§ Mr. Liddell-GraingerTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the total budget for the Wessex Flood Defence Committee is for financial year 2003–04. [145763]
§ Mr. MorleyThe Environment Agency is required to arrange for its flood defence functions, except for certain financial ones, to be carried out by Regional Flood Defence Committees (RFDCs). The RFDC may arrange for all or any of these functions to be carried out by Local Flood Defence Committees (LFDCs) under a scheme approved by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State.
I understand from the agency that the total budget for the LFDCs overseen by the Wessex RFDC for the financial year 2003–04 is £27.2 million.
§ Mr. Liddell-GraingerTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much the Chairman of the Wessex Flood Defence Committee276W received in (a) pay and (b) reimbursement of expenses in 2003–04; and what overseas trips he undertook on official business in 2003–04. [145766]
§ Mr. MorleyThe previous Chairman of the Wessex Regional Flood Defence Committee (RFDC) received the following amounts, from the beginning of the current financial year (1 April 2003) to the end of his term of appointment on 30 June 2003:
No overseas trips were undertaken on Environment Agency business.
- (a) pay: £3,797.49
- (b) expenses: £981.62
The current Chairman of the Wessex RFDC has received the following amounts since his appointment began on 1 July 2003:
No overseas trips were undertaken on Environment Agency business.
- (a) pay: £9,627.16 (including £2,032.18 in respect of his Chairmanship of Somerset Local Flood Defence Committee (LFDC) until 6 October 2003)
- (b) expenses £1,882.80 (some of which relates to Somerset LFDC duties)