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43W
Written Answers
26 OCTOBER 2009
Written Answers
44W
£ million
2008-09 4.3
2007-08 1.7
2006-07 0.5
2005-06 1.5
2004-05 1.2
2003-04 1.1
2002-03 3.7
2001-02 0.7
2000-01 1.1
1999-2000 0.9
In terms of how these receipts are accounted for in
analyses of expenditure, we either use a TB compensation
figure net of salvage receipts or provide TB compensation
spend figures and salvage receipt figures separately.
Bovine Tuberculosis: Vaccination
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment,
Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has
had with his counterparts in the government of (a) the
Republic of Ireland and (b) New Zealand on the
vaccination of badgers against bovine tuberculosis; and
if he will make a statement. [293893]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Secretary of State has discussed
vaccination of badgers against bovine TB with the New
Zealand Minister of Agriculture, Biosecurity and Forestry.
The majority of DEFRA’s TB vaccine research
programme is led by researchers at the Veterinary
Laboratories Agency, who collaborate with researchers
in both the Republic of Ireland and New Zealand.
DEFRA officials have met with their counterparts from
the Republic of Ireland and representatives of the industryled
New Zealand Animal Health Board several times
recently to discuss work programmes and ensure a
coordinated research effort, particularly in regards to
the design of badger vaccine field studies and licensing
requirements for the use of the BCG vaccine against TB.
Centre for Environment Fisheries and Aquaculture
Science
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what arrangements
have been put in place to ensure the fairness of the
tendering process in circumstances where the Centre for
Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science is both
advising his Department on the selection of bids and is
itself one of the bidders. [295569]
Huw Irranca-Davies: The arrangements to ensure the
fairness of the tendering process in circumstances where
CEFAS is both involved in advising on the selection of
bids and is itself one of the bidders is set out the
governance document ‘Marine Environment Protection
Fund (MEPF): Aggregate Levy Sustainability Fund
Delivery Partner on behalf of DEFRA: Who We Are
and How We Operate’ published on the MALSF website
at
http://www.alsf-mepf.org.uk/downloads/documents/mepf---
how-we-operate.aspx
The Aggregate Levy Sustainability Fund is delivered
through the Marine Environment Protection Fund (MEPF)
which is administered by CEFAS on behalf of DEFRA
and reports to DEFRA though the Marine ALSF
Steering Group. The Marine ALSF Steering Group
oversees the direction of the fund, develops the
commissioning strategy for research and dissemination
activities and oversees delivery arrangements.
All funding decisions are made by the MEPF evaluation
panel which undertakes the evaluation of tenders. The
MEPF evaluation panel is chaired by DEFRA and
comprises representation from eight organisations of
which CEFAS is one, plus the Marine ALSF Science
Co-ordinator who is appointed through an open
competition. The MEPF provides the Secretariat function
to the evaluation panel and any views and opinions of
the Secretariat at the evaluation panel meetings are
made as representing the MEPF as a delivery partner.
The Secretariat has no decision-making powers or voting
rights on the evaluation panel.
The MEPF panel’s terms of reference govern the
arrangements for ensuring fairness in the evaluation of
bids in circumstances where an evaluation panel member
is from the same organisation as a bidder. These
arrangements involve:
1. All evaluation panels begin with a round-table declaration
of any potential conflicts of interest. A two-tiered approach to
managing potential conflicts is then followed:
a) Direct involvement—If a panel member is to be part of a
project delivery team and/or has helped prepare the proposal,
they are required to be absent from the room while the proposal is
being discussed and evaluated.
b) Indirect involvement—If a panel member’s company/
organisation has submitted a proposal but the panel member had
played no part whatsoever in its preparation nor was to be
involved with the project delivery team, the panel member is
required to be a non-voting member of the panel while considering
the bid but may remain in the room while the proposal is being
discussed and evaluated.
2. Any individual involved in project evaluation other than
central Government staff members will be required to sign a
confidentiality agreement to protect the intellectual property of
project applicants. These agreements must also be in place for any
member of staff who receives bids from the other distributing
bodies during the liaison process.
To maintain impartiality and confidentiality, the MEPF
delivery partner operates entirely separately from CEFAS’
main corporate and delivery functions. Specifically:
MEPF services are provided by a dedicated team from the
Programme Management Group of CEFAS devoted only to the
provision of MEPF fund management services.
The MEPF is separate from the Science Delivery Divisions
and the Commercial Group of CEFAS and MEPF staff are not
involved in MEPF bid preparation or delivery.
CEFAS bidding teams and project leaders are not able to have
sight of MEPF Managed Funds papers.
Electronic files are stored on local area, not shared contracts
area, with restricted access to the ALSF_MEPF local areas.
Paper files are locked away and stored separately away from
central contracts file store.
Chelgate
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State
for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to
the Answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and
Chislehurst of 17 November 2008, Official Report,
column 98W, on domestic wastes, what assessment has
been made of the effectiveness against objectives of the
public affairs work undertaken by Chelgate Ltd for the
Waste and Resources Action Programme. [294778]