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11 Nov 2009 : Column 410W—continued
These figures represent the continuation of a process of rebalancing TA strength to the reduced requirement on the Reserves which started as part of the Options for Change process in 1991 when TA strength was 90,068.
Cabinet Office
Departmental Air Travel
Mr. Heald: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many first-class flights were taken by each Minister in her Department in 2008-09; and what the (a) origin, (b) destination and (c) cost was of each such flight. [298759]
Tessa Jowell: Information on Ministers' travel overseas is published on an annual basis. The list for 2008-09 can be accessed at:
and a copy is available in the Libraries of the House.
Travel by Ministers is undertaken in accordance with the ministerial code.
Departmental Freedom of Information
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many freedom of information requests under consideration by the Information Commissioner concern information held by her Department; and if she will make a statement. [296761]
Tessa Jowell: This is a matter for the Information Commissioner. However, my hon. Friend may wish to be aware that the Information Commissioner's Office has published a list of requests under consideration, as of September 2009, on their website:
A copy of this list has been placed in the Library.
Departmental Procurement
Mr. Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what use her Department makes of electronic auctions when undertaking procurement exercises. [299474]
Angela E. Smith: Cabinet Office policy is to always select the procurement strategy most likely to provide best value for money. To date, the Department has not used electronic auctions directly. As a major user of collaborative procurement, the Cabinet Office benefits from contracts placed by other Departments which employ electronic auction functionality.
Departmental Work Experience
Mr. Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much interns in (a) No. 10 Downing street and (b) the Cabinet Office are paid. [299450]
Angela E. Smith: The Prime Minister's Office is an integral part of the Cabinet Office. The Cabinet Office pays interns a salary which is commensurate with the grade of the role that the intern is filling.
Disclosure of Information
Mr. Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) pursuant to the answer of 28 October 2009, Official Report, columns 267-8W, on Operation Miser, if she will place in the Library a copy of her Department's protocol on handling unauthorised disclosures and national security cases; [299254]
(2) if she will place in the Library a copy of the Cabinet Office document guidance on leak investigation policy and procedures. [299320]
Tessa Jowell: The guidance document "Official Information: standards of conduct and procedures" is being prepared and will shortly be sent to Departments. It will incorporate protocols for the investigation of unauthorised disclosures. The guidance will be submitted to the chairman of the Public Administration Select Committee and will be placed in the Library of the House.
Publishing details of working methods and investigative techniques would compromise the effective conduct of investigations in future.
Dorneywood
Mr. Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office by what process the trustees of Dorneywood are appointed. [299417]
Tessa Jowell: The trustees of Dorneywood are appointed as follows:
One trustee is nominated by the Prime Minister, being a person holding Cabinet or ministerial rank. One trustee is appointed by the Council of the National Trust. One trustee is appointed by a resolution of the trustees on the recommendation of the Prime Minister. Fourthly an additional trustee may be appointed by the other trustees.
The three non-ministerial trustees are appointed for a period of five years, renewable for a further period of five years, subject to the agreement of all the trustees.
Electoral Register
Mrs. Laing: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what her most recent estimate is of the number of people eligible to register to vote in (a) local, (b) European and (c) UK parliamentary elections. [299166]
Angela E. Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Jil Matheson, dated November 2009:
As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what the most recent estimate is of the number of people eligible to register to vote in (a) local, (b) European and (c) UK Parliamentary elections. (299166)
ONS publishes the number of people registered to vote in local, European and Parliamentary elections but does not hold data on the number who are eligible to register. The mid-year estimate of the resident population, aged 18 and over, provides an approximation to this although not everybody who is usually resident is entitled to vote. For example, foreign citizens from outside of the EU and Commonwealth are not eligible.
The definition of the usually resident population is closer to the eligibility criteria for the local and European electorate than to those for the parliamentary electorate because the latter exclude EU citizens and include UK citizens resident abroad.
The mid-year estimate of the resident population aged 18 and over for the UK, for 2008 is 48,263,000. This is the most recent year for which estimates are available.
Futurebuilders England
Mr. Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether she plans to renew the Futurebuilders England Fund Management Ltd. contract on its expiry. [299414]
Angela E. Smith: The services agreement for the Futurebuilders Programme between the Cabinet Office and Futurebuilders England Fund Management Ltd expires on 31 March 2011.
The Government are not yet in a position to make commitments to programmes which could extend beyond the current spending review period which runs from 2008-09 to 2010-11.
Government Departments: Taxis
Ian Stewart: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what contracts her Department has with private hire taxi companies; and what information her Department holds on such contracts held by other Government departments. [299762]
Angela E. Smith: The Cabinet Office has one contract for the provision of taxi services. It is with Addison Lee and it is used for most pre-booked journeys where public transport is deemed unsuitable, for example due to unsociable hours or a lack of available alternatives.
The Cabinet Office has no information on contracts with private taxi companies held by any other Government Department.
Iraq Committee of Inquiry
Mr. Hague: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many serving Ministers have received requests to give evidence to the Chilcot Inquiry; and if she will make a statement. [293560]
Tessa Jowell: I refer the right. hon. Gentleman to the answer given to him by the Prime Minister on 19 October 2009, Official Report, column 1210W.
Mr. Hague: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many officials from her Department are seconded to work on the Chilcot Inquiry; and if she will make a statement. [293566]
Tessa Jowell: There are currently 19 staff employed in the Iraq Inquiry Secretariat, comprising both full and part-time staff drawn from Government Departments as follows: Cabinet Office, six; Ministry of Defence, four; Foreign and Commonwealth Office, three; Northern Ireland Office, one; Serious Fraud Office, one; Government Communications Headquarters, one; Department for International Development, one. These staff are either on secondment, loan or attachment. In addition, there are currently two temporary staff engaged from outside Government.
Lone Parents: Females
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many female lone parents there have been in (a) England, (b) the North East, (c) Tees Valley and (d) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency in each year since 1997; and what proportion of such women lived in council accommodation in each such year. [297380]
Mr. Ian Austin: I have been asked to reply.
Estimates of the numbers of households headed by female lone parents with dependent children and the proportions of those households living in social rented accommodation, in the North East and England, for each year since 1997 are provided in the following table. Data are not available at constituency level. Estimates for council accommodation are not available.
Ministerial Policy Advisers
Mr. Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many special advisers in the Government are (a) members of the Government Communications Network and (b) primarily involved in the field of communications. [299413]
Tessa Jowell: The "Code of Conduct for Special Advisers" sets out the nature of work a special adviser may do at their Ministers request. This includes media and communication activities.
Non-Governmental Organisations
Mr. Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what definition of a quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisation her Department uses. [299410]
Tessa Jowell: This is not a formal term used within Government. The term "non-departmental public body"-or NDPB-has been used by successive Governments since 1980 and refers to a body which has a role in the processes of national Government, but is not a Government Department, or part of one, they accordingly operate to a greater or lesser extent at arm's length from Ministers.
Public Relations
Mr. Hurd: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what concerns the then Cabinet Secretary raised about the appropriateness of Mr Damian McBride's conduct when Mr McBride was a civil servant. [290134]
Tessa Jowell: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 15 October 2009, Official Report, columns 1038-39W, to the hon. Member for North Norfolk (Norman Lamb).
In relation to Mr. McBride's employment as a permanent civil servant it is not the Government's practice to disclose information relating to the employment of individual civil servants which is confidential between the employer and employee.
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