§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to her answer of 26 February 2002,Official Report, column 1191W, on industrial action, what assessment she has made of the effect of the lost days on the service provided by her Department to the public. [50553]
§ Mr. MorleyThe main impact of industrial action has been on the Arable Area Payments Scheme where a little over 50 per cent. of payments were made in the first 2 or 3 weeks of the payment window as compared to the normal 60–70 per cent. within that time.
1069WIn other areas of DEFRA's work the effects of industrial action on services to the public were more limited. There were however small delays in administration of the National Scrapie Plan and in administration and payments under the Agri Environment, ERDP, livestock and organic farming schemes.
With regard to foot and mouth disease, the action did not significantly jeopardise animal health. PCS agreed local dispensations to allow members employed on the FMD Helpline and Licensing Sections to remain working, although in other sections there were some small delays to payment processing.
Telephone calls to some local DEFRA offices were operated on a reduced service. The Department always took into account the needs of the customers, the taxpayer and the long term working relations in DEFRA.