Asked by: Chris Leslie (The Independent Group for Change - Nottingham East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has allocated funding for the planning and construction of laboratories to inspect meat and plant products at the Dover entrance to the Channel Tunnel in the event that the UK leaves the customs union.
Answered by George Eustice
The animal and plant health conditions applicable to trade between the UK and the EU after the UK leaves the EU will be subject to negotiation. The outcome of these negotiations will influence what form of official controls will be required for trade with the EU in future, including at the UK border. Like all Government departments, Defra is working on preparations for a range of scenarios to deliver a smooth departure from the EU.
Asked by: Chris Leslie (The Independent Group for Change - Nottingham East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the 10 largest domestic subsidies used by UK industry by virtue of UK membership of EU trading arrangements under the World Trade Organisation definition of aggregate measurement of support are by (a) type of good, (b) sector, (c) quantity of goods affected and (d) estimated value to the UK economy.
Answered by George Eustice
The most recent notification for the EU domestic support in agriculture is for the marketing year 2012/13.
The total aggregate measure of support notified was €5.9bn. This is overwhelmingly market price support which is only calculated for the EU as a whole and not for individual member states. The products with the largest notified support are:
Product | Aggregate Measure of Support |
Butter | €2,743m |
Common wheat | €1,865m |
Skimmed milk powder | €1,145m |
Wine | €696m |
Milk | €192m |
Ethyl alcohol | €82m |
Sugar | €59m |
Bee keeping | €43m |
Olive oil | €18m |
Fibre flax and hemp | €7m |
Asked by: Chris Leslie (The Independent Group for Change - Nottingham East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the 10 existing EU tariff rate quotas with the largest economic value for the UK economy are by (a) type of good, (b) sector of the economy, (c) quantity and (d) estimated value for UK industry.
Answered by George Eustice
The EU currently notifies over 120 tariff rate quotas in agriculture and a further 19 non-agriculture tariff rate quotas. There can be several tariff rate quotas within a single sector such as beef or sugar, for different products and different countries which export to the EU and UK. We do not currently assess tariff rate quotas by economic value: they are defined and administered according to the volume rather than the value of imports. All tariff rate quotas which other countries use to export to the UK, however, will be important to them, and important to the industry affected.
Asked by: Chris Leslie (The Independent Group for Change - Nottingham East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of whether the UK should negotiate a UK-specific entitlement to the aggregate measurement of support that the EU is allowed under World Trade Organisation rules; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by George Eustice
In leaving the EU, we will need to update the terms of our WTO membership where, at present, our commitments are currently contained in the EU’s schedule. We recognise the need to work with the EU and with other WTO Members in order to ensure a smooth transition which minimises the disruption to our trading relationships with other WTO Members, including developing country Members and our closest trading partners.
As the Secretary of State for International Trade said in his Written Ministerial Statement on 5th December “the Government will prepare the necessary draft schedules which replicate as far as possible our current obligations”. We do not intend to alter the scope of concessions currently enjoyed by WTO members. While this is largely a technical process, there are a number of areas where we will need to consult with other WTO members.
Asked by: Chris Leslie (The Independent Group for Change - Nottingham East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of whether the UK should agree a division of EU tariff rate quotas before consideration by Parliament of UK-specific World Trade Organisation schedules of concessions; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by George Eustice
In leaving the EU, we will need to update the terms of our WTO membership where, at present, our commitments are currently contained in the EU’s schedule. We recognise the need to work with the EU and with other WTO Members in order to ensure a smooth transition which minimises the disruption to our trading relationships with other WTO Members, including developing country Members and our closest trading partners.
As the Secretary of State for International Trade said in his Written Ministerial Statement on 5th December “the Government will prepare the necessary draft schedules which replicate as far as possible our current obligations”. We do not intend to alter the scope of concessions currently enjoyed by WTO members. While this is largely a technical process, there are a number of areas where we will need to consult with other WTO members.
Asked by: Chris Leslie (The Independent Group for Change - Nottingham East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which five companies were used most often to provide temporary workers for his Department in the last financial year; and how much in agency fees was paid to each of them.
Answered by Dan Rogerson
The table sets out the information requested for core Defra in respect of 2012-13, the last financial year for which audited information is available. Audited information for 2013-14 will be available in July 2014.
Companies | Spending 2012/13 | Average Agency Fees paid |
Pertemps Recruitment Partnership Ltd | £856,348 | £62,257 (7.2%) |
Reed Specialist Recruitment Ltd | £628,832 | £113,189 (18%) |
Acadent Ltd | £454,521 | Not available |
Michael Page International | £202,948 | £23,521 (11.59%) |
Hays Specialist Recruitment Ltd | £182,634 | £21,167 (11.59%) |
Asked by: Chris Leslie (The Independent Group for Change - Nottingham East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which 10 consultancy firms were paid the most by his Department in the last financial year; and how much each of those firms was paid.
Answered by Dan Rogerson
This table sets out the information requested in respect of 2012-13, the last financial year for which audited information is available. Information relating to 2013-14 will be available in July 2014, once the Department's accounts for the year have been audited and published. The figures relate to the Core Department.
Consultancy firm | Amount paid in 2012-13 (£) |
Ernst and Young | 1,012,378 |
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer | 587,922 |
Local Partnerships | 152,226 |
KPMG | 118,351 |
Bureau Veritas UK Ltd. | 105,185 |
Baker Tilly | 101,925 |
ADAS UK Ltd. | 99,138 |
GHK Consulting Ltd. | 71,424 |
Resource Decisions Ltd. | 64,800 |
Temple Group Ltd. | 44,380 |