§ Andrew GeorgeTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the budget is for the(a) Countryside Agency, (b) Environment Agency, (c) Central Science Laboratory, (d) Veterinary Laboratories Agency, (e) Veterinary Medicines Directorate and (f) English Nature in 576W 2002–03; and if she will make a statement on the future projections for the budget of each of these bodies. [79729]
§ Alun MichaelThe requested budget figures are as follows:
£'000s 2002–03 Resource 2002–03 Capital Countryside Agency 92,050 1,000 Environment Agency 168,000 17,000 Central Science Laboratory* 38,509 1,425 Veterinary Laboratories Agency* 75,460 28,219 Veterinary Medicines Directorate* 10,529 285 English Nature 58,506 3,325 The above amounts score within Departmental Expenditure Limits, and exclude overheads for central services provided by the core department. They are subject to in year review and adjustment.
The three Executive Agencies (*) operate on a net administration costs basis, whereby gross costs are matched by income, and have full cost recovery targets. To make their budgets more meaningful the offsetting income has been excluded from the above table.
The NDPBs—Countryside Agency, Environment Agency, and English Nature—resource and capital allocations for 2003–04 will be finalised shortly. Those for the executive agencies are still under review and will be confirmed as part of the Business Planning process.