Page:Hansard (UK) - Vol 566 No. 40 August 29th 2013.pdf/70

963W total increase in actively managed woodland was conifer woodland. It is reasonable to assume that conifer woodland in active management is used for commercial purposes.

Mr Heath [holding answer 18 July 2013]: In January 2013 DEFRA’s Forestry and Woodlands Policy Statement included a commitment to “Work with the sector to find new ways of encouraging landowners to plant more trees where it best suits them and their local conditions”. It is therefore primarily up to the landowner to define the nature of woodland planted and the management objective. However, we would expect a significant proportion of conifer woodland to be included in new planting in England over the next few decades.

Mr Heath: With regards to the number of checks undertaken specifically by Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA) in relation to the holding of certificates of competence under Article 17(2) of Council Regulation EC 1/2005, the records held on the enforcement database do not differentiate between different forms of documentary check. This database is shared between AHVLA and local authorities and so the data could not be easily interrogated to obtain a satisfactory breakdown. However, AHVLA records do show that in 2012 AHVLA served six statutory notices as a result of a driver not being in possession of a certificate of competence at the time of inspection, and in 2013 to date one notice has been served as a result of a driver not being in possession of a certificate of competence.

Mr Heath: The Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA) does not hold records of the cost of inspections relating to animal welfare legislation on an individual vehicle basis. Inspections on these same consignments, for the purpose of animal health certification, undertaken by private veterinarians appointed by AHVLA, are paid for directly by the owners of the animals.

As regards to the introduction of any further charges, DEFRA officials are still considering the case for the introduction of a limited range of charges in relation to welfare in transport controls. The outcome is likely to be determined by possible changes to the scope of Council Regulation (EC) 882/2004 on official controls performed to ensure the verification of compliance with feed and food law, animal health and animal welfare rules. This legislation is currently subject to renegotiation as part of a package of measures to rationalise EU Animal Health and Welfare legislation. This includes those provisions directly relating to charging for official controls, such as inspections. It is too early to predict what changes are likely to be adopted at the EU level upon conclusion of negotiations, but the Government will wish to ensure that where charging is justified, it is proportionate, non-discriminatory in nature and applied as transparently as possible.

Richard Benyon [holding answer 1 July 2013]: Core DEFRA administers two programmes—(part of) the UK’s International Climate Fund, and the Darwin Initiative—that contribute to the total of UK Official Development Assistance (ODA) expenditure:

Richard Benyon: In the period 1 June 2012 to 31 May 2013 (the last 12 months for which data are available), core DEFRA spent:

(a) £71,315 on recruitment agency fees for recruitment to civil service and Public Appointments posts. The breakdown by month is as follows: