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Water: Meters
Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to promote the installation of water meters in newly-built dwellings. [283945]
Huw Irranca-Davies: In general, newly-built houses are fitted with water meters.
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many water meters were installed by water supply companies in homes in Hemel Hempstead constituency in each of the last three years. [284559]
Huw Irranca-Davies: Ofwat, the economic regulator of the water and sewerage industry, does not hold data on how many meters are installed in individual constituencies.
The following figures show how many water meters Three Valleys Water installed in its water supply area in the last three years. This includes the constituency of Hemel Hempstead.
| Three Valleys Water | |
| Number of meters installed ( households ) | |
Wessex Flood Defence Committee
Mr. Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much remuneration the chairman of the Wessex Flood Defence Committee received in each of the last three years; and how much he received in expenses (a) in total and (b) for overseas visits in each of those years. [284404]
Huw Irranca-Davies: The following table shows the salary and expenses of the chairman of the Wessex Flood Defence Committee over the last three years. There have been no claims for overseas visits on behalf of the Environment Agency.
| £ | ||
| Salary | Expenses | |
Prime Minister
Sir Alan Sugar
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Prime Minister on what date Sir Alan Sugar accepted the role of the Government's Enterprise Champion; and on what date he was officially appointed to that position. [285301]
The Prime Minister:
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Lewes (Norman Baker) on 18 June 2009, Official Report, column 452W. I also refer the hon. Member to the press briefing given
by my spokesman on 6 July 2009. A transcript of this is available on the No. 10 website:
and a copy has been placed in the Library of the House.
Northern Ireland
Bloody Sunday Tribunal of Inquiry
Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much the Bloody Sunday inquiry has cost to date. [285189]
Mr. Woodward: The cost of the Bloody Sunday Inquiry to the end of May 2009 is £188 million, including legal costs incurred by the Ministry of Defence.
Domestic Violence: Victim Support Schemes
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many centres for victims of domestic violence have opened in Northern Ireland in the last 12 months. [282287]
Paul Goggins: There are 12 refuges for victims of domestic violence throughout Northern Ireland. These are managed by the Women’s Aid Federation for Northern Ireland and are funded by the Department for Social Development (DSD) through the “Supporting People” initiative. In addition DSD fund the “Sanctuary Scheme” which provides security measures for women who wish to remain in their current home.
While none of these refuges opened in the last 12 months, I announced in December 2008 a capital investment of £350,000 to resource the final phase of refurbishment to the Women’s Resource Centre (The Naomi Centre) in Ballymena. This centre will provide services to more than 2,000 victims and their families every year and was officially opened on 30 June.
Government also fund a 24-hour freephone Domestic Violence Helpline (managed by Women’s Aid) for all victims of domestic violence. Respect who provide a phone line for perpetrators wishing to change their behaviour also receive Government funding for this service.
Government are also committed to introducing Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences (MARACs) throughout Northern Ireland by autumn this year.
Firearms
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many convictions were secured in Northern Ireland of a person using an illegal firearm in the course of the crime in 2008. [285505]
Paul Goggins: The information is not available in the format requested as the court databases do not contain background information in relation to offences committed; for instance, it is not possible to specify the number of convictions where an illegal firearm was used in relation to murder.
It is possible, however, to provide conviction statistics for firearm-related offences as specified by firearms legislation, including those that relate to the possession,
hiring, distribution or supply of firearms. In 2006 (the latest year for which data are available), there were 56 such convictions.
Data are collated on the principal offence rule; only the most serious offence with which an offender is charged is included.
Northern Ireland Compensation Agency
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects the backlog of outstanding claims to the Compensation Agency in Northern Ireland to be cleared. [285506]
Paul Goggins: The Agency does not have a backlog of claims. The processing of all claims begins as soon as they are received. The Compensation Agency seeks continually to improve its service to applicants by reducing the time taken to process claims, as required by its Framework Document.
The following table shows the Agency’s progress.
| New claims received | Claims in hand at start of year | Claims in hand at end of year | |
| Note: The figures for claims in hand include claims under review or where an appeal has been lodged. | |||
Offensive Weapons
Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how many assaults in which a knife was involved were recorded in Northern Ireland in the last 12 month period for which figures are available; [286000]
(2) how many people under the age of 18 years were the victims of crime involving a knife in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years; [286001]
(3) how many crimes involving a knife were recorded in each local authority area in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years. [286002]
Paul Goggins: These data are collated by the Police Service of Northern Ireland. I have asked the Chief Constable to reply directly to the hon. Gentleman, and a copy of his letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland: Equality
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the outcome was of the screening workshops held recently under the Public Prosecution Service equality scheme in Northern Ireland. [285503]
Paul Goggins: That is an operational matter for the Director of Public Prosecutions. I have asked him to reply directly to the hon. Gentleman, and a copy of his letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
Work and Pensions
Calor Gas: Canvey Island
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when she expects to publish the report on the escape of liquefied petroleum gas on the Canvey Island Calor Gas site in October 2008. [285502]
Jonathan Shaw: The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) will not be publishing a report into its investigation into the release of liquefied petroleum gas at Calor Gas Ltd.'s Canvey Island site in October 2008. This investigation is still ongoing. HSE does not routinely publish incident investigation reports but, as previously undertaken, will arrange to brief the hon. Member as soon as this is appropriate.
Disability Living Allowance
Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of claims for disability living allowance in respect of young people with autism have been awarded in each year since 2001. [284260]
Jonathan Shaw [holding answer 8 July 2009]: In October 2008 the set of codes used to record the disabling condition for disability living allowance changed. Primary and Secondary codes replaced codes for Care and Mobility and more fine detail was introduced with respect to disabling condition. Prior to October 2008, there were fewer than 50 categories for disabling condition, but now there are over 500. This information is available for statistical analysis from November 2008.
However, codes for existing disability living allowance claimants were not updated, so the number of cases with new codes is extremely small compared to the total numbers in receipt of disability living allowance. It is, therefore, not yet possible to produce an estimate of the total number of people claiming disability living allowance with a main disabling condition of autism.
New Deal Schemes
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what her latest estimate is of the budget for phase one of the Flexible New Deal. [266117]
Jim Knight: Expenditure on the flexible new deal is dependant on both the actual numbers of starts on provision, and the success of providers in getting jobseekers into work. Performance offers are subject to on going commercial negotiation.
Flexible new deal forms part of the support for long-term unemployed budget. I refer the hon. Member to the written answer given to her on 16 June 2009, Official Report, column 158W.
Culture, Media and Sport
Astley Park
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on what date the application by Chorley borough council for a grant for modernisation work at Astley Park in Chorley was received by the Heritage Lottery Fund; how much funding was (a) applied for and (b) awarded; and on what date the grant was awarded. [Official Report, 14 September 2009, Vol. 496, c. 37MC.] [284556]
Mr. Simon: Advice from the Heritage Lottery Fund is that it received the application by Chorley borough council for a grant for modernisation work at Astley Park in December 2004. The monetary value of grant applied for was £2,004,000, and the monetary value of grant awarded was £2,004,000. The Heritage Lottery Fund awarded the grant to Chorley borough council on 1 April 2005. Chorley borough council received a grant increase of £373,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund on 27 September 2007, bringing the total grant award to £2,377,000.
Big Lottery Fund: Campaign for Better Transport
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what funding the Big Lottery Fund has allocated to the Campaign for Better Transport; and for what projects such funding was allocated. [284091]
Mr. Simon: The Big Lottery Fund has informed me that it has provided no funding to the Campaign for Better Transport.
Digital Broadcasting: Radio
Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much the Government have allocated to ensuring good digital radio signal reception in all areas of the UK in each of the next three years. [284934]
Mr. Simon: As set out in the recently published Digital Britain White Paper, the Government recognise that building out a Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) infrastructure which meets the needs of broadcasters, multiplex operators and listeners, including improving the quality of the signal, will require additional investment. However, the Digital Radio Upgrade programme, alongside the proposals on co-location and licence-renewals, will offer significant cost-savings for commercial broadcasters, some of which must support investment in improving coverage.
In areas where the BBC's need to deliver universal access is not matched by the economic realities of the local commercial market, the BBC will need to bear a significant portion of the costs. The full cost cannot be left to the BBC alone. It is our intention that where possible the BBC and national commercial multiplex operator should work together to ensure that any new transmitters benefit both BBC and commercial multiplexes. Partnerships between the BBC and commercial local multiplex operators will be even more important at a local DAB level.
We will work with the BBC, transmission providers and Ofcom to agree a plan for the extension and improvement of local DAB coverage, and where the cost would most appropriately fall.
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