HC Deb 13 June 2003 vol 406 cc1088-9W
Mr. Kidney

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much financial grant her Department has given to EnCams for its Eco Schools programme in each year since 1997. [118692]

Alun Michael

Defra does not provide EnCams Ltd. with a specific grant for its Eco Schools programme, which is funded by SITA Environmental Trust. Annual grant to EnCams from Defra incorporates a funding element for management and administration costs. This enables EnCams to deliver on a wider range of campaigns and programmes, including its Eco Schools programme. Management and administration costs include salaries and employers' costs for EnCams staff, conference and workshop costs, and office costs.

Mr. David Kidney

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many jobs are dependent on the Eco Schools programme in England. [118693]

Alun Michael

Defra funds the environmental charity EnCams, which is the parent organisation of the Tidy Britain Group, for work on litter, waste and local community initiatives in England. The Eco Schools initiative is a European Environmental award scheme funded by SITA Environmental Trust. The work of EnCams in this field has been welcomed by Ministers at Defra, as well as DfES but is in addition to the work that we fund. I understand that the work is currently undertaken by a central team but that EnCams may devolve the work to its regional teams in future.

Mr. Kidney

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what arrangements her Department makes to distribute information on sustainable development to Eco Schools in England. [118694]

Alun Michael

Officials from the Department and DfES are regularly in contact with EnCams Ltd, the environmental charity that runs the Eco Schools programme in England, about a range of sustainable development information that may be suitable for specific programmes. Any decision about what information to distribute to schools that participate in the Eco Schools programme is a matter for EnCams.