Written Answers to Questions
Thursday 8 July 2010
Wales
Departmental Conferences
Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate she has made of her Department's expenditure on (a) organisation of and (b) attendance at conferences in each year since 1997. [6113]
Mr David Jones: The Wales Office was established in July 1999. Since that time we have not organised any conferences or committed any expenditure to attending conferences.
Departmental Official Cars
Mr David: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Dudley North of 9 June 2010, Official Report, column 145W, on departmental official cars, what changes are being made to the allocation of cars for the use of each Minister in her Department. [6547]
Mr David Jones: Since taking office we have cancelled the car contracted for my use in London, thereby halving this Department's previous number of ministerial cars in London. We are currently looking at value for money options for the car used by myself and the Secretary of State in Wales.
Employment: Location
Jacob Rees-Mogg: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether her Department has (a) commissioned and (b) undertaken any research on the effect of Welsh Development Agency grants on the movement of jobs from (i) England and (ii) North East Somerset to Wales; and if she will make a statement. [6578]
The Welsh Development Agency was abolished on 1 April 2006 and its functions were absorbed into the Welsh Assembly Government.
Northern Ireland
Departmental Official Photographs
Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much his Department has spent on official photographs of Ministers since the formation of the present Administration. [6459]
Mr Paterson: The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) has spent a total of £204 on official photographs of Ministers since the formation of the Government.
Departmental Regulation
Mr Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which of his Department's regulations are under review; and if he will make a statement. [7143]
Mr Paterson: Following devolution, much of the regulatory framework in Northern Ireland is now the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Executive. The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) is not currently reviewing any regulations within its own area of responsibility.
Culture, Media and Sport
Departmental Conferences
Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the expenditure of his Department on (a) organising and (b) attending conferences in each year since 1997. [5940]
John Penrose: The Department's recorded costs on organising conferences for each financial year can be found in the following table:
| Financial year | £ |
Costs include conference venue hire, hospitality for delegates and fees and travel costs for speakers. The substantial increase in expenditure in 2005-06 and subsequent years was predominantly associated with major conferences arranged with stakeholders following the award of the 2012 Olympics.
The information requested in part (b) of the question could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Equal Opportunities
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport 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. [5920]
John Penrose:
The total costs on promoting equality and diversity are not held centrally. In each of the last three years, the number of staff working in the Department on diversity and equality as part of their job description
and their cost is set out in the following table. Staff costs have been calculated by using the percentage of time staff have spent on equality and diversity:
| Total number of staff | Staff costs (£) | |
Digital Switchover Help Scheme: ITV
Jessica Lee: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much funding his Department has allocated to each ITV region under the Digital Switchover Help Scheme to date. [6661]
Mr Jeremy Hunt: A total of £603 million was ring-fenced from the BBC licence fee to fund the Digital Switchover Help Scheme. The breakdown of the £603 million by ITV region is set out in the table. The Channel Islands was not included in the allocations outlined in the table because the original intention was for them to switch in 2013, which is outside the current licence fee settlement. The Channel Islands switchover date was brought forward but it was decided that there was sufficient money available within the £603 million to meet the cost.
| Breakdown of the Help Scheme cost by ITV region | |
| ITV region | Cost (£) |
| (1 )Aftercare is the money set aside to provide ongoing assistance to eligible people up to one year after the region has switched. | |
Listed Buildings
Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many listed buildings have been demolished in the last 12 months. [5748]
John Penrose: The Department does not hold this information.
Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme
Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether he plans to renew the listed places of worship grant scheme on its expiry in 2011. [5880]
Mr Vaizey: The Listed Places of Worship (LPW) scheme, which makes grants equivalent to the VAT incurred in making repairs to listed buildings in use as places of worship, is expected to make grants of around £15 million UK-wide in 2010-11. I acknowledge the scheme's significant role in helping to keep our listed ecclesiastical buildings in a good state of repair. A decision on the scheme's future beyond the end of 2010-11 can be made only as part of the 2010 spending review, and will be publicised as soon as is possible.
National Lottery: Bassetlaw
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much each lottery funding distributor has allocated to projects located in Bassetlaw in each of the last four years. [6630]
John Penrose: The amounts of lottery funding distributed in the constituency of Bassetlaw by the various lottery distributors in the last four financial years are shown in the table:
| £ | |||||
| Bassetlaw | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | Total |
| (1) These figures and those quoted for the Awards for All joint scheme are supplied by the Big Lottery Fund. | |||||
In addition, the Bassetlaw constituency benefited during financial years 2006-07 to 2009-10 inclusive, from grants of £311,581 made under the Awards for All (England) scheme, which was delivered by the Big Lottery Fund prior to April 2009 and funded by Big Lottery Fund, Arts Council England, Heritage Lottery Fund and Sport England. Since April 2009 Awards for All has been delivered and solely by the Big Lottery Fund.
The statistics for Arts Council England, Sport England and the Heritage Lottery Fund come from the Department's lottery grants database. The database is searchable at:
and uses information on lottery grants supplied by the lottery distributors.
Olympic Games 2012: Business
Jessica Lee: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps his Department is taking to inform businesses of the opportunities available in supplying products and services to the London 2012 Olympics. [6663]
Hugh Robertson: The Government and its partners are absolutely committed to making the tens of thousands of direct and supply chain contract opportunities generated by the games accessible to a diverse range of businesses across the UK.
The London 2012 Business Network is helping businesses across the UK to access games-related opportunities and the support they need to compete for them through CompeteFor, the groundbreaking electronic brokerage service for buyers and suppliers in London 2012's supply chains. Over 6,500 contracts have been opened up through CompeteFor to date. CompeteFor is directly linked to business support services, including Business Link in the English regions and its equivalents in the devolved Administrations. Over 45,000 businesses have received support as a result of registering on CompeteFor to date, helping to leave a legacy of fitter businesses.
This has been accompanied by an extensive programme of business engagement. Through a series of events across the UK, the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) has spoken to over 10,000 businesses, informing them of the opportunities and how to get involved, including a two-day visit to the east midlands by the ODA chairman in April this year. The regions and devolved Administrations have held over 400 games-themed events over last year, informing business about support services that can help them 'get fit' to compete for games-related and other contracts.
Olympic Games 2012: East Midlands
Jessica Lee: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many businesses based in the east midlands have been awarded contracts for work on the London 2012 Olympics site construction projects. [6664]
Hugh Robertson: To date, 41 business registered in the east midlands region have been awarded contracts directly supplying the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA), including one business based in the Erewash constituency.
Many more businesses in the region are winning contracts in the supply chains of the ODA's contractors. For example, a business based in Derbyshire won a significant contract to supply concrete parapets and deck planks to more than 10 new bridges in the Olympic Park; and a company from Thurmaston won a contract to supply roof cladding for the Aquatics Centre. More information is available in the business section of the London 2012 website under the heading ODA Suppliers, where you will find suppliers listed by venue and sector:
6,275 companies from the region have registered on CompeteFor, the electronic brokerage service enabling businesses to compete for direct and supply chain Olympic-related opportunities and business support. More than 6,500 contracts have been opened up through CompeteFor to date.
In January this year the London Organising Committee the Olympic and Paralympic Games began in earnest its procurement for everything it needs to stage a successful Games, which will generate many more opportunities for businesses across a range of sectors.
Olympic Games 2012: Transport
Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what arrangements are being made to transport by road participants and others in the period of the London 2012 Olympics; how many volunteer drivers will be used; what training and qualifications they will be required to have; and if he will make a statement. [6278]
Hugh Robertson: The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) will put in place an Olympic Route Network (ORN) which will enable athletes, officials and media working at the games to get to their events on time, although many will also want to use the public transport system. A consultation on the proposed ORN interventions will begin in late summer 2010. The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic games (LOCOG) will run a fleet of buses and coaches to transport athletes to their events. As a commercial partner for the games, BMW will also provide around 4,000 vehicles to transport athletes, officials, media and others working at the games.
LOCOG's London 2012 volunteer programme will be launched this summer, and it is working now on the numbers of volunteers required for each of the roles. Drivers will need to hold a valid driving licence and meet the requirements set by insurance and vehicle hire agreements. All volunteers will be trained, with drivers receiving training specific to their role and the venue or venues they will be working at. This will include, among other things, route training, fuel efficient driving and customer service.
Transport
Aviation: Exhaust Emissions
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he plans to respond to the Committee on Climate Change's advice on the 2050 carbon dioxide emissions target for aviation. [4975]
Mrs Villiers: We are committed to reducing emissions from transport and to ensuring we have the right framework in place for aviation to contribute to the UK's climate stabilisation goals. We will consider the detail of policy and announce our conclusions on the best way to achieve our aims in due course.
Bus Lanes
Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what guidance his Department provides to local transport authorities on the provision of bus lanes; whether that guidance covers the minimum length of bus lanes; and if he will make a statement. [7021]
Norman Baker: The Department for Transport provides advice on bus priority measures, including bus lanes, in Local Transport Note 1/97: Keeping Buses Moving. Advice on the use of the appropriate traffic signs and road markings is given in Chapters 3 and 5 of the Traffic Signs Manual. These documents are available on the Department's website. There is no minimum length requirement for a bus lane.
Departmental Lost Property
Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 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. [5972]
Norman Baker: The figure provided here is for all items recorded as lost or stolen in the last 12 months and is for the entire Department for Transport including its agencies and shared service centre. The figures provided do not include thefts where records are not available centrally or such thefts that were not reported. While some of this information may exist in records held locally within the central Department and the agencies it can be obtained only at disproportionate costs.
The property recorded as lost and stolen in the last 12 months is as follows, and where we have the estimated replacement costs, this is shown alongside.
| Item | Lost | Stolen | Total estimate cost of replacement (£) |
| (1) Unavailable. | |||
Departmental Official Cars
Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) civil servants and (b) special advisers in his Department are entitled to the use of (i) a car with a dedicated driver, (ii) a car from the Government car pool and (iii) a taxi ordered through a departmental account. [3196]
Mike Penning: As was the case under previous Governments, all civil servants and special advisers may use an official car or taxi in properly defined circumstances.
Departmental Public Expenditure
Chris Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the major projects previously earmarked for £434.7 million capital grant that will now be subject to the removal of ring-fencing in 2010-11. [2963]
Norman Baker [holding answer 17 June 2010]: The local authority major projects for which the Department for Transport will be paying capital grant in 2010-11 are listed, with the grant recipient body shown. We will discuss with the relevant local authorities the grant arrangements for major projects in 2010-11.
A1073 Spalding to Eye Improvement Scheme (Lincolnshire)
A13/A130 Sadlers Farm Junction Improvements (Essex)
A34 Alderley Edge & Nether Alderley Bypass (Cheshire East)
A386 Northern Corridor Major Public Transport Scheme (Plymouth)
A41 Expressway/A4031 All Saints Way Junction Improvement (Sandwell)
A4123/A461 Burnt Tree Junction (Dudley)
A638 Quality Bus Corridor (Doncaster)
A65 Quality Bus Initiative (Leeds)
Baldock Bypass (Hertfordshire)
Birmingham International Airport/National Exhibition Centre
Integrated Transport Access scheme (Solihull)
Birmingham Gateway (New Street Station) (Birmingham)
Blackpool And Fleetwood Tramway Upgrade (Blackpool)
Bridlington Integrated Transport Plan (East Riding)
Brierley Hill Sustainable Access Network (Dudley)
Connecting Derby (Derby)
Cudworth and West Green Bypass (Barnsley)
East Kent Access Phase 2 (Kent)
Edge Lane Eastern Approaches (Liverpool)
Greater Bristol Bus Network (South Gloucestershire)
Greater Manchester Highway Retaining Walls Maintenance Scheme (Stockport)
Greater Manchester Urban Traffic Control (GMITA)
Hall Lane Strategic Gateway (Liverpool)
Hemsworth to A1 Link Road (Wakefield)
Kirklees Bridge Strengthening and Maintenance (Kirklees)
Leeds Inner Ring Road Stage 7 (Leeds)
Luton Dunstable Busway (Luton)
M4 Junction 11 and Mereoak Junction (Reading)
Manchester Metrolink Ashton and East Didsbury extensions (GMITA)
Manchester Metrolink Phase 3a (GMITA)
Metro Ticketing And Gating (Nexus)
Nuneaton Development Project (Warwickshire)
Owen Street Level Crossing Relief Road (Sandwell)
Poole Bridge Regeneration Initiative (Poole)
Selly Oak New Road (Birmingham)
Sittingbourne Northern Relief Road (Kent)
Taunton Third Way (Somerset)
Tees Valley Bus Network Improvements (Middlesbrough)
Walsall Town Centre Transport Package (Walsall)
West Midlands Red Routes Package 1 (Wolverhampton)
West Midlands Urban Traffic Control (Wolverhampton)
Weymouth 2012 Package (Dorset)
Weymouth Relief Road (Dorset)
Wolverhampton Town Centre Access and Interchange (Wolverhampton).
Departmental Travel
Mr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he last travelled on public transport in an official capacity. [5815]
Mr Philip Hammond [holding answer 5 July 2010]: I last travelled on public transport, in an official capacity, today.
Level Crossings: Bassetlaw
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the safety of level crossings in Bassetlaw constituency. [6902]
Mrs Villiers: The Secretary of State for Transport does not make assessments of safety at level crossings. However, the Office of Rail Regulation ensures, through the level crossing order-making process and routine monitoring of Network Rail's management of safety, that the appropriate protective equipment is in place to control risks at public road crossings. Network Rail also undertakes risk assessments of every level crossing as part of its safety management processes.
The Office of Rail Regulation and the rail industry continue to work to improve safety at level crossings by addressing the root causes of accidents. It should be noted that an estimated 95% of all level crossing accidents are caused by misuse by the user.
Motorcycles: Driving Tests
Mr Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average waiting time to take module 1 of the motorcycle test was in (a) Wales, (b) England and (c) Scotland in the latest period for which figures are available. [3878]
Mike Penning: At 21 June 2010, the average waiting time for module 1 motorcycle tests was (a) nine weeks in Wales, (b) three weeks in England and (c) two weeks in Scotland.
Passenger Focus
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he plans to retain Passenger Focus as an independent representative of passenger interests. [4048]
Mrs Villiers: The Queen's Speech announced the Government's intention to introduce a Public Bodies (Reform) Bill. As part of the preparation for this Bill, the Department for Transport will be reviewing all of the public bodies it sponsors.
Retford Railway Station: Parking
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations his Department has received on the adequacy of car parking capacity at Retford rail station. [6615]
Mrs Villiers: The Department for Transport has received no representations on the adequacy of car parking capacity at Retford station.
Shipping: Radioactive Materials
Caroline Lucas:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information he has received from (a) International Nuclear Services (INS) and (b) his Dutch counterpart on 28 canisters of vitrified high level radioactive waste from Sellafield being found on arrival on the INS nuclear transport ship Atlantic Osprey in Vlissingen in March to be out of position within the holding channels
of the transport flask; and if he will commission an investigation into the safety of transport of spent nuclear fuel and nuclear waste in UK coastal waters. [5343]
Mike Penning: The Department for Transport (DFT) was informed prior to the ship's departure that the canisters had been placed in incorrect locations within the transport flask. DFT inspectors prevented the ship's sailing until the consignor and carrier had satisfied them that safety had not been compromised in any way and that the error in loading the flask did not affect its safety functions.
Sellafield Ltd is implementing corrective actions to prevent a reoccurrence which is being closely monitored by DFT inspectors. Until these corrective measures are in place there will be no further shipments of this package design.
The Dutch Competent Authority for the transport of radioactive material contacted the DFT for confirmation that the ship used was appropriate for this shipment.
The transport of radioactive material, including spent nuclear fuel and nuclear waste, is governed by the stringent internationally-agreed standards recommended by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), an agency appointed by the United Nations to oversee all aspects of the peaceful uses of atomic energy worldwide. During the period of over 45 years that the IAEA regulations have been in existence, there has been no instance of death or serious injury to persons, nor significant damage to the environment, from radiological effects caused during the transport of radioactive material worldwide by all modes of transport when properly packaged and transported in conformity with these regulations.
The sea transport of large quantities of radioactivity (such as spent nuclear fuel and high level waste) are carried out on ships that have been certified to meet the requirements of the International Code for the Safe Carriage of Packaged Irradiated Nuclear Fuel, Plutonium and High-level Radioactive Wastes on board Ships (INF Code) produced by the International Maritime Organisation as appropriate to the quantities of material transported.
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) which organisation has lead responsibility for overseeing the implementation of contingency plans covering nuclear transport ships in UK territorial waters that run into difficulties; [5344]
(2) what specific risk assessment matrices for incidents involving radioactive cargoes have been developed by the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency; [5345]
(3) what expertise is available to the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency to draw up contingency plans covering nuclear transport ships in UK territorial waters which run into difficulties at sea; [5346]
(4) what emergency planning exercises involving (a) UK ports and (b) coastal local authorities with scenarios involving ships with radioactive materials cargoes that find themselves in distress in UK territorial waters needing emergency port facilities have taken place in the last 10 years; [5347]
(5) what restrictions are placed on ships carrying radioactive cargoes in the English Channel in respect of the distance they must remain from shore; and what
notification is given to local authorities on the English south coast that ships carrying radioactive materials are sailing through the English Channel; [5348]
(6) what expertise is available to the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency in (a) counter pollution and (b) salvage operations in cases of a ship carrying radioactive cargo in UK territorial waters in which the cargo has to be salvaged after an accident or operational problems. [5349]
Mike Penning: Radioactive material when transported by sea must be packaged and stowed in accordance with the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code (IMDG Code). Where certain types of radioactive materials (such as spent nuclear fuel and high level waste) are carried the ships must be certified to meet the requirements of the International Code for the Safe Carriage of Packaged Irradiated Nuclear Fuel, Plutonium and High-level Radioactive Wastes on board Ships (INF Code) produced by the International Maritime Organisation as appropriate to the quantities of material transported. These regulations aside there are no specific restrictions or requirements placed on the sea transport of radioactive materials beyond the general requirements applicable to all ships and cargoes.
The responsibility for producing emergency plans for dealing with incidents on board ships lies with the organisations operating them. In the case of shipments of nuclear material on Pacific Nuclear Transport Limited and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority ships these are produced and maintained in accordance with the requirements of the IMDG and INF Codes. Their Shipboard Marine Emergency Plans are endorsed by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA).
Emergency exercises involving these vessels are undertaken in accordance with the above codes and the International Atomic Energy Agency Safety Guide on Planning and Preparing for Emergency Response to Transport Accidents Involving Radioactive Material.
The MCA undertakes a National Contingency Plan (NCP) exercise on an annual basis. The programme of exercises involves both UK ports and local coastal authorities and each scenario is designed to cover a range of possible shipboard maritime incidents including dangerous cargoes. Although an incident with a ship carrying a nuclear cargo has not been specifically exercised, the response principles will remain the same. In the case of a nuclear incident technical support will be provided by a designated contact for the ship owner at International Nuclear Services (INS).
The MCA UK Counter Pollution and Salvage Response Team has a tiered callout procedure to any maritime incident. This applies the generic response principles found in the NCP for marine pollution from shipping and offshore installations. Within that team, the MCA duty Counter Pollution and Salvage Officer (CPSO) provides an initial assessment and incident response, alerting if necessary the Secretary of State's Representative for Salvage (SOSREP).
SOSREP and those in the MCA responsible for emergency response have demonstrated a high degree of expertise in a wide range of salvage and counter-pollution operations.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Agriculture: Subsidies
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much public subsidy was paid to farmers in each constituency in the latest period for which figures are available. [6901]
Mr Paice: The Rural Payments Agency does not explicitly record information on payments to farmers on a constituency basis and this information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Further information on recipients of CAP subsidy payments may be found at:
This website includes details of all CAP scheme payments, including the single payment scheme (SPS), made to beneficiaries during the years 16 October 2007 to 15 October 2008 and 16 October 2008 to 15 October 2009.
Departmental Water Charges
Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 21 June 2010, Official Report, column 29W, on departmental water charges, what the reason is for the variation in water charges paid in each year; for what reasons water charges have been paid on a dormant site; and whether there have been changes to water metering (a) methods and (b) equipment at the site in the last three years. [6951]
Richard Benyon: The charges levied for the water supply to the site relate to the consumption and the standard charge for the provision of supply based on meter size, levied pro rata over the year.
DEFRA is obliged, through an agreement originally made by the Ministry of Defence to retain a water supply as it also supplies a third party which borders the site.
In August 2009, Scottish Water downsized the size of the incoming pipe which has significantly reduced the monthly standard charges.
Fisheries
Eric Ollerenshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans her Department has to support the fishing industry; and if she will make a statement. [5011]
Richard Benyon: The Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) is the EU's instrument for the management of fisheries and aquaculture. We share the European Commission's vision for a healthy marine ecosystem that supports sustainable, profitable fisheries. Any reform should devolve fisheries management, away from current centralised control over detailed regulations, and enable fishermen to better plan for their businesses for the longer term. I am a firm supporter of genuine reform and convinced that we must grasp this opportunity in order to secure the prosperity and viability of our fishing industries in the medium term.
The Sustainable Access to Inshore Fisheries (SAIF) project is looking particularly at reform of inshore fisheries management within England aiming to move the English inshore fishing fleet towards a more economically, socially and environmentally sustainable future. The project aims to consult on proposals later this year.
Support is also available from the European Fisheries Fund (EFF) which is worth over £100 million in the UK. The EFF, which runs until 2013, provides financial assistance to help implement the latest reforms to the CFP and to help the fleets of member states move towards a more sustainable future.
Incinerators
Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment she has made of the effects of incinerators on the health of nearby residents. [6216]
Richard Benyon: The Health Protection Agency published a report of its review of the latest scientific evidence on the health effects of modern municipal waste incinerators in September 2009. The report concludes that while it is not possible to rule adverse health effects out completely, any potential damage from modern, well run and regulated incinerators is likely to be so small that it would be undetectable.
Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the effects of incinerators on nearby wildlife populations. [6218]
Richard Benyon: When determining applications for environmental permits for incinerators the Environment Agency considers the effects of emissions on nearby European Habitats Directive sites and Sites of Special Scientific Interest, having regard to the critical levels and critical loads for air pollutants relevant to the sites. In doing so it takes advice from Natural England or the Countryside Council for Wales as appropriate.
Details of the impacts of air pollutants on the natural environment, including information on critical loads, can be found on the Government-funded Air Pollution Information System website:
Women and Equalities
Departmental Official Cars
Mr Watson: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities how many (a) civil servants and (b) special advisers in the Government Equalities Office are entitled to the use of (i) a car with a dedicated driver, (ii) a car from the Government car pool and (iii) a taxi ordered through a departmental account. [3194]
Lynne Featherstone: The Government Equalities Office (GEO) holds an account with the Government Car and Despatch Agency (GCDA) for the provision of a pool car and also for a standard taxi service.
(i) No staff are allowed a car with a dedicated driver.
(ii) GEO staff are able to use the pool car in exceptional circumstances when this is related to ministerial activity (for example going to the airport to meet the Minister for essential business).
(iii) The standard taxi service has been used by staff very occasionally. This service has been used for short journeys where heavy goods need to be transported or where a member of staff has been taken ill in the office and transported to their home address.
Special advisers are not entitled to any of the car or taxi services.
Departmental Public Expenditure
Gordon Banks: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities how many of the Government Equalities Office's contracts with its suppliers are under review as a result of the recently announced reductions in public expenditure; and what the monetary value is of all such contracts which are under review. [3649]
Lynne Featherstone: The Government Equalities Office, in line with Office of Government Commerce policy, uses contracts and frameworks negotiated by other Government Departments. Any review of these contracts with suppliers will be conducted by those Departments.
Gordon Banks: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities how many officials in the Government Equalities Office are working on renegotiating contracts for the supply of goods and services to the Office as a result of recently announced reductions in public spending; what savings are expected to accrue to the Office from such renegotiations; how much expenditure the Office will incur on such renegotiations; and when such renegotiations will be completed. [3671]
Lynne Featherstone: The Government Equalities Office, in line with Office of Government Commerce policy, uses contracts and frameworks negotiated by other Government Departments. Any renegotiations of these contracts will be conducted by those Departments.
Scotland
Departmental Official Cars
Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many (a) civil servants and (b) special advisers in his Department are entitled to the use of (i) a car with a dedicated driver, (ii) a car from the Government car pool and (iii) a taxi ordered through a departmental account. [3197]
David Mundell: As was the case under previous Governments, all civil servants and special advisers may use an official car or taxi in properly defined circumstances.
Departmental Official Photographs
Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department has spent on official photographs of Ministers since the formation of the present Administration. [6457]
David Mundell: The Scotland Office has incurred no costs on official photographs since the formation of the Government.
Defence
Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations
Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with which private security companies his Department has contracts in Afghanistan. [5757]
Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent representations he has received on alleged human rights abuses involving private military and security companies in Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement. [5758]
Dr Fox: No complaints or reports of human rights abuses have been received in connection to the activities of private security companies contracted by the Ministry of Defence in Afghanistan.
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many sorties the Nimrod MR.2 has flown in Afghanistan in each year since 2001; [6309]
(2) how many sorties the Nimrod MR.2 flew in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. [6311]
Dr Fox: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Ammunition
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the suitability of the M855A1 enhanced performance rounds for use with the various SA-80 variants. [6308]
Nick Harvey: While we have no plans to assess the M855A1 for use with SA-80 variants, we are conducting a research and development programme on enhanced performance rounds for future weapons system. This includes the consideration of rounds with similar design characteristics to the M855A1.
Armed Conflict: Casualties
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what process is followed for the nomination and preparation of battle casualty replacements. [6416]
Dr Fox [holding answer 6 July 2010]: The requirement for battle casualty replacements (BCRs) is identified by the Permanent Joint Headquarters. The processes for generating BCRs, once this requirement has been confirmed, differ between the three single services. For Army and Royal Marine units BCRs are drawn from a nominated cohort based in the Unit's rear party at the home location. This cohort will have been selected and trained at the same time as the deploying unit and will be up to date on their core military skills. The exceptions to this are for some pinch point trades, where personnel are usually pulled forward from the next brigade in line to deploy; and senior officer replacements, which are generated by the relevant headquarters.
For the Royal Air Force, BCRs for formed units are drawn from the rear party at the home location. Other replacements are generated by Headquarters Air Command. If the replacement is required immediately and the gap is affecting operational effectiveness, a waiver to deploy without completing the required pre-deployment courses can be given by theatre. This has not been necessary to date.
Armed Forces: Health Services
Laura Sandys: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he plans to provide residential accommodation for injured armed service personnel with long-term care needs; and if he will make a statement. [6234]
Mr Robathan: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has a particular responsibility to help seriously injured and disabled service personnel, and works closely with service charities in discharging this responsibility. One of the most important requirements of seriously injured service personnel is accommodation adapted to meet their specific personal circumstances, and the MOD provides some 1,300 adapted Service Families Accommodation (SFA) which includes over 2,000 specific adaptations (such as a stair-lift or walk-in shower) for either service personnel or their dependants. Personnel will continue to receive medical treatment from the Defence Medical Services for as long as they remain in the armed forces, and ongoing welfare support is available from the chain of command; through the Army Welfare Service; and from service charities.
For service personnel who are medically discharged as a result of their injuries, and thus lose their entitlement to service accommodation, MOD welfare staff will assist as necessary in liaising with local authorities regarding provision of suitably-adapted local authority or private housing. Further, the Service Personnel Command Paper in 2008 stated that MOD would assist service personnel who wished to purchase their adapted SFA. Service personnel injured in service now have their lump sum compensation payments disregarded for purposes of the capital means test for the affordable homes schemes in England and Wales and can have them disregarded in Scotland.
This will help ensure that the most seriously injured can benefit from those schemes to get on to the housing ladder.
Armed Forces: Housing
Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he plans to take to improve the standard of armed forces accommodation. [6752]
Mr Robathan: We will look at whether there is scope to refurbish armed forces' accommodation from efficiencies within the Department.
Defence
Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to publish the full terms of reference of the Strategic Defence and Security Review. [6240]
Mr Letwin: I have been asked to reply.
Work has commenced on the Strategic Defence and Security Review announced in the Queen's Speech on the 25 May 2010. The review will outline the Government's approach to tackling the broad range of national security risks and will ensure that we have the right balance of resources to meet our commitments. Recent speeches by the Foreign Secretary, Defence Secretary and Minister for Security at the Home Office provide greater detail on the scope. We expect to publish the outcomes of the review in the autumn.
Departmental Buildings
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many separate buildings his Department occupies in (a) London and (b) elsewhere in the UK. [6892]
Mr Robathan: Built assets can vary in nature between working, living and technical structures, and other installations of various types. While the majority of these assets are separate buildings, an exact breakdown can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Our Defence Estate Development Plan and property database identifies over 500 sites in the UK, comprising over 64,000 separate built assets. Included within this figure are over 1,100 built assets on 20 sites in the Greater London area.
The London buildings include three office buildings and this number will reduce to one by 2013.
In addition, there are 41,000 Service family homes in England and Wales that are rented from Annington Homes Ltd, of which 788 are located in the London boroughs. The Department currently rents 1,245 substitute single service living accommodation properties and 41 substitute service family accommodation properties in the inner London boroughs.
Departmental Manpower
Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many staff worked in his Department's ministerial support office on (a) 1 May 2010 and (b) 1 July 2010. [6153]
Dr Fox: There are seven members of staff in the ministerial support unit. This number has not changed since 1 May 2010.
Departmental Official Photographs
Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has spent on official photographs of Ministers since the formation of the present Administration. [6447]
Mr Robathan: All official portrait photographs of the new Defence Ministers were taken by Ministry of Defence (MOD) photographers. These images were used to feature new Ministers on internal and external online communications. No additional costs were incurred in producing or distributing these digital images. Hard copy photographs were produced for display boards in MOD's main building using our in-house reprographics and graphics section. The costs of materials involved in producing these hard copy photographs was £72.
Met Office: Private Sector
Mr Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he (a) has had and (b) plans to have discussions with representatives of private sector businesses on the future of the Met Office. [6571]
Mr Robathan: The Secretary of State for Defence has not met and has no current plans to meet representatives from the private weather sector to discuss the future of the Met Office.
Piracy
Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the Royal Navy's role is in tackling piracy; and if he will make a statement. [5824]
Nick Harvey: The Royal Navy plays a leading role in international coalition counter-piracy operations off the coast of Somalia. This includes the regular provision of naval assets to operations that seek to deter and disrupt pirate activity while reassuring the shipping industry by supporting freedom of navigation for vessels transiting the region.
The Royal Navy can take robust action to come to the aid of a victim vessel under attack by pirates in international waters cognisant of the potential threat to the lives of innocents on board.
It is however recognised that military intervention alone cannot solve piracy, when the root cause is instability and poor governance in Somalia. Royal Navy vessels continue to build relationships with key regional stakeholders, while encouraging capacity building and improving the flow of information.
Mike Crockart: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has contributed to the international force tasked with reducing piracy around the coast of Somalia in each of the last three years. [6790]
Nick Harvey: Since 2002 the Royal Navy has been conducting maritime security operations in the Gulf region, including around the coast of Somalia, as part of a US-led coalition-the Combined Maritime Forces (Combined Task Force 151). Following a sharp increase in piracy levels in 2008, a separate task force was created in January 2009 to focus on the deterrence of piracy in partnership with other counter piracy initiatives. The UK provides the Deputy Commander to the operation, based within the UK Maritime Component Command in Bahrain, and periodically allocates a frigate and tanker as operational priorities dictate.
In December 2008, the EU established operation ATALANTA to protect World Food Programme and other vulnerable shipping transiting through the Gulf of Aden. The UK has provided the Operation Commander and Operation Headquarters at Northwood since its inception and will continue to do so until the end of the mandate, which has recently been extended to December 2012.
The UK also provided a frigate for the first three months of the operation and will provide a warship for a period in 2011.
In July 2009, NATO set up a complementary operation, Ocean Shield, which is primarily focused on deterring and disrupting pirate activity. To date, the UK has provided a frigate for a large part of this operation, including taking command between June to November 2009 and March to July 2010. The UK also provides the NATO Maritime Component Command at Northwood.
Finally, the UK provides support on an ad hoc basis to all three counter piracy operations as military assets transit through the region. This has included warships, support vessels, and the enduring delivery of shipping advice and reassurance to the merchant community through the UK Maritime Trade Organisation.
Submarines
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many submarines were detected during Anti-submarine Warfare Exercise Noble Manta 2010 by maritime patrol aircraft type from each participating NATO nation. [6306]
Nick Harvey: During Exercise Noble Manta 2010, UK participants flew 12 sorties and detected submarines on numerous occasions. Details cannot be released as such disclosure could compromise future UK anti submarine warfare capabilities. It would be inappropriate to comment on the other participating nations' activities.
UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Mr Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will withdraw the reservation made by his Department to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. [5574]
Mr Robathan [holding answer 5 July 2010]: There are no plans to withdraw the reservation made by the Ministry of Defence to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The continuing need for the armed forces' exemption was confirmed when Parliament considered the Equality Act 2010 and I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave him on 14 June 2010, Official Report, column 251W.
Energy and Climate Change
Departmental Public Expenditure
Chris Skidmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much was spent on (a) refreshments and (b) furnishings in his private office in each year from 2005 to 2010. [5621]
Gregory Barker: The Department of Energy and Climate Change was formed on 3 October 2008.
Information on how much was spent on refreshments is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
The cost of furnishing the newly created Ministerial Private Offices in 2009 was £21,596.22. A further £395.48 has been spent on furnishings in 2010.
All expenditure was incurred in accordance with the principles of Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety.
Fuel Poverty
Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he has made a recent assessment of the level of fuel poverty among cancer patients. [6744]
Gregory Barker: The detailed information as to how many people with a cancer diagnosis are living in fuel poverty is not available. People with a cancer diagnosis are classified as long-term sick and the detailed tables of the Annual Report on Fuel Poverty Statistics 2009, available online at:
http://www.decc.gov.uk/Media/viewfile.ashx?FilePath =Statistics \fuelpovei1y\l_20091020153255_e_@@_fuelpoverty 2007detai1edtables.pdf&filetype =4&minwidth=true
show that in England in 2007, the latest year for which figures are available, there were around 1.1 million fuel- poor households containing somebody who was disabled or long-term sick.
Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether vulnerable cancer patients will be eligible for the proposed mandatory social tariffs for fuel bills; and if he will make a statement. [6745]
Gregory Barker: We intend to introduce social price support to replace the existing voluntary agreement when it ends in March 2011.
We are developing the detail of the policy, including who will be eligible for benefits under the scheme, and the final details will be subject to the outcome of the spending review and consultation.
Green Investment Bank
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his timetable is for the creation of a green investment bank. [6509]
Gregory Barker [holding answer 7 July 2010]: Following the Spending Review, the Government will put forward detailed proposals on the creation of a green investment bank to help the UK meet the low-carbon investment challenge. A wide range of ambitious options for the scope and structure of the Green Investment Bank are under consideration.
Renewable Energy: Heating
Brandon Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether his Department plans to implement the Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme in April 2011. [7264]
Gregory Barker: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Sevenoaks (Michael Fallon) on 15 June 2010, Official Report, column 367-68W.
Windows: Energy
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the amount of heat energy lost through windows which are not energy efficient in the latest period for which figures are available. [6288]
Gregory Barker: The most recent data from the English House Condition Survey show that in 2007, 67% of homes had full double glazing and 11% had no double glazing, with the remainder part double glazed. Moving a typical home from no double glazing to full C-rated double glazing would save 430 kgCO2 per year and save the household £85 per year.
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment has been made of the merits of including energy efficient windows in measures to be introduced under the Green Deal. [6289]
Gregory Barker: A key principle of the Green Deal is that measures delivered will provide an energy bill saving and that this saving, when considered over its lifetime, will be large enough to cover the cost of the measure. Some energy efficient windows meet this criteria and would fit well within the Green Deal.
Home Department
British Nationality
Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many people in (a) Weaver Vale constituency, (b) Cheshire, (c) the North West and (d) the UK were refused British citizenship in each year since 1997; [6220]
(2) how many people in (a) Weaver Vale constituency, (b) Cheshire, (c) the North West and (d) the UK were granted British citizenship in each year since 1997. [6226]
Damian Green: UK Border Agency (Immigration Group) does not capture details of applications for British citizenship by parliamentary constituency. The following table provides details of citizenship applications granted and refused since 1997.
Citizenship ceremonies were introduced in January 2004. From this date onwards applicants' post codes were mapped to their local authority to enable the local authority to invite successful applicants to attend a citizenship ceremony. Consequently information is available for the north-west and Cheshire from 2004 onwards.
The information relating to the north-west and Cheshire has been provided from local management information and is not a National Statistic. As such it should be treated as provisional and therefore subject to change.
Totals for the UK have been taken from the 2009 Home Office Statistical Bulletin.
| Nationality g rants and refusals of British citizenship in the North West 1997 to 2009 | ||||||
| Granted | Refused | |||||
| Total for the UK | Total for the north- west | Total for the Cheshire | Total for the UK | Total for the north- west | Total for the Cheshire | |
| Notes: 1. Figures have been rounded to the nearest five. 2. Citizenship ceremonies were introduced January 2004, this is when the applicants' postcodes were mapped to their nearest local authority. 3. In 2009 Cheshire county council was split into east and west Cheshire. 4. We cannot report on constituencies. 5. The total for the UK figures have been taken from the 2009 Home Office Statistical Bulletin. Source: Local management information provided by UKBA, North West Region Planning and MI Team | ||||||
Crime
Mr Straw: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of trends in levels of crime since 1981. [6359]
James Brokenshire: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given on 29 June 2010, Official Report, column 508W.
The Government intend to review how crime statistics are collected and published so that we can have the fullest confidence that the information is comprehensive and accurate.
Departmental Offices
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will take steps to relocate officials working in her Department from central London to Bassetlaw. [6557]
Nick Herbert: Currently there are no plans to relocate officials from the Home Office in London to Bassetlaw.
Entry Clearances
Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been (a) granted and (b) refused entry clearance into the UK in each year since 1997. [6460]
Damian Green: The total number of people who have been (a) granted and (b) refused entry clearance in each of the financial years from 2001-02 to 2008-09 can be found in the published annual Entry Clearance Statistics on our website:
Reliable statistics for previous years is not available.
The number of people granted and refused entry clearance in FY 2009-10 was 2,015,670 and 444,622, respectively(1).
(1) This information is based on Management Information and as such has not been quality assured. It is provisional and subject to change.
Entry Clearances: Overseas Students
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether a cost-benefit analysis to the UK economy of the presence of overseas students who obtain visas to study at English language schools will be included in her Department's review of the points-based immigration system. [6492]
Damian Green: As the Home Secretary has indicated, the Government will be reviewing the non-economic immigration routes with a view to bringing forward proposals in due course. I intend to undertake a thorough evaluation of the student system, including English language schools. The aim of that work will be to ensure that the right balance is struck between providing a user-friendly route for bona fide students and education providers and keeping out those who would seek to abuse the student system. The work will also take into account the Government's overall objective to reduce net migration to the tens of thousands by the end of the parliamentary term.
Police: Greater London
Mr Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions she has had with the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis on the reform of policing in London. [6239]
Nick Herbert: We have had a number of discussions with the Commissioner on policing issues and will continue to do so.
Prisoners: Foreign Nationals
David T. C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of prisoners are foreign nationals with no right of abode in the UK. [6393]
Damian Green: The Latest information published by the Ministry for Justice shows that on 31 March 2010, there were 11,400 foreign nationals in prison. This includes those held under the Immigration Act 1971 (including those in the removal centres of Dover, Haslar and Lindholme) as well as those held on remand or serving custodial sentences.
In order to confirm how many of those have no right of abode in the UK would require cross-referencing individual records between the National Offender Management Service and the UK Border Agency, which would incur a disproportionate cost.
However, I can advise that a proportion of the foreign nationals in prison have a right to be in the United Kingdom either as an EEA national, or through another form of Leave for example Indefinite Leave to Remain or having been granted asylum. The UK Border Agency will seek to revoke leave in order to remove individuals who meet the criteria for deportation which are set out in the following paragraphs.
The UK Border Agency seeks to deport from the United Kingdom foreign national offenders who meet the following criteria:
A court recommendation.
For non-European economic area nationals. A custodial sentence of 12 months or more either in one sentence, or as an aggregate of two or three sentences over a period of five years or a custodial sentence of any length for a drug offence (an offence other than possession only).
For EEA nationals: a custodial sentence of 12 months or more for an offence involving drugs, violent or sexual crimes or a custodial sentence of 24 months or more for other offences
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
Mike Wood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions she has had with the Secretary-General of the United Nations on the departure of Antonia Maria Costa from the position of Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. [6546]
James Brokenshire: Neither I, nor my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, have had discussions with the Secretary-General on this subject. The UK supports the Secretary-General in making appointments based on merit to senior UN positions.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Afghanistan: Religious Freedom
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to ensure that freedom of religion is upheld in Afghanistan. [6914]
Alistair Burt:
The Government strongly support the right to freedom of religion or belief. We are working to support all individuals who face discrimination and persecution on the basis of religion, wherever they are in the world. Article 2 of the Afghan constitution provides for freedom of religion, and we expect the Afghan Government to fully implement this. We have a
regular dialogue with the Afghan Government on human rights, including the need to ensure the security of all Afghans, regardless of religion. In addition, we will also raise particular cases of concern with the Afghan Government as necessary.
Departmental Equality
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 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. [5916]
Alistair Burt: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's (FCO) work to promote diversity and equality is designed to increase performance and productivity across the organisation of over 14,000 staff globally. It has contributed to our high staff survey scores compared with civil service benchmarks for leadership and staff commitment ("engagement").
The data for the FCO's Diversity Strategy Unit and main related training initiatives for the last three financial years are in the table. These include spending on a global training initiative "Making the Most of Difference", for which most costs fell in financial year 2008-09.
| Spending (£) | Staff costs (£) | Staff (full-time equivalent) | |
Diversity and equality considerations are factored into a wide range of aspects of the FCO's work as an employer, as a provider of services to British people around the world and in the development and delivery of aspects of foreign policy. The figures in the table do not include spending and staff time on all these activities, for which data are not held centrally, nor on the costs of individual reasonable adjustments for officers with a disability under the Disability Discrimination Act.
EU Law: Fines
Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in what outstanding cases the UK is being pursued in the European Court of Justice over non-implementation of EU legislative obligations. [6301]
Mr Lidington: Non-implementation only infractions concern cases where the UK has completely failed to implement a directive by the transposition deadline. There are presently no cases outstanding against the UK in respect of non-implementation only of its EU obligations.
However, there are cases where there is a dispute as to whether the United Kingdom has correctly implemented its EU obligations and they are referred to as "incorrect implementation" infractions. There are presently two such cases.
C-582/08 Commission v. United Kingdom
An application for a declaration that by denying recovery of input tax in respect of certain transactions carried out by taxable persons not established in the territory of the EC, the United Kingdom has failed to comply with its obligations under Articles 169, 170 and 171 of Council Directive 2006/112/EC on the common system of value added tax and with Article 2(1) of the 13th VAT Directive 86/560/EEC on the harmonization of the laws of the member states relating to turnover taxes.
C-301/10 Commission v . United Kingdom
An application to declare that the UK has failed to ensure that appropriate collecting systems have been put in place in Whitburn and London (to Beckton and Crossness waste water treatment works) in violation of Articles 3(1) and (2) and Annex I.A of Directive 91/271 /EC on Urban Waste Water, and failed to ensure that appropriate treatment is provided with respect to urban waste waters from London (at Beckton, Crossness and Mogden) in violation of Article 4(1) and (3), 10 and Annex I(B) of the directive.
European External Action Service
Mr Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his most recent estimate is of the likely cost to the public purse of the establishment of the European External Action Service. [5417]
Mr Lidington: The Commission's amending budget no. 6 to the General Budget proposes an additional €9,521,362 (£8,079,828) for the European External Action Service (EEAS) in both commitment and payment appropriations this year. The UK's gross national income share of EU budget financing in 2010 is currently estimated at 13.8%. The pre-abatement cost to the UK of this proposal in 2010 would be roughly €1,313,948 (£1,115,016).
The text of the Decision to establish the EEAS which was given political agreement by the Council in April makes clear that the establishment of the EEAS should be guided by the principle of cost-efficiency aiming towards budget neutrality.
Kenya: Foreign Relations
Mr Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Kenyan Government since his appointment; and what his most recent assessment is of the state of UK-Kenya relations. [6201]
Mr Bellingham: The Government have good relations with the Government of Kenya. Our two countries are bound together by deep historical ties and people-to- people links. We work closely together on trade, tourism and defence, and in tackling regional and international security issues. The UK is also one of the largest bilateral aid donors to Kenya.
I met the Kenyan Prime Minister on 28 May, along with the Under-Secretary of State for International Development my hon. Friend the member for Eddisbury (Mr O'Brien), following his earlier meeting with my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister. These meetings reaffirmed the importance of the UK-Kenya partnership on a range of shared interests, and the UK's commitment to supporting the reform agenda pursued by Kenya to ensure the country's future stability and prosperity. I praised progress on Kenya's constitutional review ahead
of the August referendum, and reiterated UK support in areas such as constitutional, electoral and police reform. I encouraged strong leadership from Prime Minister Odinga and President Kibaki to combat corruption and impunity, including by those who perpetrated the post-election violence of 2007-08.
The UK was saddened to hear of the attacks that took place in Nairobi on 13 June at a constitutional rally. In a public statement following the attacks, I said that we condemned any such acts of violence, and would stand with Kenya in fighting such destructive acts. I look forward to visiting Kenya soon.
Mehmet Haberal
Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the imprisonment of Professor Mehmet Haberal in Turkey; and if he will make a statement. [4312]
Mr Lidington: We understand that Professor Haberal is detained as a suspect in the ongoing Ergenekon investigation. It is not our practice to comment on ongoing legal cases in Turkey. It is for the Turkish courts to assess the evidence against individuals. The EU expects Turkey, as a country negotiating to become a member, to uphold European standards throughout the investigation and any subsequent trial. We will continue to follow developments closely.
Communities and Local Government
Affordable Housing: Construction
Mr Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many affordable homes have been completed in the London borough of (a) Richmond, (b) Barnet and (c) Hillingdon in each year since 2005. [6099]
Andrew Stunell: The information requested up to and including 2008-09 is published in Live Table 1008 on the Communities and Local Government website. The table, which includes both new-build completions as well as acquisitions, can be found at the following link.
The next CLG Affordable Housing statistical release containing figures for 2009-10 is scheduled to be published in the autumn.
Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many affordable housing starts there were in each London local authority in each year since 2005-06; and how many are projected for (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13. [6910]
Andrew Stunell: Information showing affordable housing starts under the National Affordable Housing Programme in each London local authority since 2005-06 is provided in the following table. Information on housing starts is recorded on the basis of when the grant is claimed which may differ from when the house building has commenced.
| National Affordable Housing Programme: House building starts | |||||
| Sponsor LA name | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 |
| Source: Homes and Communities Agency | |||||
The Homes and Communities Agency's corporate plan set targets for delivery over 2009-10 and 2010-11 for affordable housing starts on site:
Performance in 2009-10 will be reported in the HCA's annual report and accounts, due to be published shortly. Given the severe financial pressures, targets for 2010-11 will be reviewed in the light of the final budgets for this year. Decisions on future levels of funding for the provision of new affordable housing will be made in the spending review.
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