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21 Oct 2009 : Column 1449W—continued
Meat Hygiene Service officials inspect carcasses of such cattle when slaughtered in licensed abattoirs, a small proportion of TB affected cattle are condemned
as unfit for human consumption e.g. if TB lesions are identified in more than one part of the carcase. In such cases DEFRA does makes a payment to the abattoir to cover its disposal costs. It is not possible to provide details of slaughter costs in the form requested: typically an abattoir will receive batches of cattle being slaughtered on disease control grounds rather than single animals-if one (or more) of these animals is condemned, the cost to DEFRA will be offset by the total salvage value received from those passed as fit for human consumption.
Dan Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many cattle have been slaughtered as bovine tuberculosis reactors, inconclusives or dangerous contacts in each financial year since 1986. [293800]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The following table provides the number of cattle slaughtered in England as bovine tuberculosis reactors, inconclusive reactors and direct contacts. Data for these three categories of reactors are available in calendar years for 1998 to 2008.
I am unable to provide data for TB reactors, inconclusives or direct contacts before 1998.
| Reactors slaughtered | Inconclusive reactors slaughtered | Direct contact reactors slaughtered | Total animals slaughtered under Bovine TB measures | |
| Note: 2008 data were downloaded from DEFRA's Animal Health database (Vetnet) on 2 March 2009. 2007-05 data were downloaded on 18 March 2008. 2004-1998 data were downloaded on 7 March 2006. | ||||
Bovine Tuberculosis: Vaccination
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what timetable he has set for the bovine tuberculosis vaccination of badgers project; and what steps he has taken to encourage (a) farmers and (b) landowners to participate in the project. [293892]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The information requested is as follows.
The Food and Environment Research Agency (Fera) has begun to sign up farmers in the selected areas to participate in the project, and contractors to carry out vaccination are being recruited though an EU tender. Vaccination will begin in summer 2010, when the vaccine is expected to be licensed, and will take place for at least five years in each area. Sign-up and vaccination in the
areas will be phased in over two years to allow time to train contractors. A chart showing the phasing process will be placed in the Library shortly.
Encouraging f armers and landowners
Communication is an important part of the project. Following is an outline of our communications which are aimed at informing all stakeholders of the details of the project and encouraging participation.
DEFRA and Fera held meetings earlier this year with local vets and key regional representatives to inform them and enable vets to talk to their clients about the project. We have established a regular newsletter to keep local vets, regional representatives and others up to date.
An inquiries phoneline and e-mail address have been set up and publicised.
A new website has been launched, which gives an opportunity for farmers to sign up.
Literature has been produced. This literature is also being distributed to farmers through DEFRA's Livestock Market Roadshow this autumn.
The project team have given a presentation on the project to farmers at one local veterinary practice meeting, with opportunity for sign-up and will be doing the same with at least one further practice.
To encourage farmers to participate, Fera are writing to all cattle farmers within the selected areas to invite them to apply to take part in the project and to attend local meetings to find out more. The first of these meetings has been held.
Articles have been published in DEFRA's magazine for farmers and another is planned for the new year.
Departmental Air Travel
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 10 February 2009, Official Report, columns 1810-11W, on departmental air travel, what the figures are for each entry in the table for which the abbreviation tbc was used. [287354]
Dan Norris: Responsibility for the provision of carbon offsetting data for Government Departments and other public sector bodies transferred to the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) on its creation in October 2008. I refer the right hon. Member to information on the DECC website at:
Departmental Billing
John Mason: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of invoices from suppliers his Department paid within 10 days of receipt in June 2009. [288915]
Dan Norris: The percentage of invoices from suppliers the core-Department paid within 10 days of receipt in June, July, August 2009 was 99.8 per cent., 99.8 per cent. and 100 per cent. respectively.
Departmental Manpower
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many staff there were in (a) his Department's predecessor in 1997 and (b) his Department on the latest date for which figures are available. [292062]
Dan Norris: The information is as follows:
(a) DEFRA's predecessor departments in 1997 were the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF) and the Department of the Environment. The number of staff employed by each Government Department and Agency in 1997 has been published by Cabinet Office (Tables 1A-1D) and is available on-line:
(b) The latest staffing figures are as at 30 June 2009 and are available at:
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=2899&;Pos=&ColRank=1&Rank=422
DEFRA was created on 8 June 2001 from MAFF and approximately 650 staff from the Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR). On 3 October 2008, approximately 320 DEFRA staff transferred to the newly-created Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC).
Departmental Non-Domestic Rates
Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many properties owned by his Department were liable for payment of (a) business rates and (b) empty property rates in each of the last five years; and what the bill for each was in each such year. [290529]
Dan Norris: The information is in the following tables.
| DEFRA Freehold rate liabilities for 2005-10 | ||
| Number of properties | With a liability of (£) | |
| Empty property relief for 2005-10 | ||
| Number of properties | With a liability of (£) | |
Departmental Pay
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) how many staff in his Department received remuneration including benefits of £100,000 or more in 2008-09; [291842]
(2) how many of his Department's staff received annual remuneration including benefits of £100,000 or more in 2008-09. [291850]
Dan Norris:
The table shows the number of staff (excludes workers employed under a contract for services) who received remuneration(1), including benefits of £100,000 or more in 2008-09, in core-DEFRA and its Executive agencies, Animal Health (AH), Veterinary Medicines
Directorate (VMD), Marine and Fisheries Agency (MFA), Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA), Rural Payments Agency (RPA), Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS) and the Food and Environment Research Agency (FERA).
(1) For the purposes of responding to the question, remuneration has been interpreted as including base salary, bonuses, allowances and superannuation costs.
| Department/agency | Number of staff receiving remuneration, including benefits of £100,000 or more in 2008-09 |
Departmental Postal Services
Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department spent on Royal Mail services in each of the last two years. [288734]
Dan Norris: The combined spend of core-DEFRA and the DEFRA executive agencies from information held centrally is as follows:
| Financial year | £ million |
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