To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 2 April 2009, Official Report, column 1295W, on departmental public expenditure, what progress has been made by his Department in allocating the £25 million capital spending brought forward from 2009-10 to 2008-09. (274246)

The £25 million capital spending referred to was brought forward from 2010-11 into 2009-10. This additional funding has been programmed into the budgets for Environment Agency flood risk management (£20 million) and British Waterways capital spending on network infrastructure maintenance (£5 million). Expenditure is being monitored on a monthly basis.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 5 May 2009, Official Report, column 5W on departmental public expenditure, how many (a) Ministers, (b) civil servants and (c) other parties attended (i) the internal conference held in October 2008 and (ii) the seminar with delivery bodies held in November 2008. (274879)

The internal conference in October 2008 was attended by 134 civil servants and four people from outside the Department. No Ministers attended the internal conference.

No Ministers attended the seminar with delivery bodies held in November 2008. Eight civil servants and 13 people from outside the Department attended.