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8 Jun 2009 : Column 712W—continued
Animal Experiments: EU Law
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions she has had with animal welfare organisations on the revision of Directive 86/609/EEC on the protection of animals used for experimental and other scientific purposes. [278112]
Mr. Alan Campbell: The European Commission proposal for a draft directive for the protection of animals used in scientific procedures to replace Directive 86/609/EEC was published in November 2008. My hon. Friend Meg Hillier met the All Party Parliamentary FRAME Group, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), and the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection (BUAV) earlier in 2009 to discuss aspects of the draft directive. Home Office officials have also met with a wide and representative cross-section of relevant stakeholder groups to discuss its provisions and we are now holding a public consultation on the proposal to inform the Government's negotiating position. The consultation closes on 3 July 2009.
Burglary: Rotherham
Mr. MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many crimes of burglary were reported in Rotherham constituency in each year since 2001. [278080]
Mr. Alan Campbell: The available information relates to offences recorded by the police in the Rotherham local authority area and is given in the following table. The National Crime Recording Standard was introduced in April 2002 and data for 2002-03 onwards are therefore not directly comparable with the data for earlier years.
| Burglary offences recorded by the police in the Rotherham local authority area | |||
| Financial year | Burglary in a dwelling | Other burglary | Total burglary |
| (1) The National Crime Recording Standard was introduced in April 2002 and figures before and after that date are not directly comparable. | |||
Crimes of Violence: Elderly
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many violent crimes were committed against those aged 60 years and over in (a) Crosby constituency and (b) England in each of the last 10 years. [277730]
Mr. Alan Campbell: The information requested in not collected centrally. The age of victims of violent crime offences is not available from the recorded crime statistics collected by the Home Office.
Damian Green
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the evidential basis was for the claim made by senior officials in her Department that the unauthorised disclosure of information to the hon. Member for Ashford was a potential risk to national security; what representations she has received from (a) hon. Members and (b) members of the public about this issue; and if she will make a statement. [270590]
Mr. Coaker: The Cabinet Office statement, issued on 18 April 2009 makes clear that between 2005 and the start of the police investigation there were a large number of leaks from across Government, including information classified as secret and above—a classification usually given only on national security grounds. In addition, there were about 20 leaks of classified documents directly from the Home Office.
The Director of Public Prosecutions’ statement on 16 April 2009 acknowledged that “once the pattern of leaks was established in this case, it was inevitable that a police investigation would follow”.
Any leaks are a serious matter. They have a corrosive and damaging effect on the business of Government and undermine the core value of the impartiality of the civil service, as set out in the civil service code.
Ministers received a small amount of correspondence from both members of the public and hon. Members on this issue.
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she was informed that the hon. Member for Ashford would not be prosecuted; and if she will make a statement. [270715]
Mr. Coaker: The Director of Public Prosecutions informed my right hon. Friend’s office by fax at 10.49 on 16 April 2009 that the hon. Member for Ashford would not be prosecuted. The DPP made a televised statement shortly after 11.00 and issued a press release to this effect at 11.15.
Disclosure of Information
David T.C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions her special advisers have had with (a) Ministers, (b) civil servants and (c) others on the police investigation into the unauthorised disclosure of documents from her Department. [261458]
Mr. Coaker: No such discussions occurred prior to the arrest of the hon. Member for Ashford on 27 November 2008. Subsequently, Home Office special advisers have had a number of discussions in the course of their normal duties with Ministers, civil servants and others in relation to the investigation of leaks from the Home Office.
Driving Offences: Training
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what proportion of persons (a) committing traffic offences and (b) involved in road traffic accidents have been offered driver rectification courses as an alternative to prosecution in each police authority area in each of the last three years. [277874]
Mr. Alan Campbell: The information requested is not available.
Data reported to the Home Office on police action relating to motoring offences do not include information on driver rectification courses offered to offenders as an alternative to prosecution.
Theft: Fixed Penalties
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will issue guidance to police forces on the distinction between (a) opportunistic and (b) planned theft in the administering of fixed penalty notices. [276906]
Mr. Straw: I have been asked to reply.
The Government issue operational guidance on the issuing of penalty notices for disorder (PNDs) to police forces under section 6 of the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001. This guidance sets out the criteria which should be considered by police officers and makes clear that PNDs should not be issued where the offence is too serious and/or it involves aggravating factors, for example, where a theft has been planned.
Following representations from the hon. Lady and retail trades, the guidance covering shoplifting is being revised to clarify further the type of theft offence for which a penalty notice may be suitable. The new guidance will be issued shortly. However, police officers are accustomed to distinguishing different circumstances in which offences are committed, and no specific guidance will be offered on distinguishing between opportunistic and planned theft.
We are also considering the use of PNDs for retail theft and will report our conclusions to the House shortly.
Energy and Climate Change
Carbon Sequestration
Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (1) what risk descriptions are listed in the carbon capture and storage demonstration procurement project risk register; [277732]
(2) which Government Departments contributed to the carbon capture and storage demonstration procurement project risk register; [277738]
(3) what level of (a) inherent and (b) residual risk has been assigned to each risk in the risk register for the carbon capture and storage demonstration project; and what steps (i) have been taken and (ii) are planned to be taken to mitigate each risk. [277757]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The carbon capture and storage demonstration project team maintains a register of the risks to the competition. In the register, the Department records risks and associated mitigating factors openly and honestly, and away from the gaze of the bidders. The release of this information would not be in the public interest because it might have an inhibiting effect on the frankness and candour of the risk assessments or on the assessment of likelihood and impact of risks, and its release would also prejudice the Department's commercial interests, in particular, the Department's bargaining position and its ability to negotiate a competitive deal with the bidders.
The risk register was originally created by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) but responsibility for it transferred to the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) following its creation in October 2008. HM Treasury and Department for Transport indirectly contribute to the risk register through normal project governance. No other Government Departments have contributed to the risk register.
Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the minimum requirement of net electricity output will be from carbon capture and storage demonstration plants under the demonstration project. [277740]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: For the demonstration project announced in November 2007, we set out in the Project Information Memorandum the expectation that CCS technologies would be demonstrated on the flue gases of 300-400MW electrical output. The minimum requirement of net electrical output for this project will be confirmed in the invitation to negotiate to be issued to bidders.
We will shortly be consulting on proposals for additional demonstration projects and have already set out our intention to consult on a proposed 300MW net electrical output minimum requirement. The minimum requirement will be confirmed after the consultation has been completed.
Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (1) when the carbon capture and storage demonstration procurement project risk register was created; when it was last updated; and if he will make a statement; [277886]
(2) what the purpose of the carbon capture and storage demonstration procurement project risk register is; and if he will make a statement. [277887]
Mr. Mike O'Brien [holding answer 3 June 2009]: The carbon capture and storage demonstration procurement project risk register was created in June 2007 and was last updated on 29 May 2009.
The risk register is a repository of information about risks affecting the project. It provides identification, estimation, impact evaluation and countermeasures for all risks to the project. It acts as a control tool for the management team to manage the project’s exposure to risk and to keep that exposure to an acceptable level in a cost effective way. Risks are evaluated using assessments of likelihood, impact and proximity and are allocated to “owners” to ensure that agreed and documented actions are taken and reported on an ongoing basis.
Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent progress has been made in the development of carbon capture and storage technology; and if he will make a statement. [278349]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Barnsley, Central (Mr. Illsley) on 4 June 2009, Official Report, column 631W.
Departmental Marketing
Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much has been spent by his Department on advertising in weekly and regional newspapers since its inception. [277158]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: £191,638, excluding VAT.
Departmental Pay
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department paid in end-of-year performance bonuses to (a) all staff and (b) senior civil service staff in 2008-09; and how many such payments were made. [275257]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Department has yet to determine the end-of-year performance bonuses for all staff including senior civil service staff for the year 2008-09.
Departmental Safety
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department spent on compliance with requirements of health and safety at work legislation since its creation; and if he will make a statement. [274544]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Department occupy buildings and uses support services provided by both the Department of Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and Department for the Environment Food and Rural Affairs. Compliance with the requirements of health and safety at work legislation are included in these services and not separately accounted for.
Departmental Training
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department has spent on IT training for its staff since its creation. [274214]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: This information is not held centrally and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Work Experience
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many work placements his Department has offered to (a) school pupils, (b) university students and (c) graduates since its creation. [274487]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: Since its creation in October 2008 DECC has offered work placements to:
(a) Three school pupils
(b) Seven university students
(c) Two graduates
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