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Written Answers to Questions
Tuesday 1 May 2012
Attorney-General
Legal Costs
Mr Thomas: To ask the Attorney-General how much the Law Officers' Departments spent on fees for legal work in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement. [104601]
The Solicitor-General: The information requested is contained in the following table:
| £ | ||
| Department | 2010-11 | 2011-12 (1) |
| (1) The data provided for 2010-11 may be subject to minor adjustment following the audit of departmental resource accounts for 2011 -12. (2 )The figures for the Treasury Solicitor's Department cover only legal work carried out for that Department and not costs associated with work TSol have carried out on behalf of other Government Departments. | ||
Health
Cancer
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department has given consideration to introducing a personalised medicine approach for cancer treatment. [105939]
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Paul Burstow: “Improving Outcomes: A Strategy for Cancer”, published on 12 January, set but a commitment to establish appropriate commissioning and funding structures for molecular diagnostic testing for cancer. Molecular diagnostic testing can identify which patients are most likely to respond positively to a specific treatment, allowing treatment to be targeted or ‘personalised’.
From 2013-14, we expect to introduce a new national commissioning model for cancer molecular diagnostic tests. We will work closely with the NHS Commissioning Board to ensure these services are developed as an integral part of national commissioning.
Hospices
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding was received by each hospice his Department supported in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement. [104339]
Anne Milton: The Department does not provide revenue funding to hospices that look after adults; that is the responsibility of local national health service commissioners.
Capital funding, amounting to £442,832 in 2010-11 and £2,869,701 in 2011-12 was provided to Marie Curie Cancer Care to support the development of the Marie Curie hospice in Solihull. This funding was part of a £54 million capital fund for hospices originating in 2006-07.
In addition to this, a further £39,906,158 capital funding was received by hospices from the Department in 2010-11. Table 1 shows which hospices received capital funding and how much was received. These include hospices for adults and some children's hospices (those providing services for the transition to adulthood). The total capital funds made available for hospices in 2010-11 was £40 million.
In addition to the above, other funding has been provided to hospices under the Innovation, Excellence and Strategic Development (IESD) Fund and under the Social Enterprise Investment Fund (SEIF) for specific projects. £40,740 was received by St Francis Hospice and £33,423 was received by Sue Ryder Care Manorlands Hospice under the IESD Allocations. The funding received by hospices from the Social Enterprise Investment Fund is set out in Table 2.
| Table 1: Capital grants allocated to hospices in 2010-11 | |||
| Organisation name | Region | Activity type | Grant received (£) |
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|
Hayward House Macmillan Specialist Palliative Cancer Care Unit |
|||
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| Table 2: Organisations receiving from the Social Enterprise Investment Fund (SEIF) | ||
| £ | ||
| Organisation | 2010-11 SEIF | 2011-12 SEIF |
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The data above comprise only those organisations that are known to be hospices because the service category “hospice” is not identified separately in the SEIF. The table does not therefore include other organisations providing hospice care that may have been funded.
The Department does however provide revenue funding for children's hospices. The hospices listed in Table 3 received funding from the Department's £10 million recurrent annual children's hospice and hospice-at-home grant in the years 2010-11 and 2011-12. Revenue funding may also come from NHS commissioners.
Children's hospices and the wider children's palliative care sector received a further one-off non-recurrent grant of £19 million in 2010-11 to support local projects. A total of £30 million was available for this grant. The £19 million claimed was on top of the annual recurrent funding of £10 million, to which we are committed until a transparent and fair per patient funding system is established in 2015. Details of the non-recurrent expenditure are available at:
www.dh.gov.uk/health/2012/04/update-on-funding/
For 2012-13, we are providing the same annual revenue grant of £10 million to the hospices listed in Table 3 and have made a further £720,000 available to new services from this April, which is more than we committed the Government to in the coalition agreement, ‘The Coalition: our programme for government’.
Two hospice groups that support children, the Donna Louise Trust and St Oswald's Hospices Ltd also received allocations from the SEIF in 2010-11 (Table 2 above).
This information about children's hospice services corrects the answers given to the hon. Member on 16 January 2012, Official Report, columns 524-6W, and 13 March 2012, Official Report, column 188W, and to my hon. Friend the Member for Great Yarmouth (Brandon Lewis) on 20 February 2012, Official Report, column 689W, which I regret were incomplete.
| Table 3: Children's Hospice and Hospice-at-Home Grant | ||
| Hospice | 2010-11 Grant (£) | 2011-12 Grant (£) |
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Hospitals
Mr Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons hospitals are charged for re-admitting patients within 30 days when they are re-admitted in respect of a second unrelated illness. [106367]
Mr Simon Burns: The Department's policy of non payment for some emergency readmissions does not operate at the level of individual admissions. Instead trusts and their commissioners agree a threshold for acceptable levels of readmission, based on clinical reviews of past readmissions, with payment for readmissions. above this level being withheld.
Readmissions which are unrelated to the original admission will therefore have been taken, into account when setting the threshold. The aim of the policy is to generate funds which can be used to tackle the causes of preventable readmissions with both commissioners and providers being incentivised to improve post discharge care.
Occupational Health
Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to publish his response to the report Health at Work by Dame Carol Black and David Frost; and what steps he is taking to implement the recommendations of that report. [105215]
Chris Grayling: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions.
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The Department for Work and Pensions is leading on the Government response to the independent review into sickness absence, with input from other Government Departments and the devolved Administrations. These are complex issues and we will need to take time to consider the recommendations fully; the response will be published later this year.
Prescription Drugs: Shortages
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his answer of 25 April 2012, Official Report, column 914W, on prescription drugs: shortages, when he expects to make a decision on whether to undertake a one-off survey of shortages of medicines at local pharmacies. [106322]
Mr Simon Burns: We are cautious about placing additional data return burdens on pharmacists but we are considering, with stakeholders, taking forward a one-off survey. The timing of the decision on any survey will depend on a number of factors.
Northern Ireland
HMS Caroline
Stephen Pound: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Defence on the future use of HMS Caroline. [106158]
Mr Swire: I have discussed the future of HMS Caroline with the Minister for the Armed Forces, the hon. Member for North Devon (Nick Harvey). I have also held discussions about HMS Caroline with the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment, and offered my support to the Executive's plans to safeguard its future in Belfast.
Prime Minister
Ministers: Code of Practice
Mr George Howarth: To ask the Prime Minister what advice he has received on whether the actions of Adam Smith, the special adviser to the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, have led to a breach of the Ministerial Code; and if he will place a copy of any such advice in the Library. [106342]
The Prime Minister: I refer the right hon. Member to the answers I gave to the right hon. Member for Doncaster North (Edward Miliband) on 25 April 2012, Official Report, column 945.
Official Visits: Japan
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Prime Minister what the names and companies are of those who accompanied him on his recent visit to Japan. [106321]
The Prime Minister: I have placed a list in the Libraries of both Houses.
Culture, Media and Sport
Media Ownership
Mr George Howarth:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what guidance was issued to his special adviser Adam Smith on his
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role as a point of contact between his Department and BSkyB and NewsCorp; whether such guidance included how those responsibilities should be conducted; what feedback he received from Adam Smith on his ongoing briefing of NewsCorp and BSkyB on their proposed merger; and if he will place in the Library a copy of any such guidance and feedback. [106343]
Mr Jeremy Hunt: The permanent secretary approved the approach his Department took to the quasi-judicial process which included a small number of people acting as contact points with News Corp, as is required and normal in such a process. He has stated clearly he was aware and content with Adam Smith being one of those points of contact.
Both the permanent secretary and I have been clear that the nature and extent of contacts between Adam Smith and News Corp was unauthorised and went too far. This has been confirmed by Adam Smith in his resignation statement.
Mr George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what advice he has received on whether the actions of Adam Smith as an approved point of contact for his Department with NewsCorp in relation to the proposed merger between BSkyB and NewsCorp was in breach of the Ministerial code; and if he will place a copy of any such advice in the Library. [106345]
Mr Jeremy Hunt: It is the role of the independent adviser of Ministers' Interests to judge whether a breach of the Ministerial Code has taken place. The Prime Minister has indicated that he will consider whether the matter should be referred to the independent adviser, following my appearance at Lord Justice Leveson's Inquiry.
Mr George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport pursuant to the answers of 25 April 2012, Official Report, columns 963-8, to the hon. Members for Manchester Central, (Tony Lloyd), for Bradford South (Mr Sutcliffe) and for Halton (Derek Twigg) if he will place in the Library a copy of all of the papers in relation to the appointment of his special adviser, Adam Smith, as a point of contact between his Department and News Corporation on the proposed merger between BSkyB and News Corporation. [106371]
Mr Jeremy Hunt: I am in the process of preparing my evidence for the Leveson Inquiry, which will include all relevant information held by me and my Department relating to News Corporation's bid for BSkyB. I anticipate that as much of this evidence as possible will be published, although this is a matter for the inquiry itself.
Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will place in the Library a copy of all correspondence and records of meetings between him and Paul Maley since May 2010. [106378]
Mr Jeremy Hunt: There have been no meetings or correspondence between Paul Maley and myself.
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Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport on what dates Ministers in his Department have met Paul Maley since May 2010; and if he will make a statement. [106379]
Mr Jeremy Hunt: There have been no meetings between Paul Maley and Ministers in my Department.
Natascha Engel: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport pursuant to his response to the right hon. and learned Member for Camberwell and Peckham (Ms Harman) of 25 April 2012, Official Report, column 957, on the Leveson Inquiry, whether information about the contents of the statement he gave to the House on 25 January 2011 were given to (a) Frederic Michel and (b) News Corps; and if he will place in the Library a copy of any records in relation to this matter. [106380]
Mr Jeremy Hunt: Adam Smith said in his resignation statement that while it was part of his role to keep News Corporation informed throughout the BSkyB bid process, the content and extent of his contact was done without authorisation from me.
I am in the process of preparing my evidence for the Leveson Inquiry, which will include all relevant information held by me and my Department relating to News Corporation's bid for BSkyB. I anticipate that as much of this evidence as possible will be published, although this is a matter for the Inquiry itself.
Some of the evidence given to the Inquiry and set out in Exhibit KRM1-8 is unsubstantiated and provides only part of the picture.
I am keen to give my side of the story, and will do so when I provide oral evidence.
Data Protection
Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether his Department is taking steps to inform the public about the proposed EU Data Protection Regulation. [105131]
Mr Kenneth Clarke: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Ministry of Justice.
I will write to the hon. Member as soon as possible.
Gambling: Licensing
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what representations he has received on the effects of Gambling Commission investigation practices on small business licence holders. [106325]
John Penrose: I have been informed by the British Amusement Catering Trade Association (BACTA) of concerns it has raised with the Gambling Commission about its investigation practices under section 116 of the Gambling Act 2005. The Gambling Commission is investigating the complaint under its established procedures, details of which can be found at:
http://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/gh-contact_us/complaints/complain_the_commission.aspx
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Public Appointments
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport which staff in his Department have been appointed to external positions by his Department since May 2010; and to which organisations they have been appointed. [106127]
John Penrose [holding answer 30 April 2012]: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) does not directly appoint staff to external positions.
Approval can be given for staff to be released on secondment or loan to other Government Departments or arm's length bodies.
The Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), is responsible for making appointments to the Boards of DCMS Public Bodies. These appointments are regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. No serving member of the Department has been appointed to the Board of a DCMS Public Body since May 2010.
Transport
Catering
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much her Department spent on complimentary refreshments for (a) staff and (b) visitors in the latest period for which figures are available. [101441]
Norman Baker: As expenditure on refreshments is not recorded separately from wider hospitality costs, I regret that spend in this area can only by obtained at disproportionate cost.
The Department's policy is not to provide refreshments for staff for internal meetings or working lunches. Refreshments for meetings with external visitors are provided exceptionally, and only with the approval of senior managers.
Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when she plans to (a) undertake and (b) publish an impact assessment on the proposed closure of DVLA offices; what methodology will be employed to assess how any changes will affect (i) elderly users, (ii) other users and (iii) the staff delivering the service; and if she will make a statement. [105671]
Mike Penning: Work on an impact assessment is underway. It will be published as decisions about the next steps are taken. The impact assessment of this non-regulatory change will be carried out in accordance with the appropriate elements of the official Government guidance on impact assessments and is being developed using the responses to the recent consultation exercise as well as relevant data and statistics and meetings with key stakeholders. Equality assessments are also being completed to understand the impacts on specific user groups.
High Speed 2 Railway Line
Andrea Leadsom:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer given to the hon. Member for Birmingham Yardley of 8 November
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2010,
Official Report,
columns 110-11W, what the cost to the public purse was in 2011-12 to develop her Department’s High Speed Two proposals; and whether this affected the estimates for
(a)
2012-13 and
(b)
2013-14. [104986]
Justine Greening [holding answer 23 April 2012]: The cost to the public purse of developing the High Speed 2 proposals was £34.3 million in 2011-12. This includes HS2 Ltd and Department for Transport spend on the development of phases 1 and 2 of the project.
The total set out over the spending review period remains the same, but the profile of spending may change over time.
Dan Byles: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the Chief Engineer for HS2 Ltd Professor Andrew McNaughton was outlining Government policy in his recent iRail 2012 Distinguished Lecture, Designing High Speed Rail for Britain at the Derby College Roundhouse, when he predicted (a) up to 30 trains per hour on HS2 in the future and (b) additional acceleration lines alongside those tracks already planned at the Birmingham Interchange Station to allow future HS2 trains to get up to speed before joining the main track; and if she will make a statement. [105819]
Justine Greening: Government policy on the capacity and line of route of the new high speed railway was set out in my decisions in January. For the avoidance of doubt, I expect the network to be capable of accommodating 14 trains per hour initially, rising to 18 trains per hour with the opening of the second phase of the network to Leeds and Manchester. Where intermediate stations such as Birmingham Interchange are included on the high speed route, it is necessary to include deceleration and acceleration tracks to minimise the effect of stopping trains on non-stopping services. The design for the Birmingham Interchange area has not changed since public consultation in 2011.
Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much her Department plans to spend on the High Speed 2 project in 2012-13; and how much of this expenditure will be allocated to consultancy fees. [106148]
Justine Greening: The planned spend in developing High Speed 2 in 2012-13 is £167.4 million. As part of undertaking the Environmental Impact Assessment for Phase I of the route, HS2 Ltd will be procuring services from specialist firms (e.g. engineering and environmental design). The planned spend in 2012-13 in these activities, which are classified as technical consultancy, is approximately £135 million.
Steve Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the contribution of her predecessor to the Transport Committee, Oral Evidence, HC1185, Q554, on high speed rail, whether it remains her Department's policy to place the High Speed 2 scheme under close scrutiny in the event that the estimated benefit to cost ratio falls below 1.5; and if she will make a statement. [106168]
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Justine Greening [holding answer 30 April 2012]: Appraisal of the High Speed 2 scheme will continue to be carried out in a rigorous manner in accordance with the Department's well-established WebTag guidance. The BCR forms only part of the decision-making process alongside the wider business case, including strategic, commercial, financial and management cases. I shall continue to scrutinise all aspects of the project carefully, as I would any scheme of this scale and importance.
Railways: Fares
Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the maximum increase in regulated fares was in each year between 2005 and 2010; and which franchise implemented the fare increase in each such case. [103686]
Justine Greening: For most operators the average cap for regulated fares increased by RPI+1% in each year between 2005 and 2010.
For west Yorkshire, this cap has increased by RPI+3% each year since 2007. For southeastern, the cap increased by RPI+3% each year from 2007 to 2010.
From 2005 to 2009, train operators were permitted to increase individual regulated fares by up to 5% above the average cap on regulated fares as long as the average increase across their basket of fares is no more than the average cumulative cap; with the exception of 2010 when this flexibility was temporarily suspended for one year.
The following table illustrates the maximum permitted increase in individual regulated fares for all operators apart from west Yorkshire and southeastern.
| Fares year | Maximum permitted increase (Percentage) |
| (1) The maximum permitted increase for most fares was -0.4% in this year, though some lower priced fares were allowed to remain unchanged rather than decrease, thus in practice the overall maximum permitted increase was 0%. | |
The Department does not hold the information about which franchises implemented the fare increase in each such case.
Railways: Franchises
Craig Whittaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to her proposal not to expand open access competition, what mechanism she plans to put in place to offer services on rail lines where franchised service operators traditionally do not wish to operate but open access providers do; and if she will make a statement. [106327]
Mrs Villiers: Future franchise specifications will allow franchised operators greater flexibility to develop their services to meet customer demand, which could include introducing franchised services on routes where they have not previously operated.
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Railways: Tickets
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which train operating companies have made requests to (a) close and (b) reduce opening hours at station ticket offices in the latest period for which figures are available; and in respect of which stations such applications have been made. [105917]
Norman Baker [holding answer 30 April 2012]: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Road Traffic
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent estimate her Department has made of the level of congestion on the roads in Shipley constituency. [105801]
Norman Baker: Estimates of congestion for Parliamentary Constituencies (as measured by average morning speeds) are not held centrally.
Quarterly estimates of congestion for local authorities are available on the Department for Transport website at:
http://assets.dft.gov.uk/statistics/tables/cgn0206.xls
Roads: Lighting
Mr Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what advice she has issued to local highway authorities on the potential benefits of making greater utilisation of traffic-activated traffic lights rather than those set on a time sequence, especially during non-peak hours; and if she will make a statement. [105935]
Norman Baker: The Department has issued guidance to highway authorities on traffic signals and pedestrian facilities at traffic signal installations. Guidance is contained in Traffic Advisory Leaflets TAL 1/06 (published 2006) and TAL 5/05 (published 2005), both of which are available on our website at:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/publications/tal/
It is for the individual highway authority to decide on the use of traffic lights on their roads, depending on the circumstances of each case. In Britain, most isolated traffic signals are usually vehicle actuated.
Transport for London: Finance
Jackie Doyle-Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what powers she has to review her Department's funding agreement for the current Spending Review period with Transport for London (TfL) if TfL's commitments are not met; what assessment she has made of any potential requirement for additional funding for TfL to meet such commitments; and if she will make a statement. [103593]
Mrs Villiers:
TfL's spending review settlement, agreed between my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport and the Mayor in 2010, is based on a shared
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commitment to the tube upgrades. A copy of the funding agreement letter is available on the Department's website at:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/publications/hammond-20101020/
The Secretary of State for Transport can review the Mayor of London's SR10 settlement at any time in response to relevant considerations.
The funding agreement letter records confirmation from the Mayor that the SR10 settlement will allow him to deliver the schemes listed at annex B to the milestones specified. The Government does not therefore anticipate additional funding being made available to TfL for these commitments.
Transport: Dorset
Mr Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether any of the funding allocated to Dorset local enterprise partnership will be used for the purpose of improving transport infrastructure. [106370]
Norman Baker: The main capital funding that is distributed to all Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) is the Growing Places Fund, which aims to address infrastructure constraints, promote economic growth and the delivery of jobs and houses. The Dorset LEP has been allocated a total of £9,639,201. Decisions on the funding of individual projects is for each LEP to determine based on their own assessment of what will best achieve the fund's objectives in their local area.
Official Visits
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many journeys (a) Ministers and (b) officials from her Department made by (i) train, (ii) coach and (iii) Government car in an official capacity in each of the last six months. [103633]
Justine Greening: The Department for Transport does not hold records of journey numbers and does not record rail travel by Ministers and officials separately. The total number of rail tickets bought from main suppliers by the central Department are contained in the following table. The figures contain both single and return tickets.
| DfT(c) | |
By way of comparison, the equivalent figures for DfT(c) in the six months October 2009 to March 2010 were:
| DfT(c) | |
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The last six months therefore show a 27% reduction in the number of rail tickets purchased compared to a similar period under the previous Administration.
The Department does not record coach travel separately.
The Department currently has two cars and individual journeys are not recorded. In 2009-10 under the previous Administration the Department had three allocated cars.
Job Vacancies
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many job vacancies there were for (a) staff posts and (b) senior Civil Service posts in her Department on 31 March (i) 2010, (ii) 2011 and (iii) 2012; and if she will make a statement. [104585]
Norman Baker: The following table provides a breakdown of the recruitment for each of the years requested.
| Financial year | (a) Posts advertised to 31 March | (b) Senior Civil Service posts advertised to 31 March |
The numbers in this table for 2009-2010 show posts advertised across the Civil Service and externally as they were not recorded separately. The posts advertised externally for 2010-11 and 2011-12 have been separated and are shown in the table below.
| Financial year | (a) External Non SCS Posts advertised to 31 March | (b) External Senior Civil Service posts advertised to 31 March |
The increase in recruitment activity (largely appointments made from within the civil service) in 2011-12 is both: i) to manage the turnover of staff, and ii) to reflect the impact of departmental restructuring and change programmes that have required particular skills and/or locations to be considered, for example in DfT(C) and VOSA. Fixed Term Appointments have also been used as a strategy to manage a changing workforce e.g. in MCA ahead of the Coastguard restructure.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Animal Welfare: Circuses
Fiona O'Donnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she plans to meet the named consultees in the consultation on the introduction of a licensing regime for the use of wild animals in circuses. [102681]
Mr Paice: Ministers and officials will continue to meet and discuss the development of policy in this area with interested parties, having already met the majority of the organisations listed in the consultation document.
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British Waterways
Tristram Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the overall cost was of performance-related pay (PRP) for staff with PRP in their contracts at British Waterways in the latest period for which figures are available. [103452]
Richard Benyon: For the financial year 2010 to 2011, the overall cost of performance-related pay for staff with PRP in their contracts at British Waterways (directors and senior managers) was £371,118.
Tristram Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the average percentage change in total remuneration, including Performance Related Pay was for (a) directors, (b) the lowest paid member of staff and (c) the median salaried member of staff at British Waterways in the latest period for which figures are available. [103453]
Richard Benyon: Bonuses were paid in July 2011 and relate to this financial year 2011 to 2012. However, the payments were in respect of performance for 2010 to 2011.
For the financial year 2010 to 2011, the average percentage change in total remuneration (including performance related pay) was 3.43% for directors, 2.23% for the lowest paid member of staff and 1.15% for the median salaried member of staff at British Waterways.
Tristram Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the average performance related pay (PRP) received by (a) the chief executive, (b) directors and (c) staff with PRP in their contracts at British Waterways was in the latest period for which figures are available. [103454]
Richard Benyon: Bonuses were paid in July 2011 and relate to this financial year 2011 to 2012. However, the payments were in respect of performance for 2010 to 2011.
For the financial year 2010 to 2011, the chief executive at British Waterways received £15,000 performance related pay.
For the financial year 2010 to 2011, on an average per director the directors received £12,500 and on an average per senior manager staff with PRP in their contracts (senior managers) received £2,919.
Dairy Farming
Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will consider bringing forward legislative proposals on the introduction of compulsory minimum terms in dairy farmers' milk contracts. [106120]
Mr Paice:
DEFRA officials are now working closely with their colleagues in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland to implement the EU Dairy Package in a timely and comprehensive way across the UK. The package allows member states to decide if contracts should be introduced on a compulsory basis within their own territory. There will be a DEFRA-led consultation later
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this year to seek views from across the industry. It is anticipated that the necessary UK legislation will be in force by spring 2013.
However, the UK Government favours the introduction of a Voluntary Code of Practice (vCOP) on contractual negotiations. The industry is actively discussing the introduction of such a code, which would allow milk producers and processors to deal with issues more appropriately and quickly than the EU legislative model.
Dangerous Dogs
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects to make a policy statement on dangerous dogs; whether she plans to introduce a new offence under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 of an attack by a dog on (a) another dog or (b) on another animal; and if she will make a statement. [104419]
Mr Paice: I am pleased to say that on 23 April Government announced a consultation on measures to tackle irresponsible dog owners. These measures include extending the existing dangerous dogs law to cover all private property in England and that all puppies are compulsorily microchipped. Attacks by dogs on other dogs as well as on other animals could be dealt with under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 or the Animal Welfare Act 2006, depending on the individual circumstances of the case.
Departmental Responsibilities
Mr Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how often she expects to receive reports and representations from the Rural and Farming Network; and what steps she has taken to ensure they are representative of all regions. [104921]
Richard Benyon: The Rural and Farming Network (RFN) consists of 17 networks across England providing full coverage of all the English regions. There is an expectation that Ministers will meet the RFN Chairs at least once or twice per year. The first Annual Meeting of RFN Chairs and Ministers took place on 17 April. In addition, DEFRA Ministers are proactively seeking meetings with the locally based RFN Chairs alongside their wider ministerial engagements. To date, DEFRA Ministers have met nine of the 17 representatives within their localities with further meetings being planned.
There is no formal reporting requirement placed upon RFN Chairs into DEFRA. However, RFN Chairs are able to set their own agendas and bring in representatives when they meet Ministers covering national and local priorities. In addition, a direct route of communication (telephone and email) is being established between RFN Chairs and DEFRA Ministers to enable them to alert Ministers to the impacts of important issues of local concern.
Diesel Fuel
Dr Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what steps she is taking to increase the supply of ultra low sulphur red diesel for off-road equipment; [103829]
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(2) what assessment she has made of the availability of ultra low sulphur red diesel for off-road equipment. [103835]
Mr Paice: It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.
Dangerous Dogs
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she plans to review the legislation relating to (a) the breeding of dogs, (b) irresponsible behaviour of dog owners and (c) other areas of policy. [104420]
Mr Paice: I am pleased to say that on 23 April Government announced a consultation on measures to tackle irresponsible dog owners. These measures include extending the existing dangerous dogs law to cover all private property in England and that all puppies are compulsorily microchipped. The existing laws relating to the breeding of dogs provide the necessary powers to protect the welfare of dogs at dog breeding establishments. However, we will consider any recommendations made by the independent Dog Advisory Council.
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 23 April 2012, Official Report, on tackling irresponsible dog ownership, what estimate her Department has made of the likely savings on kennelling costs by police forces as a result of her plans to tackle irresponsible dog ownership. [105685]
Mr Paice: We have estimated that our proposal, to allow the police to decide for themselves whether a suspected prohibited type dog can remain with its owners for the duration of the court case, will save the police around £490,000 per year in kennelling costs. The proposal to extend the criminal law of allowing a dog to be dangerously out of control to all places is estimated to cost an additional £1.9 million in police kennelling costs in the first year. But we expect the number of people prosecuted for allowing a dog to be dangerously out of control will drop over subsequent years and that this figure will be more like £1.1 million per year. However, the overall aim of the proposals is to reduce the number of dog attacks which if successful will make savings to the health service in having to deal with injuries to people.
Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what timetable her Department has set for progress on its irresponsible dog ownership consultation after it closes on 15 June 2012. [106149]
Mr Paice: To set out a timetable at this stage, before having assessed the responses to the consultation, would be premature.
Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of dog control orders under the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 in promoting responsible dog ownership and tackling dangerous dogs. [106212]
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Mr Paice: Last year the Home Office carried out a review of antisocial behaviour measures. Following this, we plan to subsume Dog Control Orders within new proposed antisocial behaviour measures.
Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department is taking to ensure that dog control orders under the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 are consistently consulted on and implemented in different parts of the country. [106213]
Mr Paice: All local authorities have been provided with guidance explaining the procedure for making and implementing Dog Control Orders. If anyone has any concerns with the way a particular Dog Control Order has been introduced or implemented, they should report it to the relevant authority.
Droughts
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to help prevent future droughts in the UK. [104275]
Richard Benyon: Droughts are natural events which cannot be prevented and are planned for in water company drought plans, as required by law.
While we cannot prevent future droughts in the UK ensuring we have enough water this summer is vital and this is why we have held a number of drought summits and established the National Drought Management Group to co-ordinate national action. Following the drought summit, water companies in drought or at high risk of drought have agreed to: try and reduce water losses and increase leakage detection; and engage and communicate with their customers to help them understand the current position and encourage them to use water wisely.
Water companies are already joining up their sources of supply to help them move water to the areas of greatest need and build resilience. Interconnections, such as the United Utilities West-East link, build flexibility into our water supply network and reduce the costs of meeting future demand. Interconnection will have an increasingly important role in building resilience and preparing for longer term water resource challenges. Water must remain affordable for all. Large-scale infrastructure investment is expensive, and water is heavy, difficult and costly to move. Relatively local connections are likely to be the best options, incrementally building a wider and more integrated network.
New options to transfer water such the scheme from Severn Trent to Anglian Water to improve resilience to drought are currently under development. 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 customers
The Water White Paper, ‘Water for Life’, set out plans for ensuring the water sector is well prepared for a future with less certain water resources.
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Elephants: Conservation
Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if her Department will oppose any proposals for the down-listing of elephant protection within CITES. [105317]
Richard Benyon: We will oppose any down-listing proposal which includes ivory sales, as we have seen no unequivocal evidence that such sales will reduce poaching.
Mr Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is on the period for which e-mails sent and received by (a) Ministers, (b) officials, and (c) special advisers in her Department are retained; and whether such e-mails are recoverable from the IT systems in her Department after that period. [102951]
Richard Benyon: E-mail policy in DEFRA states that e-mail messages which form part of the official record are saved for as long as business needs require and stored corporately in accordance with departmental record management procedures (specific retention periods exist for all official records and are set depending on the nature of the material). This policy covers all use of DEFRA’s e-mail system and therefore covers Ministers, officials and special advisers. DEFRA’s guidance on e-mail management emphasises the importance of capturing all significant e-mail messages.
Once deleted, e-mails are recoverable for six weeks.
Fisheries
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she plans to take to tackle electric beam trawling by foreign fishing vessels within the 12 nautical miles UK coastal zone. [105793]
Richard Benyon: Currently EU technical conservation rules prohibit a number of unconventional fishing methods, including the use of electric current. A derogation was introduced in 2009 to permit this method in a defined area of the North sea applying specifically to beam trawling. Dutch beam trawlers work with the electrical pulse method under tightly defined restrictions limiting the effective voltage in accordance with this derogation.
However, Dutch beam trawlers do not have access for beam trawling within the UK’s 12 nautical mile zone under the relevant common fisheries policy arrangements. Their access is for fishing herring, which is not fished using electric beam trawling. I am not aware that vessels from any other member state use this method of fishing.
Floods
Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what progress her Department has made on discussions with the insurance industry on the future of flood insurance following the expiry of the Statement of Principles; and if she will make a statement; [103597]
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(2) if her Department will commit to ensuring an agreement with the insurance industry on the future of flood insurance by 30 June 2012; [103598]
(3) what principles her Department is using to assess the suitability of models proposed to ensure the availability and affordability of flood insurance following the expiry of the Statement of Principles; and if she will make a statement. [103599]
Richard Benyon: The existing Statement of Principles is due to expire on 30 June 2013 and insurers do not want to renew it on the basis that it distorts the market and is poorly understood. A new shared understanding is being developed that sets out more clearly what individual customers can expect from their insurer, and the Government. It will reflect the continued responsibility and commitment of both the Government and insurers to make sure insurance for flooding remains widely available.
We are also considering the case for additional measures to help safeguard the affordability of flood insurance for those groups who might struggle most with premium increases. We are looking at whether there are feasible, value-for-money ways of targeting funds to provide support to those that need it most, in a manner which does not create perverse incentives or distort the insurance market. We will provide a further update on this shortly.
Food: Charitable Donations
Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will introduce legislative proposals based on the US Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act 1996 to protect from civil and criminal liability food donors and recipient agencies where food had been donated in good faith. [103136]
Mr Paice: The Government strongly supports redistribution of surplus food to charities such as FareShare and FoodCycle and hopes that more firms will choose to donate suitable surplus food rather than send it for disposal. Many do so already, though only a fraction of the available food is currently donated.
We are considering all barriers to redistribution, including legal concerns. This examination will determine the way forward, and we will need to work with charities and food manufacturers to lower any barriers identified.
The Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my noble Friend Lord Taylor of Holbeach also recently wrote to my noble Friend Lord Young of Graffham, to consider how health and safety can be reviewed to help facilitate this.
Forestry
Dr Thérèse Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to the Government response to the report by the Forestry Regulation Task Force on the role of the Gangmasters Licensing Authority (GLA), what plans she has to remove the forestry sector from the scope of the GLA. [103890]
Mr Paice:
The Red Tape Challenge has endorsed the need for the GLA to enforce protections for vulnerable workers in its sectors. However, the process also suggested
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that more can be done to improve the operation of the GLA and reduce burdens on those who are compliant. Ongoing work in this area is looking at these issues in more detail, and will consider evidence from a range of sources, including the recommendations in the report of the Forestry Regulation Task Force.
Game: Gun Sports
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what consideration she has given to introducing a licensing system for game shooting; and if she will make a statement. [105389]
Mr Paice: Game licences have not been required in England and Wales since 2007 and there are no plans to re-introduce them.
Halal Meat: Labelling
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the extent to which Halal products are sold without being labelled as such in (a) supermarkets and (b) restaurants and cafes. [104281]
Mr Paice: There is no legislative requirement for products to be labelled as Halal, so no formal attempt has been made to collect data on the extent to which Halal products are sold without being labelled as such. In principle we support the need for accurate information for consumers, but there are real practical difficulties in establishing traceability to identify method-of-slaughter to the point of consumption.
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had on the compulsory labelling of Halal products. [104431]
Mr Paice: I met with members of the food and food processing industries in early 2011 to discuss method-of- slaughter labelling. We are currently reviewing the way the welfare of animals is protected during religious slaughter as we make preparations to implement EU Regulation 1099/2009 on the protection of animals at the time of killing, from 1 January 2013. Meetings with members of the Jewish and Muslim communities took place during 2011 and the early part of 2012 in this context.
In principle we support the need for accurate information for consumers but there are real practical difficulties in establishing traceability to identify method of slaughter for all meat and meat products from the point of slaughter to the point of consumption. An amendment to require food labels to indicate whether an animal has been stunned before slaughter was proposed last year by the European Parliament in the context of proposals for an EU Food Information for Consumers Regulation. This proposal was not taken up but, in subsequent discussions, a compromise agreement was reached which highlighted the importance of this issue. This proposed that the issue should be considered by the EU Commission in a welfare context as part of the anticipated discussion on the EU welfare strategy. The Commission has recently published a communication on the Strategy for the
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Protection and Welfare of Animals 2012-15 which confirms the Commission will be studying labelling as provided for in the agreement reached on the Food Information for Consumers Regulation. We look forward to early consideration of the Commission's proposals.
Horse Racing: Animal Welfare
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with the British Horseracing Authority on a ban on the use of the whip; and if she will make a statement. [105483]
Mr Paice: I have not held any direct discussions with the British Horseracing Authority in relation to such a proposal. I consider that the BHA rules, together with existing animal welfare legislation, provide adequate protection for the welfare of racehorses.
Intellectual Property
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether her Department has a role in intellectual property policy development. [101248]
Richard Benyon: The overall policy lead for intellectual property is held by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills via the Intellectual Property Office. Many Government Departments have an interest in intellectual property, and the policy making process, including collective ministerial consideration of proposals, reflects those interests. My Department has many interests in this area, and works closely with the Intellectual Property Office.
Legal Costs
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much her Department spent on fees for legal work in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; and if she will make a statement. [104562]
Richard Benyon: The amount the Department spent on fees for legal work in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12 is given in the following table.
These amounts are the total payments to external solicitors and barristers for legal services, excluding Parliamentary Counsel, Treasury Solicitors and the Crown Prosecution Service. The figures include some fees for legal work for the Department's arm’s length bodies and it would be disproportionately costly to identify and remove these.
| £ | ||
| Financial year | ||
| 2010-11 | 2011-12 | |
Meat: Prices
Ian Paisley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to counter the recent rise in meat prices. [105592]
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Mr Paice: No steps have been taken to counter the recent rise in meat prices. The rise in prices reflects the market. DEFRA routinely monitors trends in the affordability of food, looking at both domestic retail food price inflation (as measured by the consumer prices index) and changes in the factors that drive domestic retail food price inflation.
Ian Paisley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of a potential correlation between the recent rises in theft of meat in some supermarkets and the recent rise in meat prices. [105593]
Mr Paice: We have made no assessment of this. We therefore cannot say whether high retail meat prices are causing increased thefts of meat.