The latest steps that the Government has taken to assist those farmers which have been severely affected by the cold weather were set out in my written ministerial statement on 18 April 2013, Official Report, column 34WS.

The latest steps that the Government has taken to assist those farmers which have been severely affected by the cold weather were set out in my written ministerial statement on 18 April 2013, Official Report, column 34WS.

The pilot culls will take place during the summer months where we do not anticipate snow and cold conditions will impact on culling.

Therefore no assessment has been carried out of the effects of the recent adverse weather on the pilot badger culls, and the impact assessment will not be revised.

We are confident that the recent adverse weather conditions have not had an impact on the number of badgers in the cull area. The badger population estimates are based on a wide range of evidence including new genetic data from hair trapping to create a more accurate and robust estimate of the true badger population.

I have placed a copy of the latest assessment made of farm incomes, for the year ending February 2013, in the Library of the House.

These forecasts are based on the information available in mid-January 2013 for prices, animal populations, marketings, crop areas and yield. Actual farm incomes for this period will be available at the end of October 2013.

The forecasts show that incomes are expected to fall for most farm types compared with the previous year. This is largely due to the extremely wet weather in 2012 and the poor growing and grazing season. The falls in income are also more pronounced as incomes were relatively high in 2010-11. The impact of the more recent adverse weather on farm incomes will not be reflected in these figures but will come through in the 2013-14 farm income forecasts published next January.

The continued bad weather in 2013 has been a severe blow. During these exceptional circumstances farmers will be allowed to bury or burn animals on farm land. We have also asked the National Fallen Stock Company to consider reduced costs for multiple collections of stock from the same farm.

The Government has also recently relaxed rules on driver hours to allow extra time for essential deliveries of animal feed to get through to farms and permitted

farmers with red diesel in their tractors to help grit and clear snow from public roads to help communities during the bad weather. More broadly we are supporting farmers by cutting unnecessary red tape, opening up new food export markets and fighting for reform of the common agricultural policy.

I have asked the Chief Executive Officer of the Met Office to respond direct to the noble Lord.

Letter from John Hirst, Chief Executive of the Met Office, to Lord Hunt, dated March 2013

I am replying on behalf of the Met Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled on 12 March 2013, HL6206 to Her Majesty’s Government.

Long lasting and slow moving areas of high pressure are a common feature of meteorology. These act to effectively “block” or redirect migratory low pressure systems; hence they are often known as blocking highs. These blocks can remain in place for several days or even weeks, causing the areas affected by them to have the same kind of weather for an extended period of time. In winter blocking patterns are linked to cold, dry and calm conditions over northern Europe, whereas blocking patterns in summer are associated with heat wave conditions with little wind and if prolonged can cause drought. By implication the impacts of blocking in spring and autumn tend to be less severe.

The Met Office has analysed historical climate records for trends in the number of blocked days per season and consecutive periods of blocked days using a variety of methods and diagnostics. Historical records show the length of blocking periods is related to the number of blocked days in a season.

We have studied UK-wide single and consecutive cold and calm days in the winter half-year between October and March from 1871 to the present. While there is large variability in the record we experienced less blocking in the late twentieth century when compared to the late nineteenth century for example. However, there was a relatively high occurrence of blocking during recent winters such as 2009 and 2010 although not as frequent as those periods recorded during the late 19th century.

We have also analysed the frequency of blocking by season for north-west Europe over the period for which satellite records contribute and strengthen the reliability of observations (1979 onwards). This more recent record again shows there is a high level of variability in the frequency of blocking from year to year resulting in no statistically significant trends in blocking frequency found for any season over this period. Nevertheless, blocking in winter has become more common since 2000. While similar short term trends have occurred in the past, some lines of research suggest that this recent increase in blocking could be in response to rapid Arctic sea ice decline. However it

is not clear whether this is the dominant factor in recent trends and the research community has yet to reach a consensus on the role of declining sea ice in the context of other climate change. The Met Office, along with international colleagues, is currently investigating this possibility.

I hope this helps.

Police and security officers at the Palace of Westminster are employees of the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) under contract to the House; the issuing of uniform is a matter for the MPS. The hon. Member may wish to raise the matter with Chief Superintendent Ed Bateman.

Neither police managers nor the House authorities are aware of any request having been made by members of police staff for the provision of a police box outside the north door of Westminster Hall. Police managers tell us that they do not consider that there is a convincing argument for the provision of a shelter of this kind.

The MPS tell us that the visibility and availability of MPS staff is their paramount concern. To be a visible deterrent and in a position to act in response to any incidents, officers need to be outside for the majority of the time including peak times. Where appropriate, additional shelters are provided along with guidance as to when officers can use them and changes that can be made during bad weather.

On 11 September 2012, Dr Felicity Harvey, Director General of Public Health, Department of Health, wrote to all ‘upper tier’ local authorities advising them of Ministers’ decision to establish the Warm Homes Healthy People Fund (WHHP) again for this winter 2012-13.

Local Authority Circular LAC (DH) (2012)2 published on 13 September 2012 invited local authorities to make applications for funding from the fund by 5 October 2012. This was sent to all local authority and NHS chief executives in the Department's publication “the Week” Issue 264, which is the main method for disseminating information to the NHS and local authorities.

We issued a written ministerial statement on 22 November 2012, Official Report, columns 38-39WS, notifying Parliament of the outcomes of the Warm Homes Healthy People fund bidding process. Subsequently, we sent a letter to all local authorities who bid for funds, notifying them of the outcome of their individual bid. We have published a summary of all the successful proposals from the WHHP fund on the Local Government Association Knowledge Hub website.

There is no commitment to provide funding to local authorities from the Warm Homes Healthy People (WHHP) fund in future years, and any decision to do so would be subject to availability of funding and ministerial approval.

However, we are transferring funding to local authorities for public health from April 2013, and it will be for local decision makers to invest in programmes aimed at reducing deaths due to cold weather, including the provision of carbon monoxide alarms, using the driver of the Public Health Outcomes Framework, as appropriate to local needs.

The Department for Transport and the Civil Aviation Authority have no role in determining the composition of the Heathrow Airport Demand and Capacity Balancing Group. This is a matter for the aviation industry. The Civil Aviation Act 2012 received Royal Assent in December 2012 and will allow the Civil Aviation Authority, from April 2014, to place obligations within airport operators’ licences to develop operational resilience strategies, which could include adverse weather, in conjunction with all airport service providers.

The Met Office is contracted by the Department of Health to provide the cold weather alert service in England.

The Met Office could provide a similar service in Northern Ireland, but as a devolved matter this is for the responsible Department in the Northern Ireland Executive to decide.

While no specific assessment has been made of the possible effects of further inclement weather, it is recognized that the weather is a factor that influences domestic tourism patterns and visitor expenditure (its impact on inbound visitors is much more limited). VisitEngland has worked with the Met Office to examine the impacts of weather forecasting and in particular how medium-term forecasts can impact on resorts. The inclement summer weather of recent years has caused destinations to examine more wet weather options for visitors and many are now offering a much wider choice of activities.

The Department does not collect the required data to assess the cost of a school closing due to inclement weather. We cannot, therefore, provide the figures requested.

While we cannot give an accurate assessment, local authorities may incur costs in relation to the services they provide to schools, such as school transport and catering services.

In the event of adverse weather conditions such as heavy snow, the Department expects head teachers to keep schools open for as many pupils as possible whenever it is reasonable for them to do so. In September 2010 the Department made changes to the law to address the perverse incentive for head teachers to close the entire school if a proportion of their pupils could not travel in because of adverse weather. Where a pupil is unable to get in the school can mark the register using absence code ‘Y', which means that the pupil's absence will not affect the school's absence figures.

The Department has revised its advice to schools setting out our expectations and dispelling a number of myths around health and safety and staffing issues relating to adverse weather conditions. The advice, which was e-mailed to local authorities on 29 January, can be found on the Department's website at:

http://tinyurl.com/37k7vmp

The Department has not undertaken an assessment of the effect on pupil absence figures because of adverse weather conditions in particular. Pupils marked with the ‘Y' code are not treated as absent. The ‘Y' code denotes circumstances when a pupil is unable to attend school due to exceptional circumstances such as national or local emergencies. This may include pupils unable to attend school due to adverse weather but may also include a wider range of exceptional or unplanned circumstances, such as strike action resulting in school closure or transport infrastructure failures.

Ofsted is an independent inspectorate and it is for Her Majesty's chief inspector to provide guidance to inspectors on how to take account of such matters. Ofsted, as part of routine inspection as set out in its framework, will consider a school's overall pupil absence record and, where it is low compared to the national average, will make recommendations for improvement. In doing so, it will take into account any exceptional circumstances that might have contributed to levels of pupil absence.

The decision on whether to close is for individual schools, but the Government expects head teachers to keep schools open whenever reasonably possible. Unnecessarily closing schools causes disruption to children's education and to their parents.

The Government has not made a specific estimate of the effect a school closure will have on the level of gross domestic product (GDP). A school closure will have a direct effect on public sector output and is likely to have indirect effects on private sector output. Temporary disruptions are typically subsequently offset to some degree, though to the extent that did not occur, GDP would be permanently affected.

The Department does not collect the required data to assess the cost of a school closing due to inclement weather. We cannot, therefore, provide the figures requested.

While it is difficult to give a precise cost as the running costs of schools vary significantly across the country, we are aware of the potential costs that may arise in such a situation. The highest cost is likely to result from teaching and support staff being paid while unable to work. There would also be lost revenue for school transport and school meals, where the usual expenditure may occur for these services but they have not taken place or been used by pupils due to the inclement weather.

The UK is a leading donor in the humanitarian response for Syria. Following the Secretary of State's announcement at the UN high level pledging conference in Kuwait, we are now providing £139.5 million in humanitarian aid. With the £21 million announced on 26 January 2013 during the Secretary of State's visit to Jordan, this means the UK has now more than doubled its funding for Syria in under a week to respond to rapidly escalating needs. This is going to support those affected by the crisis across the region, including displaced persons in Syria. In Syria, our funding has already provided shelter and relief supplies such as blankets and warm clothing for over 30,000 people in opposition held and contested areas to help them cope with the cold winter months. The UK is also providing food for over 120,000 people per month.

While aid is reaching displaced persons in Syria, it is not enough. Much more funding is needed to ensure that Syrian people receive the support that they need. The UK lobbied the international community widely ahead of the Kuwait conference to ensure that other countries also stepped up. Greater security and access for humanitarian agencies is also needed. The UK is calling on all parties to the conflict to allow sustained, safe and unrestricted access for neutral and impartial humanitarian agencies across Syria to help to those who need it most.

Development of airports' winter weather resilience plans is a matter for airport operators in collaboration with airlines and other partners. At Heathrow airport, which operates throughout the year at almost full capacity, cancelling a proportion of a daily flight schedule in advance of forecast severe winter weather allows resilience for necessary snow and ice clearance from runways and taxiways, and for increased take-off and landing separation in poor visibility. The decision to reduce a flight schedule is reached jointly only after analysis of weather forecasts by the airport operator, air traffic control, Heathrow's Airline Operators Committee, airlines, and the independent airport slot co-ordinator. The airport considers that it is a better option to cancel a proportion of flights in advance so that normal operations can resume quickly the following day, than risk short-term flight cancellations which cause more annoyance and inconvenience for air passengers.