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3 Nov 2008 : Column 13Wcontinued
Grant Shapps: To ask the Leader of the House what (a) equipment and (b) data were lost by her Office in the last 12 months; and if she will make a statement. [231436]
Chris Bryant: In the last 12 months one laptop has been reported stolen from the Leader of the House of Commons Office. The laptop was used to update the office website and did not contain any personal data or other sensitive information. No data have been lost.
Mr. Goodwill: To ask the Leader of the House for what reasons there is a longer notice period for tabling questions for oral answer to the Secretaries of State for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland than for questions to other Ministers. [232606]
Chris Bryant: The Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland Offices do not themselves hold most of the information on which Ministers need to draw in answering parliamentary questions on issues which are the responsibility of the devolved administrations. While the devolved administrations and other Departments are happy to provide information, the additional time involved means that three days' notice would not be enough for Ministers to be able to give full answers in the House.
This issue was raised by the Procedure Committee in its Third Report of 2001-02 (HC 622); the Government's response was published as Cm 5628.
David Simpson: To ask the Minister for the Olympics how much was spent on overnight accommodation by civil servants from her Office in the last 12 months. [228778]
Tessa Jowell: Details of how much the Cabinet Office spent on overnight accommodation by civil servants in the last 12 months are not held centrally and are therefore available only at disproportionate cost.
David Simpson: To ask the Minister for the Olympics how many non-pensionable bonuses were awarded to members of staff in her Department in the last 12 months; and at what total cost. [226427]
Tessa Jowell: The information requested is a matter of public record. I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office my hon. Friend the Member for West Bromwich, East (Mr. Watson) to the hon. Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr. Hammond) on 6 June 2008, Official Report, column 1185W.
Hugh Robertson: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what assessment she has made of the Field Studies Councils proposals to site a residential urban education centre in the Olympic Park after the London 2012 Olympics. [232211]
Tessa Jowell: I am aware of the proposals made by the Field Studies Council (FSC). The FSC wrote to me earlier this year and I suggested that they meet with the London Development Agency (LDA), as interim clients for the Olympic Legacy Park, and my officials from the Government Olympic Executive (GOE). This meeting took place on 7 May 2008, when the FSCs proposals were discussed in detail in the context of the Legacy Masterplan Framework (LMF) being developed by the LDA. The LMF sets out the framework of homes, education and health facilities, workspaces, infrastructure and parkland that will need to be put in place following the 2012 Games. Another meeting is scheduled to take place in November, between the FSC, LDA and GOE, when the proposals will be considered further.
Philip Davies: To ask the Minister for the Olympics how much her Office has spent on Plain English Campaign training courses in each year since its establishment. [231231]
Tessa Jowell: My office has not spent anything on Plain English Campaign training courses since its establishment.
Mr. Evans: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what percentage of the economy of Ribble Valley constituency was derived from agriculture (a) at the most recent date for which figures are available, (b) in 2008, (c) in 1998 and (d) in 1988. [230934]
Kevin Brennan [holding answer 27 October 2008]: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated October 2008:
As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what percentage of the economy of Ribble Valley constituency was derived from agriculture (a) in the most recent date for which figures are available, (b) in 2008, (c) in 1998 and (d) in 1988. (230934)
Information on economic activity by sector is not available for areas below NUTS3: Lancashire County Council.
Mr. Hurd: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster pursuant to the answer to my right hon. Friend for Horsham (Mr. Maude) of 8 October 2008, Official Report, columns 262-63, on the voluntary sector, what the timetable is for his review of the Catz Club, payments made to it by Futurebuilders and the removal of funding of Catz Club from the Futurebuilders website. [231212]
Kevin Brennan [holding answer 28 October 2008]: Pursuant to the answer given on 8 October 2008, Official Report, columns 262-63, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster reviewed this case and wrote to the right hon. Member for Horsham (Mr. Maude) on 23 October 2008. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
Mr. Hurd: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster pursuant to the answer to my right hon. Friend for Horsham (Mr. Maude) of 8 October 2008, Official Report, columns 262-63, on the voluntary sector, for what reasons Futurebuilders removed references to its funding of the charity Catz Club from its website. [231213]
Kevin Brennan [holding answer 28 October 2008]: The Futurebuilders Fund is managed by Futurebuilders England Ltd. (FBE) under contract to the Cabinet Office.
I understand that FBE did remove some references to Catz Club from their website on 12 September 2008, on the basis that they were no longer an investee of Futurebuilders.
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of the 2011 Census; and how much has been spent to date on trials prior to that census. [230808]
Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated October 2008:
As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what the estimated total cost to the public purse is of the 2011 Census, and how much has been spent to date on trials prior to that Census. (230808)
On the basis of present planning assumptions, the cost of the 2011 Census in England and Wales over the period 2005-2016 is currently estimated to be around £487 million. Innovations for the 2011 Census within this budget include online completion of questionnaires and the tracking of each questionnaire from printing to processing through a robust form tracking system. We are also carrying out significant address register development and address checking work for the 2011 Census.
The Censuses in Northern Ireland and Scotland are devolved matters.
With regard to spend to date on trials prior to the 2011 Census, the way the programme of work is structured means that it is not possible to isolate expenditure specifically for testing activities. The development work has included elements of questionnaire design, address checking, and small-scale testing of components of the field operation together with the 2007 Test covering some 100,000 households. The spend to date from 2005 on planning and development for the 2011 Census is £34 million.
Dr. Starkey: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) whether UK-based charities may provide funds to illegal Israeli settlements within the rules administered by the Charity Commission; [229921]
(2) whether the Charity Commission has issued any guidance to UK charities operating in Israel regarding their ability to operate in illegal Israeli settlements; [229922]
(3) what steps the Charity Commission takes to determine that UK charities do not support individuals or organisations which violate international law or undermine human rights; [229923]
(4) if he will estimate the number of UK charities which are operating in illegal Israeli settlements; and if he will make a statement; [229942]
(5) if the Charity Commission will take steps to ensure that UK-based charities do not support Israeli settlement groups involved in committing violent acts against Palestinian civilians. [229943]
Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Charity Commission. I have asked the Commission to reply.
Letter from Andrew Hind, dated 24 October 2008:
As the Chief Executive of the Charity Commission, I have been asked to respond to your written Parliamentary Questions concerning charities operating in Israel and measures against UK charities supporting inappropriate individuals and/or organisations overseas.
The Charity Commission is the independent regulator of charities in England and Wales. The register of charities, which the Commission maintains, does not include charities which are based in other parts of the United Kingdom, so my answers below are confined to England and Wales only.
The issues you raise are complex and not answered easily in the Parliamentary Question form (although I attempt to, below). Our guidance, Charities working internationally, available on our website (www.charitycommission.gov.uk) covers the principles that should be applied for charities working abroad and in areas of conflict and political tension. From your series of questions, I can see that you have an obvious interest in how UK charities are regulated in such areas, particularly the Middle East. If you would find it helpful, our Director of Legal and Compliance, Kenneth Dibble, will be happy to meet you to discuss our approach to regulation and what our requirements are for charities operating in these areas.
To take your PQs in turn:
PQ 229942: Charities that work overseas, and are registered with the Charity Commission, are obliged to describe the countries in which they work. However, they are not obliged to specify areas within those countries.
Based on information from the Register of Charities, 1,150 charities include Israel in their area of operations and 143 include Occupied Palestinian Territories.
PQ 229921: Charities falling under our regulatory jurisdiction can only provide funds for activities that further the charitys purposes, which may include a defined beneficial class (ie a specified group of whom will benefit) and area(s) of operation (ie where that benefit will be applied). The main considerations for deciding what charitable activities will be carried out in any region and to any group of beneficiaries are, firstly, a demonstrable need of charity and, secondly, that the charitable aid or services are delivered within the lawboth charity law and all other laws that apply.
PQ 229923: Charity trustees must act with due diligence to ensure that their charitys assets and reputation are not at undue risk of harm or abuse from the conduct or activities of the individuals and organisations they work with. They must also ensure that they operate within charity law, and any other applicable law. The Charity Commission has a statutory objective to promote compliance by charity trustees with their legal obligations. The Commissions Compliance and Support function is responsible for the delivery of its regulatory compliance work in this area. Our recently published Risk and Proportionality Framework for compliance work, available on our website, sets out the Commissions approach to regulatory compliance work.
PQ 229943: Charities must operate within the law. It is unacceptable for a charity to support violent or unlawful activities, either in the UK or overseas. The Commission issues a range of guidance to charity trustees to assist them in mitigating the risk of the charitys assets or reputation being used in such unacceptable ways. Where a charitys assets or reputation are abused (whether deliberately or unwittingly) to support such activities, the Commission will act swiftly to resolve the issueseither by providing support to trustees or, where necessary, intervening by using the Commissions legal powers.
PQ 229922: The Charity Commission has issued guidance to the charity sector on Charities Working Internationally which is publicly available on the Commissions website. The Charity Commission has also issued specific guidance on undertaking particular types of charitable activity such as the relief of need, education and so on. This guidance supports charity trustees to ensure that, no matter what their activities are or where they occur, those activities are charitable and legitimate.
I hope this is helpful and please do let my office know if you would like a meeting with Kenneth Dibble.
Mr. Waterson: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) how many charities registered in the UK operate outside the UK; and in what countries; [230100]
(2) how many charitable organisations the Charity Commission has penalised for receiving illegitimate donations in each of the last five years; and how many of those had religious objects. [230101]
Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Charity Commission. I have asked the Commission to reply.
Letter from Andrew Hind, dated 24 October 2008:
As the Chief Executive of the Charity Commission, it falls to me to respond to your Parliamentary questions concerning charities operating internationally and: the number of charities penalised by the Commission for receiving illegal donations in each of the last five years.
The Charity Commission is the independent regulator of charities in England and Wales. The register of charities, which the Commission maintains, does not include charities which are based in other parts of the United Kingdom. I take each question in turn below.
PQ 230100: Charities which work overseas, and are registered with the Charity Commission, are obliged to describe the countries in which they work. However, they are not obliged to specify areas within those countries.
Based on information from the register, there are 41,901 charities, based in England and Wales, which operate overseas. A copy of a table which indicates which countries registered charities are operating in has been placed in the Library of the House.
PQ 230101: While the Charity Commission maintains records of the published reports of all the statutory inquiries it has undertaken over the last five years, it does not record this information centrally. Therefore, due to the significant time required to analyse the Commissions records manually, this question can only be answered at disproportionate cost.
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many civil service and executive agency jobs have been (a) created in and (b) relocated to York in each year since 1992. [230252]
Yvette Cooper: I have been asked to reply.
HM Treasury does not hold data in the format requested. Since 2004, under the Lyons Relocation Programme, 123 posts have been relocated to York from London and the South East.
Overall, an additional 38,000 public sector jobs have been created in Yorkshire and the Humber Government office region over the last five years.
Paul Rowen: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much was paid (a) by (i) employees and (ii) employers and (b) to those receiving pension payment from the Civil Service pension scheme in each of the last five years. [229445]
Mr. Watson: The contributions paid by employees and employers to, and pensions paid from, the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme for the last five years are detailed in the following table.
£000 | |||
Contributions received | |||
Employers | Employees( 1) | Pensions paid | |
(1) Employee contributions include amounts paid to purchase added years. |
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