§ 12. Diana OrganTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what funds her Department has made available to areas most heavily affected by the foot and mouth outbreak. [63013]
§ Alun MichaelThe Government put in place a range of schemes to help those affected by the disease and the measures to control it. These included
the £80 million Business Recovery Fund, managed by the Regional Development Agencies (including £25 million reprioritised funding from RDAs' existing budgets) to help businesses adjust to changes in their markets;discretionary interest-free deferral of income tax, VAT and National Insurance contributions, with over £250 million deferred;increased central funding for local authorities to provide rate relief for businesses facing hardship (estimated at £22 million), and bringing forward mandatory rate relief for village shops, pubs and garages;£15 million to match charitable donations towards relief of hardship:£3.8 million to help local authorities reopen rights of way;£18 million for tourism promotion;£0.5 million from the Countryside Access Recovery Fund.The Government are continuing to work with local authorities and partnerships in the worst-affected areas to help implement their recovery strategies.
§ 27. Mrs. DeanTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects to receive the report of the Royal Society inquiry into the foot and mouth outbreak. [63032]
§ Mr. MorleyThe report of the Royal Society's inquiry into infectious diseases in livestock is currently expected to be published on 16 July.