To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what powers (a) his Department and (b) each of its agencies and non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) have to impose administrative penalties; what the statutory basis is for each such power; and how much (i) his Department and its predecessor and (ii) each of its agencies and NDPBs have recovered in administrative penalties in each year since the inception of his Department. (309262)

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is able to impose administrative financial penalties under:

the Sea Fishing (Enforcement of Community Measures) (Penalty Notices) Order 2008 (SI 2008/984)

the Eggs and Chicks (England) Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/2163)

orders to be made under sections 93, 95, 98(2), 142 and 294 of the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009.

In each case any financial penalty recovered is to be paid into the Consolidated Fund.

Receipts

In 2008, for 10 offences detected under the Sea Fishing (Enforcement of Community Measures) (Penalty Notices) Order 2008, the Marine and Fisheries Agency (MFA) offered and received administrative financial penalties totalling £20,000, and for nine offences detected in 2009, the MFA has offered and received a total of £15,000.

No financial penalties have been imposed to date under the Eggs and Chicks (England) Regulations 2009, and no orders providing for administrative financial penalties have been made under the recently enacted Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009.