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20 May 2009 : Column 1410W—continued
Housing: Low Incomes
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the average net weekly income was of a household living in (a) registered social landlord and (b) local authority accommodation in each of the last five years. [273401]
Kitty Ussher: I have been asked to reply.
The available information is in the following table.
| Median household income (£ per week), for council and housing association tenants, United Kingdom, 2003-04 to 2007-08, before and after housing costs | ||||
| Before housing costs | After housing costs | |||
| Rented from council | Rented from a housing association | Rented from council | Rented from a housing association | |
| Notes: 1. These statistics are based on households below average income, sourced from the Family Resources Survey. 2. Small differences should be treated with caution as these will be affected by sampling error and variability in non-response. 3. The reference period for household below average income figures is single financial years. 4. The income measures used to derive the estimates shown employ the same methodology as the Department for Work and Pensions publication 'Households Below Average Income' (HBAI) series, which uses disposable household income, adjusted (or "equivalised") for household size and composition, as an income measure as a proxy for standard of living. 5. The figures are based on OECD equivalisation factors. 6. Median household incomes are used as these are less affected by outliers. Incomes are presented in 2007-08 prices and have been rounded to the nearest pound sterling. 7. Figures have been presented on a before housing cost and an after housing cost basis. For before housing costs, housing costs (such as rent, water rates, mortgage interest payments, structural insurance payments and ground rent and service charges) are not deducted from income, while for after housing costs they are. 8. Separate council and housing association figures should be treated with caution. This is because a significant number of housing association tenants wrongly report that they are council tenants. The most common reason for this is where their home used to be owned by the council and although ownership has now transferred to a housing association, the tenant still thinks that their landlord is the council (local authority). Source: Households Below Average Income, 2003-04-2007-08 | ||||
Scotland
Departmental Work Experience
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many work placements his Department offered to (a) school pupils, (b) university students and (c) graduates in each of the last five years. [274479]
Ann McKechin: The Scotland Office is part of the Ministry of Justice and does not retain information on work placement opportunities to school pupils, university students and graduates.
Northern Ireland
Crimes of Violence
Dr. Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many convictions for violent crime offences there were in Northern Ireland in each of the last three years; what the average sentence handed down for such offences was in each of those years; and how many of those so sentenced received the maximum possible sentence in each year. [276116]
Paul Goggins: The following table gives the number of convictions, the number sentenced to immediate custody, the average custodial sentence length (in months) and the number given the maximum sentence for violent offences.
Violent offences include the offence classifications of violence against the person, sexual offences and robbery. When sentencing convicted offenders, judges and magistrates take account of the characteristics of the offender including age, previous convictions and characteristics in terms of seriousness and the degree of culpability.
Data cover the calendar years 2004 to 2006 (the latest available years) and are collated on the principal offence rule; only the most serious offence with which an offender is charged is included.
| Number convicted of violent offences (violence against the person, sexual and robbery offences), number sentenced to immediate custody, the average custodial sentence length (in months) and number given the maximum sentence 2004-06 | |||
| 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | |
| (1) The number sentenced to immediate custody includes those given life imprisonment or a juvenile justice centre order. (2) The average custodial sentence lengths exclude life sentences and juvenile justice centre orders. | |||
Crimes of Violence: Foreigners
Dr. Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many foreign nationals are serving sentences for violent crime in prisons in Northern Ireland. [276119]
Paul Goggins: At 14 May the Northern Ireland Prison Service held 123 foreign national prisoners of whom 54 were sentenced prisoners. Of these, 18 were serving sentences for violent crime and had received sentences from the courts ranging from two years to life.
Departmental Billing
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much (a) his Department and (b) its agencies paid in interest to suppliers under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 in the last three years for which figures are available. [275196]
Paul Goggins: The Department does not separately record details on interest for late payment of invoices under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998.
The Department’s agencies paid a total of £34,542.42 in 2008-09. No amounts were paid in 2007-08 or 2006-07.
Drugs: Misuse
Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many community drug awareness campaigns have been undertaken by the Police Service of Northern Ireland in each of the policing districts in each of the last five years; and what assessment he has made of their effectiveness in each case. [276223]
Paul Goggins: That is an operational matter for the Chief Constable. I have asked him to reply directly to the hon. Member, and a copy of his letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
Defence
Afghanistan: Females
Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent steps British forces in Afghanistan have taken to protect girls' schools and girls travelling to and from school from violent attacks; and what discussions his Department has had with its military allies on the matter. [276540]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: ISAF forces in Afghanistan continue to work hard, in conjunction with the Afghan National Security Forces, to afford all Afghan nationals a safe and secure environment in which to go about their daily lives. To comment further on operational planning would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.
Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many service personnel injured in Afghanistan were admitted to UK hospitals as a result of their injury in each year since 2001; [276030]
(2) how many service personnel injured in Afghanistan have been hospitalised for more than (a) three months, (b) six months and (c) nine months as a result of their injury. [276041]
Mr. Kevan Jones: Prior to 8 October 2007, the information requested was not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, from 8 October 2007, the Defence Patient Tracking System (DPTS) has provided a centrally available record of locations where healthcare is being delivered along the care pathway of military patients.
Between 8 October 2007 and 14 May 2009, the DPTS shows 387 service personnel were admitted as an in-patient to one or more UK hospitals because of injuries sustained in Afghanistan. Of these personnel, 330 were admitted as an in-patient to one UK hospital only and 57 were admitted as an in-patient to more than one UK hospital.
11 of the 387 Service personnel were admitted to a UK hospital and were an in-patient for more than three months but less than six months.
None of the 387 Service personnel were admitted to a UK hospital and were an in-patient for more than six months but less than nine months.
None of the 387 Service personnel were admitted to a UK hospital and were an in-patient for more than nine months.
215 of the 387 Service Personnel included in this response still have open care pathways in the DPTS as they are still receiving specialist treatment. As such, some might require further periods as a hospital in-patient after 14 May 2009, leading to an increased cumulative length of time they have been admitted as an in-patient.
Some injured service personnel also receive out-patient hospital care and, or rehabilitation at the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre at Headley Court or at one of the MOD's Regional Rehabilitation Units.
Armed Forces: Eyesight
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) male and (b) female recruits to the Royal Navy Air Crew Pilot Branch were accepted with myopia of (i) -0.75 exactly, (b) less than -0.75 and (c) more than -0.75 are in both eyes in the last 12 months; and what the required eyesight standards for similar disciplines in other parts of the armed forces. [Official Report, 10 June 2009, Vol. 493, c. 7MC.][274348]
Mr. Kevan Jones: The number of male and female recruits to the Royal Navy Air Crew Pilot Branch accepted with myopia in both eyes in the last 12 months are provided as follows.
| MYOPIA | ||
| Male | Female | |
The Aircrew Entry Visual Standard for myopia of -0.75 is common across all three services. However the nature of secondary duties undertaken by Royal Navy personnel requires their pilots to pass an additional colour perception test.
AWE Aldermaston
Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the reasons are for rescheduling the nuclear accident planning exercise at AWE Aldermaston from 13 May to 3 June 2009. [276107]
Mr. Quentin Davies: The site exercise at the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) Aldermaston planned for 13 May 2009 was rescheduled as associated restrictions would have clashed with planned activities elsewhere on the site. The rearranged date of 3 June 2009 was agreed with the regulator, the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate.
Departmental Public Appointments
Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which former (a) hon. Members who left Parliament since 1997 and (b) Members of the House of Lords from each party have been appointed to positions on public bodies within his Department’s responsibility; and who made each appointment. [267539]
Mr. Kevan Jones [holding answer 27 March 2009]: Information on board membership and remuneration is published in individual bodies’ annual report and accounts.
Departmental Stationery
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how much his Department spent on the purchase of (a) recycled office supplies in the last 12 months and (b) printer ink cartridges in each of the last five years; [274204]
(2) what proportion of office supplies purchased by his Department were recycled products in the latest period for which figures are available. [275348]
Mr. Kevan Jones: In financial year 2008-09, the MOD spent a total of £20.3 million on its corporate office supplies contracts. Of that figure, 54 per cent. (£11 million) was spent on products that contained recycled material.
Until 1 October 2007 MOD office supplies, including printer consumables, were purchased under a number of separate contracts.
Information relating to spend prior to this date is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
The amount spent since 1 October 2007 is provided in the following table.
| £ million | ||
| FY 2007-08 | FY 2008-09 | |
|
Recycled office supplies (excluding printer ink/toner cartridges as shown below) | ||
|
(a) Remanufactured (i.e. with 100 per cent. recycled content) | ||
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