Written Answers to Questions
Wednesday 7 July 2010
House of Commons Commission
1 Parliament Street: Air Conditioning
Mr Amess: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, answering for the House of Commons Commission what steps the House authorities (a) have recently taken and (b) plan to take to improve the air conditioning within 1 Parliament street; and if he will make a statement. [6230]
Sir Stuart Bell: The Parliamentary Estates Directorate (PED) has recently upgraded the building management system at 1 Parliament street, allowing improved monitoring and control of the air conditioning plant and equipment serving the building. PED also routinely carries out maintenance of the building's ventilation and cooling systems.
PED has commissioned a feasibility study into all of the mechanical and electrical services in the block of buildings fronting onto Parliament street. The feasibility study will include options for improving the ventilation and cooling systems within 1 Parliament street and will be linked to works to alter the windows, in order to improve energy efficiency and provide improved blast protection. The associated report is due for completion in the autumn of 2010.
Defence
Armoured Fighting Vehicles
David Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many armoured vehicles are (a) deployed in theatre, (b) under repair and (c) held in reserve. [5863]
Nick Harvey: I am withholding information on the number of vehicles deployed in Afghanistan for operational security reasons.
The number of armoured vehicles under repair, not including those in Afghanistan, and held in reserve as at 27 June are shown in the following table:
| Vehicle | Level 1 and 2 Repair (Minor Service and repair) | Level 3 and 4 Repair (Extensive repair and overhaul) | Storage (Reserve) |
| (1) The figures for Viking are at 5 July 2010 | |||
The numbers of vehicles in level 1 and 2 repair will vary significantly from day to day. Most vehicles in this category will normally be back in service in 24 to 48 hours.
Army
Mr Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate his Department has made of the cost of adding an additional brigade to the army. [4553]
Nick Harvey: At this time no estimate has been made within the Department of adding an additional brigade to the Army. To provide an indicative costing would be unrealistic since it would depend on what role any such brigade was designed for. There are significant differences in the composition of a Heavy Brigade as opposed to a Light Brigade or an Airborne Brigade in terms of manpower, training, equipment and accommodation. For this reason it is not possible to give an indicative figure.
The Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) will bring defence policy, plans, commitments and resources into balance, and produce over time a transformative change to British defence.
At the heart of Defence contribution to the SDSR will be a thorough examination of our force structure, looking at the overall shape, size and role of armed forces personnel and MOD civil servants, including the reserve forces. Depending on the outcome of the SDSR, some capabilities may be reduced in order to enhance others and provide the most effective suite of measures for defending the UK's interests.
This will not be a salami-slicing review but one which provides coherent long-term policy direction and takes the tough choices required to produce the armed forces and wider defence capabilities the country will need in the decades ahead.
Departmental Official Cars
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which Ministers in his Department have used an allocated ministerial car to travel between the Department and the House of Commons on each day since 21 May 2010. [5542]
Departmental Responsibilities
Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what the roles and responsibilities are of the Minister for Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans; [5772]
(2) on what matters (a) within and (b) outside his listed ministerial responsibilities the Minister for Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans answers questions for written answer. [6357]
Mr Robathan: The roles and responsibilities of my post are similar to those fulfilled by the hon. Member when he was a Defence Minister. I have responsibility for service personnel, civil servants and the wider service family including reservists, cadets, ex-service personnel and families. This includes pay, allowances, entitlements and welfare.
I am also responsible for: estates matters; climate change and environmental issues; and, commemorative issues and medals.
In addition, I am responsible for the following agencies: The Service Personnel and Veterans Agency; the Pay, People and Pensions Agency; the Ministry of Defence Police and Guarding Agency; the Defence Vetting Agency; the Hydrographic Office; and the Meteorological Office.
I respond to written parliamentary questions (WPQs) on all of these issues. When the appropriate Minister is unavailable, however, the Ministry of Defence makes arrangements for another available Minister to approve and sign off WPQs to ensure that they are answered promptly.
HMS Sultan
Caroline Dinenage: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will commission an assessment of the social and economic effects on Gosport of the proposed transfer of HMS Sultan to South Wales. [5359]
Nick Harvey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to her on 15 June 2010, Official Report, column 350W, by my hon. Friend the Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology (Peter Luff). It is too early to consider commissioning an assessment.
Military Bases: Aviation
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will review the role of military airfields in defending the UK. [5848]
Nick Harvey: The Strategic Defence and Security Review is looking at a wide range of options to ensure that the Department has the right balance of resources to meet its commitments, and that the Defence Budget is spent as efficiently, effectively and economically as possible.
Nimrod Aircraft
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many sorties the Nimrod MR2 has flown in support of (a) counter-narcotics, (b) search and research and (c) anti-submarine warfare operations from RAF bases in the UK in each year since 2001. [6305]
Nick Harvey: The Nimrod MR2 was based at RAF Kinloss until it went out of service in April this year. The number of search and rescue sorties flown by MR2 aircraft from RAF Kinloss in each year since 2005 is provided in the following table. Information prior to 2005 is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
| Number of sorties | |
I am withholding the number of sorties the Nimrod MR2 has flown in support of counter-narcotics operations as its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of our armed forces. I am also withholding information on anti-submarine warfare operations for reasons of national security.
RAF St Athan
Caroline Dinenage: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the cost of the proposed private finance initiative project for the Engineering Training School at RAF St Athan over the next 30 years. [5375]
Nick Harvey [holding answer 5 July 2010]: The current estimate of the cost of Defence Training Rationalisation Package 1 project is £14 billion. This represents the cost for the provision of the construction of new facilities at St Athan and the whole operating costs for the entire 30 year life of the project. These operating costs include staff, catering and maintenance costs, the majority of which we already carry today.
Attorney-General
Corruption
Sir Menzies Campbell: To ask the Attorney-General whether the Serious Fraud Office plans to increase the resources it uses to investigate and prosecute international corruption; and if he will make a statement. [5606]
The Solicitor-General: The SFO recognises the importance of this work and continues to investigate and prosecute serious and complex international corruption on a case by case basis. Resources will continue to be allocated according to business needs.
Sir Menzies Campbell: To ask the Attorney-General how many reports of UK involvement in foreign bribery have been reported by each UK overseas post to the Serious Fraud Office. [5610]
The Attorney-General: The Serious Fraud Office regularly receives reports from other Government Departments as part of its investigations, and records indicate that 14 reports were received from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office since 2005.
Departmental Official Cars
Mr Bain: To ask the Attorney-General which Ministers in the Law Officers' Departments have used an allocated ministerial car to travel between the Departments and the House of Commons on each day since 21 May 2010. [5538]
The Solicitor-General: Exact records are not maintained on day to day usage of ministerial cars; however, every effort is made to minimise their use. Whenever possible the Law Officers walk between the Department and the House of Commons. The car is only used when there is a clear business need; normally for timing or security reasons.
Law Officers
Graham Evans: To ask the Attorney-General how much the Law Officers' Departments spent on catering in each year from 1997 to 2009. [4859]
The Solicitor-General: The amount spent on catering by the Law Officers' Departments from 1997 to 2009 is outlined as follows.
Treasury Solicitors Department (Tsol) :
Spending by Tsol on catering for the financial years from 1998-2010 is detailed in the following table. The data also covers the Attorney-General's Office and HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate for whom Tsol has financial responsibility.
The increase in expenditure in the year ending 31 March 2006 and onwards is accounted for by the creation of in-house facilities when Tsol relocated in August 2005. The expenditure from that date includes an operating subsidy paid to support the staff cafeteria and the cost of refreshments provided at training events, which had previously been accounted for as training costs. Since May 2006 the service has been shared with other building users who meet their share of the costs.
It is not possible to provide the information for earlier years without incurring a disproportionate cost.
| £ | |
The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) :
The Serious Fraud Office does not provide in house catering services, but does on occasion provide hospitality for external meetings, and refreshments for internal meetings where external visitors are present. The amount spent on this is detailed in the following table.
| Financial year | Total |
The National Fraud Authority (NFA):
Since its launch in 2008 the NFA has spent £4,000 and £4,916.37 on catering in 2008-09 and 2009-10 respectively.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS):
The CPS does not hold full central records of spending on catering throughout the service for all the years in question. The information sought could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, it is possible to provide a breakdown of CPS HQ costs relating to the canteen subsidy as far back as 2003-04. In addition, central records of catering expenditure are held for the Revenue and Customs Prosecution Office (RCPO), who merged with the CPS in January 2010, since 2005-06.
| CPS HQ catering costs-canteen subsidy | |
| Canteen subsidy (£) | |
| RCPO catering costs | |
| Expenditure (£) | |
Scotland
Departmental Training
Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what training has been provided for Ministers in his Department since the formation of the present administration; and at what cost. [6456]
David Mundell: I attended an induction workshop for new Ministers, organised by the National School for Government. There was no charge to the Scotland Office for the workshop.
Departmental Travel
David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the cost to the public purse was of first and business class travel paid for by his Department in 2009-10. [6104]
Michael Moore:
The Scotland Office does not separately record information and expenditure on first class travel. It is Scotland Office policy not to use first class travel
for officials. All ministerial travel is undertaken by the most efficient and cost effective way, in accordance with the Ministerial Code, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.
Communities and Local Government
Departmental Conferences
Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of expenditure by his Department and its predecessors on (a) organisation of and (b) attendance at conferences in each year since 1997. [6116]
Robert Neill: The Department's expenditure on conference (a) organisation and (b) attendance for the last four financial years is as follows:
| £ | |||
| Conference organisation | Conference attendance | Totals | |
Figures for earlier years could be supplied only at disproportionate cost.
Fire Services: Pensions
Mr Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent representations he has received on potential changes to fire service pensions. [6238]
Robert Neill: No recent representations have been received.
Housing and Planning Delivery Grant: Tower Hamlets
Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much Housing and Planning Delivery Grant the London borough of Tower Hamlets has received from the Government in each year since its inception; and how much will be made available in 2010-11. [5838]
Robert Neill: Housing and Planning Delivery Grant commenced in 2008-09 and London borough of Tower Hamlets received the following awards:
| HPDG Award (£) | |
There will be no Housing and Planning Delivery Grant allocations in 2010-11 as detailed in the announcement on the £1.166 billion Local Government contributed to the £6.2 billion cross government savings in 2010-11.
Infrastructure Planning Commission
Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 29 June 2010, Official Report, columns 35-6WS, on planning reform, what mechanisms he plans to put in place to ensure that no application lodged with the Infrastructure Planning Commission will take longer to consider under the (a) transition and (b) new arrangements than under the current system. [5994]
Greg Clark: During the transitional period before new legislation can be brought into effect, the existing provisions of the Planning Act 2008 which set the timetable for the examination, recommendations and decision making functions, will continue to apply.
We intend that the new arrangements will also include a statutory timetable for these functions, which allows no longer than is currently permitted for them to be carried out.
In addition, by requiring National Planning Statements to be ratified by Parliament, the scope for judicial review of planning decisions for major infrastructure projects will be reduced.
Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 29 June 2010, Official Report, columns 35-36WS, on planning reform, what timetable he has set for abolition of the Infrastructure Planning Commission. [6000]
Greg Clark: We anticipate that primary legislation to abolish the Infrastructure Planning Commission will be brought forward in the current Session of Parliament and abolition of this body will be put into effect as soon as it is possible to do so following the passage of the legislation.
Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 29 June 2010, Official Report, columns 35-36WS, on planning reform, what legislative proposals he plans to bring forward to establish the Major Infrastructure Planning Unit. [6001]
Greg Clark: As the written ministerial statement of 29 June 2010, Official Report, columns 35-36WS, makes clear, we intend to establish a major infrastructure planning unit as part of the Planning Inspectorate. Because it will be established in an existing agency of Communities and Local Government, its establishment will be effected through administrative rather than statutory processes.
The Government will bring forward primary legislation to effect the abolition of the Infrastructure Planning Commission in the current Session of Parliament, paving the way for the major infrastructure planning unit to be established.
Mr Iain Wright:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 29 June 2010, Official
Report, columns 35-6WS, on planning reform, what estimate he has made of the cost of abolishing the Infrastructure Planning Commission. [6002]
Greg Clark: We expect the abolition of the Infrastructure Planning Commission to save taxpayers' money as the IPC has not had time to build up significant liabilities. I have asked the chief executive of the IPC and the Planning Inspectorate to work together to ensure that these savings are realised.
Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the costs incurred as a result of the abolition of the Infrastructure Planning Commission. [6132]
Robert Neill: We expect the abolition of the Infrastructure Planning Commission to save taxpayers' money as the IPC has not had time to build up significant liabilities. I have asked the chief executive of the IPC and the Planning Inspectorate to work together to ensure that these savings are realised.
Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to abolish the Infrastructure Planning Commission. [6134]
Greg Clark: The Government will bring forward primary legislation to effect the abolition of the Infrastructure Planning Commission in the current session of Parliament.
Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans he has to establish the Major Infrastructure Planning Unit; what its (a) proposed annual budget and (b) location will be; and how many staff it will employ. [6135]
Greg Clark: The Major Infrastructure Planning Unit will be established to operate as a unit within the Planning Inspectorate.
(a) As part of the contribution towards the efficiency drive across Government Departments and their arm's length bodies and agencies, running cost for the period 2010-11 has been reduced by 10.5% to £6,265 million. Budgets for future years have not been agreed.
(b) The Major Infrastructure Planning Unit will be based in Bristol as part of the Planning Inspectorate.
(c) The number of staff in the Major Infrastructure Planning Unit will vary according to number of planning applications it is considering.
Local Government: Manpower
Mr Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what percentage of local government expenditure in England was for staffing costs in the latest period for which figures are available. [6513]
Robert Neill: The percentage of local government total service expenditure in England which was attributable to employee costs was 49%, in 2008-09, which are the latest figures available.
This figure is published in Table 6.2a (Page 129) of the Local Government Financial Statistics England No.20 2010, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House or on Communities and Local Government website at:
Northern Ireland
Departmental Conferences
Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of his Department's expenditure on (a) organisation of and (b) attendance at conferences in each year since 1997. [6110]
Mr Paterson: On 12 April 2010 the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) transferred responsibility for Policing and Justice to the Northern Ireland Assembly. Comparable figures for the Department as it is now configured are not available. Since 12 April the Department has incurred no expenditure in this area.
Departmental Equality
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much his Department has spent (a) in total and (b) on staff costs on promoting equality and diversity in each of the last three years for which figures are available; and how many people are employed by his Department for this purpose. [5913]
Mr Paterson: On 12 April 2010 the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) transferred responsibility for Policing and Justice to the NI Assembly. Comparable figures from previous years for the Department as now configured are not available.
The Northern Ireland Office, as now configured, has one member of staff who spends approximately 25% of her time on promoting diversity and monitoring performance at an estimated annual cost of £10,000.
Departmental Finance
Ms Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which Northern Ireland Executive departments will have their levels of funding under the block grant protected. [5338]
Danny Alexander: I have been asked to reply.
The Government announced in the June 2010 Budget that they are committed to protecting health and overseas aid in the Spending Review. Health is a devolved programme so the Northern Ireland Executive will benefit from health being protected in England through the operation of Barnett formula consequentials in the spending review. However it is for the Northern Ireland Executive to make its own decisions on how to allocate its block budget in Northern Ireland.
Departmental Lost Property
Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what property has been recorded as (a) lost and (b) stolen from the Department in the last 12 months; and what estimate has been made of the cost of the replacement of that property. [5975]
Mr Paterson: There have been no items recorded as lost or stolen in the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) in the last 12 months.
Departmental Training
Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what training has been provided for Ministers in his Department since the formation of the present administration; and at what cost. [6458]
Mr Paterson: My hon. Friend the Minister of State attended a ministerial induction workshop on 27 May arranged by the National School for Government on behalf of No. 10 and the Cabinet Office. There was no charge for this course.
Culture, Media and Sport
Departmental Lost Property
Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what property has been recorded as (a) lost and (b) stolen from the Department in the last 12 months; and what estimate has been made of the cost of the replacement of that property. [5978]
John Penrose: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the hon. Member for Bradford South (Mr Sutcliffe) to the then Member for Glasgow East (John Mason) on 17 March 2010, Official Report, column 889W.
Additionally, during the last 12 months the following items were recorded as lost or stolen.
| Item | Date | Lost/Stolen | Estimated cost of replacement (£) |
In the last 12 months the following work of art has also been reported missing from the Government Art Collection and is as yet un-located.
| Item | Date | Status | Estimated cost of replacement (£) |
|
Henry Powle (1630-1692) Speaker of the House of Commons and Master of the Rolls, engraving after Godfrey Kneller |
Departmental Manpower
Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much his Department has spent on human resources in each year since 1997. [5109]
Mr Jeremy Hunt: The cost of the Human Resource Team in DCMS for the last two years can be seen in the following table:
| £ | ||
| Description | 2008-09 Spend | 2009-10 Spend |
Prior to 2008-09, the Human Resources Team were part of a larger team including staff supporting the Department's IT system and estate management.
Costs relating to the Human Resources Team could be identified only at disproportionate cost.
Olympic Games 2012
Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport pursuant to the contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport of 24 June 2010, Official Report, column 150WH, on local media, what definition of the term multi-platform, multi-media ecosystem he uses. [6342]
Mr Vaizey: A "thriving, multi-platform local media ecosystem" is defined as local media businesses, operating on a commercially sustainable basis, continuing to innovate to produce local content across a range of platforms (such as the internet, television, radio and print), and potentially syndicating the delivery of this content.
Public Libraries: Information Services
Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport (1) what steps he is taking to encourage community libraries to provide access to and information on local authority services; [4759]
(2) if he will encourage libraries located in town centres to match their opening times to those of peak shopping times. [4762]
Mr Vaizey: People's expectations of their library services have changed and local authorities need to be responsive to the needs and wants of their customers. Responsibility and accountability for day to day management of individual library services, including opening hours and providing local authority information, is devolved to local authorities and their communities. However, DCMS is committed to helping local government find solutions to the problems it faces. A new support programme led by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council and Local Government Association Group will support councils, especially those who want to work in partnership with each other, to drive efficiencies and deliver an effective service. The learning and experience from that programme will be shared widely across the sector.
Transport
Airport Economic Regulation Bill
John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many of his Department's officials are working on preparations for the Airport Economic Regulation Bill. [5027]
Mrs Villiers: There are currently around 16 Department for Transport officials whose work includes contributing to aspects of preparing the Airport Economic Regulation Bill. This includes policy advisers, lawyers and economists.
Aviation: Passengers
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his Department's latest projections are of air passenger numbers over the next 30 years. [4988]
Mrs Villiers: The Department for Transport regularly publishes forecasts of the number of air passengers using UK airports. It did so most recently in "UK Air Passenger Demand and CO2 Forecasts", published in January 2009. The Department keeps its forecasts under review and will publish updated forecasts as appropriate.
Crossrail: Pay
Mr Rob Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what (a) salary and (b) bonus was paid to each (i) executive and (ii) non-executive director of Crossrail Limited in 2009-10. [6127]
Mrs Villiers: Crossrail Limited is a 100% subsidiary of the Transport for London Group. As such the salary and bonuses paid to the executive and non-executive directors are a matter for the Mayor of London.
Departmental Responsibilities
Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the roles and responsibilities are of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport. [5755]
Norman Baker: The responsibilities, which are published on the Department's website, are as follows:
Regional and Local Transport
Buses and Taxis- including concessionary fares
Walking and Cycling
Accessibility and Equalities
Alternatives to travel
Light rail and trams
Natural environment
Parking
Traffic management
Corporate issues
Strategic Roads and Highways Agency
Motoring agencies
Road Safety and Standards
Freight and Logistics-including lorry road user charging
Maritime and Dangerous Goods-(including Maritime and Coastguard Agency)
Better regulation.
Leamside Railway Line
Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has for the future of the Leamside Line in County Durham and Tyne and Wear; and if he will make a statement. [6512]
Mrs Villiers: There are no plans at present to re-open the Leamside Line. However, there are no plans to dispose of the land occupied by the line. The possibility for re-opening in the long term remains open, if running trains on this route is shown to be the best way of meeting regional and local transport needs.
Merchant Shipping: Registration
David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the likely effects on the number of merchant naval ships registered in the UK on the requirement to pay wages to non-British sailors at the level of the national minimum wage. [6034]
Mike Penning: The previous Government commissioned a review into the practice of differential pay for seafarers recruited abroad. I wish to look afresh at the issues and evidence presented before taking further steps.
Network Rail: Pay
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what statutory powers he has in relation to arrangements for executive pay at Network Rail. [4970]
Mrs Villiers: The Secretary of State for Transport currently has no statutory powers in relation to executive pay at Network Rail.
Railways
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the rail improvement schemes (a) between Liverpool and Leeds and (b) around Sheffield are for which funding was announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Budget Statement of 22 June 2010; how much each such scheme will cost; and if he will make a statement. [4439]
Mrs Villiers: The improvement scheme between Liverpool and Leeds via Manchester consists of various network improvements to reduce journey times between these cities. The scheme relating to Sheffield consists of line speed improvements on the Midland Main Line between London, Nottingham and Sheffield via Derby. Both these schemes are under development by Network Rail. The cost of each scheme will be finally determined once the development work has been completed.
Railways: Cycling
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has for the budget allocated by his Department for improving cycling facilities at rail stations. [3913]
Mrs Villiers:
£4 million has been made available through Cycling England for four flagship Bike 'n' Ride train operating companies. Over the two years 2009-11,
Virgin Trains, Merseyrail, Northern Rail and South West Trains will be improving cycle facilities at stations across their network.
Future budgets will depend on decisions to be made in the comprehensive spending review.
Railways: Fares
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what plans he has for future levels of regulated rail fares; [3910]
(2) whether he plans to retain the formula for regulated rail fare increases of RPI inflation plus 1%. [4046]
Mrs Villiers: The Government are committed to fairness on rail fares. We hope to be able to keep the current formula for the cap on regulated fares, but we will need to wait until further work has been done on the spending settlement before making a final decision on the fare formula for next year.
Railways: Freight
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his policy is on the use of rail freight; and what support he plans to provide to freight companies and hauliers which transport goods using rail. [4977]
Mrs Villiers: The Government currently support the transfer of freight from road to rail, where it is practical and economically and environmentally sustainable to do so.
While I recognise the benefits that grant funding to encourage modal shift from road to rail freight can bring, the current financial climate means that we will have to make difficult spending decisions across Government. Decisions on the future of freight grant schemes will therefore be reached as part of the Spending Review.
Railways: Repairs and Maintenance
Mr Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his policy is on funding local railway improvements; and if he will make a statement. [4424]
Mrs Villiers: Local authorities have the power to fund railway improvements and can use locally determined budgets for this purpose. Government funding for local transport will be considered as part of the Spending Review.
Rolling stock
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what new rolling stock orders have been placed for each rail franchise since 2007. [4042]
Mrs Villiers: Rolling stock orders for franchised operators since 2007 are as shown in the following table.
| Franchise | Order date | Type | Vehicles |
Thameslink Railway Line
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 28 June 2010, Official Report, column 366W, on the Thameslink railway line, when a decision will be made on the way in which Wimbledon loop services will operate after the completion of the Thameslink programme. [6362]
Mrs Villiers: I anticipate that a decision on this matter will be taken some two years before the date of the timetable change, in line with normal railway industry planning timescales.
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 28 June 2010, Official Report, column 366W, on the Thameslink railway line, whether the public will be consulted on the way in which Wimbledon loop services will operate after the completion of the Thameslink programme. [6363]
Mrs Villiers: It is a requirement of their franchise agreements that train operating companies must carry out public consultation on timetable changes.
Transport for London: Finance
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had with the Mayor of London on the budget of Transport for London. [3914]
Mrs Villiers: The Secretary of State has regular discussions with the Mayor on a variety of London transport issues, including funding.
Written Questions: Government Responses
Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on what matters (a) within and (b) outside his listed Ministerial responsibilities the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport answers questions for written answer. [6358]
Norman Baker: The details of my ministerial responsibilities, which are published on the Department for Transport's website, are as follows:
Regional and Local Transport
Buses and Taxis-including concessionary fares
Walking and Cycling
Accessibility and Equalities
Alternatives to travel
Light rail and trams
Natural environment
Parking
Traffic management
Corporate issues
International Development
Aid Expenditure: Legislation
14. Mr Russell Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to meet the 0.7 per cent. aid target before the UN Millennium Development Goals summit in September 2010. [6274]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: This Government are fully committed to our target of spending 0.7% of national income on development assistance from 2013. We will enshrine this commitment in law as swiftly as the parliamentary timetable allows.
Centre for Progressive Health Financing
15. Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent representations he has received on the work of the Centre for Progressive Health Financing. [6275]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: The Department for International Development (DFID) has received representations from country governments including Liberia and Sierra Leone, both of which currently receive DFID support for health financing, and from a group of UK-based NGOs represented by Save the Children (UK).
I have recently initiated a review of DFID's aid programmes to determine how we can achieve better value for money for the taxpayer and accelerate progress towards the millennium development goals. The way in which we will take forward our support for health financing will be determined as part of this review.
Afghanistan: Overseas Aid
Mr Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether all of the £200 million of additional aid money he announced on 10 June 2010 will be programmed under the authority of the Secretary of State for International Development alone. [5413]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: I confirm that all of the £200 million of additional aid money for Afghanistan announced on 10 June 2010 will be programmed under my authority. As with all aid spending the £200 million will be in line with the OECD DAC definition.
Mr Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development from which of his Department's budget lines the additional £200 million of additional aid money for Afghanistan announced on 10 June 2010 will be taken. [5414]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: I have commissioned a review of the Department for International Development's (DFID's) aid programmes, which will inform the allocation of aid for the next Spending Review period (2011-12 to 2014-15). Most of the £200 million will be allocated as part of this review, with any allocation during 2010-11 coming from unallocated contingency funds, including savings from low priority programmes and from waste and inefficiency under the last Government.
Departmental NDPBs
Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the address is of the head office of each non-departmental public body for which his Department is responsible. [5714]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: The Department for International Development (DFID) is responsible for one non-departmental public body, the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC).
The head office of CSC is at Woburn House, 20-24 Tavistock Square, London, WC1H 9HF.
Overseas Aid
Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the overseas development budget is for 2010-11. [5486]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: The Department for International Development's (DFID's) budget for 2010-11 remains at £7.8 billion. Projections for the overall level of official development assistance for 2010-11 will be set out in the Spending Review later this year.
Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority Committee
Manpower
John Mann: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority how many staff IPSA employs; and how many it will employ in October 2010. [6849]
Mr Charles Walker: The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) has informed me that as of 7 July 2010, it employs 81 staff (80.5 FTE), of whom 27 are permanent and 54 are temporary.
The staffing levels in October 2010 will be dependent on the outcome of the organisational review. IPSA's intention is to reduce these numbers to approximately 55 as it reaches a steady state.
Leader of the House
Departmental Conferences
Robert Halfon: To ask the Leader of the House what estimate he has made of his Office's expenditure on (a) organisation of and (b) attendance at conferences in each year since 1997. [6125]
Sir George Young: The Office of the Leader of the House joined the Cabinet Office in 2007. Information prior to 2007 can therefore be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Since 2007, the Office has incurred no costs for the organisation of conferences.
Information about the attendance of Leaders' Office staff at conferences is not held centrally and can therefore be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Lost Property
Pete Wishart: To ask the Leader of the House what property has been recorded as (a) lost and (b) stolen from his Office in the last 12 months; and what estimate has been made of the cost of the replacement of that property. [5964]
Sir George Young: The Office of the Leader of the House of Commons is part of the Cabinet Office.
I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given by the Cabinet Office today.
Education
Academies
Mr Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether there will be a standard Academy Arrangement which will be used between new Academy Schools and his Department. [4075]
Mr Gibb: We intend to publish a model funding agreement shortly to be used between new Academy schools and the Department.
Academies: Cheshire
Mr Timpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many schools in the Cheshire East local authority area have expressed an interest in becoming academies. [4843]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 29 June 2010]: The lists of schools that have expressed an interest in converting to academy status is published on the Department of Education's website, at:
The lists will be updated frequently.
Academies: Nutrition
Mr Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether proposed Academy Arrangements will require academies to comply with nutritional standards for school meals. [4074]
Mr Gibb: Some existing academies are required to comply with these standards through their funding agreements. However, new academies will not be required to comply with nutritional standards for school meals: they will be free to promote healthy eating and good nutrition as they see fit.
British Educational Communications and Technology Agency
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the total amount saved in school and college budgets attributable to the intervention of Becta in the procurement of IT equipment since 2003. [1412]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 8 June 2010]: Total Office of Government Commerce audited cash savings from Becta's procurement frameworks for ICT equipment for schools and colleges from 1 April 2003 to 31 March 2010 total £248 million.
Education Maintenance Allowance
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to increase the efficiency of the education maintenance allowance system in order to reduce costs. [4079]
Mr Gibb: We have identified and made a saving of £10 million from the administration of the education maintenance allowance. This saving arises from the development of a more efficient system for processing EMA applications.
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether education maintenance allowance (EMA) will continue to be paid in full in (a) the current academic year and (b) subsequent academic years; what his Department's policy is on the long-term retention of EMA; and if he will make a statement. [4084]
Mr Gibb: I can confirm that the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) will be paid in full in the 2010/11 academic year. The budget for EMA for 2010-11 is £564 million. Longer term plans for financial support for students aged between 16 and 19 will be considered in the context of the Comprehensive Spending Review in the autumn.
Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education for how long he plans to suspend the payment of bonuses under the Education Maintenance Allowance scheme. [4160]
Mr Gibb: We have no plans to reverse the decision made by the previous Government to stop paying bonuses on top of weekly Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) payments.
Education: Finance
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what savings he plans to make from the budget for learner support in the next 12 months. [4080]
Mr Gibb: In addition to the £10 million savings in the administration of the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) for 2010-11, a further £5 million has been saved from several other learner support schemes through efficiencies in administration and some lower take-up.
Education: VAT
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the change in the level of valued added tax local education authorities will be required to pay in financial year (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12. [4574]
Tim Loughton [holding answer 28 June 2010]: The Department has not yet assessed the implications of the recent Budget changes around VAT. It will form part of our considerations for the spending review which is now in hand.
Education: Worcestershire
Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will take steps to increase the funding which Worcestershire local education authority receives from his Department; and if he will make a statement. [3972]
Mr Gibb: We have made public our intention to hold a spending review this autumn, to conclude on 20 October. We expect to launch a consultation on school funding in the summer.
Financial Services: Education
Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will take steps to include the provision of financial education within the National Curriculum. [4767]
Mr Gibb: The Government announced on 7 June our intention to make changes to the National Curriculum. We will announce more detailed plans in due course.
Free School Meals: Streatham
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the number of pupils resident in Streatham constituency who would have been entitled to free school meals had the plan to extend provision been implemented. [4517]
Mr Gibb: The Department does not hold information about eligibility for free school meals by constituency.
Free Schools: Cheshire
Mr Timpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many expressions of interest there have been in the free schools scheme in the Cheshire East local authority area. [4847]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 29 June 2010]: The Department for Education has not received any formal proposals for free schools in the Cheshire East local authority area. Anyone who is interested in setting up a free school but is not yet ready to submit a formal proposal has been asked to contact the new schools network in the first instance.
Further Education: Greater London
Glenda Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will review the level of London area cost uplifts for post-16 education and training in (a) Greater London and (b) the London borough of Brent. [4811]
Mr Gibb:
All area costs for post-16 education were reviewed by the then Learning and Skills Council (LSC) in 2006. The outcome of that review was to retain the area cost uplifts as they were then, including for Greater
London and the London borough of Brent. There are no current plans to review area cost uplifts for post-16 education and training.
History Curriculum
Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he plans to publish the new history curriculum for secondary schools in England. [3920]
Mr Gibb: The Government intend to review the National Curriculum. We will announce more detailed plans in due course.
Disadvantaged Pupils
Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he plans to finalise the formula for distribution of the pupil premium; and if he will make a statement. [4153]
Mr Gibb: The Government are committed to the introduction of the pupil premium for disadvantaged children. We will announce more details of our proposals in due course.
Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether he plans to allocate funding to the proposed pupil premium from the budgets currently allocated to schools. [4157]
Mr Gibb: The Government are committed to the introduction of the pupil premium for disadvantaged children. This will be funded from savings found outside the schools budget.
Pupils: Per Capita Costs
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the per (a) capita and (b) pupil funding (i) in each local education authority area and (ii) from each local education authority was in the (A) primary and (B) secondary sector in each of the last four years. [1140]
Mr Gibb: School funding is allocated based upon pupil numbers, not population numbers, and so the Department for Education does not have funding figures on a per capita basis.
The Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) is distributed by the Department through a single guaranteed unit of funding per pupil for each local authority, so a primary/secondary split on a central to local government basis is not available.
Per pupil funding figures for 2006-07 to 2009-10 for all local authorities in England are provided in the following table. These include the DSG and other grants, are for all funded pupils aged three to 19 and are in real terms:
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