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31 Mar 2009 : Column 1041W—continued
Fire Services: Trade Unions
Mr. Dhanda: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps her Department has taken in response to allegations made to it of bullying by members of one trade union of members from another trade union in the Fire and Rescue Service. [267681]
Mr. Khan: The Government are firmly committed to eradicating bullying and all other forms of unacceptable workplace behaviour, whatever their cause, from the culture of the Fire and Rescue Service.
In May 2008 Communities and Local Government published the 10-year Fire and Rescue Service Equality and Diversity Strategy. The strategy requires fire and rescue services to tackle current inequalities, promote equality, diversity and fairness and establish a culture which enables the service to meet the needs of all our diverse communities.
The strategy states that bullying and harassment will not be tolerated in any part of the organisation. It includes both a specific requirement on fire and rescue services to:
“ensure that bullying, harassment, unfair discrimination and unacceptable behaviours are dealt with fairly, quickly and transparently" and on staff to " challenge and report bullying, harassment, unfair discrimination and unacceptable behaviours.”
All the unions representing fire and rescue service staff were involved in the development of the strategy and formally confirmed their commitment to supporting the implementation of the strategy through the leadership of their organisations. The 2009 Equality and Diversity Report was published on 10 March. This report includes a National Action Plan developed to support the implementation of the strategy. One of the expected outcomes of the Action Plan is an improvement in workplace culture.
Non-Domestic Rates: Business
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of business rates as a proportion of turnover for (a) independent high street retail outlets, (b) chain high street retail outlets and (c) out-of-town supermarkets. [266591]
John Healey: No such estimates have been made by Communities and Local Government.
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many businesses in each constituency will be paying more than (a) 10 per cent., (b) 15 per cent., (c) 20 per cent. and (d) 25 per cent. more in business rates in 2009-10 than in 2008-09 following the end of transitional relief. [266799]
John Healey: This information is not collected centrally.
Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment has been made of the effect of the end of transitional business relief on small and medium-sized enterprises in (a) the Guildford Borough Council area, (b) the Waverley Borough Council area and (c) England. [266913]
John Healey: It is not possible to separately identify small and medium-sized enterprises entitled to and therefore potentially affected by the end of transitional business rate relief.
Parking: Fees and Charges
Mr. Stewart Jackson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the policy of (a) her Department and (b) its agencies is on whether payment of any workplace parking levy in
respect of staff who are entitled to a workplace parking space in an area which is liable to such a levy should be made by (i) the public authority or (ii) the staff member. [263691]
Mr. Khan: There are no workplace parking levy schemes in operation in England. Until a scheme may be introduced and the regulations applying to that scheme are known, it is not possible to provide further information.
Railways: East of England
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent representations her Department has received on the effects on local businesses and residents of the re-opening of the railway line between Bedford and Cambridge. [267639]
Mr. Khan: The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and her Department has received no representations about the effects on local business and residents of the re-opening of the railway line between Bedford and Cambridge.
Regional Planning and Development: Equality
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the cost of conducting equality impact assessments in respect of (a) the Government Office for the East of England and (b) Opportunity Peterborough in 2008-09; and if she will make a statement. [267756]
Mr. Khan: Within Government offices equality impact assessments are undertaken by the line manager responsible for any change to an area of policy or approach. Due to the differences in grades and salaries and time needed to undertake initial screening to full impact assessments it is not possible for Government office in the east of England to estimate the cost of equality impact assessments in 2008-09.
Communities and Local Government's Funding Agreement for Opportunity Peterborough sets out a requirement to have in place a race equality scheme and a gender equality scheme, and to carry out race impact assessments for projects where appropriate. It is for Opportunity Peterborough to decide how to meet these requirements. The Department has made no assessment of the costs of doing so.
Women and Equality
Church of Scientology
Robert Neill: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality whether the Equality and Human Rights Commission recognises the Church of Scientology as a religion or faith. [264850]
Maria Eagle: The Equality and Human Rights Commission recognises all religions, faiths and beliefs in terms of its duties to protect people from discrimination on the grounds of religion and belief. It is up to the courts to decide whether Scientology is a religion or faith within the terms of the Equality Act 2006.
Departmental Training
Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality which training courses were (a) available to and (b) taken up by (i) civil servants and (ii) Ministers in the Government Equalities Office in the last 12 months. [266278]
Maria Eagle: The Government Equalities Office are unable to supply the information requested as it can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Rape: Victim Support Schemes
Mrs. May: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality pursuant to the answer of 10 March 2009, Official Report, column 156, on rape crisis centres, on what date her officials initiated discussions with Rape Crisis England and Wales and the Survivors Trust on rape crisis centre funding for the forthcoming financial year; which Ministers she has met to discuss funding for rape crisis centres since 1 January 2009; and how many such meetings have been held. [265023]
Maria Eagle: Government officials have been working on an ongoing basis with Rape Crisis (England and Wales) and The Survivors' Trust on sustainability and funding to the sexual violence voluntary sector. Meetings have been held at official and ministerial level. I would like to thank both Rape Crisis (England and Wales) and the Survivors' Trust for their constructive and ongoing dialogue and support in this regard.
I have regular discussions with ministerial colleagues on this matter through the Inter Ministerial Group on Sexual Violence and Domestic Violence.
Training: Equal Opportunities
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how many civil servants in the Government Equalities Office have attended an equality and diversity course in the last 12 months; and at what cost to the public purse. [263877]
Maria Eagle: The Government Equalities Office has delivered workshops for all staff on Discrimination Law and Understanding Diversity during the last 12 months at a cost of £705. A further six staff have attended free seminars on Understanding Diversity and Understanding Equality Law.
Leader of the House
Legislation
Mr. Baron: To ask the Leader of the House with reference to the ministerial correction of 10 November 2008, Official Report, columns 3-4MC, on the Parliamentary session, how many hours the House spent considering (a) primary and (b) delegated legislation on the floor of the House in the 2007-08 Session. [268046]
Chris Bryant: The information requested is published in the Sessional Returns for Session 2007-08 (HC 1 of Session 2008-09), pages 34-36 and can be found online at:
Northern Ireland
Christmas
Mr. Rob Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether it is his Department’s policy to offer staff (a) additional leave entitlement for Christmas shopping and (b) Christmas bonus payments. [262803]
Paul Goggins: The Northern Ireland Office does not make Christmas bonus payments to staff. Individual members of staff have been granted additional leave entitlement for Christmas shopping at the discretion of local line management.
Departmental Empty Property
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the change in the annual cost to his Department of maintaining the empty public buildings owned by his Department as a result of the April 2008 changes to empty property rate relief. [267127]
Paul Goggins: The Northern Ireland Office, excluding its agencies and executive NDPBs, will have no change in the annual cost of maintaining empty public buildings resulting from the April 2008 changes to empty property rate relief.
Departmental Energy
Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps have been taken by (a) his Department and (b) its agencies to improve the thermal efficiency of their buildings in the last 12 months. [266764]
Paul Goggins: Considerable work has been carried out in the last few years at Hillsborough Castle to make the building more energy efficient, including investment in renewable energy systems and more energy efficient plant, improving building services management systems, increasing insulation and increasing use of energy efficient light bulbs.
In addition in the last 12 months, all new modular and portable buildings in the Northern Ireland Prison Service agency’s estate have been specified to meet the NI building regulations requirements in relation to the conservation of fuel and power. Thermal efficiencies include insulated walls and floors and double glazed windows. Thermal efficiency in existing buildings was improved prior to the period covered by this question.
Departmental Public Expenditure
Grant Shapps:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what (a) capital funds and (b)
resource funds his Department has brought forward from its (i) 2009-10 and (ii) 2010-11 budgets for use in (A) 2008-09 and (B) 2009-10; and what schemes this funding is being used to support. [267397]
Paul Goggins: The Northern Ireland Office, excluding its agencies and executive NDPBs, has made no plans to bring forward capital or resource funds from (a) 2009-10 or (b) 2010-11 budgets for use in 2008-09 and 2009-10 respectively.
Departmental Standards
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the cost to his Department of measuring compliance with its targets under its public service agreements in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [266707]
Paul Goggins: The cost of measuring compliance with targets under the Northern Ireland Office’s public service agreements is not held centrally within my Department. The cost of generating these data or breaking down existing data in this way would incur disproportionate costs.
Duchy of Lancaster
Death Certificates
Anne Milton: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many death certificates included the words pressure sores in each of the last five years. [268015]
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 March 2009:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many death certificates included the words pressure sores in each of the last five years. (268015)
The table attached provides the number of deaths where pressure ulcer was mentioned on the death certificate, in England and Wales, for 2003 to 2007 (the latest year available).
| Table 1: Number of deaths with any mention of pressure ulcer on the death certificate( 1) , England and Wales( 2) , 2003-07( 3) | |
| Persons | |
| Deaths | |
| (1) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) code 1.89 (Decubitus ulcer, bedsore, plaster ulcer or pressure ulcer) where it appeared anywhere on the death certificate. (2) Figures for England and Wales include deaths of non-residents. (3) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year. | |
Death: Prostate Cancer
Christopher Fraser: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the (a) unstandardised and (b) standardised mortality rate from prostate cancer in each (i) Government office region and (ii) Parliamentary constituency was in each year since 1997. [267745]
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 March 2009:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what the (a) unstandardised and (b) standardised mortality rate from prostate cancer was in each year from 1997 to 2007 by (i) Government Office Region and (ii) Parliamentary constituency. (267745)
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