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9 Jun 2010 : Column 159W—continued
Trade Unions
Mr Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans she has to consult trade unions in (a) her Department and (b) its agencies concerning deficit reduction plans. [609]
Nick Herbert: The Home Office and its agencies are fully committed to making the savings required in the Government's deficit reduction plan.
The Department is drawing up detailed plans on how the savings will be made, and how this will affect staff.
Staff are being kept informed of changes through a variety of methods.
Where there is a requirement to consult and in circumstances where consultation is deemed to be the best approach, irrespective of obligation, the Home Office and its agencies will consult with the relevant recognised trade unions on areas where the plans will have a significant impact on staff.
Work and Pensions
Departmental Billing
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of invoices from suppliers to his Department were paid within 10 days of receipt in (a) March and (b) April 2010. [1266]
Chris Grayling: The percentage of supplier invoices paid within 10 days of receipt is as follows:
| Percentage | |
Departmental Official Hospitality
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what budget his Department has allocated for entertainment, including alcohol, in each of the next three years. [1324]
Chris Grayling: The Department does not allocate a budget for the provision of entertainment or alcohol. All expenditure is made in accordance with published departmental guidance on financial procedures and propriety, based on the principles set out in Treasury guidance 'Managing Public Money'.
Departmental Public Expenditure
Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the cost to his Department of the (a) implementation of penalty clauses and payments in its contracts and (b) potential legal action arising from the deferral and cancellation of contracts and projects under his Department's plans to achieve cost savings; and whether those estimates are included in the total cost savings to be achieved by his Department. [559]
Chris Grayling: DWP expects to minimise costs resulting from any deferral or cancellation of contracts and projects. Any estimate would be speculative at this stage and therefore none have been included within our plans for cost savings.
Departmental contracts include break clauses allowing the authority the right to terminate at any time by giving an agreed period of notice. This period of notice may vary from contract to contract dependant upon the goods or service being supplied. Any costs incurred by the Department would be deducted from reported savings.
In the event of procurement projects being deferred or cancelled, the Department would only pay those reasonable costs that had been agreed at the outset of a competition. The Department does not generally make any such agreement. Reported savings would reflect any costs incurred.
Employers' Liability
Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he plans to respond to the consultation on Accessing compensation: supporting people who need to trace employer's liability insurance. [986]
Chris Grayling: The public consultation closed on 5 May 2010. We are currently considering the replies we received and we will publish our response to the consultation in due course.
Future Jobs Fund
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many young people have been employed through the Future Jobs Fund in each constituency since its inception. [1019]
Chris Grayling: The Information requested is not available.
Housing Benefit
Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his policy is on the payment of housing benefit to tenants; and what plans he has to renew the effectiveness of the scheme under which such payments are made. [1033]
Steve Webb: Housing benefit in the private rented sector is normally paid to the customer but there are circumstances in which payment is made to the landlord.
If the customer has rent arrears of eight weeks or more the local authority should make payments to the landlord unless it is in the customer's overriding interest not to do so.
For customers whose benefit is assessed according to the local housing allowance rules, the local authority can make payments to the landlord if it considers the customer should be safeguarded because they are unable or unlikely to manage their rental payments.
Other customers in the private rented sector and those who have tenancies with registered social landlords can choose to have their benefit paid to the landlord. The local authority can also decide to make payment to the landlord if they consider it to be in the customer's best interests.
For local authority tenants housing benefit takes the form of a rebate against their rent account.
A review of the first two years' operation of the local housing allowance arrangements is being undertaken to monitor the impact of the local housing allowance at a national level. The review aims to cover a range of issues including direct payment to tenants.
Social Security Benefits: Disabled
Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has for the future of (a) incapacity benefit and (b) employment and support allowance; and if he will take steps to ensure that claimants with debilitating conditions are not disadvantaged by changes in the welfare system. [83]
Chris Grayling: A key priority for the new Government will be to help as many of the 2.2 million claimants of the old incapacity benefits as possible back into the work place. We support the view of many independent representative groups that, where possible, people are better off in work.
The Department plans to begin the reassessment of people receiving incapacity benefit in October 2010 and transfer cases to either employment and support allowance or jobseeker's allowance.
The Work Capability Assessment is carried out by a health care professional and delivers an evaluation of the extent to which a claimant is capable of work. We are aware that some people need much more support to manage their conditions and get help to find work, and moving them to employment and support allowance is the best way to do that. We know this is a big undertaking and are working on plans to make the change happen as smoothly as possible for all claimants.
A Department-led review of the Work Capability Assessment engaged with medical and other experts alongside a range of representative groups including the Disability Benefits Consortium, RNIB, Mind and the National Autistic Society among others.
We are committed to an annual, independent review of the Work Capability Assessment for the first five years.
Social Security Benefits: Fraud
Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department budgeted for advertising tackling benefit fraud in each of the last three financial years. [1035]
Chris Grayling: The information is in the table:
| Budgeted expenditure for advertising tackling benefit fraud | |
| £ million | |
| Note: Includes media costs, PR, production and research costs. It excludes VAT. | |
We are currently reviewing all advertising expenditure and requests for further funding will be submitted to HM Treasury for approval.
Trade Unions
Mr Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to consult trade unions in (a) his Department and (b) its agencies concerning deficit reduction plans. [617]
Chris Grayling: My officials met with departmental trade union side on 25 May 2010 to discuss the planned reductions in Government spending. These plans form part of the Government's wider deficit reduction programme. As and when the detailed proposals become available, departmental officials will continue to consult with our trade unions at the appropriate level.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Chen Guangcheng
Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department had had discussions with the Government of China on the case of Chen Guangcheng; and if he will make a statement. [79]
Mr Jeremy Browne: We have raised our concerns about the case of Chen Guangcheng with the Chinese authorities on three occasions since 2006. One of these occasions was during the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue in January 2009, together with the cases of other human rights defenders. The Chinese responded with details of the charges brought against him and of his unsuccessful appeal.
We are proposing that this case should next be raised at the EU/China Human Rights Dialogue on 29/30 June 2010 where Chen Guangcheng should be included on the individual case list. We will continue to monitor this case and raise it when appropriate.
Defence
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what arrangements he has in place to supply the foreign policy component of the Strategic Defence Review. [1014]
Alistair Burt: The foundation of the Strategic Defence and Security Review will be an assessment of Britain's place in the world, of the threats and opportunities facing Britain, and how we best defend ourselves against those threats and exploit those opportunities. That assessment will be agreed by the National Security Council, and it will determine the broad range of capabilities which we need. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office will continue to supply foreign policy input throughout the review.
Departmental Electronic Equipment
Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many (a) plasma and (b) LCD televisions there are in ministerial offices in his Department. [390]
Mr Lidington: There are 13 LCD televisions in Foreign and Commonwealth Office ministerial offices. This constitutes 16 rooms and includes all the Private Offices of all the Ministers and offices of Special Advisers. There are no plasma televisions.
Departmental Mobile Phones
Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which Ministers in his Department have been issued with (a) a BlackBerry, (b) an iPhone, (c) another make of mobile telephone and (d) a personal digital assistant supplied by the Department. [1429]
Alistair Burt: At the current time my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has been issued with one official BlackBerry and also has use of an in-car phone.
My hon. Friends the Under-Secretary of State (Mr Bellingham), the Minister of State (Mr Browne), the Minister for Europe (Mr Lidington) and I each have one official BlackBerry.
My noble Friend Lord Howell does not have an official mobile telephone.
No other mobile phones or personal digital assistants have been issued.
Departmental Public Appointments
Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many (a) political appointments and (b) other personal appointments he has made since his appointment; and at what estimated annual cost to the public purse. [370]
Alistair Burt: I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister's response of 3 June 2010, Official Report, column 99W.
Embassies: Buildings
Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he plans to sell property owned by his Department which is used as British embassies and residences overseas; and if he will make a statement. [506]
Alistair Burt: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) constantly reviews its global Estate in the light of changing operational needs to optimise the use of its property assets. As a consequence the FCO regularly acquires and disposes of its property assets. In 2009 the Treasury set the FCO an asset sales target of £25 million for the financial years 2010-11.
Between 2010-11 and 2013-14 we have identified 106 potentially redundant properties for disposal with a total book value of £71.09 million. This comprises four office buildings, six residences, 86 units of staff accommodation, four plots of land, three amenity complexes and three ancillary buildings. At present we have sold £848,000 with a further £9.8 million awaiting completion. In order to maximise the price received for the sale of our assets, it is not our policy to provide exact details of our sales programme, nor the price we expect to receive in advance of formal marketing.
We will continue to keep our property portfolio under review, ensuring it provides value for money, fitness for purpose, and security for our staff.
Details of sales completed are reported quarterly to the Foreign Affairs Committee. Book value for each property is based on value as assessed by independent Chartered Surveyors commissioned to undertake the rolling programme of revaluations.
Linda Carty
Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consular contact his Department maintains with Linda Carty in Mountain View Unit, Gatesville, Texas; what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of her legal representation; and if he will make a statement. [1461]
Alistair Burt: Our consulate general in Houston remains in close contact with Ms Carty and continues to provide her with consular assistance. A consular official last visited Ms Carty on 6 May 2010 and plans to visit her again this month.
The choice of counsel is up to Ms Carty. But we do work hard to ensure British prisoners abroad are aware of the range of legal options available to them, and to put prisoners potentially facing death sentences in touch with the non-governmental organisation Reprieve, who look to ensure that they are defended effectively.
This must be an extremely difficult time for Ms Carty and her family. We have been providing consular assistance ever since we learned of her case, in August 2002. We continue to support her and her family. We have made our concerns about her case known throughout the legal process, most recently submitting a supporting brief to the US Supreme Court on her behalf.
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