Vetting
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to publish the full regulations accompanying changes to Criminal Records Bureau requirements. [150666]
James Brokenshire: On 1 December 2012, the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) replaced the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) and the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA). The DBS performs the functions previously carried out by the ISA and CRB.
The draft statutory instruments relevant to the proposed changes to what must be disclosed by the Disclosure and Barring Service in response to an application for a criminal record certificate or an enhanced criminal record certificate were laid before Parliament on 26 March 2013.
Violence against Women and Girls Inter-Ministerial Group
Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the last meeting of the Violence Against Women and Girls Inter-Ministerial Group was held; who attended that meeting; and what items were on the agenda. [150552]
Damian Green: The Violence against Women and Girls Inter-Ministerial Group is chaired by the Secretary of State for the Home Department and meets on a quarterly basis. The last meeting took place on 6 February 2013 and discussed perpetrators of domestic violence and a progress update on the cross-Government Action Plan.
The following Departments were represented:
Home Office
Department of Health
Ministry of Justice
Department for Work and Pensions
Attorney-General Office
The Welsh Assembly Government
Department for International Development
Ministry of Defence
Written Questions: Government Responses
Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to answer named day written parliamentary questions 146405, 146411, 146412, 146413 and 146414, tabled on 28 February for answer on 5 March 2013, and question 145587, tabled on 26 February for answer on 1 March 2013; and for what reasons each of these questions was not answered on the day named. [149525]
Mr Harper [holding answer 25 March 2013]: Parliamentary questions 146405, 146412, 146413 and 145587 were answered on 26 March 2013. Parliamentary question 146414 was answered on 10 April 2013 and 146411 answered on 15 April 2013. I apologise for the delay in providing a response.
Defence
Trident
18. Bob Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the future of the UK’s Trident-based nuclear deterrent. [150746]
Mr Philip Hammond: The Government’s policy is that the Vanguard class submarines will be replaced in the late 2020s by a new class of successor strategic missile submarines carrying the Trident missile, subject to a main gate investment approval in 2016.
Middle East
21. Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the defence situation in the middle east. [150750]
Dr Murrison: The security situation in the middle east remains fragile, as populations continue to demand greater political, social and economic freedom. In particular, the conflict in Syria is deteriorating, but we are pursuing efforts to deliver a political solution. The UK also remains concerned over Iran’s nuclear programme and is committed to a twin-track approach of pressure through sanctions and engagement through multilateral negotiations to achieve a diplomatic solution to Tehran’s nuclear ambitions. But, as with Syria, no options have been removed from the table.
Afghanistan
22. Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress his Department has made on calculating the costs of withdrawal from Afghanistan. [150751]
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Mr Robathan: We continue to work on identifying the most cost-effective solution for the redeployment of both military personnel and equipment, considered alongside operational priority and security. We expect estimated costs to be produced in the summer. We want to continue to take advantage of the investment we have made in these operations, as a result of which our troops have never been better equipped. We will be discussing carefully with the Treasury and National Audit Office how we maximise the continuing return on this investment.
Defence Expenditure
23. Mr Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent representations he has received on defence expenditure. [150752]
Mr Philip Hammond: I receive regular representations about defence expenditure, both orally and in writing, from a range of interested parties, including hon. Members, other Governments, industry and the public and of course, not least, from my hon. Friend himself.
Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent representations he has received on defence expenditure. [150736]
Mr Philip Hammond: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Basildon and Billericay (Mr Baron).
Air Force: Military Bases
Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 25 March 2013, on defence estate rationalisation, which three Typhoon squadrons will be based at RAF Lossiemouth; and how many (a) regular and (b) reserve squadrons of Lightning II will be based at RAF Marham; [150593]
(2) pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 25 March 2013, defence estate rationalisation update, how many (a) regular and (b) reserve squadrons of Lightning II will be based at RAF Marham in each year from 2018 to 2025; and what the planned out-of- service date for each squadron of Tornado GR4 is. [151047]
Mr Robathan: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the statement I made on 25 March 2013, Official Report, column 65WS, in which I said that No. 1 (Fighter) Squadron and No. 6 Squadron currently based at RAF Leuchars, which provides the Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) (Interceptor) North role, will relocate to RAF Lossiemouth. A decision on the third Typhoon squadron to be based at RAF Lossiemouth has not yet been taken.
The Ministry of Defence will now commence detailed planning to ascertain the most effective Lightning II Squadron lay-down at RAF Marham. There are no plans to form Reserve Lightning II Squadrons. The outcome of this work and details on the planned out-of- service date for each Tornado GR4 Squadron will be taken in due course.
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Armed Forces: Northern Ireland
Dr McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people from Northern Ireland have joined HM armed forces in each of the last three years. [150948]
Mr Francois: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given by the Minister for the Armed Forces, my right hon. Friend the Member for South Leicestershire (Mr Robathan), on 6 March 2013, Official Report, column 1096W, to the hon. Member for Kilmarnock and Loudon (Cathy Jamieson).
Armed Forces: Schools
Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many visits the armed forces made to (a) state secondary schools, (b) independent schools and (c) colleges in (i) Scotland, (ii) Wales, (iii) England and (iv) Northern Ireland in 2011-12. [150468]
Mr Francois: This information is not held in the format requested, but the number of visits in 2011-12, broken down by service and UK country, is shown in the following table:
| Country | Number of visits by the Royal Navy | Number of visits by the Army | Number of visits by the Royal Air Force |
These visits can comprise presentations, citizenship talks, meetings with staff, participation in career events, practise interviews and activities with the students. Activities with students can comprise science and maths challenges, and other indoor or outdoor exercises.
The armed forces do not visit schools for recruitment purposes and would only ever visit a school after being invited by a teacher to support school activities. Similar contributions to schools are made by the police, fire, ambulance and other emergency services. The armed forces get numerous requests from schools each year and the three services take these opportunities to explain to children their role to protect the nation and pass on valuable skills such as leadership, teamwork and citizenship.
Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many visits the armed forces made to (a) state secondary schools, (b) independent schools and (c) colleges in each (i) local authority area and (ii) parliamentary constituency in 2011-12. [150469]
Mr Francois: I refer the hon. Lady to the answer given by the Minister for the Armed Forces, my right hon. Friend the right hon. Member for South Leicestershire (Mr Robathan), on 6 March 2013, Official Report, column 1096W, to the hon. Member for Kilmarnock and Loudoun (Cathy Jamieson).
Armed Forces: Young Offenders
Naomi Long:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the report published in The Lancet, “Violent offending by UK military personnel
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deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan: a data linkage cohort study”, 16 March 2013, what assessment he has made of the increased risks of violent offending by young armed forces personnel. [151054]
Mr Francois: In the light of concerns expressed about the proportion of ex-military personnel in the criminal justice system, the King's Centre for Military Health Research carried out a study, which surveyed over 13,000 personnel, into violent offending among military personnel, the results of which were reported in The Lancet in March 2013.
The study found that 11.0% of males within the service population had committed an offence of interpersonal violence, compared to 8.7% of the UK male civilian population. It is also noted that from those surveyed 20.6% of males within the service population under the age of 30 years committed violent offences compared to 6.7% of males under the age of 30 in the general population. The paper found that while deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan was not in itself a significant factor linked to violent offending, there was a correlation among personnel who had served in a combat role or who had developed post-deployment mental health problems such as alcohol misuse, anger and post-traumatic stress disorder. Other significant factors included pre-existing risk factors such as younger age and pre-military offences of a similar nature. The study's authors have recommended further evidence-based research into the potential utility of violence-reduction interventions among those returning from deployment in order to help detect mental health issues and thus reduce the risk of violent offending.
Ministry of Defence policy makes it clear that the armed forces will not tolerate violence of this nature. Service personnel who experience violence and service family members who are victims of violence have a wide range of sources of help and information, and are actively encouraged to use them. These include single service welfare providers, unit welfare officers, families federations and helplines.
Assets
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the most recent estimate is of the net book value of each major item of (a) single use military equipment, (b) transport equipment, (c) plant and machinery, (d) information technology and (e) land and buildings. [148322]
Mr Dunne: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Defence Estates
Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the proportion in cash terms of the budget for defence estates and bases that is annually written off which is not directly attributable to fraud, corruption or theft. [150967]
Mr Francois: Losses on the Ministry of Defence (MOD) estate over £250,000 are included (with others) in the MOD's Annual Accounts (Section 25) and can be found at:
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http://defenceintranet.diif.r.mil.uk/libraries/corporate/Ministry%20of%20Defence/20130121.1/2084_ MOD%20Annual%20Report%20and%20Accounts%202011-2012.pdf
Depleted Uranium
Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 12 March 2013, Official Report, column 161W, on depleted uranium, how many locations with depleted uranium (DU) contaminations were surveyed as part of his Department's DU environmental monitoring programme in Iraq; what the nature was of the targets surveyed; and which of his Department's reports show that the presence of DU is at levels too low to have any detectable health impact on civilians in Iraq. [149892]
Mr Robathan [holding answer 25 March 2013]:More than 12 locations, combat equipment and the surrounding environment, were surveyed as part of the Department's assessment of DU in Iraq.
The following reports cover a summary of the Iraq survey and risks more generally. The findings are consistent with scientific consensus that the presence of DU is at levels too low to have any detectable health impact:
TA-6 Radiation Protection of the Public and the Environment, Radiological Assessment of Depleted Uranium Impact Locations in Iraq, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory Environmental Sciences Department, 2006
Depleted Uranium Munitions Contamination Risks, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory Environmental Sciences Department and Institute of Naval Medicine, 2009
Copies of these reports will be placed in the Library of the House.
Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the public will be informed in advance of CHARM3 test fires at the Dundrennan range. [150934]
Mr Dunne: Advance notice of planned firings of any munitions at the Dundrennan range is routinely provided on a weekly basis to the local police, coastguard, harbourmaster, library, farmers and to members of the public who have requested such information.
The only planned Challenger Armament 3 (CHARM3) firings in the next few years relate to the Life Extension Programme (LEP) for the propellant charge. A suitable trial site for the LEP has not yet been selected. I refer the hon. Lady to the answer I gave on 4 March 2013, Official Report, column 846W, and reiterate that the planned CHARM3 LEP does not involve the firing of depleted uranium.
Freedom of Information
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to respond to Freedom of Information request MM/JH/20/12/2012 submitted by the hon. Member for Bridgend; and if he will make a statement. [150456]
Mr Francois: An investigation by officials found no record of the Freedom of Information request having been received within the Ministry of Defence.
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However, an FOI request has now been received and I expect officials to provide a response, within the statutory 20 working day time scale for responding, no later than 25 April 2013.
Gurkhas: Pensions
Gareth Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Gurkhas in the UK have had some of their pre-1997 service years deducted from their pension through the transfer of their pension benefits from the Gurkha Pension Scheme to the Armed Forces Pension Scheme; and what the average number of years service deducted is. [150957]
Mr Francois: The information requested is not centrally held within the Compensation and Pensions System and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
HMS Tireless
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 4 March 2013, Official Report, column 846W, on HMS Tireless, on what date Ministers in his Department were informed of problems with the nuclear reactor cooling system on HMS Tireless; whether the incident was categorised as an abnormal event with the potential to challenge a nuclear safety system; and whether any of the submarine's crew members were exposed to additional, unexpected doses of radiation as a result of the incident. [151077]
Mr Dunne: The very small coolant leak, which was wholly contained within HMS Tireless' sealed reactor compartment, was not categorised as an abnormal event with the potential to challenge a nuclear safety system because the operating philosophy, design and safety justification for the reactor plant allows for safe management in such cases.
No members of the crew were exposed to additional or unexpected doses of radiation. As soon as the facts related to the incident had been established and assessed by the relevant Ministry of Defence authorities, Ministers were notified on 5 February 2013.
Information Officers
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many press officers there were in his Department in March (a) 2010 and (b) 2013. [150486]
Mr Francois: In March 2010 the total number of press office posts in the central Ministry of Defence press office organisation was 35. As of March 2013, the figure is 23. The current total is made up of the Head of News, 18 posts for press officers specialising in every aspect of Defence, a military officer for each of the armed forces and a press officer on deployment to Afghanistan. As the authorised channel of communication with the news media, the press office responds to enquiries from the national media and provides presentational advice to Ministers 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Military Law
Naomi Long: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reasons Queen's Regulations are not available online; and if he will publish these online. [151053]
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Mr Francois: The Queen's Regulations (QRs) for the Royal Navy are available online and can be found at the following website:
http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/sitecore/content/home/news-and-events/reference-library/naval-publications
QRs for the Army are not available on an open website. However, for those who can access the ArmyNet website they may be read online. The RAF QRs are not yet online but that is under consideration. All QRs are available for purchase through the Stationery Office online shop.
MOD Ashchurch
Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions he has had with private companies operating at Ashchurch following his issuing a closure notice; and if he will make a statement. [150721]
Mr Dunne: Ministry of Defence (MOD) officials have regular meetings with the private companies which occupy space at MoD Ashchurch. The private companies are being kept informed that the MOD continues to consider the future of the site.
Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent estimate he has made of the number of (a) permanent and (b) agency staff employed at MOD Ashchurch, employed (i) directly by his Department and (ii) by other organisations. [150724]
Mr Dunne: In March 2013 there were 294 permanent Ministry of Defence (MOD) staff, including 126 military personnel and 78 agency staff employed at MOD Ashchurch. A further 45 personnel were employed by MOD contractors.
A number of commercial companies lease office space at MOD Ashchurch and in March 2013 these companies employed a total of 244 personnel on site.
QinetiQ: Pensions
Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 25 February 2013, Official Report, column 30W, on QinetiQ: pensions, whether he expects to be able to sign off the pension costs before the end of the financial year. [150646]
Mr Dunne: Discussions between the Ministry of Defence and QinetiQ on the proposed changes to pension arrangements are ongoing. It was not possible to resolve all the issues before the end of financial year 2012-13.
Radiation: Emergency Services
Paul Flynn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list for each of (a) AWE Aldermaston, (b) AWE Burghfield, (c) RN Base Coulport, (d) RN bases at Faslane, Rosyth and Plymouth Devonport respectively and (e) Z-berths for emergency docking of nuclear powered submarines in the UK, which of the emergency service respondee organisations from the (i) fire brigade, (ii) police, (iii) ambulance service, (iv) local authorities and (v) contractors working for any of the emergency services operators have been pre-registered
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locally in respect of requirements under Regulation 14 of the Radiation (Emergency Preparedness and Public Information) Regulations 2001 to pre-train those personnel who would have to carry out their duties in a radioactive environment in the event of a radiological emergency at a licensed nuclear site; and what details of pre-registration emergency services are required to communicate to the Office for Nuclear Regulation. [151024]
Mr Dunne: The Radiation (Emergency Preparedness and Public Information) Regulations 2001 (REPPIR) require the preparation of emergency plans for sites where a radiation emergency could arise from working with ionising radiation. On-site emergency plans have been produced by site operators for all Defence nuclear licensed and authorised sites; off-site emergency plans are the responsibility of the relevant local authorities.
Where any employee may, as a result of such emergencies, be exposed to radiation that exceeds normal dose limits, Regulation 14 of REPPIR requires the relevant employer to make certain provisions, including the provision of information, instruction and equipment.
Relevant employers may include local emergency services, local authority personnel, or contractors operating on their behalf. The Ministry of Defence does not hold records of other relevant employers' compliance with Regulation 14 of REPPIR, which is a matter for the employers themselves and the Office for Nuclear Regulation.
Rescue Services: Helicopters
Sir Alan Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects the Ministry of Defence police investigation into the SAR helicopter contract bidding process begun in 2011 to be completed; and if he will make a statement. [150861]
Mr Dunne: I wrote to the right hon. Member on 10 April 2013.
Select Committee Oral Evidence
Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether it is the practice of (a) the Minister concerned and (b) officials of his Department to check uncorrected transcripts for accuracy following ministerial appearances before parliamentary Select Committees. [150610]
Mr Robathan: Yes, as was the case under previous Governments.
Ultra Electronics
Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 13 March 2013, Official Report, column 789W, on Ultra Electronics, what the purpose is of each contract held between Ultra Electronics Holdings plc and his Department; and when each such contract will expire. [150956]
Mr Dunne:
I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answers I gave on 12 March 2013, Official Report, column 163W, and 21 March 2013, Official Report, column 789W, in which I stated that the Ministry of Defence (MOD) holds 44 contracts with the company, with a
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total value of around £493 million. Further investigation into these contracts has revealed that only 27 of them are, in fact, still open, with a total value of around £452 million.
Shown in the following table is a list which includes those let by MOD trading funds, but does not include pan-Government enabling contracts, Government procurement card payments or miscellaneous transactions.
I am withholding the details of seven contracts as their disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces,
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Prime Minister
Domestic Visits
Pamela Nash: To ask the Prime Minister what the cost to the public purse of the PM Direct events has been in each of the last two years. [150580]
The Prime Minister: Since my appointment as Prime Minister, I have held a series of public meetings which provide members of the public with an opportunity to raise local, regional or national issues with me directly. Each PM Direct event has been arranged in accordance with ministerial and civil service guidelines. Costs have been minimised as far as possible. The cost of any security provided by the police is a matter for the relevant police force. In 2011 there were eight PM Direct events at a cost of £22,913. In 2012 there were nine PM Direct events at a cost of £30,376.
Women and Equalities
Equality Act 2010
Mr Thomas: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities for what reasons section 36 of the Equality Act 2010 has not yet been enforced. [150968]
Mrs Grant: On 15 May 2012, the Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), announced, as the outcome of the Red Tape Challenge spotlight on equality law, a number of provisions which the Government intended to delay or repeal because of concerns regarding an unnecessary or disproportionate burden on business. As such, the Government have decided to delay the provisions at sections 36(1)(d), (5) and (6) and schedule 4, paragraphs 5-7, of the Equality Act 2010. Other provisions within section 36 of the Act, namely s.36 (1)(a)(b)(c), (2), (3), (4), (7) and (8), have been commenced.
Deputy Prime Minister
British Constitution
Mr Bone: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what new constitutional reforms he will bring forward in this Parliament. [150448]
Miss Chloe Smith: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to the hon. Member for Kingston upon Hull East (Karl Turner) on 26 March 2013, Official Report, Column 1451 by my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister.
Higher Education: Admissions
Pamela Nash: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the effect on social mobility of changes in the (a) number of funded places available in universities in Scotland and (b) university applications made through UCAS since May 2010. [149788]
Mr Willetts: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
Higher education in Scotland is a devolved matter, and questions about funded places at Scottish universities are a matter for the Scottish Government.
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The latest data on the social background of applicants to full-time undergraduate courses in the UK were published by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) in January and are available at:
http://www.ucas.com/about_us/media_enquiries/media_releases/2013/2013janapprates
The figures show that, as at the main UCAS deadline of 15 January, the application rate of 18-year-olds from England living in disadvantaged areas reached a record high in 2013.
Members: Correspondence
Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he intends to reply to the letter to him dated 13 February 2013 from the hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne North on reductions to local government funding and arts venues in Newcastle. [150366]
The Deputy Prime Minister: I replied to the hon. Lady on 27 March 2013.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Agricultural Wages Board
Mr Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many cases of non-compliance with the Agricultural Wages Board have been (a) detected, (b) investigated, (c) prosecuted and (d) brought forward by the Gangmasters Licensing Authority in each of the last five years; and what the name was of the individuals and companies involved. [148973]
Mr Heath: The Gangmasters Licensing Authority (GLA) does not have powers to prosecute businesses that fail to pay their workers the correct agricultural minimum wage (AMW). However, failure to pay the correct rate of the AMW could result in the revocation of an existing licence or the refusal of a new licence application as it would be a breach of the GLA's Licensing Standards.
GLA records, set out in the following table, indicate that there are 25 companies that have had their gangmaster licence revoked in the last five years where failure to comply with the Licensing Standard requiring compliance with AMW legislation was a factor in the licensing decision.
A further four companies were refused a licence on grounds which included failure to comply with AMW legislation; however, the GLA does not publish details of businesses whose licence applications are refused. Although these businesses have been unable to demonstrate that they meet the GLA Licensing Standards, they are not active in the regulated sectors at the time they apply for a new licence. Therefore, the GLA does not consider it to be in the public interest to make this information available on their public registers.
Businesses that are refused a licence or whose licence is revoked may reapply at a future date and will be issued with a GLA licence if they show they comply with the Licensing Standards.
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| Company | Date licence revoked |
Agriculture: Snow and Ice
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations he has received from farmers regarding the recent weather; what assessment he has made of the effect of the adverse weather on the rural economy and farm incomes; if he will take any emergency measures to assist farmers in 2013; and if he will make a statement. [151050]
Mr Heath: I have placed a copy of the latest assessment made of farm incomes, for the year ending February 2013, in the Library of the House.
These forecasts are based on the information available in mid-January 2013 for prices, animal populations, marketings, crop areas and yield. Actual farm incomes for this period will be available at the end of October 2013.
The forecasts show that incomes are expected to fall for most farm types compared with the previous year. This is largely due to the extremely wet weather in 2012 and the poor growing and grazing season. The falls in income are also more pronounced as incomes were relatively high in 2010-11. The impact of the more recent adverse weather on farm incomes will not be reflected in these figures but will come through in the 2013-14 farm income forecasts published next January.
The continued bad weather in 2013 has been a severe blow. During these exceptional circumstances farmers will be allowed to bury or burn animals on farm land. We have also asked the National Fallen Stock Company to consider reduced costs for multiple collections of stock from the same farm.
The Government have also recently relaxed rules on driver hours to allow extra time for essential deliveries of animal feed to get through to farms and permitted
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farmers with red diesel in their tractors to help grit and clear snow from public roads to help communities during the bad weather. More broadly we are supporting farmers by cutting unnecessary red tape, opening up new food export markets and fighting for reform of the common agricultural policy.
Agriculture: South West
Mel Stride: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many single farm payments were processed by the Rural Payments Agency in (a) Devon and (b) Cornwall in the last 12 months for which figures are available; and how many such payments were paid within (i) one month, (ii) one and three months, (iii) three and six months and (iv) more than six months of the payment due date. [148171]
Mr Heath: Payments for the single farm payment are payable from 1 December of the application year to the 30 June of the following year; there is no specific payment date.
For the 2011 scheme year, the RPA processed just under 14,000 SPS claims for customers with a business address registered in Devon or Cornwall. The following table breaks down the payments by county.
| Payment period | Devon | Cornwall |
It should be noted that this information relates to the current registered business address and does not directly relate to land in Devon and Cornwall. The numbers in the table have been rounded to the nearest five.
Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency
Mr Havard: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which company holds the largest contract to provide mobile telephony services to the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency; how much was paid under that contract since it was awarded; how many individual devices are covered by the contract; when the contract was awarded; and when and by what means the contract will next be reviewed. [148527]
Mr Heath: Vodafone holds the largest contract to provide mobile telephony services to the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA). It started on 7 March 2011 and covers 1139 devices.
AHVLA has spent the following since the contract began:
| £ | |
| (1) Latest data—up to and including 28 February 2013. | |
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The current contract was put in place through the Government Procurement Service framework arrangement and expires on 30 March 2015. We would expect the same approach to be taken to procuring a replacement contract at that time.
Antibiotics
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department is taking to reduce the over-prescription of veterinary antibiotics. [150457]
Mr Heath: All veterinary medicinal products containing antibiotics in the UK are available only on prescription by a veterinary surgeon, who in turn is only permitted to prescribe to animals under their care. Supply of veterinary medicinal products without a prescription is illegal in the UK and is in breach of the Veterinary Medicines Regulations. Such offences are dealt with robustly, and when appropriate the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) will seek to take legal action through the courts.
The Government take the issue of antimicrobial resistance very seriously and the routine use of antibiotics to prevent disease is not regarded as a responsible use of these medicines. However, the Government recognise that the availability of veterinary medicines, including antibiotics, is essential to ensure the health and welfare of food-producing animals in the UK. It is down to the professional judgment of the veterinary surgeon whether an animal or a particular group of farmed animals requires treatment with an antibiotic.
The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) regulates the veterinary profession, undertaking the statutory responsibilities set out in the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966. All veterinary surgeons are required to comply with the RCVS Code of Professional Conduct, which specifically states that veterinary surgeons must use antibiotics responsibly in order to minimise resistance development.
The Government work closely with the veterinary profession and with the farming industry to promote the responsible use of antimicrobials in farmed animals. The Government have published a Code of Practice on the Responsible Use of Medicines on the Farm and a leaflet on antimicrobials, which are available from the Veterinary Medicines Directorate's website. The Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture (RUMA) Alliance has produced guidance on responsible use of antibiotics for different livestock sectors all of which can be found on the RUMA website also, the British Veterinary Association (BVA) and the British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) have both published information to guide prescribing.
Antibiotic use for growth promotion was banned in the EU in 2006. At one time very small doses of some antibiotics were allowed to be added prophylactically to animal feed because they improved the growth rates of some farm animals. With the emergence of concerns about antibiotic resistance in both human and veterinary medicines and, in particular, the impact of resistance on the ability to treat humans, this application of antibiotics was banned.
The UK is working with other EU member states to ensure that antibiotics, including those considered critically important for human health, are used responsibly within
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European legislation. Accordingly the UK has been supporting the work of European Medicines Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Veterinary Use (CVMP) on antibiotic resistance. In particular, we have contributed to the Europe wide adoption of Summaries of Product Characteristics, to include label warnings relating to resistance for existing fluoroquinolones and 3rd and 4th
( )generation cephalosporin products used in veterinary medicine. We will continue to influence this debate on labelling and permitted uses as it progresses.
The EU legislation on veterinary medicines is currently under revision and the UK along with other member states and the Commission are examining the available evidence to establish whether there is a need for additional controls on antibiotics used in animals, in particular those which are critically important for human health. However, the Government consider that any controls placed on the use of veterinary antimicrobials must be proportionate and based on scientific evidence in order to minimise the possibility of a negative impact on animal welfare.
Beef: Horsemeat
Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what (a) steps he is taking to reassure consumers across the UK and (b) discussions he has had with Ministers in the devolved Administrations concerning the detection of horsemeat in the food chain. [142601]
Mr Heath: The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is working closely with his counterparts across Europe to ensure that the current unacceptable situation with horsemeat cannot happen again. This includes a three-month programme of DNA testing of beef products across the EU covering domestic and imported products, the first results to be published on 15 April. Meat products across the EU will be DNA tested for horsemeat. In addition, both domestic and imported horsemeat will be tested for bute. The current paperwork-based system will be replaced by a programme of testing real products.
Secondly, the Secretary of State agreed to a new intelligence system so that information about the current investigations can be shared immediately. This will enable other member states to act straight away if they have any suspicions that food businesses are not playing by the rules. Member states also agreed to use Europol to co-ordinate law enforcement efforts. Thirdly, because of the urgency with which we have to deal with what is clearly an international issue, we agreed that the European Commission’s report and recommendations on labelling the origin of all processed meat should be accelerated and published as soon as possible. The Secretary of State expects that this will provide consumers with clearer and more reliable information on where meat products come from. The Secretary of State made a statement to this effect on 13 February. He had a meeting with representatives from the devolved Administrations in advance of this meeting on 13 February and an update meeting with them on 15 February.
Devolved Administrations were also invited to the meeting with industry representatives on 18 January. Richard Lochhead and Alun Davies were present with Alex Attwood available by teleconferencing.
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Bees
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent steps he has taken to protect and encourage the UK's bee population. [148413]
Mr Heath: In 2009, DEFRA and the Welsh Government launched the Healthy Bees Plan which is aimed at improving and protecting the health of honey bees over the next 10 years. In addition, following a review of the current honey bee pest and disease control policies, DEFRA and the Welsh Government recently consulted stakeholders on the proposals emerging from the review. Nearly 200 responses were received and these are being considered to help inform development of future policy.
In addition, DEFRA is providing £2.5 million over five years (from 2010-11) towards the £10 million Insect Pollinators Initiative which is being jointly funded with the Scottish Government, Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, Natural Environment Research Council and the Wellcome Trust. Two projects will specifically focus on honey bees and six will benefit both honey bees and bumblebees. Results are expected to become available in 2014.
DEFRA also provides £100,000 per year for honey bee research including work on control and risk management of honey bee pests and diseases.
‘Biodiversity 2020’ committed to an increase in the overall extent of priority habitats by at least 200,000 hectares and to preventing further human-induced extinctions of known species. Further to this, Natural England, under its species recovery programme funds conservation projects to support priority species such as bumble bees. For example, the short haired bumblebee, extinct in the UK since the 1980s, is being reintroduced from Sweden.
Funding is also available to encourage farmers to provide forage and nesting sites for bees. Entry Level Stewardship (ELS) provides payments for the establishment of nectar flower mixtures. These are intended to provide a large quantity of nectar from small areas to mimic the nectar-bearing crops that once featured in traditional agricultural systems and to limit the genetic impact on native wildflower species from the widespread sowing of commercial seed.
Following a recent review of evidence from research, monitoring, and experience of scheme operation, several new ELS options were introduced from 1 January 2013. These include a supplement to add wildflowers to buffer strips and field corners, plus options for legume-rich and herb-rich swards to provide habitat and food for invertebrates including bees. Higher Level Stewardship also has a wide range of options which benefit bees. These include floristically enhanced grass margins and conservation headlands.
Birds of Prey
Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress he has made on his Department's review of Predation by Fish-Eating Birds on Inland Fisheries; and if he will make a statement. [150439]
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Richard Benyon: The DEFRA-led review group, which includes representatives from the angling community, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, the Food and Environment Research Agency, the Environment Agency, Natural England and the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, is finalising its work and will report to me shortly. I will consider the group's recommendations fully before deciding on a way forward.
Bovine Tuberculosis
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what criteria he will use to assess the effectiveness of the badger cull pilots; [148823]
(2) what threshold of effectiveness he has for the two pilot areas to determine whether his badger control programme should proceed beyond those pilots; and when he anticipates that the next cull areas will commence; [148824]
(3) what methods of culling other than shooting will be deployed in the two pilot badger cull areas. [148825]
Mr Heath: The effectiveness monitoring will test the assumption that controlled shooting is an effective method of badger removal, in terms of being able to remove at least 70% of the starting population in the area, over the course of a six week cull. A summary of the monitoring protocol can be found on the DEFRA website at:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/animal-diseases/a-z/bovine-tb/badgers/badger-culling-pilots/
A panel of independent experts will evaluate the results of the effectiveness monitoring and report to Ministers. Based on this report, together with the outcome of humaneness and safety monitoring, and other information on the culls, Ministers will then take a decision as soon as practicable on wider roll-out of the policy.
The only two culling methods to be permitted are cage-trapping (followed by shooting) and controlled shooting. The number of badgers culled and the culling method used in each case will be recorded by the operators and be part of the licence returns to Natural England.
Circuses: Animal Welfare
Sheryll Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much the licensing scheme for wild animals in circuses has cost to implement to date. [149401]
Mr Heath: The cost of administering the two licences issued to date, and carrying out associated inspections, have been recovered from the applicants through the licence fee.
Sheryll Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for what reasons no licences have been issued under the licensing scheme for wild animals in circuses to date. [149402]
Mr Heath: Two licences were issued to circuses on 13 March 2013.
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Mr Tom Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the Circus Mondao was granted a licence under the Welfare of Wild Animals in Travelling Circuses (England) Regulations 2012. [150086]
Mr Heath: Circus Mondao was issued with a licence on 13 March 2013. The licence is due to run for a period of 12 months, subject to the circus continuing to demonstrate that it meets the conditions for animal welfare set out in the regulations.
Common Agricultural Policy
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the impact on UK farmers of the proposed reforms of the common agricultural policy; and if he will make a statement. [149970]
Mr Heath: There is no final agreement on the future CAP within the EU. Agriculture Council has adopted a mandate to start negotiations with the European Parliament and the European Commission shortly. I hope we can reach early agreement with the European Parliament on CAP reform. The sooner we have clarity around the exact measures in the CAP regulations, the sooner we will be able to make a more detailed assessment on the impact of the proposed reforms on UK farmers.
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how he expects common agricultural policy reforms to be implemented in England in particular as regards the balance between pillars; and if he will make a statement. [149971]
Mr Heath: There is no final agreement on the future CAP within the EU. Agriculture Council has adopted a mandate to start negotiations with the European Parliament and the European Commission shortly. I hope we can reach early agreement with the European Parliament on CAP reform. The sooner we have clarity around the exact measures in the CAP regulations the sooner we will be able to make more detailed decisions on CAP implementation in England.
As for the level of funding in England for pillars 1 and 2, we do not have yet a confirmed allocation of UK CAP receipts, and until we do it is difficult to say what level of funding the UK will receive for delivering our environment and rural growth programmes. This includes any future decision as to the level of funds transferred from pillar 1 to pillar 2.
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how the common agricultural policy reforms will apply to grazers on common land and to landlords. [149972]
Mr Heath:
There is no final agreement on the future CAP within the EU. Agriculture Council has adopted a mandate to start negotiations with the European Parliament and the European Commission shortly. I hope we can reach early agreement with the European Parliament on CAP reform. Rules on land grazed in common are expected to be addressed in implementing regulations made by the European Commission later this year after the Council Regulations have been concluded. Discussions
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with industry and commoning stakeholders have taken place within the CAP reform and common land working group, and are expected to continue as the details of the legislation become clearer.
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how the concept of active farms will be applied in England under common agricultural policy reforms; and if he will make a statement. [149973]
Mr Heath: There is no final agreement on the future CAP within the EU. Agriculture Council has adopted a mandate to start negotiations with the European Parliament and the European Commission shortly. I hope we can reach early agreement with the European Parliament on CAP reform. The sooner we have clarity around the exact measures in the CAP regulations the sooner we will be able to make more detailed decisions on how active farming is implemented in England.
Mr Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether he has made an assessment of the likely effect in the East of England agricultural sector of his proposals for the greening of the common agricultural policy; and if he will make a statement. [150101]
Mr Heath: There is no final agreement on the future CAP within the EU. Agriculture Council has adopted a mandate to start negotiations with the European Parliament and the European Commission shortly. I hope we can reach early agreement with the European Parliament on CAP reform. The sooner we have clarity around the greening measures in the CAP regulations, the sooner we will be able to make more detailed decisions on CAP implementation in England.
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species
Dr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations the Government made at the March 2013 meeting of the Convention on International Trade: Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna in Bangkok. [150576]
Richard Benyon: The UK delegation to the 16th conference of the parties of the convention on international trade in endangered species (CITES), which took place recently in Bangkok, actively engaged in all aspects of conference business. Representations ranged from promoting UK views during EU negotiations, to chairing the rhino working group and lobbying in support of proposals submitted by the EU, such as the inclusion of the porbeagle shark on appendix ii of the convention.
Dangerous Dogs
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 6 February 2013, Official Report, on tackling irresponsible dog ownership, (1) whether he plans to issue guidance on the costs of microchipping of dogs; [144903]
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(2) whether he proposes that licensed veterinarians will insert microchips for dogs without charge; [144904]
(3) which animal welfare charities offer free microchipping at their facilities. [144905]
Mr Heath: I have no plans to issue guidance on the costs of microchipping dogs. The Dogs Trust is making free microchips available to local authorities, housing associations and veterinary surgeries. This will cover the cost of the microchip and registration of the dog and owner's details. Free microchipping will also be available at Battersea Dogs and Cats Home's three centres, all 16 Blue Cross hospitals in England and Dogs Trust centres. There may well be other organisations making such offers. Therefore, the cost of microchipping a dog should be very small particularly when compared to the lifetime cost of buying and caring for a dog.
Environment Protection
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will introduce decarbonisation targets. [150219]
Richard Benyon: Under the carbon budget system established by the Climate Change Act 2008, this Department is working to cut emissions from agriculture, land use, waste, industrial gases and other sectors. Details are set out in the Government's Carbon Plan, which is available to view on the GOV.UK website at:
www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-carbon-plan-reducing-greenhouse-gas-emissions--2
DEFRA has no plans to set decarbonisation targets in its sectors in addition to this work.
Floods: Insurance
Mr Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether his discussions with representatives of the insurance industry on flood insurance have included the issue of the work done by local authorities to mitigate flood risks; and what assessment he has made of whether such changes and subsequent reduced risks are being taken account of by insurance underwriters in assessing premiums for properties which historically have been at risk from flooding. [149403]
Richard Benyon: I can confirm that discussions were held with representatives of the insurance industry in 2012 on how they can take account of the work done by local authorities to mitigate flood risks, such as through the installation of measures to properties to reduce flood risk or its impact (referred to as property-level measures). Following these discussions, the Government have worked with the insurance industry and others, such as the National Flood Forum, to develop a Flood Risk Report template, which has been available since November 2012.
The insurance industry recognise the Flood Risk Report as a standard approach for presenting the flood risk of a property, provided a professional, suitably qualified, independent surveyor has completed it. It can record the change in the level of risk for a property following the installation of measures. Insurers may take into account the information and flood protection measures when assessing the terms they will offer for
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continued or new cover. The Association of British Insurers has recently confirmed this approach when giving evidence to the EFRA Committee on flooding funding:
“...where the insurer can be provided with evidence that supports the effectiveness of the measures that have been taken, they want to do the best job they can in assessing the risk that a property brings to them as insurers and they will fully take that into account. The mechanism in order to achieve that normally will be one that involves some sort of assessment by a professional of the property, the measures that have been taken and the effectiveness of those measures against the kind of risk that that property is exposed to.”
In 2012, prior to the development of the National Flood Risk Report template, DEFRA commissioned a small survey to find out whether recently-installed property-level flood measures had helped to reduce insurance premiums or excesses. In the majority of cases it did not result in lower insurance premiums and excesses, nor increase customer choice of insurance cover, which will be useful to review this following the launch of the template. It is important to note that property-level measures do provide many people with increased peace of mind.
Food: Labelling
Ms Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with the EU Commissioner for Agriculture on food labelling and food provenance policy issues; and if he will make a statement. [142618]
Mr Heath: The Secretary of State has not discussed food labelling and food provenance issues with the EU Commissioner for Agriculture as Commissioner Borg, the EU Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy, is the most appropriate contact. The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs spoke with Commissioner Borg on 11 February and he attended the meeting with the UK and other affected member states on 13 February. At this meeting we reached agreement on a number of key issues in order to ensure that the current unacceptable situation with horsemeat cannot happen again. He made a statement detailing the outcome of that meeting on 13 February.
Foxes
Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to tackle the problem of urban foxes in inner cities. [150902]
Richard Benyon: There is no evidence that the majority of urban foxes cause problems. The Government support those experiencing problems with individual foxes by providing guidance on how to deal with them on the Natural England website.
Gamekeepers
Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many people have started courses to become gamekeepers in England and Wales in the last five years; how many have completed a course; and how many such people have found jobs as gamekeepers on completion. [150903]
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Richard Benyon: DEFRA does not hold this information. There is no requirement for gamekeepers, employers of gamekeepers or course providers to report to DEFRA on course participation/completion or employment figures.
Genetically Modified Organisms
Dr Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when his Department plans to publish the report of the independent systematic review of published material on the environmental and economic effects of GM crops, undertaken for the Department by SAC Commercial Ltd; and what the reason is for the time taken to publish that report. [150179]
Mr Heath: The review on economic effects has been published by the independent group that specialises in supporting the conduct of systematic reviews, Collaboration for Environmental Evidence (CEE). It is available on the CEE website at:
http://www.environmentalevidence.org/SR11002.html
The environmental review has been accepted for publication in the journal Food and Nutrition Sciences, and should appear within the next two months. These reports have taken longer than anticipated to complete because of a lengthy independent peer review process.
Horsemeat
Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when Ministers were informed that Vestey Foods supplied Sodexo with horsemeat. [150438]
Mr Heath: Ministers were made aware of the discovery of horsemeat in Sodexo products on 22 February and that Sodexo was cooperating fully with the Food Standards Agency (FSA). The FSA was aware of the supply chain as part of its investigations into the incident. As with all live investigations it is important that we do not prejudice the process by disclosing information prematurely. Ministers were notified that the source of the adulterated meat was Vestey Foods on 14 March.
Horse Passports
Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many (a) police forces and (b) local authorities applied to his Department to access data held in horse passport issuing organisation databases in (A) 2010, (B) 2011, (C) 2012 and (D) 2013 to date. [148815]
Mr Heath: The Department does not hold any records of personal data information requests prior to October 2012.
Details of personal data information requests from October 2012 to 14 March 2013 are recorded as follows:
| Local authorities | UK police forces | Non-UK police forces | |
| (1) Garda | |||
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Japanese Knotweed
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent steps he has taken to prevent the spread of invasive Japanese knotweed. [148420]
Richard Benyon: A controlled release of the highly specialist psyllid “Aphalara itadori” is currently under way to help control Japanese knotweed. If successful, this should restrict its growth, slow its capacity to spread vigorously and enhance the effectiveness of management effort.
Because of its invasive nature, Japanese knotweed is listed on schedule 9 and subject to section 14 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, making it an offence to plant, or cause this species to grow, in the wild.
Under cross compliance rules, farmers in receipt of the single farm payment are required to take reasonable steps to prevent its spread.
Japanese knotweed is regarded as controlled waste and as such its disposal is governed by waste disposal regulations.
Livestock: Transport
Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he plans to publish the results of his inquiry into the death of livestock at the port of Ramsgate in September 2012. [145180]
Mr Heath: I received the report by the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency on their internal review of procedures following the regrettable events on 12 September at Ramsgate in October 2012. At the request of Kent Trading Standards, the prosecuting authority, the report was withheld until any possibility of prejudicing their criminal investigation and any subsequent criminal proceedings had passed. I placed the report in the House of Commons Library on Monday 4 March 2013.
Marine Conservation Zones
Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what role the precautionary principle has played in the decisions on the first round of marine conservation zone designations. [150621]
Richard Benyon: In identifying Marine Conservation Zones to propose for designation in 2013, we sought to strike a balance by being sufficiently sure of a feature's presence, extent and condition, while not setting unreasonable data requirements given current (and likely future) data availability on seabed characteristics. An exception has been made for specific features in sites identified by the Statutory Nature Conservation Bodies as being at higher risk. In these circumstances, in accordance with the precautionary principle, we are proposing designation of the relevant features even when the data quality would not otherwise be considered sufficient.
Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will request the Natural Capital Committee to make an assessment of the socio-economic benefits of current and future marine conservation zones. [150622]
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Richard Benyon: The Impact Assessment accompanying the consultation on the designation of Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) that launched in December 2012, provides an overview of potential increases in ecosystem services and consequent increases in human welfare, which could be attributed to designation of MCZs. These benefits cannot be readily quantified as the majority are not traded. Further work is taking place to advance the evidence base, including DEFRA-commissioned projects on recreational benefits from MCZs and studies on benthic habitats.
The Natural Capital Committee (NCC) terms of reference are aimed at ensuring it focuses on embedding natural capital into decision-making at the strategic level. There are currently no plans to request the NCC to make an assessment of the socio-economic benefits of MCZs.
Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for what reasons he has excluded evidence more than 12 years old from the process of designating marine conservation zones. [150634]
Richard Benyon: Evidence more than 12 years old has not been excluded from the designation process for Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs).
Natural England and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee took account of the age of the evidence when providing an assessment of the scientific confidence in the presence and extent of recommended species and habitats. Where the supporting evidence was more than 12 years old a lower confidence was assigned to the presence and extent of recommended species and habitats. The assessments of scientific confidence contributed to deciding which sites were suitable for designation in the first tranche of MCZs.
Marine Protected Areas
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the potential benefit to the UK economy of an ecologically coherent network of marine protected areas in UK waters. [147623]
Richard Benyon: The impact assessment accompanying the consultation on the designation of marine conservation zones launched in December 2012 provides an overview of potential increases in ecosystem services, described in National Ecosystem Assessment 2011, which can be viewed at:
http://uknea.unep-wcmc.org/Resources/tabid/82/Default.aspx
and which could be attributed to designation of MCZs. The improvement in these ecosystem services will increase human welfare by providing benefits to fish populations, key regulating services, nature-based recreational activities and various other cultural benefits, including an increase in satisfaction from knowing that rare and threatened marine habitats and features are being conserved for current and future generations.
These benefits cannot be readily quantified and the majority are not traded so cannot be easily valued. Further work is taking place to advance the evidence base, including a DEFRA commissioned project on the benefits of benthic habitats as well as National Ecosystem Assessment Follow-on work.
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Meat Products
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of current rules on import and export of mechanically-separated meat in the EU. [147418]
Mr Heath: There are no specific rules in relation to the import and export of mechanically separated meat. Mechanically separated meat which has been produced in accordance with EU Regulation (EC) No. 853/2004 may be exported to other member states. It is the responsibility of the exporting member state to conduct the checks on animal and public health and food hygiene. As the UK exports mechanically separated meat it conducts the necessary checks for compliance. The UK does not routinely detain imports from within the single market.
Meat: Contamination
Dr McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussion he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on contaminated meat. [150852]
Mr Heath: The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has had regular catch-up meetings with representatives from the devolved Administrations since 16 January to discuss the specific issue of horse and pig DNA found in meat products.
I had a telephone meeting with members of the devolved Administrations on 13 February, which the Secretary of State followed up on 15 February.
Representatives of the devolved Administrations were also present at the Agricultural Council on 25 February.
DEFRA and the Food Standards Agencies in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland meet regularly to discuss issues related to food labelling and provenance, to exchange information and to co-ordinate our work on common areas of interest. DEFRA, the FSA and devolved Administrations have had senior level contact since 16 January.
Members: Correspondence
Mr Tom Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State plans to reply to the letter of 1 March 2012 from the hon. Member for Glasgow South on the refusal of the Marine Management Organisation to issue a list of the private owners of fixed quota allocations made to the UK. [147906]
Richard Benyon: The response to the hon. Member’s letter of 1 March 2013 was signed and sent on 25 March 2013.
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he intends to reply to the letter dated 18 February 2013 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr Camilo. [150841]
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Richard Benyon: The Under-Secretary of State, my noble Friend Lord de Mauley, replied to this letter on 29 March 2013.
National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will discuss with the National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations the publication of a full list of its member vessels. [150679]
Richard Benyon: I, and my officials, regularly hold meetings with the National Federation of Fishermen's organisations to discuss various issues. I have always encouraged all representative organisations who lobby me to be fully transparent with regard to whom they represent and will continue to do so.
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Natural England
Mark Reckless: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what public funding from the public purse has been made available to Natural England in each year since 2006. [151052]
Richard Benyon: The table shows the funding provided by the Department to Natural England in each financial year since 2006. The table shows the allocations of core Grant in Aid (GIA) and additional specific project funding. It also provides other public funding, consisting of contributions to projects from the Department of Health to the Walking for Health initiative; a contribution from the West Midlands Regional Development Agency to the Natural Assets project, and the Single Farm Payment for Natural England's land holding.
The 2010 spending review settlement resulted in funding cuts of £44 million across the four year period to 2015.
| £ million | ||||||||
| 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | 2011-12 | 2012-13 | 2013-14 | |
Nature Conservation
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when his review of the invasive non-native species framework strategy will take place. [150413]
Richard Benyon: We anticipate progressing the review of the invasive non-native species (INNS) framework strategy for Great Britain in autumn this year, in line with governmental commitments to review the 2008 strategy after five years. This will enable all parties concerned to consider and take into account imminently expected proposals for an EU INNS legislative instrument.
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if the Government will take steps to promote the harmonisation of legislation across the UK relating to invasive non-native species. [150449]
Richard Benyon: At present invasive non-native species are considered jointly by England, Wales and Scotland under a GB Strategy, which is due to be reviewed later this year. Proposals for an EU Directive on the subject are also expected imminently. Prior to consideration of those two processes it would be premature to take any view on the degree to which legislative measures could or should be harmonised.
However, it should be noted that the devolution settlements gave the different parts of Britain control over certain matters to enable them to put in place separate legislation which reflects local needs and circumstances.
Pesticides
Mr Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what advice he received that informed his decision to oppose the European Commission's proposed suspension of neonicotinoid pesticides. [149369]
Mr Heath: The European Commission has proposed very significant restrictions on three neonicotinoid active substances (clothianidin, imidacloprid and thiamethoxam). Following careful consideration and guided by advice from the independent Advisory Committee on Pesticides, the Government abstained in a vote on this proposal.
The Government did not take this step because we had closed our mind to taking action. We abstained because the Commission's proposal was not well thought through. It is particularly important to respond to risks in a considered, evidence-based and proportionate manner and the Commission has not approached the issue in this way. We have urged the Commission to complete the scientific assessment, which should include the latest UK research. We also urge the Commission to consider the impacts of its action, which may have unintended or even damaging consequences. We will continue to make this case in Europe.
Mr Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the environmental effect of pest control alternatives to neonicotinoids. [149917]
Mr Heath: We have carried out work to help us to understand better the likely consequences of possible regulatory options, including the implications of alternative pesticides or pest control measures being used.
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Farmers would respond to the loss of neonicotinoids by using the available alternative insecticides, which include pyrethroids, organophosphates and carbamates. All of these products have been authorised and so can be used without breaching the requirements for protection of human health and the environment set out in the pesticides legislation. However, each product will have its own potential for effects on the environment.
Phytophthora Ramorum
Mr Russell Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the impact of Phytophthora ramorum on UK forests; and if he will make a statement. [150051]
Mr Heath: An assessment was carried out in 2011 of the likely impacts of Phytophthora ramorum on the economy. The assessment indicated that some reduction in timber revenue can be expected due to the reduced value of infected timber. However, increased felling activity would compensate for this in the short term. No significant impacts on visitor spending were anticipated while other sites, which remained free from infection, were open to visit. The principal impacts, in the longer term, were assessed as being on carbon sequestration and biodiversity, and the wider social and environmental value of larch for visitor enjoyment and amenity.
Procurement
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the monetary value was of contracts awarded by his Department to (a) management consultancies and (b) IT companies in (i) 2010-11 and (ii) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement. [135167]
Richard Benyon: The total value of contracts awarded by core DEFRA to management consultancies and IT companies for 2010-11 and 2011 -12 is set out as follows:
| Management consultancies | |
| £ | |
| Information technology companies | |
| £ | |
For the purposes of this answer we have used the Cabinet Office definition of consultancy, which is
"the provision to the management of objective advice relating to strategy, structure, management or operation of an organisation, in pursuit of its purposes and objectives".
River Wharfe
Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what timescale has been set by Natural England for the River Wharfe Restoration Project. [150698]
Richard Benyon:
The River Wharfe Restoration Plan gives a number of management options that address the current unfavourable condition of the River Wharfe Site of Special Scientific Interest. A period of initial local consultation on these options has just closed and
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the Environment Agency, the flood risk authority for rivers, has recently also been consulted to ensure that any options that are considered will not increase flood risk from the river to people and property.
The consultation and further work on technical feasibility and cost will determine the options that will go forward to a final scoping phase. These are broadly categorised in terms of short, medium and long term solutions: the latter being up to 50 years. All those options that are selected for further scoping will be discussed with local landowners and occupiers before any site-specific implementation occurs.
Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimated cost has been made by Natural England of the (a) feasibility study and (b) delivery cost to the River Wharfe Restoration Project. [150699]
Richard Benyon: The allocated budget for the production of the draft river restoration plan was £48,000 covering approximately 7.1 kilometres of the River Wharfe Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a further three kilometres of river, impacting on the status of this SSSI both upstream and downstream of the site. The work included: the production of habitat and river gravel surveys, identification of options and alternatives to improve the condition of the SSSI, the preparation of the draft plan and the arrangements for local meetings and consultation.
The combination of options that best address the unfavourable condition of this SSSI will be categorised in terms of short, medium and long term solutions: the latter being up to 50 years. The short term ones are likely to have modest costs. Potential longer term solutions will probably require additional and specific capital investment.
Sources of funding for implementation have not yet been agreed and will depend on the scale and timeframe of the actions required and who is best placed to deliver them in terms of the private, public or voluntary sector. As an example: some potential sources of funding could include Agri-environment schemes or the Environment Agency's Flood and Coastal Risk Management capital and maintenance budget. Some activities may also be linked to sources of community based funding, including bids to funds such as the Heritage Lottery Fund, for specific complementary volunteering projects within the plan area.
Sharks
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department is taking to protect the native basking shark population. [148279]
Richard Benyon: The basking shark is fully protected in UK waters. Under schedule 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, which applies out to 12 nautical miles offshore, the basking shark is protected from intentional capture, retention or disturbance. In addition European fisheries legislation prohibits EU vessels from fishing for or retaining basking sharks in EU and non-EU waters.
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Basking sharks also benefit from international protection under the convention on international trade in endangered species (CITES) and the convention on migratory species (CMS).
Sites of Special Scientific Interest
Mark Reckless: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many areas Natural England has determined to be sites of special scientific interest in each year since 2006. [151003]
Richard Benyon:
Natural England has a duty under section 28 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended) to notify as a site of special scientific interest (SSSI) any land which in its opinion is of special interest by reason of its flora, fauna, geological or physiographical features. Natural England also has powers under sections 28A to 28D to modify existing SSSIs, by varying the
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matters specified in the notification or by extending the boundary (or both), as well as the power to remove all or part of an SSSI notification.
In 2009 the Public Accounts Committee [34th report, HC244] said that:
"To make sure that public investment in SSSIs is directed to those sites and locations which offer the best value for money in conservation and cost terms, Natural England should establish a systematic approach to reviewing the designation of existing sites and to identifying and designating new sites."
Since 2006, Natural England (and English Nature, its predecessor in respect of these duties and powers up to 30 September 2006) has notified a total of 21 new SSSIs, 18 amendments to existing SSSIs (including extensions, removing land from boundaries and varying the matters specified in the notification), and has wholly removed the notification from five SSSIs. The following table presents these, grouped by type of notification, for each year from 1 January 2006 to 2 April 2013.
| New SSSIs | Amendments to existing SSSIs | Removal of entire SSSIs | Total | |||
| Extensions | Variation of matters specified in notifications | Removal of land from boundaries | ||||
Sugar
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much sugar of each type was produced in each year since 1990. [148518]
Mr Heath: The following table shows the total UK sugar production (on a refined basis) from sugar beet (in thousand tonnes) each year since 1990. We do not have information on the production of sugar from imported sugar cane.
| Total sugar production (refined basis) | |
| Note: 2012 figures are not yet available. Source: Agriculture in the United Kingdom. http://www.defra.gov.uk/statistics/foodfarm/cross-cutting/auk/ | |
Travel and Subsistence Payments
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) how many chairs in his Department's arm's-length bodies are paid on the basis that they are exempt from personally meeting any tax liability in respect of travel and subsistence payments for attending meetings at the offices of the arm's-length body; [141173]
(2) how many senior officials of his Department's arm's-length bodies are paid on the basis that they are exempt from personally meeting any tax liability in respect of travel and subsistence payments for attending meetings at the offices of the arm's-length body. [141187]
Richard Benyon:
A total of two chairs and no senior officials from across the Department's arm's length bodies receive a tax benefit in relation to payments
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made for travelling to and from registered workplaces. These costs are equivalent to the amount actually spent on travel and subsistence.
Trees: Diseases
Mr Russell Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which tree diseases have been found in UK forests in the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [150050]
Mr Heath: In the past few years, a number of new tree and plant pests and pathogens have emerged as significant risks in the UK. In the last five years the new diseases that have been detected in forests are:
Phytopthora ramorum, which, following earlier findings in rhododendron and in some tree species, was first detected on Japanese larch in 2009 in South West England, and is now present up the west side of Great Britain.
Phytophthora lateralis was found for the first time in Great Britain in 2010 at Balloch Castle Country Park in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland. Outbreaks of infection have been confirmed in Lawson cypress trees (Chamaecypahs lawsoniana) in south west England, Yorkshire, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Chalara fraxinea was first detected in October 2012 in mature trees in Norfolk and Suffolk. It has now also been found in Kent, Yorkshire and Scotland.
There are also a number of other endemic diseases, such as Dothistroma needle blight, which are continuing to expand their range and the tree species they affect.
To address these threats, DEFRA, Fera and the Forestry Commission working with the devolved Administrations launched the Tree Health and Plant Biosecurity Action Plan in October 2011. The action plan sets out an integrated UK-wide approach to dealing with serious tree pests and diseases. The Tree Health and Plant Biosecurity Expert Taskforce was set up in November 2012 to address the Independent Panel on Forestry's recommendation to speed up delivery of the Tree Health and Plant Biosecurity Action Plan by additional investment in research on tree and woodland diseases, resilience and biosecurity controls.