Written Answers
Wednesday, 15th July 1998.
Overseas Development Assistance/Gnp Ratios
asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they have made, or will make, an analysis of the reasons for the higher expenditure on aid as a percentage of gross domestic product (a) in Ireland, at 0.3 per cent.; (b) in France, at 0.45 per cent.; and (c) in Holland, at 0.81 per cent.; compared with the United Kingdom at 0.26 per cent. (according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development figures for 1997); and whether any special factors emerge from such an analysis. [HL2718]
The overseas development assistance/gross national product ratios are calculated and analysed annually by the Development Assistance Committee of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Levels of assistance provided by individual countries reflect their policy priorities. This Government have increased the priority given to international development and in line with their manifesto have started to reverse the decline in aid spending. On 14 July, my right honourable friend the Chancellor announced as part of the comprehensive spending review an increase of £1.6 billion in the International Development Budget over the next three years. Based on these figures, we anticipate an increase in the UK's overseas development assistance/gross national product ratio from 0.26 per cent. in 1997 to 0.30 per cent. in 2001.
Women In India And East Africa: Microfinance Projects
asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they have made any assessment of the effect of small-scale employment of women in selected rural areas of India or East Africa, in particular the effects of income-generation or microcredit programmes designed for women of child-bearing age, on the acceptance of family planning. [HL2719]
All income generation and microcredit projects have as a central objective the creation of employment opportunities. The Department for International Development (DFID) recognises that many women in South Asia and Africa share particular problems related to their unequal access to resources and services and limited participation in public life. As a consequence many such projects are targeted primarily, if not exclusively, at women, and the evidence indicates that such projects have a significant impact on increasing their family income and employment opportunities.DFID has funded independent studies to look at the impact of microfinance and income generation projects on women and, overall, the results have been favourable. However, such projects should not be seen as a panacea to all the problems facing poor women and other types of support are likely to impact more directly on the choices surrounding family planning.
Sierra Rutile
asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether any request has been made by Sierra Rutile to the World Bank for a loan; for how much and for what purposes; how the UK director has voted or will vote on the project; and what conditions of transparency and corruption-proofing the Bank will demand or has demanded. [HL2393]
Sierra Rutile Limited (SRL) first approached the World Bank's International Finance Corporation (IFC) in January 1990 for project support. In April 1992, the IFC board, including the UK, considered a request for an investment loan in support of a US$71 million programme of rehabilitation of existing plant and infrastructure at SRL's mine in Sierra Leone and the development of new deposits. IFC's original loan commitment was US$15 million; other co-financiers are the Commonwealth Development Corporation, the US Overseas Private Investment Corporation and the German Investment and Development Corporation. The IFC board unanimously approved the investment; normal IFC loan conditions were applied.The project was partially completed in 1995 when rebel action in Sierra Leone halted its development. Attempts were made to restart the project in 1996, but action was stopped in 1997 as a result of a further deterioration in the local security situation. In May 1998, the senior lenders including IFC and the project sponsors reached agreement on the settlement of SRL's debt repayment obligations. The project is on hold due to the current security situation in Sierra Leone.
Nato And The Baltic States
asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will give an estimate of the costs of NATO expansion should the three Baltic states, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, be invited to join NATO; and what contribution those three nations will be expected to pay. [HL2551]
No invitations have been issued to Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to join NATO, and NATO has made no estimate of the costs that might be entailed by their accession. Any country invited to join NATO would be expected to make a contribution to the full range of alliance missions and to NATO's common budgets commensurate with its economic and other circumstances.
Nato: New Members And Command Structure
asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the new members of NATO will fill senior NATO commands; and, if so, which. [HL2479]
It is planned that the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland will fill posts in the new NATO command structure. The exact number, seniority and location of these has not yet been determined.
Unidentified Flying Objects
asked Her Majesty's Government:When arrangements for disseminating reports of unidentified flying objects within the Ministry of Defence were put in place and last reviewed; and whether they will ensure that all airports, observatories, RAF bases and police stations have accurate and up-to-date instructions about how to record details of unidentified aerial phenomena reported to them, together with instructions to pass them to the appropriate authorities within the Ministry of Defence; and [HL2607]What follow-up action is taken by the Ministry of Defence when it receives a report of an unidentified flying object; and whether checks are routinely made to see whether such reports can be correlated by radar. [HL2609]
The Ministry of Defence's interest in reports of unidentified flying objects is limited to establishing whether there is any evidence that the United Kingdom's airspace has been penetrated by hostile or unauthorised foreign military activity and whether reporting procedures are adequate for this purpose. Unless there is evidence of a potential threat, no attempt is made to identify the precise nature of each reported incident. Arrangements within the MoD have been in place for a number of years for disseminating reports; they were last reviewed in April 1997. Where necessary, reports of unidentified flying objects are examined with the assistance of relevant MoD experts, and this may include radar correlation.
asked Her Majesty's Government:How many reports of unidentified flying objects were notified to the Ministry of Defence in 1996, 1997 and the first six months of 1998; and how many of these sightings remain unexplained. [HL2608]
The number of reports received by the Ministry of Defence of aerial activity not identifiable to the witness is as follows:
- 1996: 609
- 1997: 425
- 1998: 88 (January—June)
asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether, in evaluating reports of unidentified flying objects, the Ministry of Defence will routinely consult staff at the Royal Greenwich Observatory, the Ballistic Missile Early Warning Centre at RAF Fylindales and the Deep Space Tracing Facility at RAF Feltwell. [HL2610]
These or other staff may be consulted, depending on the circumstances.
asked Her Majesty's Government:Why the Ministry of Defence has installed an answering machine on the line used by members of the public to report unidentified flying objects; and whether those people who leave contact details on the machine receive a formal reply. [HL2611]
An answering machine enables members of the public to leave details about aerial activity or seek further information about our policy in respect of unidentified flying objects. The machine carries a message that sets out the MoD's limited interest in the subject and explains that, in the case of reported sightings, callers will be contacted only in the event that follow-up action is deemed appropriate.
asked Her Majesty's Government:How many military personnel witnessed the unidentified craft that overflew RAF Cosford and RAF Shawbury on 31 March 1993; and whether, when the craft has not been identified, such an event ought to be classified as being of no defence significance. [HL2612]
The Ministry of Defence is aware of a single report from two military personnel of an alleged sighting in the West Midlands on 31 March 1993. The facts reported were fully examined at the time. No firm conclusions were drawn then about the nature of what had been seen, but the events were not judged to be of defence significance. The MoD has no reason to doubt the judgments made at the time.
European Parliament, House Of Commons And House Of Lords: Comparative Costs
asked Her Majesty's Government:What are the costs of maintaining the European Parliament, the House of Commons and the House of Lords, including:
and whether they will indicate the per capita cost per Member as well as the average number of sitting days for each institution over the past five years. [HL2535]
The information is as follows:
| 1994–95 | 1995–96 | 1996–97 | 1997–98 | |
| Total costs | £ million | £ million | £ million | £ million |
| House of Lords | 37.4 | 39.8 | 38.5 | 39.4 |
| House of Commons5 | 167.6 | 195.6 | 202.3 | 241.1 |
| European Parliament1 | 473.4 | 564.9 | 575.0 | 607 |
| of which cost to UK is | 53.9 | 73.8 | 65.4 | 70.5 |
| Per capita cost per member | £'000 | £'000 | £'000 | £'000 |
| House of Lords2 | 36 | 38 | 37 | 37 |
| House of Commons6 | 257 | 300 | 311 | 366 |
| European Parliament3 | 835 | 902 | 918 | 948 |
| Number of sitting days | ||||
| House of Lords | 142 | 146 | 145 | 132 |
| House of Commons | 158 | 156 | 152 | 150 |
| European Parliament4 | 60 | 60 | 60 | 60 |
Notes:
1 Based on average £/ecu exchange rate for the relevant year.
2 Per capita costs based on number of Peers eligible to sit in the House of Lords at the beginning of each year.
3 The number of European Parliament seats increased from 518 to 567 in June 1994 and has increased since to its present total of 626.
4 It is not possible to give an exact figure for the number of European Parliament sittings. The European Parliament generally holds a five-day plenary session every month but there have been occasions when those plenary sessions have been held over a longer period. In addition to plenary sessions the calendar for 1998 includes 14 days of mini-plenary sessions in Brussels, 72 days of committee meetings and 63 days of group meetings, giving the additional 149 days.
5 Total cost of the House of Commons includes capital costs of £34.3 million in respect of new parliamentary building.
6 Per capita costs based on 659 Members increased from 652 at the general election.
Cross-Border Shopping: Loss Of Tax Revenue
asked Her Majesty's Government:What is their estimate of the loss of tax revenues in each year since 1992 from the purchase of (a) tobacco products and (b) alcoholic beverages by United Kingdom travellers or visitors in Belgium and France who claim on their return to the United Kingdom that the goods purchased are for their personal consumption. [HL2674]
HM Customs and Excise estimates of the revenue lost to the Exchequer (excise duties and VAT) through legitimate cross-border shopping and cross-Channel smuggling in tobacco products and alcoholic drinks are set out in the table below.
| £ million | ||||||
| Cross-border shopping | Smuggling | |||||
| Product type | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1996 | 1997 |
| Tobacco products | 65 | 55 | 50 | 45 | 640 | 690 |
| Alcohol | 140 | 175 | 180 | 185 | 195 | 195 |
| Total | 205 | 230 | 230 | 235 | 835 | 885 |
Tanzania
asked Her Majesty's Government:What steps they are taking to reduce the external debt of the Government of Tanzania to make possible higher expenditure in that country on health and education, while limiting military spending; and whether and when Tanzania will benefit from the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative (HIPC). [HL2673]
The Government support debt relief for the world's poorest countries under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative. Last September the Chancellor made proposals for the speedy and effective implementation of the HIPC initiative in a speech known as the Mauritius Mandate. Many of these proposals were agreed upon by the G8 at the recent summit meetings, including the Chancellor's suggestions that new export credits to HIPCs should be used for productive expenditure. Tanzania has not yet reached its decision point under the HIPC initiative and so it is not possible to say at present whether or not it will benefit from further debt reductions under the initiative.The UK has already written off over £40 million of Tanzanian external debt. The Government have also donated over £15 million to Tanzania to use towards its debt service obligations to the international financial institutions. Following agreement between the British Government and the Government of Tanzania, another £10,000 of its debts due to ECGD have been written off with money donated by the British public.
Economic Activity And Gdp
asked Her Majesty's Government:What proportion of the world's economic activity they consider is not measured by gross domestic product (GDP); and in which categories of countries they deem GDP measurements of economic activity to be least accurate. [HL2650]
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Chief Executive of the Office for National Statistics, who has been asked to reply.
Letter to Lord Kennet from the Director of the Office for National Statistics, Dr. T Holt, dated 15 July 1998.
As Director of the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to answer your parliamentary question on Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
ONS does not have the information requested. GDP is the indicator used as the main measurement of economic activity by countries around the world. Estimates of GDP may not capture all economic activity in countries which have, for example, a significant amount of illegal economic production or a large volume of transactions in barter.
M40 Roadworks
asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the roadworks in progress on the M.40 motorway westwards from junction lA are proceeding according to schedule, and, if so, what is now the expected completion date. [HL2635]
I have asked Mr. Lawrie Haynes, the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency, to write to the noble Lord.
Letter to Lord Trefgarne from the Director of the Highways Agency, Mr. Peter Nutt, dated 15 July 1998.
The Minister for Roads has asked the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency to reply to your recent question about roadworks progress on the M.40. In his absence, I am writing on his behalf.
The works are proceeding ahead of schedule. Current indications are that the motorway will be clear of roadworks by the end of November.
A3/M25 Junction Roadworks
asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the roadworks in progress on the A.3 at the junction with the M.25 are proceeding according to schedule and what is now the expected date of completion. [HL2636]
I have asked Mr. Lawrie Haynes, the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency, to write to the noble Lord.
Letter to Lord Trefgarne from the Director of the Highways Agency, Mr. David York, dated 15 July 1998.
The Minister for Roads has asked the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency to reply to your recent question about roadworks in progress on the A.3 at the junction with the M.25. I am writing on his behalf.
The scheme to repair and improve the road and bridge on the A.3 at the junction with the M.25 is currently ahead of programme. Whilst contractual completion is mid September, if the present good progress is maintained the roadworks could be complete several weeks early.
Mobile Phones: Use By Drivers
asked Her Majesty's Government:Having regard to the fact that all mobile phones used in cars can be fitted with hands-free devices, what steps they propose to take to legislate against the use of hand-held mobile telephones while driving, thus ending the current practice of relying wholly on prosecutions for driving without due care and attention. [HL2757]
Existing road traffic legislation places the responsibility on drivers to have proper control of their vehicles at all times. Any motorist who fails to do so, for whatever reason, is liable to prosecution.Drivers may be charged with failing to exercise proper control of a vehicle, or either careless and inconsiderate driving or dangerous driving, if using a mobile phone causes them to drive in such a manner. The Association of Chief Police Officers considers that existing legislation is sufficient for the police to deal with cases arising from the use of a mobile phone while driving.A review of the evidence currently available about the use of mobile phones while driving indicates that there is even an association between hands-free telephone use and increased accident risk. The publicity campaign I launched on 16 March aims to educate drivers about the problems and dangers of using any type of mobile phone while on the move.
Crown Land: Planning Procedures
asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Answer by the Lord McIntosh of Haringey on 7 July (H.L. Deb., col. 1091), whether Crown development under Department of the Environment Circular 18/84 on planning procedures for Crown land is subject to the normal planning procedure, including public inquiry. [HL2755]
Development of its own land by the Crown is covered by the doctrine of Crown immunity. In most cases, therefore, proposals for such development do not require planning consent from the local planning authority. However, Crown bodies follow a procedure set out in Part IV of DoE Circular 18/84. This provides that the Crown body will issue a notice of proposed development to the local planning authority. If the local planning authority objects to the proposed development, and if those objections cannot be resolved in dialogue between the parties, the Crown body must refer the matter for resolution to my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions. To help him come to a decision on the matter, the Secretary of State may invite written representations from interested parties or, where there is no evidence of interest by other parties, he may cause a meeting to be held between the developing department and the local planning authority. In other cases he may take the formal step of holding a non-statutory public inquiry.
Israel And Eritrea And Ethiopia
asked Her Majesty's Government:What information they have about Israel's use of bases in Eritrea and Ethiopia for intelligence gathering and for the basing of nuclear-weapon capable submarines. [HL2480]
We have no information on the matter to which the noble Lord refers.
Motorised Police Escorts In London
asked Her Majesty's Government:In respect of motorised police escorts in London:
The provision of vehicular escorts is an operational matter for the Commissioner. However, the Commissioner tells me that the responsibility for authorising particular escorts rests with a designated officer within the Royalty and Diplomatic Protection Group.The facilitation of escorted vehicles through traffic is to permit uninterrupted progress in order to maintain the security of those escorted. The method of escort is determined by circumstances. The intention is to minimise danger to other road users and to conduct the escorts in a manner which minimises inconvenience.
Persons who may receive escorts are those subject to security arrangements and prisoners where such escorts are considered necessary.
The Commissioner tells me that the number of escorts undertaken in the months between June 1997 and May 1998 were:
1997
- June: 238
- July: 246
- August: 88
- September: 155
- October: 96
- November: 275
- December: 400
1998
- January: 116
- February: 122
- March: 415
- April: 741
- May: 218
The Commissioner tells me that the cost of escorts between June 1997 and May 1998 was £1,777,295.
The Metropolitan Police is funded through the police grant, which includes an element based on the number of security posts. In addition, the Metropolitan Police receives £151 million as a special payment in recognition of its role as capital city and its national functions. This is paid as 100 per cent. Home Office grant.
Casino Deregulation
asked Her Majesty's Government:What proposals they have for casino deregulation. [HL2825]
We are pleased to announce our conclusions on casino deregulation. We intend to bring forward proposals to allow: postal applications for membership of casinos; group membership; and limited factual advertising. These will be the first gambling deregulation proposals to be brought forward under this Government. The previous administration consulted on similar proposals in November 1996.1 They announced on 13 March 1997 that the proposals had broad support and were suitable for a deregulation order but the general election intervened before that work could be taken forward.We will need to consult afresh because some changes are appropriate in the light of the earlier consultation. In particular, it was previously proposed to allow advertising only in non-national publications. We think this would be unduly restrictive and difficult to enforce. We propose to allow factual advertising in national publications.
The procedures for deregulation orders require consultation on specific proposals before an order can be laid. The consultation paper will give full details of the proposals. They have been agreed in principle by the Gaming Board and the British Casino Association.
We have also discussed the advertising proposals with the Advertising Association and the Advertising Standards Authority.
The consultation paper will be published in the next few weeks. Subject to the outcome, we expect to lay deregulation proposals in the autumn for scrutiny by the deregulation committees.
1 Home Office paper entitled Second Consultation on Casino Deregulation.
We acknowledge the comments made by the previous deregulation committees to the effect that the gambling law is complex and that some previous deregulation orders have increased that complexity. They called for a general overhaul and consolidation of the gambling legislation. We have discussed these concerns with the chairmen of the current committees. It was recognised that general gambling reform would be a large undertaking, involving three main Acts of Parliament—the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Act 1963, the Gaming Act 1968 and the Lotteries and Amusements Act 1976. There is a case for such an exercise but we are not able to take it forward in the short term, and we propose meanwhile to continue to use the deregulation process to make appropriate, selective changes.
We have also considered the other casino proposals consulted on in November 1996—for slot machines and permitted areas. We have no fundamental objections to some change in these areas, but we will need to consider further the resource issues.
The November 1996 paper recommended the introduction of casino slot machines with unlimited prizes. We have concluded that in principle there should be no objection to casinos, which are premises expressly licensed for hard gambling, having the same type of slot machines as are common in casinos in other countries. But there should be a staged approach, with a smaller number of machines initially, to allow the impact to be assessed. A maximum of 20 machines per casino would be the most suitable figure. However, at a time of pressure on public expenditure, it is not clear how the necessary additional funding could be found for the Gaming Board to supervise a new slot machines regime. Discussions on machines are continuing within government and with the Gaming Board and the casino industry.
In the meantime, following a recommendation by the Gaming Board, we have agreed in principle to make regulations with effect from 1 October 1998 to increase the maximum prize for jackpot machines in casinos from £250 to £1,000 and the maximum stake from 30p to 50p. These proposals arise from the triennial review of machine stake and prize limits, full details of which I am announcing separately today.
At present, casinos are allowed up to six jackpot machines. The number was increased from two to six machines in June 1996 by deregulation order. We consider that a further modest increase would be appropriate, and will include in the consultation paper referred to above a proposal that casinos may have up to 10 such machines.
The previous government also proposed allowing casinos in additional areas, to be implemented by secondary legislation. It was made clear at the time that no timetable for implementation could be set because of the resource implications for the Gaming Board and the courts.
We have carefully considered the case for additional areas. We have concluded that Great Britain is already well served with casinos and that there is not a compelling case for a large extension to that provision. The pressure for additional casinos has come mainly from the industry or individual local authorities rather than the general public. There are already 53 permitted areas. The previous proposals would have added 21. We do not consider it appropriate to designate so many additional areas, particularly those which do not have a significant resident population. Further work would need to be done on the criteria; and additional funding would need to be found for the Gaming Board and the courts. In the light of other, more pressing priorities, we have decided not to take forward any change for the time being.
We may wish to make proposals for a small number of additional areas in the future. There would need to be a good case on population grounds, and any proposal would also need local authority and public support.
Gaming Machine Stake And Prize Limits
asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will announce the outcome of the triennial review of gaming machine stake and prize limits. [HL2826]
The Gaming Board has reviewed machine stake and prize limits and made recommendations to the Home Office.We have accepted its recommendations. My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Mr. George Howarth, intends to make the necessary statutory instruments to come into force on 1 October.The following maximum stake and prize limits will apply: the all-cash amusement-with-prizes (AWP) machine prize will be increased from £10 to £15; the prizes for the cash/token AWP machines will be left unchanged at £5 for the cash and £8 for the non-monetary prizes; the prizes for jackpot machines will be increased from £250 to £500 in bingo clubs and £1,000 in casinos and left unchanged at £250 in members clubs; the 30p stake for AWP machines will be left unchanged and that for jackpot machines will be increased to 50p.The Gaming Board's main underlying thinking, which we endorse, is to keep machines to which children are allowed access at low prize levels; work with the industry to prevent children gaining access to all-cash machines, with the prospect of a more liberal future regime if that can be achieved; and recognise that higher prizes are appropriate in gambling clubs.I have placed in the Library the Gaming Board's report of its review which explains in detail the consultation with interested organisations and its conclusions.
Immigration And Asylum Adjudicators: Home Office Information
asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the Home Office makes available to immigration and asylum adjudicators the full information upon which appeals against decisions are based. [HL2663]
Yes. The purpose of the reasons for refusal letters in asylum cases and the explanatory statement in immigration cases is to set out the basis on which the decision to refuse the application has been made and against which an appeal may be lodged.
Wandsworth Prison
asked Her Majesty's Government:What is their response to the questions put to them in the annual report of the Board of Visitors of Her Majesty's Prison Wandsworth, namely whether:
Her Majesty's Prison Wandsworth has recently agreed new profiling levels for staff which will effectively eliminate some of the difficulties experienced with sentence planning. The prison is now within 95 per cent. of its target time and is continuing to strive for improvement.Both the Prison Service and the Immigration and Nationality Directorate are taking active steps to ensure that prisoners are not held in prison after their sentences have expired. These steps include reminding the police, courts and prisons of the need to notify them promptly of convictions; speeding up the consideration of claims for asylum; the early resolution of appeals; and establishing new working practices to speed up the process of obtaining travel documents.
Her Majesty's Prison Wandsworth receives funding for a comprehensive drug strategy programme. Its plans for this year will increase the range of services to prisoners who want treatment. These plans include the setting up of a voluntary testing unit, a so-called "drug-free wing", in line with the Government's commitment to provide access to a voluntary testing unit for any prisoner who wishes it.
Campsfield House: Group 4 Staff
asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether any criminal or disciplinary proceedings are to be taken against Group 4 staff who gave evidence at the trial of the nine asylum-seekers who were acquitted on charges of riot at Campsfield House in August 1997. [HL2605]
The investigation of any alleged criminal offence would be a matter for the police. The Crown Prosecution Service would consider any evidence submitted by it. I understand that Group 4 (Total Security) Ltd is not undertaking disciplinary proceedings against any of the staff concerned.
Pirimiphos-Methyl Intake In Cattle
asked Her Majesty's Government:What studies have been conducted into the amounts of pirimiphos-methyl likely to be ingested over their lifetime by:
fed on diets which include the whole grain and bran which has been treated with that chemical over an extended period on the farm, in intervention stores and by feed manufacturers: and what effects this diet alone, or when combined with treatment of the animals with phosmet warble fly dressing, organophosphate impregnated fly tags or collars and synthetic pyrethroid insecticides, would have upon the brains, central, autonomic and peripheral nervous systems and reproductive systems of the animals; and, if there have been no such studies, whether they will commission this research using each chemical at the levels generally in use between 1980 and 1990. [HL2587]
Theoretical maximum daily intakes (TMDIs) for both beef and dairy cattle were estimated as part of the Advisory Committee on Pesticides (ACP) evaluation of pirimiphos-methyl published in 1997. TMDIs were below the no effect level established from a range of chronic and acute toxicity studies. I am not aware of any studies on the possible interaction between pirimiphose-methyl in the diet and concomitant treatment with any organophosphate or pyrethroid veterinary medicine in cattle. The Government currently have no plans to commission such studies. However, the ACP's Medical and Toxicology Panel will be asked to consider the wider question of how multiple exposures from the same or related compounds can be brought within the risk assessment process for pesticides.
Maff: Service Delivery Targets
asked Her Majesty's Government:What progress the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has made in meeting the service delivery targets set out in
Commitment to Service. [HL2698]
The table below sets out the performance achieved by regional service centres during 1997–98 against the targets published in the charter document Commitment to Service, second edition.
| RSC performance data (%) for financial year 1997–98 (unless otherwise specified) | ||
| Total | ||
| Arabic Area Payments Scheme Oilseeds | Main payments | 99 |
| Advanced payments | 99 | |
| Final payments | 99 | |
| Beef Special Premium Scheme | Advance payments (1997) | 96 |
| Balance payments (1996) | 100 | |
| CID applications issued (1997) | 99 | |
| Premium paid CIDs issued (1997) | 99 | |
| Suckler Cow Premium Scheme | Balance payments 1996 | 99 |
| Advance payments 1997 | 99 | |
| Hill Livestock Compensatory Allowances | Claims 1997 | 99 |
| Sheep Annual Premium Scheme | Claims marketing year 1997 | 99 |
| Environmentally Sensitive Areas | Applications | 82 |
| Claims | 96 | |
| Environmentally Sensitive | Applications | 87 |
| Areas Conservation Plan | Claims | 96 |
| Farm & Conservation Grant Scheme 1989 | Plan claims | 98 |
| Farm & Conservation Grant Scheme 1991 | Plan claims | 86 |
RSC performance data (%) for financial year 1997–98 (unless otherwise specified)
| ||
Total
| ||
| Farm Woodland Premium Scheme | Applications | 93 |
| Claims (1997) | 80 | |
| Injurious Weeds | Complaints | 98 |
| Pilot Nitrate Sensitive Areas Scheme | Claims (1997) | 77 |
| New Nitrate Sensitive Areas Scheme | Applications (1997) | 98 |
| Claims | 99 | |
| Protection of Badgers Act 1992 | Licence applications | 99 |
| Strychnine Permits | Applications | 99 |
| Agricultural Wage inspections | Complaints | 92 |
| Wildlife & Countryside Act | Licence applications | 98 |
| Correspondence | Answered within 10 working days | 98 |
| Complaints | Numbers receiving response within 10 working days | 89 |
Footnotes:
General Notes: