| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
26 Mar 2008 : Column 279W—continued
Prisoner Escapes
Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offences were recorded for rescuing a prisoner in custody in each year since 1997; and what percentage of these offences (a) resulted in court proceedings against suspected perpetrators, (b) led to a conviction and (c) resulted in a sanction detection. [195989]
Mr. Coaker: The information requested is not available. Offences of ‘assisting prisoners to escape; are recorded in the ‘other indictable or triable either way offences’ classification and cannot be separately identified from other offences within that classification. As a result, information on the percentage which resulted in court proceedings and convictions for those offences cannot be provided.
Protection from Harassment Act 1997
Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offences were recorded under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 in each year since 2002, broken down by offence; and what percentage of these offences (a) resulted in court proceedings against suspected perpetrators, (b) led to a conviction and (c) resulted in a sanction detection. [196026]
Mr. Coaker: The information requested is not available. Offences under this legislation are recorded in the ‘Harassment’ or the ‘Racially or religiously aggravated harassment’ offence classifications and cannot be separately identified from other offences within those classifications. As a result, information on the percentage which resulted in court proceedings and convictions for those offences cannot be provided.
Representation of the People Act 1983
Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offences were recorded under the Representation of the People Act 1983 in each year since 2002, broken down by offence; and what percentage of these offences (a) resulted in court proceedings against suspected perpetrators, (b) led to a conviction and (c) resulted in a sanction detection. [196018]
Mr. Coaker: The information requested is not available. Offences under this legislation are recorded in the ‘Other indictable or triable either way offences’ classification and cannot be separately identified from other offences within that classification. As a result, information on the percentage which resulted in court proceedings and convictions for those offences cannot be provided.
Tax Credits Act 2002
Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offences were recorded under section 59 and Schedule 5 of the Tax Credits Act 2002 in each year since 2002; and what percentage of these offences (a) resulted in court proceedings against suspected perpetrators, (b) led to a conviction and (c) resulted in a sanction detection. [196003]
Mr. Coaker: The information requested is not available. Offences under this legislation are recorded in the ‘Disclosure, Obstruction, False or Misleading Statements’ offence classification and cannot be separately identified from other offences within that classification. As a result, information on the percentage which resulted in court proceedings and convictions for those offences cannot be provided.
Trade in Goods (Control) Order 2003
Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offences were recorded under the Trade in Goods (Control) Order 2003 in each year since its entry into force, broken down by offence; and what percentage of these offences (a) resulted in court proceedings against suspected perpetrators, (b) led to a conviction and (c) resulted in a sanction detection. [196004]
Mr. Coaker: The information requested is not available. Offences under this legislation are recorded in either the ‘Disclosure, Obstruction, False or Misleading Statements’ classification or in the ‘Other indictable or triable either way offences’ classification and cannot be separately identified from other offences within those classifications. As a result, information on the percentage which resulted in court proceedings and convictions for those offences cannot be provided.
Wind Power
Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department to which wind farm proposals her Department lodged objection in each of the last three years; and for what reasons in each case. [191118]
Mr. Byrne: My Department holds no central records of objections that have been lodged by the Home Office with regard to wind farms. My Department is fully committed to meeting all the Government’s targets on renewable energy.
Written Questions: Government Responses
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects to answer Question 184044, on binge drinking, tabled by the right hon. Member for Haltemprice and Howden on 30 January 2008. [193696]
Jacqui Smith [holding answer 13 March 2008]: I replied to the right hon. Member on 10 March 2008, Official Report, columns 70-71W.
Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
Coal Fired Power Stations: Combined Heat and Power
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (1) what recent representations he has received from industry bodies on the effect of combined heat and power technology on the fuel efficiency of coal-fired power plants; [189637]
(2) what representations he has received from environmental non-governmental organisations on the effects of combined heat and power on the fuel efficiency of coal-fired power plants. [189698]
Malcolm Wicks: I am not aware of any such representations regarding coal-fired stations in general.
Coal Fired Power Stations: Kingsnorth
Gregory Barker:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the volume of carbon dioxide likely to be emitted per annum from the proposed Kingsnorth power station and associated operational activities; what discussions he has had on such estimates with (a) Cabinet colleagues and (b) other Government offices and agencies; what representations he has received on this matter and from whom; what estimate he has made of the effect of such emissions on
performance against Government targets for greenhouse gas emissions; and on what evidential basis such estimates of potential carbon dioxide emissions from Kingsnorth were founded. [190187]
Malcolm Wicks: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has made no such formal estimate. We remain committed to meeting the UK’s emissions targets. The EU Emissions Trading Scheme ensures that total carbon emissions across EU industry and power generation sectors are restricted by a cap. Any new coal plant in the UK would have to buy allowances to emit, ensuring that equivalent carbon savings are made elsewhere, which count under the Government’s approach to carbon budgeting.
No such discussions of the kind described have taken place. The Department has received many representations from a range of various groups and individuals on the issue of emissions to the atmosphere.
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform when he expects that the proposed power station at Kingsnorth in Kent to become operational in terms of (a) power generation and (b) carbon capture and storage; and what representations he has received on this matter, and from whom. [190232]
Malcolm Wicks: The Environmental Impact Assessment which accompanied the application estimates that it would take approximately four years from the granting of any consents and licences before the proposed station started operating.
It is not possible to say if or when carbon capture technology would be operational at the proposed station. Numerous representations from a range of various groups and individuals have been received on this matter.
Companies: Billing
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will commission an investigation into the policy of some major companies of extending their standard payment terms and its possible impact upon small business. [196326]
Malcolm Wicks [holding answer 25 March 2008]: The Department published research, commissioned from the Credit Management Research Centre, on payment trends in the UK earlier this month. The research suggested uncertainty about the timing of payments from trade debtors is more damaging for small firms than situations where the payment delay is long but certain. The Enterprise Strategy published on 12 March announced that the Department will, over the next six months, explore non-legislative approaches to tackling late payment issues.
Companies: Data Protection
Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the number of UK businesses which have transferred data centres offshore in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [185512]
Mr. Thomas: The Government do not collect data about the extent of offshoring and have not made any estimate of the extent of offshoring of data centres. However, research that has been conducted and data about the relocation of businesses, such as the European Reconstruction Monitor, suggests that offshoring has been relatively limited in recent years and has not had an adverse impact on overall UK employment.
It is, of course, important that companies carefully consider the business case for relocating activities, including all the costs and risks of offshoring. This includes ensuring that data is kept secure; companies that offshore activities remain bound by the requirements of the UK’s Data Protection Act. Companies also have a responsibility to engage in a transparent dialogue with employees affected by relocation decisions. But, companies must be allowed to decide the best course of action to remain competitive.
Departmental Consultants
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform which external consultancy received the largest number of contracts from his Department in each of the last 10 years; and what the value of those contracts was. [185209]
Mr. Thomas: Central records indicate the external consultancies receiving the highest payments by value in each financial year are:
| £ | ||
| Consultancy | Payment | |
| (1) To date | ||
Further information prior to 2003-04 is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental ICT
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many of his Department's personal digital assistants were (a) lost and (b) stolen in each of the last five years; and what the value of those items was. [185284]
Mr. Thomas: A breakdown of lost/stolen PDAs is provided in the following table for the past five years.
My Department's records do not readily differentiate between items reported as lost or stolen.
| £ | ||
| PDAs reported missing | Approximate cumulative value( 1) | |
| (1) January to December | ||
Departmental Recruitment
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether the policy of British jobs for British workers will affect his Department’s recruitment policy. [179877]
Mr. Thomas: The Department will apply the civil service nationality rules in respect of eligibility for employment in all recruitment and appointment procedures. These rules are statutorily based and supported by the Civil Service Commissioners’ Rules.
Departmental Travel
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much his Department and its agencies spent on first class travel in the last 12 months for which figures are available, broken down by staff grade of traveller. [187530]
Mr. Thomas: The amount spent on first class travel by BERR, and previously by DTI in the period February 2007 to January 2008 was £1,376,675.
Travel undertaken by BERR staff is not recorded separately by grade. To obtain the requested information would entail disproportionate costs.
All travel is undertaken in accordance with the Civil Service Management Code and the Ministerial Code, and is made in the most efficient and cost effective way.
Digital Broadcasting
Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment he has made of (a) the impact of the digital dividend review on (i) wireless microphones and (ii) in-ear monitors on completion of digital switchover and (b) the potential to encourage licensed usage. [193912]
Malcolm Wicks: The matter raised is the responsibility of the independent regulator, the Office of Communications (Ofcom), which is accountable to Parliament rather than Ministers. Accordingly, I have asked the Chief Executive of Ofcom to reply directly to the hon. Member. Copies of the chief executive's letter will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Energy: Meters
Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (1) what his most recent assessment is of the (a) costs and (b) benefits of a national delivery plan for smart metering; [195582]
(2) what conclusions were made following the review of smart metering conducted for his Department by Mott MacDonald; and if he will publish the outcomes of the review. [195583]
Malcolm Wicks [holding answer 20 March 2008]: My Department is finalising its impact assessment of smart metering, including costs and benefits. We are testing our assessment and the assumptions underpinning it with interested parties, and will publish our assessment when that process has been completed. We will also publish the analysis undertaken by Mott MacDonald.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |