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Defra: Agencies and Bodies
Baroness Byford asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many quangos and agencies reported to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in each of the years 2000 to 2003; what they were called; and how many staff were employed by each.[HL1076]
Lord Whitty: The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs was created in June 2001; the information given relates to the period since then.
Defra currently has responsibility for 18 executive non-departmental public bodies, 32 advisory bodies, four tribunals and two public corporations. These numbers have not changed significantly since the department was created. The lists below show all the non-departmental public bodies that have reported to Defra since June 2001. They include the number of staff employed in the public corporations and executive NDPBs; the advisory and tribunal NDPBs do not employ their own staff.
| 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | |
| Public Corporations | |||
| British Waterways Board | 1,929 | 1,929 | 2,063 |
| Covent Garden Market Authority | 39 | 39 | 40 |
| Executive NDPBs | |||
| Agricultural Wages Board for England and Wales | 1.8 | 1.8 | 2 |
| Agricultural Wages Committees for England and Wales | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.6 |
| Apple and Pear Research Council(1) | 0.5 | 1 | — |
| British Potato Council | 62 | 63 | 63 |
| Countryside Agency | 509.15 | 631.5 | 625.4 |
| English Nature | 783.5 | 825 | 1,030 |
| Environment Agency | 10,476 | 10,595 | 10,595 |
| Food from Britain | 26 | 26 | 26 |
| Home-Grown Cereals Authority | 43.5 | 47.3 | 50 |
| Horticultural Development Council | 15 | 13.5 | 12 |
| Horticulture Research International | 567 | 502.5 | 484 |
| Joint Nature Conservation Committee | 82 | 100 | 101 |
| Meat and Livestock Commission | 678 | 666 | 666 |
| Milk Development Council | 9 | 14 | 14 |
| National Forest Company | 15.5 | 17 | 17 |
| Regional Flood Defence Committees | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Royal Botanic Gardens Kew | 551 | 601 | 601 |
| Sea Fish Industry Authority | 147 | 145 | 145 |
| United Kingdom Register of Organic Food Standards(2) | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| Wine Standards Board | 10.5 | 10.5 | 10.5 |
Advisory NDPBs
Advisory Committee on Business and the Environment
Advisory Committee on Consumer Products and the Environment
Advisory Committee on Hazardous Substances
Advisory Committee on Organic Standards(1)
Advisory Committee on Packaging(2)
Advisory Committee on Pesticides
Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment
Agricultural Dwelling House Advisory Committees
Airborne Particles Expert Group(3)
Air Quality Expert Group(4)
Committee of Investigation for Great Britain
Committee on Agricultural Valuation
Committee on Products and Processes for Use in Public Water Supply
Consumers' Committee for Great Britain
Darwin Advisory Committee
Expert Group on Cryptosporidium in Water Supplies
Expert Panel on Air Quality Standards
Farm Animal Welfare Council
Government-Industry Forum on Non-food Uses of Crops
Hill Farming Advisory Committee
Independent Scientific Group on Cattle TB
Inland Waterways Amenity Advisory Council
Integrated Administration and Control System Appeals Panel(5)
National Expert Group on Transboundary Air Pollution(6)
Pesticide Residues Committee
Radioactive Waste Management Advisory Committee
Royal Commission on Environment Pollution
Science Advisory Council(7)
Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee
Sustainable Development Commission
Sustainable Development Education Panel(10)
Veterinary Products Committee
Veterinary Residues Committee
Water Regulations Advisory Committee
Zoos Forum
Tribunal NDPBs
Agricultural Land Tribunal
Commons Commissioners
Dairy Produce Quota Tribunal
Plant Varieties and Seeds Tribunal
(8) Wound up 31 March 2003
(9) Wound up 18 July 2003
(10) Established 1 November 2003
(11) Old committee was wound up on 31 December 2001, and a new committee of the same name established on 10 September 2002
(12) Wound up early 2002
(13) Established 1 July 2002
(14) Established 1 April 2002
(15) Wound up 31 August 2001
(16) Established 5 January 2004
(10) Wound up February 2003
Defra inherited six executive agencies at the time of its creation, all from the former MAFF. These agencies were:
Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS)
Central Science Laboratory (CSL)
Pesticides Safety Directorate (PSD)
Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA)
Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD), and
Intervention Board Executive Agency (IBEA)
The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) was created on 16 October 2001, and took over the functions and staff of the IBEA on 15 November 2001.
The number of permanent staff in each agency for each year since the creation of Defra is set out on the table below:
Baroness Byford asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Whitty: There are currently 25 cases relating to claims by farmers against Defra arising from the outbreaks of foot and mouth disease in 2001 in which proceedings have not been issued. Settlement offers have been made or are being negotiated in 10 of these cases. Defra denies liability to make any payments in each of the remaining 15 cases.
In addition, 119 outstanding claims for increased compensation for animals slaughtered as a result of FMD are subject to ongoing discussions and further review, including the use of mediation and arbitration processes, with individual farmers and their representatives.
Baroness Byford asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Whitty: Proceedings have been issued in five cases relating to claims by farmers against Defra arising from the outbreaks of foot and mouth disease in 2001. Trial dates have been scheduled in four of these cases.
Lord Roberts of Conwy asked Her Majesty's Government:
How current taxpayer subsidy is divided between recipient train operators individually.[HL1240]
Lord Davies of Oldham: Franchise agreements specify franchise payments (whether subsidy or premium) in aggregate annual amounts as established in competition for the franchise. These payments meet the full service requirements specified in the franchise
Lord Roberts of Conwy asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether changes to primary legislation would be required to abolish the train leasing system. [HL1242]
Lord Davies of Oldham: The procurement of rolling stock is a matter of private contract between train operating companies and rolling stock leasing companies. It would require primary legislation to abolish the train leasing system.
Lord Acton asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Davies of Oldham: Over the period Heathrow Airport paid £40,000 to airlines in respect of the travelators in Terminal 3, which was the maximum amount payable under the scheme for rebates for failing to meet the specified standard.
Lord Marlesford asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Davies of Oldham: The Highways Agency is carrying out a survey into all landscaping on the A12 trunk road. The survey should be completed by early spring. A landscape management plan for the whole of this route will then be drawn up and will consider whether any additional tree and shrub planting is necessary along the recently improved section of Witham bypass.
Earl Attlee asked Her Majesty's Government:
Agency 1 Oct 2001 1 Apr 2002 1 Apr 2003
CEFAS 480 500 530
CSL 580 610 650
PSD 190 180 170
RPA — 2,940 2,870
VLA 1,160 1,230 1,290
VMD 110 120 120
IBEA 1,080 — —
When they anticipate paying the outstanding claims by farmers which are not subject to court cases, following the foot and mouth outbreak in 2001.[HL1207]
How many claims by farmers relating to the foot and mouth outbreak are due to be taken to court.[HL1208]
What is the current annual total of taxpayer subsidy involved in train leasing arrangements; and[HL1239]
What is the estimated cost of (a) the Pacer, and (b) the Pendolino trains, and the annual leasing cost; and[HL1241]
Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Davies of Oldham on 2 February (WA 77), how much Heathrow Airport paid by way of rebates to airlines for failure of the travelators in Terminal 3 to meet the specified standard in any month between July and December 2003.[HL1245]
Whether the Highways Agency will arrange to plant fresh tree and shrub screening along the newly renovated section of the Witham bypass on the A12 trunk road.[HL1214]
What is the approximate turnover of the Vehicle Registration Office at Honeypot Lane, Stanmore, in terms of vehicle excise licence receipts.[HL1217]
12 Feb 2004 : Column WA194
Lord Davies of Oldham: The average monthly vehicle licence receipts at the DVLA local office at Stanmore are £570,000. A further £200,000 is received monthly in respect of other business such as driving licence, cherished transfer and vehicle registration fees.
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