Foot and Mouth (Hansard, 27 October 2003)

§ Mr. Lidington
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in how many cases her Department is withholding and offsetting the payment of fees to valuers because of disputes over valuations that took place during the 2001 outbreak of foot and mouth disease; what the total sum withheld and offset is; and if she will make a statement. [132746]

§ Margaret Beckett
My Department's policy is not to withhold or offset the payment of fees to valuers because of disputes that took place during the 2001 outbreak of foot and mouth disease.

§ Mr. Lidington
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many contractors have outstanding claims against her Department for invoices relating to work done and claimed to have been done in respect of the 2001 outbreak of foot and mouth disease and the subsequent clean up; what the total sum is of these claims; and if she will make a statement. [132747]
29WS

§ Margaret Beckett
My Department is pursuing those cases where it believes it was overcharged for goods, services and works during the FMD outbreak. Irregularities in contractors' claims have been and continue to be investigated. Defra will take all steps necessary to safeguard the public purse.
It is inappropriate for me to offer public comment on these disputes in advance of or during formal disputes resolution procedures.

§ Mr. Lidington
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in how many cases her Department has refused to pay to livestock owners all or part of the sums due as compensation in accordance with assessments made of her Department's valuers in valuing stock to be slaughtered during the 2001 outbreak of foot and mouth disease. [132748]

§ Margaret Beckett
Under the Animal Health Act 1981, the compensation payable for animals slaughtered for disease control purposes is taken to mean their market value immediately before they were slaughtered or affected. A valuer appointed by Defra makes an assessment to determine a figure that represents the market value, and in the normal course, this is the amount of compensation Defra would pay. In a few cases during 2001, where it was apparent that the valuation and/or the figure was incorrect or flawed in some material way, Defra made an adjustment to ensure that the compensation paid to the owner properly represented the value of the slaughtered animals within the meaning of the legislation. Information on the number of cases where this occurred can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.