the online information services available and remind the public of where to find more details. The decision on whether to issue a press notice is reviewed each year.
In addition to this, the Mayor of London has voluntarily promoted a pioneering new airTEXT service whereby people living in London can get free text, email or voicemail alerts of elevated levels about air pollution.
Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the effect of the closure of Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency facilities on the economies of local rural areas. [102256]
Mr Paice: No formal impact assessment was carried out. Closure of some of the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency’s facilities was purely an operational delivery issue which, as such, did not require policy or regulatory change.
The reorganisation will enable savings of approximately £2.5 million per annum.
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 19 December 2011, Official Report, column 899W, on Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA); what assessment she has made of the effect of the closure of AHVLA facilities on the transport of animal samples; and what assessment she has made of the risk that transport times will cause sample deterioration. [102257]
Mr Paice:
AHVLA has confirmed that it will continue to deliver the whole range of testing currently required and that such tests will continue to be performed to the ISO17025 quality standard. AHVLA also understands the concerns of those using the service about deterioration in transport of those samples collected from post-mortem material at sites which will no longer have laboratory testing facilities. AHVLA will continue to investigate
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solutions to mitigate these risks. The introduction of portable incubators, put in place this month, is one method of ensuring that sample deterioration is kept to a minimum.
AHVLA is working in collaboration with the incubator manufacturer and designers of a custom-made flight case, so that the end product is safe, effective and resilient in routine use. AHVLA will continue to monitor the use of the incubators when they are in use to ensure that they provide the same temperature and the same atmosphere as a static laboratory incubator.
A large proportion of samples received by AHVLA (approximately 50% across the network) are already transported by mail. It should also be noted that the majority of samples tested at the surveillance centres at the university of London and Liverpool, are received by post and since October 2010, the majority of samples tested arising from post-mortems carried out at AHVLA Thirsk regional laboratory have been tested by AHVLA Newcastle regional laboratory.
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which tests will be retained at post-mortem Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency sites. [102258]
Mr Paice: The following tests will be retained alongside post-mortems:
Smear—staining and microscopic examination (includes Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis, Q Fever and Brucella);
Anthrax diagnosis;
Detection of acid alcohol fast bacilli (mycobacteria);
Wet preparation—microscopic exam for motile protozoa;
Worm count—sample is sent to a remote lab either pre- or post-sieving for quantitative count and ID of parasites; and
Worm egg count.
Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control
Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what scientific evidence she has received that a vaccination would reduce or eliminate the transmission of tuberculosis from badgers to cattle. [102327]
Mr Paice: While we would expect badger vaccination to result in reduced transmission of TB to cattle, we currently have no direct experimental evidence on this. Computer modelling has indicated that sustained badger vaccination campaigns could be beneficial in lowering TB incidence in cattle and that vaccination could be used in combination with culling to increase the benefits in terms of cattle incidence compared to culling alone. While such models can contribute to our understanding of the benefits vaccination could provide, the results vary depending on the assumptions used and cannot be considered conclusive, and there is no guarantee that these results will be realised.
Expenditure: Catering
Jon Trickett:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much her Department spent on complimentary refreshments for
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(a)
staff and
(b)
visitors in the latest period for which figures are available. [101438]
Richard Benyon: To provide this information would incur disproportionate costs.
Civil Servants: Code of Practice
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many investigations into breaches by civil servants of the Civil Service Code of Conduct occurred in her Department in each month from May 2010 to March 2012. [103158]
Richard Benyon: During the period between May 2010 and March 2012 there have not been any investigations into breaches of the Civil Service Code of Conduct by civil servants employed by core DEFRA.
Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is on the renegotiation of the Gothenburg Protocol on long-range transboundary air pollution. [102058]
Richard Benyon: The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Gothenburg Protocol is one of the few international instruments through which transboundary air pollution from beyond EU borders can be addressed. For the protocol to be effective it needs to be ratified and then implemented by non-EU parties, and to date this has not happened. The key EU aim for the renegotiation of the Gothenburg Protocol is therefore to reduce the environmental and human health impacts of transboundary air pollution by agreeing a protocol that can be widely ratified by all parties. The UK fully supports this approach.
Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000
Mr Marcus Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will bring forward the 2026 deadline set out in the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000. [102320]
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, ‘Stepping Forward’.
Proposal one of the ‘Stepping Forward’ report makes it clear that bringing into force the 2026 cut-off is an integral part of the wider package of recommendations from the group and that pre-1949 rights of way should be extinguished if they are unrecorded at the cut-off date, subject to the group's other recommendations.
We intend to issue a consultation document, including this and the group's other proposals, shortly.
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Ministerial Meetings
Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she plans to publish an updated list of ministerial meetings. [102558]
Richard Benyon: An updated list of ministerial meetings has been published, and is available on DEFRA's transparency webpage:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/about/who/ministers/transparency/
Fisheries: Hartlepool
Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will take steps to ensure that the inshore under 10 metre fleet in Hartlepool is able to obtain additional foundation quota of appropriate species; and if she will make a statement. [103066]
Richard Benyon: Work is currently under way to reform the fisheries management arrangements in England, with the long-term aim of securing a more profitable, sustainable and unified fishing industry, and specifically seeking to tackle some of the difficulties currently facing the English under-10 metre fleet.
Three voluntary pilot quota management groups are to go ahead to test the impact of a more local approach to quota management for the under-10 metre fleet. These will be based in the ports of Lowestoft, West Mersea and Ramsgate. The proposed Hartlepool group decided not to go forward with the quota management approach but are considering working together for marketing and development purposes with the continued support of a coastal liaison officer, appointed for the period of the pilot projects with European fisheries fund funding.
The results from the pilots will contribute to decisions on the final reform package.
To ensure a higher utilisation of the UK's annual quota allocation, the under-10 metre pool will be boosted this year by a realignment of quota which has been consistently unused by English producer organisations at the end of every one of the four years from 2007-10. We will make a permanent transfer of the fixed quota allocations (FQAs) associated with this quota to the under-10 metre pool from 2013.
Expenditure: Flowers
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much her Department spent on (a) cut flowers and (b) pot plants between May 2010 and February 2012. [101437]
Richard Benyon: The total expenditure incurred by the Department on internal flowers and pot plants across all core-DEFRA buildings between May 2010 and February 2012 is as follows:
| £ | |
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This includes supply, maintenance and replacement.
The expenditure was part of the facilities management contract which commenced on 1 April 2009 for a period of 15 years.
DEFRA will no longer incur this cost as the contractor has agreed to remove this service from the contract for the remaining term.
Food: Labelling
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the animal welfare standards of red tractor food labelling in comparison with (a) the Soil Association Organic Standard, (b) RSPCA Freedom Food and (c) other food labelling systems. [102255]
Mr Paice: None. Food assurance schemes are voluntary arrangements through which consumers and businesses along the food chain are provided with assurance that food has been produced to certain standards. Scheme standards are set by the appropriate ownership body, as are the requirements for monitoring compliance.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Business
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she expects a decision will be reached on her Department's preferred option for the measuring and reporting of greenhouse gas emissions by UK companies before the Rio+20 summit in June 2012; whether she plans to discuss company reporting at Rio+20; and if she will make a statement. [103079]
Richard Benyon: The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the right hon. Member for Meriden (Mrs Spelman), will make a statement when a decision has been reached which I would expect to be before the Rio+20 summit.
The Secretary of State will be discussing company reporting at Rio+20, as one of our priorities is to improve sustainability reporting by companies.
Horse Passports
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she plans to publish the outcome of her Department's review of the horse passport scheme; and if she will make a statement. [102430]
Mr Paice: DEFRA has recently concluded its review of the National Equine Database (NED) (the UK's central register of horse passports issued by passport issuing organisations). As a result, an invitation to tender for a UK-wide central equine database has been issued, which is due to close on 20 April; the terms are broadly similar to the current NED contract, which expires at the end of September 2012. Following an assessment of all bids, including a cost-benefit analysis, a decision will be taken later this year on whether to continue to operate a central equine database. In the meantime, NED continues to operate and data remain available to enforcement bodies such as local authorities.
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Infrastructure and Environment Unit
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she plans to establish the Major Infrastructure and Environment Unit; and what additional resources will be made available to support the new unit. [102302]
Richard Benyon: The Major Infrastructure and Environment Unit will be established in April 2012. It is expected to have up to eight staff from DEFRA and other parts of Government.
The terms of reference for the unit are available on the DEFRA website.
Low Emission Zones: Greater London
Mr Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) how many fines have been levied for breaches of the Euro 4 emission standard in London's Low Emission Zone in 2012 to date; [100481]
(2) what steps she is taking in response to breaches of emission requirements under the Low Emission Zone in London; [100480]
(3) how many fines have been levied for breaches of the Euro 3 emission standard for light duty vehicles in London in 2012 to date. [100482]
Richard Benyon: The London Low Emission Zone (LEZ) is the responsibility of the Mayor of London and is enforced by Transport for London (TfL). It is the world's largest city-wide LEZ and the Mayor has recently made compliance requirements more rigorous as part of a broader strategy to improve air quality in London. Other measures include investment in hybrid buses, retiring the oldest most polluting taxis, delivering record investment in cycling and provision of charging points for electric vehicles via Source London. With financial support from the Government, the Mayor has also trialled a range of innovative measures, including the use of dust suppressants and green infrastructure, through his Clean Air Fund.
TfL has issued over 21,500 Penalty Charge Notices to non-compliant vehicle operators since the scheme began in 2008.
90% of affected vehicles observed driving in London now meet the required standard of Euro 4 for particulate matter, and 98% meet the required standard of Euro 3.
National Farmers Union
Mr Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when (a) she and (b) her Ministers last met representatives of the National Farmers Union; and what was discussed. [101727]
Mr Paice: The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Meriden (Mrs Spelman), last met with, and addressed, representatives of the National Farmers Union at their annual conference on 21 February, where discussions took place on a range of farming issues.
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I met with the President of the NFU on 26 March as part of the Green Food Project Steering Group where we discussed sustainable food production.
The Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Newbury (Richard Benyon), met with NFU Vice-President Gwyn Jones and Andrew Clark on 1 February to discuss biodiversity.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my noble Friend Lord Taylor of Holbeach, met with NFU Vice President Adam Quinney at the Adapting to Climate Change High Level Representatives meeting on 22 March.
Nitrate Vulnerable Zones
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the effect on the regulatory burden on farmers of changes in nitrate-vulnerable zones. [102252]
Mr Paice: The current Action Programme for the implementation of the nitrates directive in England for the period 2008 to 2012 was accompanied by a regulatory impact assessment that included assessments of the regulatory burden on farmers.
DEFRA is currently undertaking a review of the Action Programme that will operate from 1 January 2013 until December 2016. This review, which commenced on 16 December 2011, included a full public consultation and was accompanied by an impact assessment. The consultation was informed by the findings from the Task Force on Farming Regulation, which had made recommendations on how DEFRA may reduce the regulatory burden.
DEFRA has undertaken a specific industry focused workshop aimed at developing further the practical responses received from the consultation. DEFRA is now working through the range of views in order to develop a Government response, which is expected in late May.
Organic Food
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 19 March 2012, Official Report, column 550W, on organic food: families, what assessment she has made of the factors underlying declines in (a) organic food sales and (b) organically-farmed land in the UK. [102254]
Mr Paice: A number of factors may contribute to the decline in organic food sales in the UK. These include: consumers making savings on household spending; reduced supermarket shelf space for organic products which results in reduced choice and availability; and lack of investment by retailers in own-label organic ranges.
Similarly, a number of factors may contribute to the decline in organically farmed land. These include: a reduction in the overall market for organic produce following the economic downturn; a fall in the premium that some farmers receive for organic produce; and a rise in the cost of organic inputs, such as feed.
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Packaging: Recycling
Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress she has made on setting requirements for product packaging to ensure that all component parts of packaging can be recycled. [99817]
Richard Benyon: As part of the Waste Review, the Government committed to increase the percentage of recycled content used in packaging and to make packaging more recyclable. The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), on behalf of Government, is working with industry to continue to improve the recyclability of certain types of packaging, for example by changing the additives used to colour milk bottle caps so that they don't affect the colour of the recycled material and can be more easily used in new milk bottles.
Although the composition of packaging is primarily a business decision for the maker of the product, and is based on a consideration of various issues such as functionality, price, weight and health and safety, WRAP has developed guides to help producers make sustainable choices when specifying packaging formats.
The UK operates a system of Producer Responsibility which makes producers of packaging responsible for ensuring that a proportion of the packaging they produce is recovered and recycled. In 2010 the UK recovered over 67% and recycled 60% of the 10.8 m tonnes of packaging placed on the UK market.
Procurement
Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of contracts issued by (a) her Department and (b) agencies for which she is responsible were rewarded to small and medium-sized enterprises in the latest period for which figures are available. [100370]
Richard Benyon: This information is not held centrally in this format (i.e. according to company size) and could not be obtained without incurring disproportionate costs. However, as part of the Government's transparency requirements, DEFRA and its agencies are currently working with the Cabinet Office to improve the data held on the status of each of our suppliers.
Rural Areas: Finance
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which measures announced in Budget 2012 will directly benefit rural areas; and if she will make a statement. [102243]
Richard Benyon:
The Government believe that the Budget will benefit all parts of the country, including rural areas, by promoting economic growth and helping businesses. Specific measures, such as the new approach to taxing small businesses and the extension of mobile coverage to 60,000 rural homes will be of direct benefit to rural areas. In addition, the locations of the five Rural Growth Network pilots, which will share funding of £15 million, were announced as part of the Budget.
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These will test different mechanisms by which Local Enterprise Partnerships and local authorities can support sustainable economic growth in rural areas.
Each of these complement other measures arising from last year's Rural Economy Growth Review such as the £60 million Rural Economy Grant fund, launched in February 2012, to enable transformational business growth in rural areas, including rural tourism.
Rural Areas: Housing
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of rural England is served by rural housing enablers funded by her Department. [102065]
Richard Benyon: DEFRA has not funded the rural housing enablers (RHEs) since 2008. From April 2005 to March 2008, DEFRA part-funded this scheme to allow a smooth transition to local authorities and other funding sources after the Countryside Agency withdrew from this area of work.
The vision for the long-term funding of RHEs was that they should be supported at a local level by the same local authorities and housing associations whose rural delivery they exist to support. This reflects the Government’s desire to enable decisions about priorities to be taken at the local level in response to local needs.
Rural Areas: Mobile Phones
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department plans to take to ensure that the Budget 2012 target to provide mobile telephone coverage to 60,000 rural households is achieved. [102241]
Mr Vaizey: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
In October 2011, the Government announced £150 million in capital expenditure to improve mobile coverage and quality—known as the Mobile Infrastructure Project. This project is being run by Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) within this Department. The budget announcement follows on from that initial announcement.
This Department is working with other Government Departments, including the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with Ofcom and with industry to develop the most effective solution to extend mobile coverage to 60,000 rural homes and along at least 10 key roads. We are also engaging with the Devolved Administrations to ensure that local interests are taken into consideration. We expect to begin the procurement by spring 2012, and the project to be completed by 2015.
Schmallenberg Virus
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the cost effectiveness of mobile incubators in the diagnosis of (a) Schmallenberg virus and (b) other animal diseases. [102248]
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Mr Paice: The portable incubators were put in place in late March 2012 and this is one method of ensuring that deterioration of samples destined for a number of different types of testing is kept to a minimum. The introduction of portable incubators will not impact on the £2.4 million per annum staff cost savings due to the reorganisation of the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA).
The AHVLA detected Schmallenberg so quickly because of its strong European and international links. The Agency's scientific expertise is centralised at its main research site in Weybridge and a critical part of its surveillance capability in this case was the strong relationships that it has with veterinarians through species groups. None of these elements are affected by the current changes to laboratory testing. These measures will continue to ensure the robustness of testing and the AHVLA is confident there will be no decline in the quality of service, including the ability to test for emerging diseases such as Schmallenberg.
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the risk of direct transmission of the Schmallenberg virus between animals. [102249]
Mr Paice: Schmallenberg virus is similar to some other animal disease pathogens, such as Akabane and Shamonda viruses, which are transmitted by vectors such as midges, mosquitoes and ticks. There is evidence from other viruses of this type that after infection, animals develop strong immunity and are unlikely to be infectious.
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the likelihood of other countries placing import restrictions on British livestock products due to the Schmallenberg virus. [102250]
Mr Paice: The EU remains our major trading partner and there are no restrictions in place within EU trade. There are currently 18 countries outside the EU who have asked for additional measures or put in place bans on export of live ruminants and products of animal origin from countries affected by Schmallenberg virus or from the EU as a whole. The extent of these bans and the impact on UK exports is variable and the UK is working closely with industry, the Commission and other EU member states to address the issues. In particular, the EU Commission is hosting a seminar for countries outside the EU to explain what is known about the science and epidemiology of the disease. DEFRA is sending two experts.
Third Sector
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much funding her Department gave to (a) the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust, (b) Magic Breakfast, (c) Barnado’s and (d) the Children's Society in (i) 2010-11 and (ii) 2011-12; and if she will make a statement. [100528]
Richard Benyon: There have been no DEFRA payments to any of the four entities in either of the periods 2010-11 or 2011-12.
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Tigers: Conservation
Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress reports the Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species has received on the phasing out of tiger farms following the decision taken at the Conference of the Parties in 2008. [103138]
Richard Benyon: Two reports have been submitted to the Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) with information on the phasing out of tiger farms. Both were supplied by China in 2009.
Vodafone Group
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) how many contracts Vodafone has been awarded by her Department in the last 12 months; [103204]
(2) what contracts her Department has with Vodafone. [103205]
Richard Benyon: Core DEFRA has a single contract with Vodafone under the Government Procurement Services framework arrangement RM526/L1 for Mobile Solutions II. The current arrangement was entered into on 1 July 2011 and will expire on 30 June 2013.
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many times the Permanent Secretary in her Department has met Vodafone representatives in the last 12 months. [103206]
Richard Benyon: DEFRA's Permanent Secretary has not met with any Vodafone representative in the last 12 months. The Permanent Secretary's meetings with external organisations are published quarterly online at:
www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/about/who/management
Water
Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment her Department has made of the potential of using the inland waterway and canal network to move water to areas of the country affected by drought. [101692]
Richard Benyon: The Environment Agency, water companies and British Waterways have participated in recent Drought Summit meetings to co-ordinate actions in response to the drought.
River and other waterways can play their part in transfers of water to improve resilience to drought. However, the environmental impacts of proposed projects must be carefully assessed as they can be significant and proposals should be cost effective against alternative options to manage the supply-demand balance.
The Government, Ofwat and the Environment Agency are taking action to ensure that options for trading and transfer of water are taken forward where they are sustainable and cost effective for consumers.
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Water Companies
Mr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the cumulative total spent by water companies on complying with EU water directives since privatisation of the industry. [101687]
Richard Benyon: Ofwat is the economic regulator of the water and sewerage companies in England and Wales. It estimates that the cumulative total of new water and sewerage investment driven by the need to meet the standards in EU Directives in the period from privatisation in 1989 to 2010-11 is approximately £18.5 billion. This consists of £13.2 billion on the sewerage service (including £9.4 billion on complying with the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive and £2.6 billion on complying with the Bathing Waters Directive) and £5.3 billion on the water service (including £1.6 billion on compliance with pesticide and nitrates standards).
Wind Power: Electricity
Sir Alan Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for how long the three wind turbines erected at Lion House, Alnwick, have been inoperative; how many kilowatt-hours of electricity the turbines have generated since they were installed; what steps have been taken to bring the turbines back into use; and when she expects the turbines will be back in operation. [101709]
Richard Benyon: On 23 September 2011 DEFRA acted on advice received and suspended the operation of the Proven P35 wind turbines due to engineering health and safety faults reported on this model. The turbines have since been inoperative.
Since that time extensive testing of the Proven P35 model has been conducted by the National Engineering Laboratory and as a result a potential solution has been developed to facilitate the reinstatement of the P35 wind turbine model. We are in dialogue with the company that propose to reinstate and maintain the P35 model nationally and are hopeful that a specific date for repair will be known soon.
The kilowatt-hours of electricity generated since installation are shown in the following table:
| Wind (kWh) | |
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Northern Ireland
Boston College
Dr Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he has held discussions with the US Secretary of State regarding the Government's request to subpoena recordings from the Boston college oral history project. [102545]
Mr Paterson: I have not held discussions with the US Secretary of State regarding the request to subpoena recordings from the Boston college oral history project.
Dr Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions he has had with (a) the Police Service of Northern Ireland and (b) the Northern Ireland Department of Justice on the Government's request to subpoena recordings from the Boston college oral history project (i) prior to and (ii) subsequent to that request being made. [102546]
Mr Paterson: I have not had discussions with either the Police Service of Northern Ireland or the Northern Ireland Department of Justice on the request to subpoena recordings from the Boston college oral history project. My Department is not routinely informed of such requests for mutual legal assistance. In line with the Government's bilateral treaty with the United States on mutual legal assistance, all requests for assistance are transmitted via the Home Office.
Departmental Responsibilities
Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on what dates he has met with the Secretary of State for the Home Department to discuss (a) drug classification, (b) the Serious and Organised Crime Agency, (c) explosives, (d) security, (e) extradition and (f) immigration in the last 12 months. [103012]
Mr Paterson: I have regular meetings with the Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), covering a variety of topics on areas of mutual concern.
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Irish Language
Ms Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment his Department has made of the recommendation of the Council of Europe Advisory Committee's Third Report that the UK Government should develop comprehensive legislation on the Irish language in Northern Ireland to protect and implement more effectively the language rights of persons belonging to the Irish-speaking community. [102468]
Mr Swire: Policy relating to regional and minority languages in Northern Ireland, including legislation on the Irish language, is in the main a devolved matter for the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive. The Government recognise the importance of respect, understanding and tolerance in relation to linguistic diversity, and are committed to working with the devolved Administration to support the protection and development of the Irish language in those policy areas which remain non-transferred, such as broadcasting. I have met, and will happily continue to meet, Irish language organisations to discuss language issues within our sphere of responsibility.
Wales
Police Stations: Gwent
Paul Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment she has made of the effects of closure of police stations in Gwent. [101968]
Mrs Gillan: I understand that Gwent police force has redesigned the way that its communities can access services in order to best meet people's busy and changing lifestyles. The force's plans for new service provision and accessibility are intended to match community needs and are part of an ongoing programme to deliver an efficient and accessible 21st century police force.
Decisions about the most effective use of available resources, including the numbers and operating hours of police stations, are a matter for the chief constable and police authority to take locally. The Government however are clear that they want to see police officers on the streets, preventing and cutting crime, rather than behind their desks. Policing today reaches people through many means, not just police stations.
House of Commons Commission
Theft
Keith Vaz: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, how many cases of theft from the Parliamentary Estate were reported in each year since 2010; and what items were reported stolen in each case. [102182]
John Thurso: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the responses given on 8 June 2011, Official Report, columns 338-9W.
In 2011, between June and December, there were 23 reported thefts and in 2012 there have been 13 reported thefts up to 22 March.
The following table shows the items reported stolen:
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| Items reported stolen | Number | |
Attorney-General
Religious Practice
Hilary Benn: To ask the Attorney-General what the Government position is on the discrimination cases of Nadia Eweida and Shirley Chaplin currently before the European Court of Human Rights. [102096]
Lynne Featherstone: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Government Equalities Office.
In October 2011 the Government, at the request of the European Court of Human Rights, submitted its written observations on the admissibility and merits of the applications that had been previously made to the Court by Nadia Eweida and Shirley Chaplin. These applications concern the applicants' wish to wear a cross or crucifix at work.
The applicants claim that domestic law has breached their human rights, a claim which the Government deny.
The Court will consider the applications in due course and the Government will consider their findings carefully when they are made.