§ Mr. DrewTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Carlisle (Mr. Mathew) of 12 July 2002,Official Report, column 1233W, on overcharging, how many cases are being pursued for overcharging; and if she will initiate an investigation following the settlement of accounts to determine the (a) scale and (b) implications of this aspect of the foot and mouth clean-up. [71347]
§ Mr. Morley[holding answer 19 July 2002]: Pursuant to the answer I gave to the honourable Member for Carlisle of 12 July, I refer my Hon. Friend to Figure 60 in Chapter 4 of the recent NAO Report The 2001 Outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease published on 18 June 2002. The Report is available on the NAO's website on http://www.nao.gov.uk/publications/naoreports/ 01-02/0102939.pdf. Information other than that provided in the NAO report cannot be provided at this time for reasons of legal and commercial confidentiality.
A value for money study and a commercial lessons learned report are being prepared though they cannot be finalised until the forensic examination of the accounts of contractors is completed. The findings and recommendations of the study and report will be shared with the National Audit Office and the Office of Government Commerce. It is the Department's intention to publish these findings and recommendations on the Departmental website subject only to unavoidable obligations in respect of legal and commercial confidentiality.
§ Mr. LidingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make it her policy to apply different standstill rules for movements of different species of livestock. [71644]
§ Margaret BeckettWe wish to consider—and discuss with stakeholders—the relevant recommendations of the Royal Society and Lessons Learned Inquiries before making any decisions about the future of the 20-day standstill.