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21 May 2009 : Column 1586W—continued
| Places block-purchased by YJB in secure training centres | ||||||||
| 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | |
From time to time, the Youth Justice Board spot-purchases places in secure children’s homes. The available information on such purchases since 2006 is given in the following table. Data for 2002-05 are not available. The YJB does not spot-purchase places at secure training centres.
| Places spot-purchased by YJB in secure children’s homes | |
| Number of spot purchases | |
Ms Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many (a) males and (b) females of (i) 15, (ii) 16 and (iii) 17 years of age who were classified as vulnerable have been placed in young offender institutions in each year since 2002. [276473]
Mr. Hanson: When a young person is remanded or sentenced to custody by the courts, the Youth Justice Board (YJB) places him or her in the most appropriate accommodation, taking account of a number of factors including his or her age, sex and any known vulnerabilities such as mental health problems or drug or alcohol abuse.
More-vulnerable young people are normally placed in secure children's homes or secure training centres, but young offender institutions are able to care for some young people identified as vulnerable. For example, the Keppel Unit at Wetherby young offender institution is a special unit providing 48 places for more-vulnerable 15 and 16-year-old boys.
Placement decisions are based on information provided in the young person's ASSET form. The information asked for is not available in the form requested. Vulnerability includes a wide range of possible factors and it would be necessary for the Youth Justice Board to search through each young person's record; that would be a large exercise, involving disproportionate cost.
Youth Justice
David Howarth:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the likely effects
of the implementation of proposals for a Young Offenders’ Academy on numbers of custodial places elsewhere in the juvenile estate. [276783]
Mr. Hanson: East Potential is an organisation that works with young offenders in East London. Its proposal to develop a young offenders academy is still at the development stage. It is too early to discuss the Government’s possible response to, or the likely effects of, a more fully developed plan.
Any proposals regarding use of custody for young people under 18 who offend would be considered in the light of the Government’s overall approach to youth justice, which focuses on prevention; reducing offending and reoffending; and public safety, with custody available as a last resort where no other option is realistic. It would also be necessary to look at the capacity of the under-18 secure estate and the likely future demand for places in it.
International Development
Burma: Storms
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what international aid has so far been brought into the Irrawaddy delta region following Cyclone Nargis by (a) the international community and (b) the UK. [276756]
Mr. Michael Foster: More than 30 countries and international organisations have provided aid to Burma following Cyclone Nargis. However, the financial value of their contributions has not been recorded systematically. By 30 April 2009, nearly US$315 million had been committed to the United Nations Emergency Appeal for Cyclone Nargis. Many donors, including the United Kingdom, have also made significant contributions through other channels such as non-governmental organisations.
In 2008-09 the United Kingdom committed £45 million towards the Cyclone Nargis relief effort, over 90 per cent. of which has now been delivered through the United Nations and non-governmental organisations. In March 2009, the Secretary of State for International Development agreed to provide a further £20 million for Burma over the next two years in addition to previously planned spending. Approximately £12 million of this extra funding will be spent on cyclone-related assistance.
Departmental Reviews
Mr. Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many (a) review and (b) taskforce projects his Department has commissioned in each of the last five years; what the purpose of each such project is; when each such project (i) began and (ii) was completed; what the cost of each such project was; and if he will make a statement. [275974]
Mr. Michael Foster:
Summary information on taskforces and other standing bodies is available in the annual Cabinet Office publication ‘Public Bodies’. Copies of ‘Public Bodies 2008’ are available in the Libraries of the House. Detailed information on ad hoc advisory bodies
is available in the Department for International Development's (DFID) Annual Resource Accounts, which are available on the DFID website:
Overseas Aid: Public Consultation
Mr. Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will take steps to involve members of diaspora communities from developing countries who are resident in the UK in formulation of his Department's policy in relation to the those countries. [275097]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: There is country-level consultation with United Kingdom-based diaspora groups on the Department for International Development's (DFID) strategies and country assistance plans (CAPs). For instance, in 2008 we consulted Somali, Pakistani, Nepali and Bangladeshi diaspora groups. Later this month DFID is organising a series of outreach events with the Bangladeshi diaspora in various locations in the UK.
Duchy of Lancaster
Departmental Stationery
Sarah Teather: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much (a) 10 Downing Street and (b) the Office of the Minister for the Olympics has spent on branded stationery and gifts for (i) internal and (ii) external promotional use in each of the last five years. [273770]
Kevin Brennan: The information is not held in a format that would enable the question to be answered without incurring disproportionate cost.
Local Government
Janet Anderson: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what his policy is on co-operation between local authorities and community associations; what representations he has received on the recent decision of Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council on its relationship with community associations and the future payment of grants committed to such associations; and if he will make a statement. [276021]
Kevin Brennan: The Government’s policy on the relationship between local authorities and the third sector is to promote partnership working in order to achieve better outcomes for local communities. Local compacts agreed between local public agencies and the local third sector set out the principles and undertakings to relationships at a local level.
The Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act, 2008 set out the new local government performance framework including the role of the third sector. A key part of this is national indicator (N17) which measures the performance of local statutory bodies in creating an environment for a thriving third sector. All local areas will be assessed on this by the new comprehensive area assessment.
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster has received no representations on this but the Office of the Third Sector has been made aware of the matter.
Public Sector: Recruitment
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what recent representations he has received on levels of advertising of public sector jobs and statutory notices in local newspapers. [256398]
Mr. Watson: In my ministerial role I receive representations on many things.
I can confirm that I have received a number of representations regarding levels of advertising of public sector jobs and statutory notices in local newspapers.
Health
Abortion
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will place in the Library a copy of each document in his Department’s file CPO 14/7 Abortion Laws in Other Countries; and if he will make a statement; [274758]
(2) if he will place in the Library a copy of each document in his Department’s file CPO 5/5 Publicity Material and Publications from Anti Abortion Organisation; and if he will make a statement; [274759]
(3) if he will place in the Library a copy of each document in his Department’s file CPO 3/6 Abortion Act 1967 Correspondence between Sir Bernard Braine MP and Minister of Health on matters concerning abortions in NHS hospitals; and if he will make a statement; [274760]
(4) if he will place in the Library a copy of each document in his Department’s file CPO 2/16—Bill to Reduce Time Limit on Abortion; and if he will make a statement; [276233]
(5) if he will place in the Library a copy of each document in his Department’s file CPO 2/17 Consideration of Abortion Measures In Warnock Bill (Confidential); and if he will make a statement; [276858]
(6) if he will place in the Library a copy of each document in his Department’s file CPO 2/18 Abortion—Private Members’ Bills 1989; and if he will make a statement; [276859]
(7) if he will place in the Library a copy of each document in his Department’s file CPO 2/10 Abortion (Amendment) Bill Committee Stage Briefing; and if he will make a statement; [276860]
(8) if he will place in the Library a copy of each document in his Department’s file CPO 2/27 Select Committee on the Abortion (Amendment) Bill; and if he will make a statement; [276861]
(9) if he will place in the Library a copy of each document in his Department’s file CPO 2/11 Nicholas Winterton—Abortion (Financial Benefit) Bill; and if he will make a statement; [276862]
(10) if he will place in the Library a copy of each document in his Department’s file CPO 2/12 Edward Leigh—Abortion (Treatment of Non Resident Women) Bill; and if he will make a statement. [276863]
Dawn Primarolo: We can confirm that the Department does hold these files. It will take some time to review the information requested and we shall endeavour to do so within 20 working days, which is the period of time that would apply had the hon. Member submitted his questions as freedom of information requests. I will write to the hon. Member in due course and place a copy of my letter in the Library.
Animals: Imports
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the potential harm to public health from illegal wildlife imports; and if he will make a statement. [275942]
Dawn Primarolo: The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, working where appropriate with the Department of Health, produces regular assessments of the risk to Great Britain of various different animal diseases, a number of which are “zoonotic” and can therefore be passed to humans. Copies of these veterinary risk assessments are published at:
These assessments include the animal disease risk of illegal imports, although the nature of that activity means that it is difficult to quantify the risk. That is why the Government have robustly enforced import requirements for pets and commercially traded animals.
Colorectal Cancer
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people resident in England and registered at GP practices in Wales are awaiting bowel cancer screening; and how many GP practices in Wales have such patients registered. [277128]
Ann Keen: There are approximately 3,000 eligible people resident in England with a general practitioner (GP) in Wales. These individuals are served by 29 different Welsh GP practices.
The NHS Cancer Screening Programmes and Connecting for Health are working actively to ensure that, once bowel cancer screening is established in the areas where they are resident, services will be provided to these individuals.
Departmental Dismissal
Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many members of staff in his Department and its agencies were dismissed (a) for under-performance and (b) in total in each of the last 10 years. [274305]
Mr. Bradshaw: Prior to 2006 records were not held centrally for the core Department, and are not available. Since then the core Department has not dismissed any civil servants for poor performance, although other sanctions, including demotion, have been used in cases of poor performance. In the last year less than five individuals have been dismissed from the core Department for reasons other than performance.
In NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency (PASA) no civil servants have been dismissed for poor performance
since the organisation was founded in 2000. In the years 2000, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006 no civil servant was dismissed from NHS PASA. In each of 2001, 2002, 2007 and 2008 a small numbers of individuals (under five in each year) were dismissed from NHS PASA for reasons other than performance.
In the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency less than five individuals were dismissed for poor performance in the past year. Total dismissals in each year since 2004 have been greater than zero but less than five.
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