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3 Mar 2009 : Column 1446W—continued


Type 23
Name Out-of-service date

HMS Argyll

2023

HMS Lancaster

2024

HMS Iron Duke

2025

HMS Monmouth

2026

HMS Montrose

2027

HMS Westminster

2028

HMS Northumberland

2029

HMS Richmond

2030

HMS Somerset

2031

HMS Sutherland

2033

HMS Kent

2034

HMS Portland

2035

HMS St. Albans

2036


Destroyers

Type 42
Name Out-of-service date

HMS Exeter

2009

HMS Nottingham

2010

HMS Manchester

2011

HMS Gloucester

2011

HMS Liverpool

2012

HMS York

2012

HMS Edinburgh

2013


Duchy of Lancaster

Civil Servants: Pensions

John McDonnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many retired civil servants receive a Civil Service pension of less than (a) £1,000 and (b) £2,000 per annum. [258363]

Mr. Watson [holding answer 25 February 2009]: As at 24 February 2009 the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme is paying 40,191 pensioners a gross pension of less than £1,000 a year and a further 60,830 pensioners are receiving a gross pension of between £1,000 and £2,000 a year. “Pensioners” includes retired officers but not those in receipt of a dependant’s pension.

Mr. Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster with reference to page 5 of his Department’s Civil Superannuation Resource Accounts 2007-08, HC 60, for what reason the decision was taken to close the Standard Life and Scottish Widows With-Profits Civil Service Additional Voluntary Contribution Scheme funds. [258727]

Mr. Watson: The Cabinet Office, as manager of the Civil Service Additional Voluntary Contribution Scheme (CSAVCS), has commissioned Hewitt Associates Financial Services Limited to advise it on the suitability of the
3 Mar 2009 : Column 1447W
CSAVCS providers and the funds they offer. An Annual Review, which covers all aspects of the scheme, including fund performance, forms part of this advice.

In its 2006-07 review report, Hewitt confirmed that Standard Life and Scottish Widows remained suitable AVC providers but raised concerns about the suitability of the With-Profits funds for CSAVCS investors. In line with Hewitt’s advice Cabinet Office closed all With Profits funds to new investors from November 2007. Cabinet Office also wrote to existing investors in With Profits, giving these members the choice of transferring to another fund or leaving their accumulated fund in With-Profits and continuing to make contributions.

Departmental Data Protection

Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) on what date his Department’s policy on the management of its electronic records first took effect; and on what dates it has subsequently been reviewed; [259389]

(2) if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department’s policy statement on the management of its electronic records. [259388]

Mr. Watson: A Records Management Policy Statement governing the management of electronic records in the Cabinet Office was published in August 2006. This information has been placed in the Library.

Departmental Internet

Mr. Harper: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will publish a copy of his Department’s website accessibility plan. [257229]

Mr. Watson: The Department has not yet finalised its website accessibility plan. The plan will be published by May 2009. The Department’s web accessibility statement

states that we adhere to COI guidance

and W3C guidelines

We use several services and forms of specialist software to incorporate better accessibility for people with cognitive, hearing, visual and physical disabilities.

Departmental Staff Surveys

Grant Shapps: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much the Cabinet Office spent on staff surveys in each of the last five years; and which company was contracted to conduct each such survey. [259682]

Mr. Watson: The following table sets out Cabinet Office’s contracted price on staff surveys in each of the last five years and which company was contracted to conduct each survey:


3 Mar 2009 : Column 1448W
£

Spent on survey Company contracted

2008-09

13,226

ORC International

2007-08

25,000

Towers Perrin ISR

2006-07

15,505

ORC International

2005-06

15, 120

ORC International

2004-05

15,810

ORC International


The additional costs for the contract in 2007-08 reflected a change in methodology to provide more in-depth employee engagement analysis for the first time.

In 2008-09, the Cabinet Office is participating in a pilot of a single civil service survey, alongside nine other Departments, resulting in significantly reduced costs for the Department.

Employment

Mr. Clappison: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) what proportion of the increase since 1997 in the number of people of working age in employment is accounted for by (a) UK-born workers, (b) workers from outside the UK and (c) workers from outside the EU; and how many people there were in each category on the latest date for which figures are available; [257366]

(2) what proportion of the increase since 1997 in the number of people aged over 16 in employment is accounted for by (a) UK-born workers, (b) workers born outside the UK and (c) workers born outside the EU; and if he will express these figures (i) in numbers and (ii) as a percentage. [257388]

Kevin Brennan [holding answer 23 February 2009]: 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:


3 Mar 2009 : Column 1449W
People of working age( 1) in employment by country of birth—three month period ending December, 1997 and 2008 United Kingdom, not seasonally adjusted
Thousand and percentage

UK born workers Non-UK born workers Non-EU born workers Total( 2)

1997

23,947

1,959

1,411

25,908

2008(3)

*24,372

*3,719

*2,495

*28,099

Change between 1997 and 2008

425

1,759

1,084

2,192

Change as percentage of total

19

80

49

100

Source:
Labour Force Survey

People aged 16 and over in employment by country of birth—three month period ending December, 1997 and 2008 United Kingdom, not seasonally adjusted
Thousand and percentage

UK born workers Non-UK born workers Non-EU born workers Total( 2)

1997

24,681

2,013

1,442

26,695

2008(3)

*25,612

*3,823

*2,567

*29,443

Change between 1997 and 2008

931

1,810

1,125

2,748

Change as percentage of total

34

66

41

100

(1) Men aged 16-64 and women aged 16-59.
(2) Includes those whose country of birth was not known.
(3) Coefficients of Variation have been calculated for the latest period as an indication of the quality of the estimates. See Guide to Quality below.
Guide to Quality:
The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of an estimate, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV - for example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5 per cent. we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220.
Key Coefficient of Variation (CV) (%) Statistical robustness
* 0 = CV <5 Estimates are considered precise.
** 5 = CV <10 Estimates are considered reasonably precise.
*** 10 = CV <20 Estimates are considered acceptable.
**** CV = 20 Estimates are considered too unreliable for practical purposes.
Note:
The estimates exclude people in most types of communal establishment (e.g. hotels, boarding houses, hostels, mobile home sites etc.).
Source:
Labour Force Survey

Government Departments: ICT

Mr. Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what estimate the Cabinet Office has made of the number of Government IT projects initiated in the last five years which are (a) over budget and (b) behind schedule. [258595]

Mr. Watson: During the past five years, we have initiated eight major IT projects in the Department. Of these one is currently behind schedule and two were delivered one month late. No major IT project initiated in this period is currently over budget.


3 Mar 2009 : Column 1450W

Each Government Department is responsible for the management of its own IT projects. The Cabinet Office does not keep information centrally about IT projects managed by other Departments.

Ministerial Policy Advisers: Public Relations

Mr. Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) how many Government special advisers there were whose primary role was in dealing with the media (a) in 1997 and (b) at the most recent date for which information is available; [258606]

(2) with reference to paragraph 72 of his Department’s memorandum to the House of Lords Select Committee on Communications of 14 October 2008, who the 13 special advisers were in post at 17 September 2008 who were employed primarily in the area of communications; [258714]

(3) with reference to paragraph 72 of his Department’s memorandum presented to the House of Lords Communications Select Committee inquiry into Government communication of 14 October 2008, how many special advisers were employed primarily in the area of communications in 1996. [258715]

Mr. Watson: The Government are committed to publishing an annual statement on the names and cost of special advisers. Information for the financial year 2007-08 was published on 22 July 2008, Official Report, column 99WS. Information for 2008-09 will be published as soon as it is ready after the end of the financial year.

The most up to date information held in respect of special advisers who are employed primarily in the area of communications remains as set out in the Cabinet Office memorandum to the House of Lords Select Committee in October 2008. Information on the numbers of special advisers employed primarily in the area of communications in 1996 and 1997 is not held centrally.


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