Written Answers to Questions
Thursday 23 October 2008
Wales
Departmental ICT
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what IT projects his Department is undertaking; and what the most recent estimate of (a) the cost and (b) the completion date of each is. [229173]
Departmental Official Visits
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much was spent on overnight accommodation by his Department’s civil servants in the last 12 months. [228784]
Mr. Paul Murphy: In the last 12 months my Department has spent £24,875 on overnight accommodation for civil servants.
Departmental Older Workers
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people aged over (a) 55 and (b) 60 years were recruited by his Department in 2007-08; and what percentage in each case this was of the number of new recruits. [228741]
Mr. Paul Murphy: The Wales Office does not require applicants for its posts to provide their dates of birth.
This information is therefore not held in the format requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
The Wales Office has a number of staff in post that are above the ages of (a) 55 and (b) 60 respectively.
Electoral Commission Committee
Electoral Fraud
7. Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission what recent discussions the Committee has had with the Electoral Commission on its role in preventing electoral fraud. [229210]
Sir Peter Viggers: The Speaker’s Committee meets the Electoral Commission regularly to discuss the full range of its activities, including its important work to prevent electoral fraud.
The Commission informs me that it continues to issue detailed guidance and works with returning officers, electoral registration officers, political parties, the Crown Prosecution Service and the police on strategies for
preventing and detecting electoral malpractice. The Commission also continues to call for the introduction of individual electoral registration.
Northern Ireland
Departmental Marketing
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the cost effectiveness of Government-commissioned advertising in the last 12 months relating to matters falling within the remit of his Department. [226513]
Mr. Woodward: Expenditure on Government- commissioned advertising is included within the framework of the Northern Ireland Office’s procurement policy which aims to achieve “best value for money” in the procurement of goods and services over the lifetime of a contract. This allows wider policy objectives to be considered in the procurement process so that it meets the tests of need, affordability and cost-effectiveness and complies with the UK’s EC and international obligations.
Church Commissioners
Metal Theft
6. Miss McIntosh: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners what recent representations the Church Commissioners have received on the levels of theft of lead, copper and other materials from church roofs; and if he will make a statement. [229209]
Sir Stuart Bell: None. However, the Archbishops Council continues to work with parishes and dioceses, insurers and the police to try to solve this serious problem. By way of a statement, churches not only have to replace the stolen metals; they also have to contend with damage to masonry and timber, and other problems caused by leaking rainwater. It is a serious problem which the Church is working hard to solve.
Bats
8. Mr. Robathan: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners what estimate the Commissioners have made of the number of cases of damage to historic churches caused by bats. [229211]
Sir Stuart Bell: The Church of England does not hold such figures centrally but I know that the damage and hygiene issues caused by bats remain a concern for some parishes and the Archbishops Council continues to discuss it with other relevant parties.
Transport
Departmental Civil Service Agencies
Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many agencies were sponsored by his Department in (a) 2007-08 and (b) 1997-98. [228502]
Mr. Hoon: The ‘Next Steps Report 1997’ (Cm 3889) provides information on all executive agencies as at 31 December 1997. Copies are available from the Library of the House. The present Department for Transport was established in 2002. The most up-to-date list of executive agencies is published in the Cabinet Office publication ‘The List of Ministerial Responsibilities’. The latest version, incorporating recent ministerial changes, will be published shortly. Copies will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
M1: Repairs and Maintenance
Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what reason fencing is being erected adjacent to the southbound carriageway south of junction 8 of the M1; and what the cost is of such fencing. [226274]
Paul Clark: The fencing to the south of junction 8 of the M1 is an environmental barrier and is a public inquiry commitment. 900 m of 3 m high barrier is being provided to reduce the visual impact to properties on the eastern side of the motorway.
The cost of installing the fencing is £288,000.
Public Transport
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what official visits he and his immediate predecessor undertook using public transport in the last 12 months. [228938]
Mr. Hoon: My predecessor undertook 14 official visits using public transport in the last 12 months to the following locations: Ashford, Manchester (three times), Birmingham (three times), Heathrow Airport (twice), Bradford, Derby (twice), Brussels and La Rochelle. I have, so far, undertaken one, to Luxembourg. Her travel, and mine, will be undertaken by the most efficient and cost-effective means possible, in line with the provisions of the Ministerial Code.
Public Transport: Concessions
Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the timescale is for research to be carried out on the way concessionary travel is administered; who has been commissioned to undertake the research; what methodology will be followed by the researchers; and whom they intend to consult. [229073]
Paul Clark: The Department for Transport has commissioned WS Atkins and the Institute for Transport Studies (ITS) in Leeds university to carry out research into concessionary fares reimbursement. This work should be completed by the end of 2009. The research will explore the latest evidence on the number of extra trips generated by the free national scheme, the revenue foregone by bus operators and the additional costs. The researchers will work closely with bus operators and local authorities, other stakeholders and academics.
Work and Pensions
Disabled
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of staff in (a) his Department and (b) the executive agencies for which he is responsible are disabled; and what the average salary in his (i) Department and (ii) executive agencies is of (A) full-time disabled staff, (B) full-time non-disabled staff, (C) part-time disabled staff and (D) part-time non-disabled staff. [220179]
Jonathan Shaw: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Member for West Bromwich, East (Mr. Watson), the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office, on 8 October 2008, Official Report, columns 651-52W.
Income Support: Disabled
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many new claims for income support on the grounds of incapacity for work for which the claimant did not qualify for the disability premium through income support were awarded to (a) single persons aged under 35, (b) single persons aged 35 to 44, (c) single persons aged 35 to 65, (d) couples with a claimant aged under 35, (e) couples with a claimant aged 35 to 44 and (f) couples with a claimant aged 35 to 65, in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [224157]
James Purnell: The available information has been placed in the Library.
National Insurance
Mr. Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many national insurance numbers were issued to dependants of work permit holders in each year from 2002 to 2007; [227448]
(2) how many national insurance numbers have been issued to dependants of work permit holders in 2008. [227450]
Mr. McNulty: A holding reply was sent on 16 October 2008.
The requested information is not available.
Winter Fuel Payments
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which areas are covered by each weather station used to assess the temperature for the purpose of cold weather payments. [226184]
Kitty Ussher: Under the cold weather payment scheme, every residential postcode is linked to one of 76 weather stations. I have placed a table of the list of the weather stations used to collect information in order to assess entitlement to cold weather payments and the linked postcode districts in the Library.
Solicitor-General
Fraud
Mr. Djanogly: To ask the Solicitor-General what criteria are applied by the (a) Serious Fraud Office and (b) Fraud Prosecution Service to determine whether to accept a case. [229420]
The Solicitor-General: The key criterion used by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) when deciding whether to accept a case is that the suspected fraud appears to be so serious or complex that its investigation should be carried out by those responsible for its prosecution.
Other factors taken into consideration when deciding whether to accept a case are as follows:
Whether the value of the alleged fraud exceeds £1 million;
If the case has a significant international dimension;
If the case is likely to be of widespread public concern;
If the case requires highly specialised knowledge. For example, of financial markets;
If there is a need to use the SFO's special powers, such as section 2 of the Criminal Justice Act.
The SFO could not—and does not—take on every referred case of suspected fraud. SFO resources must be focused on major and complicated fraud. Cases which do not meet the SFO's case acceptance criteria may be referred to other authorities for investigation and prosecution.
The Fraud Prosecution Service (FPS), which prosecutes fraud cases throughout England and Wales, accepts cases which meet one or more of the following criteria: the allegations involve a loss, or risk of loss, of more than £750,000; there is national publicity and/or widespread public concern; highly specialised knowledge is required; a significant element of the case involves inquiries in a foreign jurisdiction.
Defence
Armed Forces
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Gibraltarians are serving in the UK armed forces in Afghanistan and Iraq. [229131]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: Deployment figures are currently provided at aggregate levels based on manual returns which do not record the nationality of personnel. They are not available in central individual level databases. As such this information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Army: Conditions of Employment
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received on the provisions of the Army Terms of Service (Amendment etc.) Regulations 2008, with reference to young people serving for four years beyond their 18th birthday; and if he will make a statement. [228571]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth:
The Army Terms of Service (Amendment etc.) Regulations 2008 came into effect on 6 August 2008. The regulations brought the minimum
commitment period for under 18 soldiers back into line with the provisions that existed prior to 1 January 2008, i.e. that they should serve for a minimum of four years from their 18th birthday.
The Department has received one enquiry from an independent researcher with an interest in armed forces recruitment questioning the rationale behind the regulations.
Ballistic Missile Defence
Colin Challen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what direct running costs the UK has incurred to date in the use of RAF Menwith Hill and RAF Fylingdales in the US Missile Defence System. [228389]
Mr. Hutton: Running costs at RAF Menwith Hill and RAF Fylingdales associated with the US Missile Defence System are not identified separately from other functions of the station. We do not anticipate the direct running costs incurred by the UK will increase because of the participation of these stations in the US ballistic missile defence system.
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