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Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food and the Intervention Board 9LI6YW6OL1dN dAaW LUVdIG THE GOVERNMENT'S EXPENDITURE PLANS 1996-97 TOMK996-O O This is part of a series of departmental reports (CM 3202 to 3220) which, accompanied by the document Public Expenditure: Statistical Analyses (CM 3201), present the Government's expenditure plans for 1996-97 to 1998-99. The complete series is also available as a set at a discounted price. SS NUN Recycled Paper THE GOVERNMENT’S EXPENDITURE PLANS 1996-97 10 1996-99 Baoso Departmental Report by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Intervention Board Presented to Parliament by the INFORMATION SERVICES Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food “7 and the Chief Secretary to the Treasury ‘=? DEC 1996 by Command of Her Majesty March 1996 Wellcome Centre tor Medical Science! >, ; , . - ° gh 8) CM 3204 HMSO: LONDON £24 Frontispiece aSEL SSO a TheM inister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food The Rt Hon Douglas Hogg, QC MP The Minister has overall responsibility for all issues. He represents the UK in the European Union Agriculture Ministers’ Council. The Minister of State and Deputy Minister Mr Tony Baldry, MP The Minister of State oversees policies relating to the fishing industry; agricultural policy and the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP); production and trade in cereals, sugar, oils and fats, milk and eggs, tropical food; set-aside and extensification; external trade policy relations with overseas countries and international organisations; Intervention Board (IB) and competition issues. The Minister for Rural Affairs Mr Tim Boswell, MP The Minister for Rural Affairs oversees countryside matters, including agricultural land use, farm woodlands, diversification, environment and conservation policy, structures, land tenure, agricultural grants; horticulture and potatoes; plant health; plant variety rights and seeds; agricultural resources policy; forestry; regional administration; ADAS; flood defence; Research and Development (R&D); deregulation; economics and statistics; departmental central services and administration; Citizen’s Charter; and the Private Finance Initiative (PFI). He is also the nominated ‘Green Minister’. The Minister for Food Mrs Angela Browning, MP The Minister for Food oversees policies relating to food safety; food science; animal health, veterinary medicines, meat hygiene; animal welfare; issues relating to the horse industry; pesticide safety; biotechnology; food and drinks industry matters; marketing; export promotion; emergency services and equal opportunities. House of Lords The Lord Lucas of Crudwell and Dingwall, Lord in Waiting, is the Department’s spokesman in the House of Lords Foreword by the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Since July 1995, | have been proud to represent the farming, fishing and food industries and the corresponding Consumer interests as Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. | was already very aware of the importance of rural issues from my constituency duties but only since taking up my post have | realised the range and complexity of the responsibilities of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF). MAFF has many and diverse responsibilities with important implications for public safety, the rural economy, the environment, agricultural trade and animal welfare. Agriculture accounts for almost 80% of land use in the UK and still plays a significant part in the economic prosperity of this country. Over the past year the work of protecting the public has been very prominent, above all because of BSE. This report documents the strict steps taken to eradicate BSE from the UK cattle herd / and the marked fall in the number of cases over the past year. It also documents the steps taken, on the advice of scientists expert in this field, in order to eliminate any risk of BSE being communicated to human beings. In 1995, | broadly endorsed the recommendations of the independent paper on Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reform, commissioned by my predecessor. The proposed reform of the CAP would bring agriculture closer to a market-driven economy, while retaining clear objectives for other initiatives, such as the conservation of the environment, the maintenance of certain kinds of husbandry, the promotion of diversification and market development. The long term aim would be to remove the cost of the CAP from the consumer, with any necessary residual support for farmers being maintained by the taxpayer. Another major event in 1995 was the preparation and publication of the White Paper on Rural England. One of the key features of this process was the widespread consultation and discussions which preceded the writing of the White Paper — and the White Paper itself was by no means the end of the matter. MAFF will, for example, be closely involved in the further consultations which are now necessary on improving planning guidance and rules so as to ensure that we put no unnecessary barriers in the way of the essential diversification of the rural economy, while at the same time, of course, ensuring that the rural environment is properly safeguarded. The White Paper on Rural England emphasised our commitment to go on improving and developing our environmental schemes. | was delighted that, following the very rigorous public expenditure survey in 1995, | was able to announce extra funds for Countryside Stewardship rising to an additional £10m in 1998-99. Agriculture has such a vital role in safeguarding and enhancing our countryside that it is naturally a central concern for MAFF to do everything we can to see that farming is as environmentally sensitive as possible. | place a high emphasis on government being as deregulatory as possible. | continuously look for ways of cutting red tape. While rules and regulations are, in many cases, the inevitable ee consequence of the adoption of European legislation, implementation should place as small a burden as possible on those affected by the legislation. MAFF ensures this is the case by regular consultation with interested parties before legislation is agreed and by monitoring any variations in application in other Member States. MAFF has also developed new techniques to ensure that we go no further than the EC legislation requires, nor duplicate existing national legislation when implementing Community legislation. In similar vein, an Efficiency Scrutiny has been established to reassess the need for all the paperwork that farmers have to complete. | expect the Scrutiny team to produce firm recommendations shortly. There is a great deal of public concern about animal welfare. | take this concern seriously. Last June, the Community was persuaded to agree to rules setting out time limits and travelling conditions for the transport of live animals. We have consulted interested parties on the new rules and aim to have them all implemented by December 1996. The next objective _ is to seek European agreement for a ban on the crating system now used on the continent for the rearing of veal calves. We shall be negotiating to ensure that the conditions reflect as closely as possible current UK law which outlaws the use of this system. This report sets out in some detail MAFF’s expenditure plans for the next three years, following the Public Expenditure Survey (PES) round in 1995. While ensuring that funding is available to meet my priorities, such as safeguarding the Hill Livestock Compensatory Allowances and Fisheries Decommissioning Grants, MAFF has responded to the Government's policy of main- taining tight control of public expenditure. Savings have been found by holding the provision for future expenditure on many items to this year’s level in cash terms. Significant savings have also been achieved through cutting the Department's administrative expenditure. Initiatives such as the Senior Management Structure Review and the Fundamental Expenditure Review have identified where savings might be made. The eventual privatisation of many parts of ADAS and the merging of the Veterinary Investigation Centres with the Central Veterinary Laboratory to form a new entity, the Veterinary Laboratories Agency, offer further scope to reduce running costs and to make MAFF more dynamic and efficient. | am keen to promote a better understanding of MAFF’s activities. The Departmental Report is one of a number of MAFF publications, many of which are listed in the bibliography. As MAFF’s role develops into new areas, the department will strive to develop winning policies and communicate them effectively in publications such as this one. LegieS e The Rt Hon Douglas Hogg QC MP Contents Chapter Frontispiece Foreword by the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food MAFF Organisational Chart Introduction and Summary To Protect the Public To Protect and Enhance the Rural and Marine Environment To Improve the Economic Performance of the Agriculture, WH-wN W Fishing and Food Industries 1 To Protect Farm Animals To Ensure the best use of Internal Resources in support of the Ministry’s business Research & Development MAFF Executive Agencies Intervention Board Intervention Board Organisational Chart Annexes Cash Plan Table =e Reconciliation between Cash Plan Table and Estimates Expenditure by IB on CAP in the UK Appropriations in Aid and CFERs Estimated provision for 1996-97 by Programme Local Authority Expenditure Running Costs Staff Numbers Capital Assets Register Long Term Capital Projects CWDUFWOVeOONOo NO Territorial Breakdown Overseas Visits by Ministers and MAFF Presence at International Exhibitions Non-Departmental Public Bodies (NDPBs) sponsored by MAFF Independent Advisory Committees MAFF Public Appointments made during 1995 Indicators of MAFF’s Administrative Efficiency Bibliography Index Statistical tables and figures List of Tables page 1. Summary Cash Plan Table 10 2 UK food safety and hygiene inspections 12 3. The Milk Hygiene Programme in England and Wales 13 4 Expenditure on BSE suspects and research in Great Britain 16 5 Outbreaks of TB and Brucellosis in Great Britain, 1990-1995 23 6 Reported incidents in Great Britain of salmonella in farm animals 25 7 Reported isolations in Great Britain of salmonella in feedingstuffs 26 8 Number of holdings in Cumbria released from restriction 28 9 Number of holdings still within the Cumbrian restricted area 28 10 Performance indicators relating to flood and coastal defence projects rk, 11. 1996 Rates of Hill Livestock Compensatory Allowances 31 12 _ Labour force on main agricultural holdings in UK with land in the Less Favoured Areas 32 13. Trends in net farm income for full-time cattle and sheep farms wholly or mainly in the LFA in the UK and for all other farm types (excluding horticulture) 32 14 Number of substantial water pollution incidents arising from agriculture in England and Wales 35 15 Fish Health Inspections and Outbreaks of Notifiable Diseases 36 16 Licences issued under the Food and Environment Protection Act, 1985 38 17. Sellafield critical group dose from liquid radioactive waste discharges 38 18 Mercury levels in fish in highest risk sea areas 39 19 Area of land under ESA agreements and area in enhancement tiers 42 20 ‘Take up of Farm Woodland Premium Scheme in England 45 21. ~+Net total Producer Subsidy Equivalent in the EC 50 22 Alcoholic Drinks production and trade 1994 60 23. Number of outbreaks of notifiable animal diseases in Great Britain 94 24 Number of outbreaks of key plant pests and diseases in England and Wales 96 25 Issuance of Statutory Notices by Plant Health and Seeds Inspectorate relating to outbreaks 96 26 ~=Cases of irregularities reported to the Commission under EC Regulation 595/91 115 27 Training in MAFF (including Agencies) 125 28 Staff in post by grade equivalent, ethnicity, gender and registered as a disabled person as at 1 April 1995 126 29 MAFF research funding by Programme 131 30. ~ADAS performance against key targets, 1994-95 132 31. CSL performance against key targets, 1994-95 134 32 CVL performance against key targets, 1994-95 136 33. PSD performance against key targets, 1994-95 138 34 VMD performance against key targets, 1994-95 139 35 Intervention Board performance against key targets 147 36 _ Intervention Board running costs, outputs and productivity 147 List of Figures 1 Confirmed cases of BSE by month and year of clinical onset 1 2 EC expenditure on agricultural support 51 3 _UK overseas trade in food, feed and drink 99 vi Management Board The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Management Board As at December 1995 VARA oO1MrRJ Packer, Permanent Secretary ae : ae | 2 Miss V K Timms, Principal Finance Officer \ _ 3MrCJA Barnes, Director of Establishments |M ARI Ge R | 4 Mr RJ D Carden, Deputy Secretary (Food Safety) 5 Mr J R Woolman, Legal Advisor and Solicitor 6 Mr D W F Shannon, Chief Scientist 7 Ms K S O'Donoghue, Secretary to the Permanent Secretary and Secretary to the Board 8 Mr D A Hadley, Deputy Secretary (Agricultural Commodities, Trade and Food Production) 9 Mr C R Cann, Deputy Secretary (Countryside, Marine Environment and Fisheries) vil Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Organisational Chart, as at 1 December 1995 Deputy Secretaries Under Secretaries European Community Arable Crops and Horticulture Agricultural Commodities, Trade and Food Production Livestock Group Food, Drink and Marketing Policy Food Safety Permanent Secretary Animal Health Ministry of Agriculture, a, Fisheries and Food Countryside Group . : : Fisheries Secretary Countryside, Marine c Environment and Fisheries = Economics and Statistics Environment Policy Legal Group A Legal Advisor and Solicitor Legal Group B NB: Following the recommendations of the Senior Management Principal Finance Officer Structure review, announced on 4 December 1995, this structure will be significantly streamlined. Dinscio nar neath : irector of Establishments Vili 2P“eS Ease e s