HC Deb 12 July 2000 vol 353 c555W
Mr. Paul Marsden

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list Part C GM crop trial plantings in Shrewsbury and Atcham; and if he will make a statement. [126883]

Mr. Meacher

There is no requirement to notify the Department of releases of a GM crop which has a Europe-wide Part C marketing consent for cultivation. However, the industry body SCIMAC has agreed to provide location details for the GM maize being grown in the Farm Scale Evaluations under a Part C consent. All Farm Scale Evaluations sites are listed at www.environment.detr.gov.uk/fse/location/index.htm. None are in Shrewsbury and Atcham.

The terms of the Government's agreement with SCIMAC precludes general cultivation of GM crops until after the end of the farm scale evaluations, however small scale plantings for trial purposes are permitted.

Government Office running costs
£000
Government Office 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–011 Total
North East 8,842.76 8,687.15 8,616.75 8,618.84 8,312.05 8,221.62 51,299.17
North West 9,983.71 9,839.09 9,442.59 13,690.13 13,048.58 13,397.92 69,402.02
Midlands 4,753.84 4,349.95 4,199.53 12.24 13,315.56
Total North West/Midlands 14,737.55 14,189.04 13,642.12 13,702.37 13,048.58 13,397.92 82,717.58
Yorkshire and The Humber 9,060.51 8,765.04 8,475.01 8,683.92 8,888.68 9,183.87 53,057.03
West Midlands 10,435.73 10,040.37 9,757.79 9,474.35 9,330.15 9,794.44 58,832.83
East Midlands 7,116.85 6,616.67 6,436.24 6,754.39 6,951.28 7,176.97 41,052.40
East of England 6,122.84 6,168.97 6,270.62 6,269.43 7,005.47 7,391.26 39,228.59
South West 7,574.14 7,140.74 6,825.73 6,985.03 7,796.87 8,226.98 44,549.49
South East 8,331.06 8,406.18 8,544.99 8,561.40 8,658.61 8,952.79 51,455.03
London 11,106.26 14,106.47 13,458.82 13,238.12 13,715.79 13,747.10 79,372.56
Central Unit 1,136.60 1,696.34 4,355.96 3,095.29 3,702.74 3,129.92 17,116.85
Total 84,464.30 85,816.97 86,384.03 85,383.14 87,410.22 89,222.87 518,681.53
1Allocations for 2000–01

Note:

The North West and Midlands Government Offices merged during 1998–99

Mr. Loughton

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many people(a) are and (b) were in each of the last five years employed by each of the Government Offices for the Regions. [127993]

Ms Beverley Hughes

[holding answer 27 June 2000]: The information is set out in the table:

2000 1999 1998 1997 1996
North East 267 261 286 269 332
North West 402 401 383 428 445
Yorkshire and Humber 282 251 275 274 302
West Midlands 271 275 348 325 341
East Midlands 247 222 215 218 241
East of England 195 178 185 182 185
South West 227 204 196 255 218
South East 248 215 197 224 220
London 398 350 334 329 295