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10 Feb 2009 : Column 1860W—continued
Homicide
John McDonnell: To ask the Solicitor-General how many successful prosecutions the Crown Prosecution Service has brought for offences related to corporate manslaughter under the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2008. [254211]
The Solicitor-General: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) data collection system records the number of offences under each Act and section, which have been referred to the CPS for prosecution. CPS records show that, up to 30 January 2009, no offences under the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 (no similarly named statute was enacted in 2008) have been referred to the CPS for prosecution. However, the outcomes of any cases prosecuted under this statute will be subsumed into data held on various categories of homicide cases, as the CPS electronic data system currently cannot hold information on the outcome of proceedings at the level of detail requested by the hon. Member.
Proceeds of Crime
Mr. Paterson: To ask the Solicitor-General how many civil recovery actions in respect of criminal assets the Crown Prosecution Service has initiated in the first nine months of 2008-09. [254982]
The Solicitor-General: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has initiated no civil recovery actions in respect of criminal assets in the first nine months of 2008-09.
Mr. Paterson: To ask the Solicitor-General when she expects the (a) Revenue and Customs Prosecution Office and (b) Serious Fraud Office to begin to undertake civil recovery actions in respect of criminal assets; and if she will make a statement. [254983]
The Solicitor-General: The RCPO considers whether, on the facts of the cases it has before it, civil recovery proceedings are appropriate and it will continue to do so. In so doing, it bears in mind the Guidance by the Secretary of State to the Director of the Assets Recovery Agency dated 7 February 2005.
The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) recently completed an in-depth review of its approach to all aspects of proceeds of crime activity. This review resulted in a number of recommendations to the director, who has since formed a dedicated proceeds of crime team. The structure of this team is being finalised, with resources being drawn from across the organisation. The team will be fully operational by April 2009.
In order to undertake a civil recovery investigation, staff are required to obtain accreditation for Part 5 powers under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (POCA) from the National Policing Improvements Agency. The SFO is assisting in the development of the training that leads to accreditation in order to accelerate this process. To date no officers within the SFO hold accreditation under part 5 of POCA.
The organisation is expecting civil recovery action to commence once the new team is in place. The SFO does not have any assets under restraint in relation to civil recovery cases.
In October last year the SFO successfully obtained its first civil recovery settlement for £2.5 million with Balfour Beatty plc. Approximately £1 million of this settlement will be used by the SFO to invest in its asset recovery work, further strengthening its capability to conduct civil recovery investigations.
Proceeds of Crime: Northern Ireland
Mr. Paterson: To ask the Solicitor-General how many civil recovery actions against criminal assets have been initiated by the Public Prosecutions Service in Northern Ireland in the first nine months of the 2008-09 financial year. [255661]
The Solicitor-General: The PPS has not, to date, initiated any civil recovery actions against criminal assets. Such actions are currently initiated by the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA). The PPS is in discussion with SOCA to develop a memorandum of understanding to provide advice and assistance between the PPS and SOCA, including arrangements to deal with civil recovery cases. The PPS remains responsible for criminal confiscation following conviction.
Energy and Climate Change
Carbon Emissions: Energy
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much energy suppliers have spent on their carbon emissions reduction target obligations to date; and how the level of such spending is monitored by the Government. [246285]
Joan Ruddock: Energy suppliers’ targets under the carbon emissions reduction target are set in terms of household carbon savings rather than spending. Ofgem, the scheme administrator, does not collect data on energy supplier spend. Based on the costs of the measures promoted by suppliers we estimate that the overall costs to suppliers of delivering their obligations will exceed £3 billion over the period 2008-2011.
Supplier spend under the energy efficiency commitment over the period 2002-2008 has been independently estimated at £1325 million.
Departmental Temporary Employment
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much has been spent by his Department on (a) agency and (b) temporary staff since it was established. [251234]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Department has spent (a) £186,000 on agency staff and (b) £172,000 on temporary staff since it was established.
Departmental Working Hours
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many days off in lieu were granted to staff in his Department for working (a) in lunch breaks and (b) at other times outside contracted working hours, in the last year for which figures are available. [252034]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Department of Energy and Climate Change has been formed by bringing together work previously covered by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. The final details of staff transferring from these Departments are yet to be confirmed.
However, it has not been the policy of these Departments to manage and monitor time off in lieu centrally. Authority is delegated to local line managers. The Department would incur a disproportionate cost if it were to manage this process centrally.
Members: Correspondence
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when the Minister for Housing will reply to the letters of 13 October 2008 and 9 December 2008 from the hon. Member for the Forest of Dean, reference FD 7358, on free loft cavity insulation for those aged over 70 years. [250409]
Joan Ruddock [holding answer 22 January 2009]: I replied to the hon. Member on 22 January and apologise for the delay in responding, which was due to departmental reorganisation.
Oil: Balance of Payments
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the contribution to the UK balance of payments of the UK oil and gas sector. [255150]
Kevin Brennan: I have been asked to reply.
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated February 2009:
As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what assessment has been made of the contribution to the UK balance of payments of the UK oil and gas sector. (255150).
Exports of energy products (including oil, gas, electricity and coal) were £24.7 billion in 2007 compared with total exports of goods of £220.7 billion. In the first 11 months of 2008, exports of energy products were £32.8 billion compared with total exports of goods of £230.8 billion. Imports of energy products were £31.9 billion in 2007 compared with total imports of £310.0 billion. In the first 11 months of 2008, imports of energy products were £44.8 billion compared with total imports of goods of £317.0 billion.
Earnings on direct investment abroad (credits) by oil and gas (extraction and production) companies were £14.9 billion in 2007 out of a total for all industries of £89.9 billion. Earnings on direct investment in oil and gas (extraction and production) companies in the UK (debits) were £10.0 billion in 2007 out of a total for all industries of £44.8 billion.
Warm Front Scheme
Mr. Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what grant provision is available from the Warm Zone scheme to otherwise eligible citizens for materials for insulation work carried out by themselves rather than through a contractor. [251199]
Joan Ruddock: Warm Zones Ltd., operated by National Energy Action, brings together, using an area-based approach, all of the assistance available to households through the Government-funded Warm Front scheme and energy supplier activity under the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT). Whilst these schemes do not provide direct grant to—individuals who choose to carry out insulation work themselves, energy suppliers do work with major retailers to provide subsidies for DIY loft insulation materials. Additionally, tailored, free and impartial advice is available through the government-funded Act on CO2 advice line run by the Energy Saving Trust.
Northern Ireland
Departmental Public Appointments
Mr. Maude:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which of the public appointments for which his Department is responsible are due to be (a) renewed and (b) filled in the next 24 months; what the (i) remit, (ii) salary, (iii) political restriction, (iv)
eligibility requirement and (v) timetable for each appointment is; and what records his Department keeps in respect of such appointments. [254245]
Paul Goggins: Information on appointments made by the Department is published in the Northern Ireland Office's Annual Report on the Department's website:
More detailed information about individual appointments is set out in the relevant body’s Annual Report. Vacancies may be advertised on the Cabinet Office Public Appointments website at www.publicappointments.gov.uk. The process for making a public appointment, including guidance on political activity and eligibility criteria, complies with the Cabinet Office publication “Making and Managing Public Appointments”. For appointments regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments, the appointments process also complies with the “Code of Practice for Ministerial Appointments to Public Bodies”. Copies are available in the Libraries of the House.
Road Traffic Offences
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many vehicles have been seized from (a) disqualified and (b) uninsured drivers in Northern Ireland in each of the last two years. [254266]
Paul Goggins: Vehicles can be seized if they are unlicensed, being driven while uninsured, or in a manner causing alarm, distress or annoyance. Driving while disqualified does not in itself permit the seizure of a vehicle.
Unlicensed vehicle seizure is a matter for the Driver and Vehicle Agency, and the Department of Environment for Northern Ireland can supply the relevant information.
New regulations permitting the seizure of vehicles being driven while uninsured came into effect on 6 January 2009. Similar regulations came into effect on the same date permitting the seizure of vehicles causing alarm, distress or annoyance (such as quad bikes, go-peds, or scramblers). Figures are not yet available for the numbers seized to date.
In terms of convictions for the substantive offences, in 2005 and 2006 (the latest years for which data are available) there were 1,314 and 1,104 convictions respectively for driving while disqualified. For the same years, 3,884 and 3,868 convictions were secured for driving without insurance.
Data are collated on the principal offence rule; so only the most serious offence with which an offender is charged is included.
Defence
Absent Without Leave
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many armed forces personnel went absent without leave in each month of 2008. [253715]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth:
Records held centrally on service personnel who have gone absent without leave (AWOL) relate to the number of incidents reported, not to the
number of personnel. Information about the number of incidents of AWOL reported monthly in the Army is not held centrally.
The following table shows AWOL statistics for the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force for each month of 2008, and the total number of AWOL incidents reported in the Army for 2008.
| Incidents of reported AWOL | |||
| Royal Navy | Army | Royal Air Force | |
| Notes: 1. All figures are rounded to the nearest five. 2. All three services record AWOL statistics by the number of incidences of AWOL rather than the number of people who have gone AWOL, so there may be a number of people who are represented more than once in these figures. While the figures reflect the number of reports of AWOL, it may come to light later that there are extenuating circumstances and therefore does not reflect the number of personnel who went on to be formally charged with AWOL. | |||
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