§ Mr. CousinsTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when the review of regional service centres for the Intervention Board Executive Agency began; how much it has cost; when he expects it to report; and if he will list all the present sites of the Intervention Board Executive Agency with the whole-time equivalent staff numbers employed at each site. [111351]
403W
§ Ms Quin[holding answer 22 February 2000]My right hon. Friend the Minister commissioned PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) to review the administration of payments under the CAP subsidy schemes. The review, which began last September, covered the payments made through MAFF's nine Regional Service Centres (RSCs) and through the Intervention Board Executive Agency (IBEA). PwC submitted their report at the end of January and my right hon. Friend is now considering their recommendation that the payment functions of MAFF and IBEA should be merged. Any significant reorganisation of MAFF's RSCs and IBEA will require new funding, and the case for this will be considered in the context of the Spending Review 2000.
PwC's fees for the study which was completed in January amounted to approximately £300,000 (excluding VAT and expenses).
The Intervention Board currently operates form two main sites, in Reading and Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Some control staff are also based at outstations in England based at Bristol, Harrogate, Wolverhampton and Cambridge. The whole-time equivalent staff numbers employed at each site are as follows:
Number Reading 1,002 Newcastle 1293 Bristol 22 Harrogate 12 Wolverhampton 17 Cambridge 9 Total 11,355 1 Includes 15 control staff