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24 Jun 2008 : Column 244W—continued
Prisoners’ Release
Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many convicts served sentences of less than seven days of their sentence in prison before being released under the end of custody licence. [213624]
Mr. Hanson: No prisoners have been released on ECL after serving less than seven days in custody. Prisoners must serve a minimum of seven days in custody, from date of sentence, before they can be released on ECL.
The full policy on ECL is set out in Prison Service Instruction 42/2007. This may be found on the Prison Service’s website:
psi.hmprisonservice.gov.uk/PSI_2007_42_end_of_custody_licence.doc
Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the cost of subsistence payments made to offenders released on end of custody licence since June 2007 was. [213344]
Mr. Straw: A total of £1,953,854 in subsistence payments is recorded as having been paid to prisoners released on End of Custody Licence (ECL) between 29 June 2007 and 31 March 2008. This figure has been compiled from a number of local data sources, and as such is subject to a margin of possible recording error. During this period a total of 23,716 prisoners were released on ECL. Subsistence payments are made because prisoners on an ECL are released under temporary licence from prison in accordance with the provisions of the Prisons Act 1952 and, as such, are statutorily ineligible to receive benefits payments.
Prisoners’ Release: Reoffenders
Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 16 June 2008, Official Report, column 647W, on prisoners' release: reoffenders, how many of the alleged further offences committed by offenders on end of custody licence were (a) robbery, (b) burglary, (c) theft and handling, (d) fraud and forgery and (e) drug offences. [213345]
Mr. Straw: Of the 26,347 offenders who have been placed on the end of custody licence scheme, 894 (3.4 per cent.) have been recalled to custody. Of those offenders notified to NOMS by 16 May 2008 as having allegedly committed a further offence during their period on ECL, nine of the offences were alleged robbery; 41 alleged burglary; 139 alleged theft and handling; four alleged fraud and forgery; and 12 alleged drug offences.
Innovation, Universities and Skills
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Research
Mr. MacDougall: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills if he will increase expenditure on research into the biomedical causes and consequences of myalgic encephalopathy. [213043]
Ian Pearson [holding answer 23 June 2008]: The Medical Research Council is one of the main agencies through which the Government support medical and clinical research. Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) is a strategic priority area for the MRC and the Council is continuing to promote research in this area. The MRC does not have set budgets for specific illnesses and research proposals in all areas compete for the funding available, The MRC welcomes applications for support into any aspect of human health and these are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the scientific quality of the proposals made.
The MRC currently supports a number of studies in CFS/ME, as follows:
Professor K. Bhui, Queen Mary and Westfield College—chronic fatigue and ethnicity (£162,000).
Dr. C. Clark, Centre for Psychiatry, Barts and The London School of Medicine—general and specific risk markers and
preventive factors for chronic fatigue and irritable bowel syndrome (funding approved in November 2007, £367,000).
Professor A. J. Weardon, University of Manchester—randomised controlled trial of nurse led self-help treatment for primary care patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (£743,000).
Professor P. D. White et al, Queen Mary and Westfield College—The PACE Trial: a RCT of CBT, graded exercise, adaptive pacing and usual medical care for the chronic fatigue syndrome (£2.07 million).
Departmental Accountancy
Mr. Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department’s (a) chart of accounts and (b) resource account codes and usage descriptions for the 2008-09 financial year. [210981]
Mr. Lammy: DIUS operates two financial ledgers and therefore has two charts of accounts. Copies of both DIUS charts of accounts will be placed in the Library. The charts of accounts for 2008-09 reflect the Department’s structure for the year and will not necessarily reflect past or future years.
Departmental Inquiries
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what independent inquiries have been commissioned by his Department in the last five years; what the (a) purpose and (b) cost was of each; and what steps were taken following each such inquiry. [212321]
Mr. Lammy: The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills was created on 28 June 2007. Since then, DIUS has not commissioned any independent inquiries.
Departmental Pay
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many and what proportion of employees in his Department who received a performance-related bonus at their last appraisal were (a) male, (b) female, (c) from an ethnic minority, (d) disabled and (e) not heterosexual; and if he will make a statement. [208377]
Mr. Lammy: The Department was created in the Machinery of Government changes announced on 28 June 2007 when staff from the ex-Department for Education and Skills (DfES) and the Department for Trade and Industry (DTI) were incorporated into the new Department. Only staff from DTI (now BERR) have received performance-related bonuses so far as staff who transferred from ex DfES received their performance awards for performance year 2007-08 prior to the Department being created. The following table sets out their numbers and proportions.
| HSP | Total staff | Percentage with performance awards | |
The figures are based on performance appraisal markings at 31 March 2008. Staff who received performance-related bonuses are those classified as highly successful performers (HSP). Information on those employees who are not heterosexual is not available. Gender, ethnicity and disability figures are based on employee self-declaration,
Information on bonuses for 2008 for all DIUS staff will available when pay negotiations are settled later in the year.
Departmental Sick Pay
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much sick pay to staff in his Department and its predecessor cost in the last five years for which figures are available. [212002]
Mr. Lammy: Due to the wide range of posts and salary points in my Department, the actual cost of sick pay to staff in the Department could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The Department’s general policy for full-time staff is to pay sickness absence on full pay for up to 182 days, followed by sickness absence on half pay for up to 183 days. Sickness absence is unpaid once entitlement to full and/or half pay has been exhausted, unless HR approves payment of sick pay at pension rate.
Departmental Trade Unions
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills which trade unions represent members of staff in (a) his Department and (b) its agencies. [212480]
Mr. Lammy: There are currently three trade unions recognised in the Department and its agencies and who represent members of my staff. They are the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union, the FDA representing senior staff and Prospect representing specialists such as information officers, economists, statisticians and accountants.
Departmental Training
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much (a) his Department and its predecessor and (b) its agencies spent on training courses for staff in the last (i) 12 months and (ii) five years. [210567]
Mr. Lammy: The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills was established under Machinery of Government changes in June 2007. This information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Transport
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills when each of his Department’s and its agencies’ green transport plans were introduced; and if he will place in the Library a copy of each such plan. [209241]
Mr. Lammy: DIUS will shortly publish its first Sustainable Development Action Plan as a new Department, which will include its carbon reduction strategy. There will be a number of measures relating to reducing carbon emissions from travel within that strategy. We will place a copy in the Library.
English Language: Education
Mr. Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills pursuant to the answer of 3 December 2007, Official Report, column 748W, on English Language: Education, whether he has assessed the effectiveness of the changes introduced to the provision of English for Speakers of Other Languages; and if he will make a statement. [212960]
Bill Rammell: The intention behind the English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) measures which were introduced from August 2007 was to refocus funding on priority groups of vulnerable learners. We expect ESOL funding in 2007/08 to remain broadly similar to previous years at around £300 million.
The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) plans to undertake analysis of ESOL data captured through their individual learner record (ILR). This analysis will draw out patterns of delivery in 2007/08 compared to 2006/07, however, this can only be undertaken once full year data is available in October 2008. Any earlier analysis on partial data would require increased assumptions and caveats making the results less robust.
In addition, I also commissioned an independent impact assessment report. The final report is expected later this month, however, initial feedback suggests a very mixed picture across England with some areas reporting successful engagement with the new ESOL funding measures and others less so.
As a result of the consultation process, we expect to introduce further changes from September 2009. The consultation has shown broad support for the proposal that ESOL funding should be more specifically targeted to foster community cohesion and integration in our communities. We are developing proposals that will give greater flexibility, more consideration of local needs, and importantly, more of a focus on helping build cohesion in our communities.
Music: Copyright
Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what assessment he has made of the effect of the application of copyright regulations to beneficiaries of musicians and publishers on the music and publishing industries. [211585]
Ian Pearson: The Government have made no such assessment of the effect of the application of copyright regulations to beneficiaries of musicians and publishers on the music and publishing industries.
However, the hon. Member will remember the recent Gowers Review, undertaken in 2006, which looked at the broad framework of copyright and the effect of the regulations on industry.
Student Loans Company: Disclosure of Information
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills whether the Student Loans Company has sold any personal data to third parties since 2001. [212682]
Bill Rammell: The Student Loans Company has not sold personal data to third parties since 2001.
Treasury
Carbon Emissions: Finance
Mr. Kidney: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made towards the development of a carbon budget for 2009; which Minister is leading the work on the development of the carbon budget; and if he will make a statement. [210737]
Angela Eagle: The Government continue to work to ensure the successful passage of the Climate Change Bill, which will create a statutory duty for the Government to set and meet five-year carbon budgets. The Government welcomed the formation in February of the independent Committee on Climate Change in “shadow”, non-statutory form, and looks forward to receiving the Committee’s advice this autumn, which will include recommendations on the levels of the first three carbon budgets.
The Government intend to set out the carbon budgets and their plans to meet them next year. Analytical and policy work is being undertaken by Departments and Ministers across Government in preparation for this, under the direction of the Sub-Committee on Environment and Energy of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Development, whose members are listed on the Cabinet Office website.
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