HC Deb 24 March 1998 vol 309 cc92-3W
Mr. Swinney

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the(a) location and (b) costs of each refurbishment programme undertaken in each year since 1994 by (i) the Farming and Rural Conservation Agency, (ii) the Centre for Environmental, Fisheries and Agriculture Science, (iii) the Central Science Laboratory, (iv) the Veterinary Laboratory Agency and (v) the Pesticides Safety Directorate. [34776]

Mr. Morley

[holding answer 18 March 1998]: In financial year 1997–98, the first since its formation in 1997, a total of £1,351,000 was spent on a refurbishment programme for the Farming and Rural Conservation Agency. In the main this covered refurbishment of buildings at Aberystwyth, Bristol, Cambridge, Cardiff, Crewe, Leeds, Northallerton, Nottingham, Preston and Wye.

The figures for the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS) are: 1995–96 £50,000; 1996–97 £401,000; and 1997–98 £14,000 for work on the CEFAS laboratories at Lowestoft and Burnham-on-Crouch, and for the CEFAS Lowestoft lecture theatre.

The figures for the Veterinary Laboratories Agency are: 1995–96 £5,084,000; 1996–97 £1,473,000; and 1997–98 £574,000 for the work at the Central Veterinary Laboratory at Weybridge and the Veterinary Investigation Centres at Itchen Abbas (near Winchester), Penrith, Sutton Bonington (near Loughborough) and Thirsk.

No refurbishment programmes have been carried out for the Central Science Laboratory of the Pesticides Safety Directorate since 1994.

Mr. Swinney

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the(a) location of and (b) costs of each refurbishment programme undertaken by the Agricultural Development Advisory Service in each year from 1994 until privatisation. [34781]

Mr. Morley

[holding answer 18 March 1998]: From 1994 until its privatisation on 1 April 1997, expenditure on a refurbishment programme for the Agricultural Development and Advisory Service involved a total of £170,000 in financial year 1994–95 on work at Boxworth and Oxford Spires and a total of £138,000 in 1996–97 for work at Bridgets Experimental Husbandry Farm, Oxford Spires and Penrith. There was no refurbishment work for ADAS in 1995–96.

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