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2 Dec 2009 : Column 757W—continued
Developing Countries: Disabled
Tom Levitt: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) what steps his Department is taking to include children with disabilities in the programme established to achieve the Millennium Development Goal on schooling; [302994]
(2) whether he expects the Millennium Development Goal on schooling to be achieved in circumstances in which specific provision to meet the needs of children with disabilities is not made in the programme of work towards achievement of that goal. [302995]
Mr. Michael Foster: The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) cannot be achieved without addressing the specific needs and rights of people with disabilities. All children, including those with disabilities must have equal access to a good quality basic education. It is estimated that 90 per cent. of children with disabilities in developing countries are out of school.
The UK is spending £8.5 billion over the period 2006-07-2015-16 in support of education in developing countries. Alongside funding from other donors, these resources are used to support governments to ensure all children have access to basic education-including the children with disabilities. DFID is the second largest donor (£202 million) to the global financing partnership for education, the Education for All- Fast Track Initiative (FTI). We use our support to the FTI to leverage greater attention from partner governments to the needs of the most excluded children. DFID also directly supports Disability Partner Organisations (DPOs) in countries where we work to advocate for the rights for adults and children with disabilities. This is in recognition that social stigma and discrimination remain the main barriers for children with disabilities to attend school.
DFID's new education strategy will be launched early next year and will set out how we propose to implement our commitment to basic education for all children including those with disabilities.
Immobilisation of Vehicles
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department has paid in vehicle clamping charges incurred on (a) privately-owned and (b) publicly-owned land in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement. [302742]
Mr. Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) does not hold a central record of expenditure on vehicle clamping charges. Compiling this information would incur disproportionate cost.
Northern Ireland
Police
Mr. Donaldson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many police officers currently assigned to uniformed response policing duties in each
district command unit were so assigned immediately following an assignment to administrative duties observing normal office hours. [303264]
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.
Prisons: Mobile Phones
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he (1) plans to introduce measures to block mobile phone signals in prisons and detention centres in Northern Ireland; [302943]
(2) has estimated the cost to the public purse of blocking mobile telephone signals in prison facilities in Northern Ireland. [302949]
Paul Goggins: The Northern Ireland Prison Service (NIPS) is liaising closely with HMPS who are trialling signal blocking equipment in a number of establishments in Great Britain and working with the Home Office Scientific Development Branch and Ofcom to evaluate the technology available. While Ministers are determined to reduce the use of mobile phones in prisons, until the conclusions of the current evaluations and the identification of a preferred option, it is not possible to decide whether such technology will be installed in NIPS. It is also not possible to estimate the likely costs involved at this stage.
Olympics
Departmental Domestic Visits
David Simpson: To ask the Minister for the Olympics on how many occasions she visited (a) Scotland, (b) Wales and (c) Northern Ireland in an official capacity in the last 12 months. [303497]
Tessa Jowell: In the last 12 months I have visited Scotland and Wales on one occasion each. I have not made an official visit to Northern Ireland during the last 12 months.
KBR
Sir Menzies Campbell: To ask the Minister for the Olympics whether the Government Olympic Executive has entered into any contracts with Kellogg, Brown and Root or its subsidiaries since January 2009. [303333]
Tessa Jowell: The Government Olympic Executive has not entered into contracts with Kellogg, Brown and Root or its subsidiaries but the Olympic Delivery Authority has procured transport services from Kellogg, Brown and Root since January 2009 under the terms of a framework agreement.
Olympic Games 2012: Contracts
Hywel Williams: To ask the Minister for the Olympics how many tenders have been submitted for Olympic contracts from firms based in (a) Wales, (b) Scotland, (c) Northern Ireland, (d) England and (e) other countries. [302560]
Tessa Jowell: I have referred this question to the Olympic Delivery Authority. I will write to the hon. Member when I have received a reply, and I will place a copy of my reply in the Libraries of both Houses.
Prime Minister
Angad Paul
Mr. Graham Stuart: To ask the Prime Minister whether (a) he and his predecessor and (b) officials in the Prime Minister's Office have had meetings with Angad Paul in each of the last three years. [303112]
The Prime Minister: My officials and I have meetings with a wide range of organisations and individuals on a range of subjects.
Departmental Domestic Visits
David Simpson: To ask the Prime Minister on how many occasions he visited (a) Scotland, (b) Wales and (c) Northern Ireland in an official capacity in the last 12 months. [303491]
The Prime Minister: For information for 2008-09 I refer the hon. Member to my written ministerial statement of 16 July 2009, Official Report, column 76WS. A list of my UK visits for 2009-10 will be published in the usual way following the end of the financial year.
Departmental Travel
Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister (1) how many miles (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Office have travelled by taxi in the course of their official duties in each year since 1997; and at what cost to the public purse in each such year; [302705]
(2) on what date he last travelled by (a) bus and (b) taxi in the course of his official duties. [302719]
The Prime Minister: This information is not held in the format requested. Ministers, my officials and I travel making the most efficient and cost-effective arrangements. My travel arrangements are in accordance with the arrangements for official travel set out in chapter 10 of the "Ministerial Code", and the accompanying guidance document, "Travel by Ministers".
Meetings: Oil Companies
Mr. Wallace: To ask the Prime Minister (1) on what dates (a) he, (b) his predecessor and (c) officials of the Prime Minister's Office met executives of BP plc in each year since 2002; [301574]
(2) on what dates (a) he, (b) his predecessor and (c) officials of the Prime Minister's Office have met Royal Dutch Shell executives in each year since 2002; [301577]
The Prime Minister: My predecessor and I, and officials in my office, have regular meetings with a wide range of individuals and organisations.
Ministerial Policy Advisers
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Prime Minister which special advisers have visited Chequers since 2006; and on what dates. [302579]
The Prime Minister: A list of guests who have received official hospitality at Chequers is published on an annual basis and is available in the Library of the House. Information for the financial year 2009-10 will be published in the usual way.
Scotland
Departmental Public Expenditure
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the cost to his Department was of provision of office facilities to (a) special advisers and (b) press officers in the 2008-09 financial year. [302966]
Ann McKechin: A breakdown of the cost of office facilities is not available in the form requested.
Departmental Security
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many security passes his Department has issued to contractors providing consultancy services in the last 12 months. [303954]
Ann McKechin: One security pass was issued to a contractor providing consultancy services in the last 12 months. The pass was returned at the end of the contract.
Transport
Automatic Number Plate Recognition
Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many automatic number plate recognition cameras are in operation other than on the public highway; and what the (a) location and (b) purpose is of each. [303440]
Paul Clark: The Department for Transport has no automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras permanently located in off road locations.
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency's wheel clamping contractors, NSL Services Ltd, uses a fleet of 35 mobile wheel clamping units equipped with ANPR technology to help detect unlicensed vehicles. These units operate on and off the public road.
Cars: Carbon Emissions
Charles Hendry: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many and what proportion of cars sold in the UK had carbon dioxide emissions levels of 100 grammes per kilometre or less in (a) each of the last five years and (b) 2009 to date. [303525]
Mr. Khan: Data on carbon dioxide emissions per km (gCO2/km) from new cars sold in the UK are only available up to the year 2008. These data are published on the Department for Transport's website at:
A total of 3,592 cars with CO2 emissions under 100gCO2/km were sold from 2004-08. By year this breaks down as follows:
| Number of new cars sold with CO 2 emissions of <100g/km | Number as percentage of total new car sales | |
Departmental Disclosure of Information
Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many allegations of victimisation for whistleblowing have been made to his Department by its staff since 6 June 2006. [301495]
Chris Mole: There have been fewer than five allegations of victimisation for whistleblowing reported by departmental staff since 6 June 2006.
Where figures are fewer than five, it is the Department for Transport's policy to withhold details on grounds of individual confidentiality.
Civil servants are required to act in accordance with the standards and core values set out in the Civil Service Code. The Civil Service Code also provides for civil servants to raise matters of concern with the independent Civil Service Commissioners if they do not receive what they consider to be a reasonable response following departmental internal procedures. The Commissioners will also consider taking a complaint direct. Further guidance on whistleblowing is set out in the Civil Service Management Code and the Directory of Civil Service Guidance.
Departmental Domestic Visits
David Simpson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport on how many occasions he visited (a) Scotland, (b) Wales and (c) Northern Ireland in an official capacity in the last 12 months. [303493]
Chris Mole: The Minister of State has visited Wales once in his official capacity in the last 12 months, as part of the Regional Cabinet in Cardiff. His predecessor also visited Scotland. There have been no visits to Northern Ireland during the same period. All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code.
Departmental Expenditure
Mr. Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what the cost to his Department was of the provision of office facilities to (a) special advisers and (b) press officers in the 2008-09 financial year. [302965]
Chris Mole: The requested information is not recorded in the format requested.
Departmental Internet
Mr. Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what the cost was of maintaining his Department's website in the 2008-09 financial year; and what the forecast cost is of maintaining websites within his responsibility in the 2009-10 financial year. [302423]
Chris Mole: Tables have been placed in the Libraries of the House showing operating/maintenance costs for 2008-09 and forecast operating/maintenance costs for the Department for Transport websites for 2009-10.
Where annual operating/maintenance costs are not available this is due to a number of reasons; either the costs are part of a much larger contract and cannot be itemised; or the costs cannot be calculated without incurring disproportionate costs. Costs provided do not include staff costs.
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