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Welsh Zone (Boundaries and Transfer of Functions) Order 2010

My Lords, I have only one basic question to ask the Minister about the order, and that is in regard to the cost of its implementation as far as Wales is concerned. We are talking about the accretion of responsibility by Welsh Ministers for functions relating to fishing, fisheries and fish health over an extensive area. Yes, they have been responsible for the functions previously and currently, either on their own or concurrently with Ministers of the Crown, but within a limited area, which I understand is up to what is described as the "seaward boundary of the territorial sea". In common parlance, that means up to the 12-mile limit. However, this zone is far bigger. As the Minister explained, it extends to the boundaries of the British fishery limits, as defined by the latitude and longitude co-ordinates in the Schedule, and reaches towards the Isle of Man in the north and St George’s Channel in the south. Paragraph 10.2 of the Explanatory Memorandum states: ""The administrative burden for the Welsh zone will transfer from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to the Welsh Assembly Government. There will be no budgetary transfer from the UK Government to the Welsh Assembly Government in connection with this Order"." What exactly is the administrative burden? How many people are involved in carrying it and at what cost? Will there be staff transfers from Defra? How many people are involved in exercising the functions performed currently in the limited area and how many will be employed in connection with the bigger zone, which will obviously involve more work? There is a transfer of functions from Ministers of the Crown to Welsh Ministers under Article 4. The take-up of these functions will involve costs and it would be interesting to know what they are or are likely to be. These questions need to be asked and answered because Civil Service numbers have a habit of growing even in the midst of a recession and we should at least be aware of them.