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7 Apr 2010 : Column 1395W—continued
Chris Bryant:
Our embassy will liaise with the Procurador General's office, and if and when an official report is made public, we will provide a copy to the Library of the House. We have contacted the Procurador General's office who has informed us that the investigation is still at the preliminary verification stage and that they are currently building up an historic memory. As developments into the investigation proceed our embassy will regularly
liaise with EU member states and human rights organisations, as part of our constant contact with these groups.
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has received reports on the activities of units of the Colombian Army which operate in and around the southern Colombian municipality of La Macarena in the province of Meta; and whether he has received representations on alleged human rights abuses by those military units. [325581]
Chris Bryant: We have received no reports or representations on battalions operating in the La Macarena area. However, the organisation DHBAJOARIARI follows up on cases which are allegedly committed by the state and includes issues such as forced disappearances, extra-judicial killings. The organisation has not directly lobbied us on any individual incidents.
Scotland
Employment
11. John Howell: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with Ministerial colleagues on measures to promote employment in Scotland. [325097]
Mr. Jim Murphy: I have regular discussions on employment in Scotland including about the Future Jobs Fund in Scotland.
Employment: Glasgow
12. John Mason: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had on levels of employment in Glasgow. [325098]
Mr. Jim Murphy: In January I set up a taskforce to look at the problems of worklessness in Glasgow. I received the final report on 25 March which I discussed with the chair of the taskforce, Professor Pamela Gillies, Principal of Glasgow Caledonian university. I have had a number of discussions with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions about the work of the taskforce.
Anti-Slavery Day Bill
13. Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland pursuant to the answer of 13 January 2010, Official Report, column 961W, if he will seek the consent of the Scottish Parliament to extending the provisions of the Anti-Slavery Day Bill to Scotland. [325099]
Ann McKechin:
The Scotland Office plays a vital role in working with the Scottish Government to ensure that where a Bill at Westminster covers areas of devolved policy the appropriate consent is secured. However, ultimately it is the Scottish Government that must agree to seek consent from the Scottish Parliament to extend the provisions of a particular Bill. My officials kept Scottish Government officials fully informed of progress of the Anti-Slavery Day Bill, but we were advised that
the Scottish Government did not wish to bring forward a Legislative Consent Motion for this Private Members' Bill at this time.
Economic Growth
14. Mr. Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on measures to increase the rate of growth of the Scottish economy. [325100]
Mr. Jim Murphy: I have had numerous discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on a range of issues affecting Scotland, most especially around ensuring we do everything possible to help Scotland through the most severe global downturn in 60 years. The Scottish economy has benefited from the UK Government's fiscal stimulus, and will benefit from a range of measures designed to drive the economy to a sustained recovery.
Scottish Consolidation Fund
Mr. Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the method for determining the level of grant to be allocated to the Scottish Consolidated Fund in 2010-11. [325095]
Mr. Jim Murphy: I have regular discussions with the Chancellor on a range of issues.
Communities and Local Government
Council Housing: Oldham
Mr. Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether he has given an undertaking to write off the sum provided to Oldham council to achieve the Decent Homes Standard in the event that it is successful in its stock transfer initiative. [325800]
Mr. Ian Austin: I refer my right hon. Friend the answer I gave him on 25 March 2010, Official Report, column 542W.
Croydon
Mr. Pelling: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will set out with statistical evidence relating as closely as possible to the Croydon Central constituency, the effects of his Department's policies on the constituency since 2005. [325821]
Barbara Follett: This Department does not routinely collect information at constituency level but, as the constituency of Croydon, Central, falls within the local authority of Croydon we have, where relevant included information from them in this answer.
The Neighbourhood Statistics Service provides a wide range of statistical information at parliamentary constituency level, taken from the 2001 census and other sources. This service is available on the National Statistics website at:
Communities and Local Government statistical publications can be found at:
This includes time series data across the Department's remit at various geographic levels.
Details of research projects commissioned by Communities and Local Government and its predecessors are available from our Research Database (RD) at:
This includes evaluations of key policies.
Over the last year, Communities and Local Government has:
Played a critical role responding to the recession ensuring people, business and communities receive the practical help they need, including: helping people avoid repossession; Real Help Now; supporting the construction industry, critical regeneration projects, jobs through Future Jobs Fund; and businesses with the business rates deferral scheme.
Set in place a platform for greater local devolution for more effective decision making through local area agreements (LAAs)-including slashing central performance standards from over 1,200 to fewer than 200.
Continued building on this through Total Place pilots, leading innovation across public services-cutting out waste, overlap and duplication, meaning more and better quality services at less cost to the taxpayer.
Established the Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC) set out in the Planning Act 2008-which will make the major infrastructure planning decisions for the country, delivering a faster, fairer and more transparent planning regime.
Announced the £1.5 billion Housing Pledge to deliver an additional 20,000 units of affordable housing, creating 45,000 jobs in the construction industry over this year and next, including 1,300 new apprenticeship schemes.
Last year there were 600 additional affordable homes provided by Croydon local authority. See link for further information:
During the period since 2005, the Department's achievements include:
Working with local housing authorities to reduce the number of people accepted as owed a main homelessness duty by 43 per cent. since 2005-06, and 72 per cent. since the peak in 2003-the lowest level since the late seventies-through greater emphasis on the prevention of homelessness.
In 2008-09, there were 449 households accepted as being homeless and in priority need in Croydon local authority compared to 581 households accepted as being homeless and in priority need in 2005-06. See link for further information:
Launching the Local Government White Paper 'Strong and Prosperous Communities' which set out a new stage of public sector reform, significantly strengthening leadership and devolving power to local government as well as providing a major expansion of opportunities for local people to influence local decision-making and improve their lives.
Helping reduce accidental fire-related deaths-the lowest level since 1959.
In 2008-09, there were 30 accidental fire related deaths in Greater London, compared to 47 accidental fire relate deaths in 2005/06. At the local level, fire deaths may fluctuate within a general declining national trend. See link for further information (Table 4b):
Reducing by 1.2 million the number of non-decent social homes As at the 1st April 2009, there were 1,088 non-decent dwellings in Croydon local authority, compared to 2,463 non-decent dwellings at 1 April 2006 See links for further information:
2008-09 data
2005-06 data
Investing through the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund £1.87 billion for England's 88 most deprived local authorities-leading to real positive change.
Departmental Food
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what account his Department's food procurement policy takes of animal welfare. [325533]
Barbara Follett: Communities and Local Government's (CLG) catering contract specifies that the provider shall take account of and support the Department in fulfilling the objectives of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) guidance for Public Sector Food Procurement Initiatives. The initiative aims to deliver a world class sustainable farming and food sector, including the consideration of animal health and welfare, and provides data on domestically produced food used by, and supplied to Government Departments.
CLG reports to DEFRA on procurement of food, catering services and catering equipment, indicating the proportion of UK produced supplied from farm assured, organic, Fairtrade and seasonal produce.
Departmental Internet
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people his Department employs to maintain its social media and networking sites; and at what cost in the last 12 months. [325593]
Barbara Follett: The Department's social media channels are maintained as part of the routine business of its web team. This has eight full-time, and one part-time, member of staff. The cost in salary terms for maintaining these social media channels has not been disaggregated but only forms a small proportion of the team's work load.
Departmental Senior Civil Servants
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people entered post at each grade of the Senior Civil Service in his Department (a) on promotion from within and (b) on recruitment from outside his Department in each year since January 2005. [322711]
Barbara Follett: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many grade 2 civil servants are employed in his Department. [324956]
Barbara Follett [holding answer 29 March 2010]: There are six directors general (SCS pay band 3) civil servants employed in the Department.
Departmental Temporary Employment
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department spent on (a) agency fees and (b) salaries of agency staff recruited to work at its headquarters (i) in each financial year since 2004-05 and (ii) in 2009-10 in the latest period for which figures are available; and how many agency staff his Department employed at each grade or equivalent at its headquarters in each year since 2004-05. [322840]
Barbara Follett: The Department has published its expenditure on Agency staff, staff substitution and Interim Management for the last three years in its annual reports. The breakdown of (a) agency fees and (b) salaries of agency staff could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
For 2006-07 spend (contained in Chapter 10, Table 4 -page 115):
For 2007-08 spend (contained in Chapter 10, Table 5 -page 141):
For 2008-09 spend (contained in Chapter 10, Table 13 -page 165):
In the current financial year 2009-10 the indicative spend is £15.1 million as at the end of February 2010. However full out-turn figures will not be available until the early summer when they will be published in the Department's annual report.
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