To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on what dates in each of the last five years his Department informed the House of the creation of contingent liabilities relating to his Department or its non-departmental public bodies. (232729)

Within the five year period 2004 to 2008, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs informed the House of a contingent liability by laying a specific minute on only one occasion. On 6 October 2008, the Department informed the House that we wished to issue a Letter of Comfort to the Covent Garden Market Authority.

The notes to the Department’s annual resource accounts also identify contingent liabilities and these were laid before the House on the following dates: