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Food Security
Lord Swinfen asked Her Majesty's Government:
In their plans for the defence of the realm, what provision they are making to secure adequate domestic food production. [HL2164]
Lord Bach: Our food security policy ensures that consumers have access to a stable and adequate supply of food, and our domestic agriculture industry has an important contribution to make to the continuity of food supply by improving its ability to produce what the market requires. The reformed CAP, in breaking the link between subsidy and production, is encouraging farmers to produce what the market requires, rather than what subsidies dictate. Our farmers are well placed to produce foodstuffs that Europe's climate is suited to, but we cannot grow all the agricultural products our consumers might want to buy. The UK has long been a net importer of food, and national and international food security is best facilitated through improved trading relationships based on more open international markets and reductions in trade-distorting subsidies.
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Until the early 1990s, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (now Defra) maintained a strategic food stockpile for use in emergency situations, such as wartime. The food stockpiles were dispensed in the early 1990s and replaced by the food vulnerability model (FVM). The FVM is capable of providing Ministers with data on the availability of food supplies at all stages of the food chain. The FVM is a GIS-based tool that uses data collected from the agricultural census and from a survey carried out in the food industry for Defra by the Institute of Grocery Distribution (IGD). The information collected would prove vital to the Government in their role of protecting the community from food shortages in any emergency, as it will inform our assessment of food supply chain capability and resilience. The current security climate has reinforced the need for such information.
Foot and Mouth Disease
Lord Willoughby de Broke asked Her Majesty's Government:
What is the estimated interest accrued to date on unpaid invoices for services provided by contractors during the 2001 foot and mouth disease epidemic. [HL2008]
Lord Bach: None. Any invoices remaining unpaid are disputed legally, and the question of interest does not arise pending resolution of the fundamental disagreement as to the obligation to pay the principal sum.
Lord Willoughby de Broke asked Her Majesty's Government:
What is the outstanding amount still owed to contractors employed by the Government during the 2001 foot and mouth disease epidemic; and whether such contractors will be entitled to claim interest under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998. [HL2007]
Lord Bach: On the basis of the quantum, accounting, technical and legal advice received, there are no outstanding amounts owed to contractors engaged by the Government during the 2001 foot and mouth disease outbreak.
The Government are disputing payment in those cases where they believe on the basis of the professional advice that they have received that they were overcharged for goods, services and works during the foot and mouth disease outbreak. Invoices to the value of £5.1 million remain disputed and unpaid.
In all other cases, the department has paid businesses for the goods, services and works provided at its request in connection with the outbreak in 2001.
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Lord Willoughby de Broke asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many contractors employed by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs during the 2001 foot and mouth disease epidemic have been taken to court; what were the results of any court proceedings; and what percentage of the total amount of contractors' invoices is involved in legal dispute proceedings. [HL2009]
Lord Bach: Five contractors engaged by the department during the 2001 foot and mouth disease outbreak have been taken to court. Three cases are the subject of High Court litigation. Two cases have been settled through alternative disputes resolution (ADR) mechanisms.
Just under 0.4 per cent. (£5.1 million out of £1.288 billion) of the total amount of contractors' invoices is involved in legal dispute proceedings.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office: 0870 Telephone Numbers
Lord Tyler asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the Foreign and Commonwealth Office now follows the guidance of the Central Office of Information and OFCOM in relation to the use of 0870 and 0845 telephone numbers for public enquiries. [HL1838]
Lord Triesman: Yes. Since 9 September 2005, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office travel advice number has been changed to 0845 from 0870.
The 0870 number will continue to run in conjunction with the 0845 number for one year until it is discontinued. The 0845 number is being used in all new promotional material. So far, the take-up rate for the 0845 number has been 55 per cent. of all calls received since 9 September 2005.
Freedom of Information Act 2000
Baroness Noakes asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 apply to information held by the Financial Reporting Council, the Professional Oversight Board for Accountancy or the Financial Reporting Review Panel. [HL2068]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs (Baroness Ashton of Upholland): The Freedom of Information Act 2000 applies to bodies listed in Schedule 1, bodies designated by order under Section 5 of the Act and publicly owned companies as defined in Section 6 of the Act.
The Financial Reporting Council, the Professional Oversight Board for Accountancy and the Financial Reporting Review Panel are independent organisations and not part of any other public
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authority. They are not listed in Schedule 1, are not publicly owned companies and have not been designated under Section 5. They are therefore not covered by the Act. They do not meet the conditions for inclusion in Schedule 1 and cannot be covered by the Act in that way. No bodies have yet been designated under Section 5.
House of Lords: Dress Code
Lord Laird asked the Chairman of Committees:
Whether he will circulate a notice on dress code in the House of Lords to all Members, in order to secure their support in policing the code. [HL2277]
The Chairman of Committees (Lord Brabazon of Tara): I am happy to remind Members, by means of this Answer, that, as stated on page 67 of the Handbook on Facilities and Services for Members, men are required to wear a jacket and tie in the Peers' Dining Room, the Peers' Guest Dining Room, the Guest Room Bar and the Barry Room.
Illegal Regimes
Viscount Waverley asked Her Majesty's Government:
What criteria they use to determine that a state is being governed by an illegal government or regime. [HL1893]
Lord Triesman: The Government's position continues to be that, where a new regime comes to power unconstitutionally, our attitude on the question of whether it qualifies to be treated as a government will be left to be inferred from the nature of the dealings, if any, that we may have with it, and in particular whether we are dealing with it on a normal government-to-government basis.
Viscount Waverley asked Her Majesty's Government:
Which states they have determined are currently governed by an illegal government or regime. [HL1894]
Lord Triesman: I refer to the Answer I gave the noble Lord today (HL 1893).
Iraq: Armed Forces
Lord Astor of Hever asked Her Majesty's Government:
Which of the units of the new Iraqi army, which they have accepted responsibility for training, are now fully capable of acting independently and leading operations. [HL2067]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Drayson): British Armed Forces are working as part of the wider coalition effort to train Iraqi army forces to conduct self-sufficient security operations. As at 24 October 2005, the coalition forces had trained more than 98,000 Iraqi soldiers nationally, out of an agreed baseline of 135,000. That includes almost all those forces based in MND(SE). The level of competence varies, however, according to the training received and their equipment programme.
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