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14 July 2010 : Column 764W—continued
Fire Services: Finance
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the effect on funding for fire and rescue services of the two-year freeze of council tax rates; and if he will make a statement. [8368]
Robert Neill: The Government intend to freeze council tax in England for one year, and seek to freeze it for a further year, in partnership with local government. Authorities which choose to freeze or reduce their council tax in 2011-12 will receive a grant, additional to the formula grant, which is equivalent to a council tax increase up to a specified level. Further details will be announced in due course.
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of the income of each fire and rescue authority in England was from (a) central Government grant, (b) council tax and (c) other sources in the most recent year for which figures are available. [8369]
Robert Neill: The proportion of the income from central government grant, council tax and other sources for each Fire and Rescue Authority in England in 2008-09 is in the following tabled.
Figures for the remaining 16 authorities responsible for fire services are not available as their revenue support grant is unhypothecated and it is therefore not possible to identify the fire service elements.
The definition of central Government grant used here is the sum of formula grant (revenue support grant and redistributed non-domestic rates), specific grants inside Aggregate External Finance (AEF) (i.e. revenue grants paid for council's core services), specific and special revenue grants outside AEF (i.e. where funding is not for authorities' core services, but is passed to a third party, for example, rent allowances and rebates), area based grant (ABG) and expenditure financed by capital grants from central government.
The definition of council tax used here includes council taxes financed from council tax benefit grant but excludes council taxes financed from local authority contributions to council tax benefit.
'Other sources' is defined as sum of interest and investment income - external receipts and dividends, sales fees and charges and in-year capital receipts. This excludes 'other income' as reported by local authorities on the Revenue Outturn (RO) returns as this includes internal recharges, which distorts the comparative figures on income.
Fire Services: Standards
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what his policy is on national standards for fire cover in England; and if he will make a statement. [8370]
Robert Neill: The Government have no plans to restore national standards of fire cover in England.
The Government are committed to enabling local authorities and local communities to make appropriate decisions at the local level. Fire and rescue authorities are required to produce and to regularly update an Integrated Risk Management Plan (IRMP) which identifies and assesses local need and sets out plans to mitigate effectively both existing and potential risks to communities.
Each fire and rescue authority's IRMP enables that individual local authority to decide how best to provide fire and rescue-related services, including prevention and protection, as well as response, with resources being allocated on the basis of the evaluation of risk and where the risks are greatest.
Local requirements are thus determined by local people according to local circumstances.
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent guidance his Department has issued to fire authorities on (a) firefighter training, (b) recording non-fatal injuries and (c) equipment procurement. [8371]
Robert Neill: The most recent guidance issued for these areas by my Department to fire and rescue authorities is as follows: training guidance relating to breathing apparatus published on 23 March 2009 and a training package on timber framed buildings, issued as part of a Fire and Rescue Service Circular (FRS 38/2009) on the 1 July 2009; and the National Procurement Strategy for the Fire and Rescue Service in England 2009-12, published on 7 August 2009. No guidance on recording non-fatal injuries has been issued since 2007.
Housing: Planning
John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether his Department has put in place sanctions for councils that do not assess levels of housing need in their area; and whether his Department has established incentives for councils to undertake such an assessment. [7929]
Grant Shapps: Local planning authorities are best placed to determine the right level of local housing provision for their area. They should justify their decisions on local housing need and defend them during the development plan examination process in line with the policy set out in "Planning Policy Statement 3: Housing". We are committed to increasing housing supply and seeing more of the homes that people want, in the places that people want them, to meet Britain's housing need. The coalition agreement set out our clear intention to provide incentives for local authorities to deliver sustainable development, including new homes and business. More details will be announced shortly.
Local Government Executive
Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans he has to allocate planning functions to the elected executive of local authorities; and if he will make a statement. [7114]
Robert Neill: At present we have no specific plans to make any changes to how local planning authorities divide the exercising of their planning functions between elected members and officers. These are matters for each local planning authority to decide, and to set out in their individual schemes of delegation.
Local Government Finance
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what timetable he has set for the review of local government finance. [8012]
Robert Neill: The Communities and Local Government Structural Reform Plan, published on 8 July 2010, sets a start date of summer 2011 for the local government resource review. The review will end in 2012.
Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) what steps he is taking to ensure that those most in need are not affected by the effects of the reduction in his Department's expenditure announced in the written ministerial statement on 10 June 2010, Official Report, columns 15-18WS, on the local government savings package; and if he will make a statement; [8185]
(2) pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 10 June 2010, Official Report, columns 16-17WS, on the local government savings package, if he will undertake an impact assessment of the in-year reduction to grant funding for local authorities. [8243]
Robert Neill: We have asked local authorities to make a contribution of £1.166 billion to the £6.2 billion of cross-Government savings in 2010-11 to enable the Government to take immediate action to start to tackle the fiscal deficit. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State made clear in his written ministerial statement that we have taken action to provide the flexibility needed to allow local authorities the freedom to make their own decisions about where savings are found without impacting on essential frontline services. We have adopted a fair approach to the reductions in grants and funding streams and have limited the amount individual authorities lose. The impact on their area of the reductions in grants this year will be for local authorities to decide.
Non-domestic Rates
Mr Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the observations by the then Secretary of State of 7 April 2010 on the petition of persons concerned by the increase in business rates, Official Report, columns 42-3P, what the Government's policy is on increases to business rates; and if he will make a statement. [8499]
Robert Neill: Increases in business rates bills are capped each year by the RPI inflation rate. In addition, we are doubling the level of small business rate relief in England for one year, from 1 October 2010.
Education
Academies: GCSE
Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of students at each academy school obtained five GCSEs at grade A* to C in each year since it was established; and what the equivalent figure was in respect of each academy school's predecessor school in each year between 1995 and its reconstitution as an academy school. [4909]
Mr Gibb: The information requested has been placed in the Libraries.
Children: Protection
Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what representations he has received from childcare professionals on his proposal to publish serious case reviews. [1678]
Tim Loughton: The coalition programme for government launched on 20 May confirmed the Government's commitment to publishing serious case reviews with identifying details removed. The Government's aim in doing so is to restore public confidence and improve transparency in the child protection system, and to ensure that the context in which the events occurred is properly understood so relevant lessons are learned and applied as widely as possible.
According to our records, by 15 June, the Secretary of State had received one representation from the Victoria Climbié Foundation supporting this commitment. Since becoming Secretary of State, he has received no other representations on this subject from child care professionals.
Departmental Property
Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 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. [5970]
Tim Loughton: A breakdown of reported lost or stolen property from the Department for Education in the last 12 month period 1 July 2009 to 30 June 2010 is as follows:
| Lost (a) | Stolen (b) | Total | Total estimated cost of replacement (£) | |
Free Schools
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what criteria will be used by the New Schools Network in deciding which applications for free schools merit consideration by his Department. [5564]
Mr Gibb: The Department for Education is reviewing all proposals on receipt to decide whether each section of each proposal form is sufficiently developed and substantial enough to make full assessment worthwhile. The New Schools Network are helping the Department at this stage, providing advice based on their work with proposers. The full assessment process, conducted by the Department, will look at whether a proposal form could lead to an acceptable business case and plan for a school that Ministers will accept based on the criteria published at:
GCSE: Languages
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he plans to take to increase the number of secondary school pupils studying for a GCSE in a modern European language. [6929]
Mr Gibb: We are currently considering our priorities for the national curriculum, including what subjects it should cover. We will be announcing our plans in due course.
Pupils: Health
Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will take steps to encourage schools to allow the wearing of medical bracelets by pupils diagnosed with (a) diabetes and (b) allergies; and if he will make a statement. [5360]
Sarah Teather: It is for governing bodies to set their own policies on managing the medical conditions of their pupils. We trust schools to make sensible arrangements where pupils and parents have requested that they or their child be allowed to wear medical bracelets.
Schools: Admissions
Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the number of pupils (a) with and (b) without special educational needs expected to enter year (i) one, (ii) seven and (iii) 12 in each local authority area (A) in 2011-12 and (B) 2014-15; how many (1) mainstream and (2) special school places were available in each of those year groups in each local authority area on the latest date for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [4911]
Sarah Teather: The responsibility for planning future educational provision in a local authority area rests with each individual local authority. However the Department has made national projections and these are summarised in the following table.
Schools: Anti-Semitism
Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to prevent bullying and intimidation of Jewish children in schools; what recent discussions he has had with representatives of the Jewish community on this matter; and if he will make a statement. [5745]
Mr Gibb: The coalition Government have made tackling all forms of bullying, particularly bullying motivated by prejudice, one of its top priorities. It is not acceptable for a child to be victimised because of their race or religion.
The Government will bring forward measures to strengthen the authority of teachers to enforce discipline and promote good behaviour. The Government support head teachers in taking a zero-tolerance approach to bad behaviour and bullying.
The Secretary of State is due to meet the President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Chief Rabbi on 15 July and the Community Security Trust on 22 July. These discussions will cover a range of issues including the safety and security of Jewish pupils.
Schools: Medicine
Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when the revised guidance on managing medicines in schools will be published; and by what mechanisms that guidance will be publicised to teachers. [6729]
Mr Gibb: We are currently considering our approach to managing medicines in schools, and in particular what guidance would be helpful for schools. We will provide more information on this when we are in a position to do so.
Schools: Mental Health Services
Mr Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has for state-funded schools to be involved in commissioning child and adolescent mental health services at a local level. [5229]
Sarah Teather: When health and local authority commissioners are planning services to meet the mental health needs of children and young people locally they will want to consider the right way to engage with schools so as to get the best possible services to children and families. Schools are also able to use their own budgets to provide services to meet the needs of their pupils, including services to support pupil's emotional wellbeing and mental health.
The national Targeted Mental Health in Schools (TaMHS) programme was developed to test the effectiveness of evidence-based mental health support in schools for children, young people, and their families. Schools delivering TaMHS commission a range of service procured from voluntary (as well as statutory) sector providers to meet the particular needs of their pupils (e.g. counselling support for children struggling to cope following family breakdown or bereavement). For specialist mental health support for more severe problems, schools may wish to refer pupils to local specialist CAMHS.
The learning from TaMHS on effective commissioning of emotional wellbeing and mental health support and joint working with CAMHS is being shared across schools this year.
While programmes such as TaMHS have been testing what works in developing school based mental health support, any decision about whether to commission these services remains at the school's discretion.
Schools: Transport
Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether his Department collects data on the average time taken by children in year (a) one, (b) seven and (c) 12 in each local authority to travel to school; and if he will make a statement. [4913]
Mr Gibb: The Department collects data about pupil's usual modes of travel in the School Census but it does not collect information about the average time taken by children to travel to school.
Schools: Visits
Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will bring forward proposals to require the Independent Schools Inspectorate to publish the reports of its unannounced visits to schools and to make such reports available on its website. [6503]
Mr Gibb
[holding answer 6 July 2010]: ISI rarely makes unannounced visits, as these are normally made in the light of information which suggests that some aspects of the independent schools standards are not being met. Reports from unannounced visits are not automatically published as they may contain sensitive information which could identify the complainant or the identity of members of staff or pupils. Any failures identified would be followed up with the school and if
the inspection confirmed there were serious failures, a full inspection would take place leading to a published report.
Science: Education
David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans his Department has to ensure that school science departments work together with high technology employers in their areas. [5873]
Mr Gibb: The Government recognise the benefits to pupils' learning and future career aspirations that partnerships between school science departments and high technology employers can have. But it must be for schools to decide how they develop those relationships as they are best placed to know what is best for their pupils.
There are Government supported programmes in place with which schools can choose to engage and which will help develop this type of relationship. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills currently supports the Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths Network (STEMNET), which links schools with enhancement and enrichment resources for STEM subjects. STEMNET helps forge links between schools and local employers with the aim of improving and enhancing young people's knowledge and experience of scientific subjects and careers.
Special Educational Needs
Chris Skidmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many statements on special educational needs each local authority area has issued in each year since 1997. [5709]
Sarah Teather: Information on new statements of special educational needs issued by local authorities since 1997 is published on the DFE Research and Statistics Gateway in the following publications:
For 1993-98, Table 9 of the Statistical Bulletin "Special Educational Needs in England: January 1999", available at:
For 1999-2001, Table 11 of the Statistical Bulletin "Special Educational Needs In England: January 2002", available at:
For, 2002-04, Table 16 of the Statistical First Release "Special Educational Needs in England January 2005", available at:
For 2005-08, Table 19 of the Statistical First Release "DCSF: Special Educational Needs in England: January 2009", available at:
Data on the number of new statements issued for the 2009 calendar year at local authority level is due to be published on 21 July 2010 as an addition to the Statistical First Release "Special Educational Needs in England: January 2010" at:
Special Educational Needs: Pupil Exclusions
Chris Skidmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many (a) statemented and (b) non-statemented pupils with special educational needs have been given (i) a fixed period exclusion and (ii) a permanent exclusion in each year since 1997. [5449]
Sarah Teather: Data on the special educational needs status of excluded pupils are collected at the time of exclusion. Information relating to the number of permanent exclusions by SEN status since 1997 is published in table 7 of the Statistical First Release published at
Data on fixed period exclusions were collected for the first time in 2003/04; in 2005/06 it was collected for secondary schools only. The available information relating to the number of fixed period exclusions (not the number of pupils) by SEN status between 2003/04 and 2006/07 is published in table 8 of the Statistical First Release published at
The number of fixed period exclusions by SEN status for 2007/08 is available in table 8a of the Statistical First Release published at:
Some analysis has been carried out for 2007/08 on the number of excluded pupil enrolments, as shown in the table. A pupil's SEN status can change between periods of exclusion; therefore data relating to the SEN status of excluded pupil enrolments has been based on their SEN status at the time of their most recent fixed period or permanent exclusion. To carry out this analysis for further years would incur disproportionate cost.
| Maintained primary, state-funded secondary and special schools( 1, 2, 3) number and percentage of pupil enrolments receiving one or more fixed period exclusions or a permanent exclusion by special educational needs (SEN) England, 2007/08 (estimates)( 4) | ||||
| One or more fixed period exclusions | Permanent exclusion( 4) | |||
| Number of pupil enrolments | Percentage of school population( 5) | Number of pupil enrolments | Percentage of school population( 5) | |
| (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) Includes city technology colleges and academies (including all-through academies). (3) Includes maintained and non-maintained special schools. Excludes general hospital schools. (4) Figures relating to permanent exclusions are estimates based on incomplete pupil-level data. (5) The number of pupil enrolments who received exclusions expressed as a percentage of the number (headcount) of all pupils (excluding dually registered pupils) by SEN, in January 2008. (6) Pupils' SEN status at the time of their most recent fixed period or permanent exclusion. Note: Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10. Source: School Census | ||||
Special Educational Needs: Pupil Referral Units
Chris Skidmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many (a) statemented and ( b) non-statemented pupils with special educational needs have been placed in (i) pupil referral units and (ii) alternative provision in each year since 1997. [5451]
Sarah Teather: The information requested on pupils with special educational needs in pupil referral units can be found in the following publications, on the DFE Research and Statistics Gateway:
For 2006-10, data can be found in tables 1a and 1b of the Statistical First Release "Special Educational Needs in England: January 2010" at:
For 2001-05, data can be found in tables 1a and 1b of the Statistical First Release "Special Educational Needs in England January 2005" at:
For 1997-2000, data can be found in tables 1a and 1b of the "Special Educational Needs In England: January 2000" (Bulletin) at:
Information on pupils with special educational needs in alternative provision other than pupil referral units is only available from 2008. Data can be found in table C in the Statistical First Release "Schools, Pupils and their Characteristics: January 2010" at:
Information for pupils with special educational needs in alternative provision for 2008 and 2009 is shown in the table.
| Alternative provision: Pupils with and without statements of special educational needs (SEN)( 1) January 2008 and 2009 England | ||
| 2008 | 2009 | |
| (1) Includes sole or dual registered pupils. (2) The number of pupils with and without statements expressed as a proportion of the number of pupils on roll. Note: Pupil numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10. Source: Alternative Provision Census | ||
International Development
Bilateral Aid: Climate Change
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether his review of bilateral aid programmes will consider which aid instruments are most effective at addressing climate change. [7492]
Mr O'Brien: The Secretary of State for International Development has recently commissioned a review of the Department for International Development's aid programmes to determine how we can achieve better value for money for the taxpayer and accelerate progress towards the millennium development goals. Measures to address the effects of climate change will be considered as part of this review.
Brazil: Cattle
Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent representations he has made to the Government of Brazil on the sustainability of cattle ranching in that country. [7059]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: I have made no representations to date. The British embassy in Brasilia and Department for International Development staff hold regular discussions with the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock. Our aim is to support the Ministry's plans to make agriculture, including cattle ranching, more sustainable. The Ministry plans to reduce pressure on deforestation and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the cattle sector through innovative land-management practices, smarter fertiliser use and increased pasture yields.
Centres for Disease Control
Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans he has for the future funding of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. [7004]
Mr O'Brien: As a UK Government Department, we do not provide funding to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, United States. However, we work closely with them on a number of policy issues including polio eradication, malaria and tuberculosis.
Common Agricultural Policy
Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on amending the Common Agricultural Policy to increase long-term stability in food production. [7055]
Mr O'Brien: The Secretary of State has not yet had the chance to discuss this important issue with his EU counterparts.
Departmental Speeches
Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which (a) (i) civil servants and (ii) special advisers in his Department and (b) other individuals are employed to write speeches for each Minister in his Department. [7399]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: The Department for International Development (DFID) employs one civil servant to write speeches for Ministers.
Developing Countries: Climate Change
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 1 July 2010, Official Report, column 625W, on developing countries: climate change, what recent assessment he has made of the merits of the TradeCom programme. [7194]
Mr O'Brien: The European Commission are currently conducting a formal evaluation of the TradeCom programme. The Department for International Development (DFID) will consider this alongside evaluations of other programmes when deciding upon future support to developing countries in trade and climate negotiations.
Developing Countries: Forests
Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much funding his Department has allocated in respect of (a) forestry programmes and (b) reforestation projects in developing countries in each of the last 10 years; and what proportion of the UKs (i) international development budget and (ii) bilateral aid programme it represented in each case in each such year. [8342]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: The Department for International Development's bilateral expenditure on forestry programmes and the proportion this expenditure represents of total UK development aid and DFID's bilateral aid programme, in each of the last 10 years, are in the following table. We are unable to separate spending on reforestation and funding on broader forest development or forest policy without incurring disproportionate cost.
| DFID bilateral forestry (£ 000) | % of total UK development aid | % of total DFID bilateral | |
Developing Countries: Maternity Services
Iain Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when he plans to publish his Department's Maternal Health Strategy; and how that strategy will acknowledge the relationship between maternal health and child health. [7536]
Mr O'Brien:
The Department for International Development (DFID) will publish its business plan for reproductive, maternal and newborn health by the end of 2010. It seeks to increase women's ability to choose when, and how often, they have a child, and to increase the survival of women and babies during pregnancy
and childbirth. This will have a significant positive impact on families, economies and societies, as well the health and empowerment of women themselves.
The plan will clearly acknowledge the links between maternal health and child health. Nearly 40% of deaths of children under five occur in the first month of life, up to 45% in the first 24-hours. Preventing unintended pregnancies and ensuring pregnancy and child birth is safe for all mothers and babies make a vital contribution to child health. Recent DFID-supported evidence from Bangladesh shows that a child who has lost their mother has a significantly lower chance of surviving to 10 years old.
Developing Countries: Rivers
Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent steps his Department has taken to facilitate improvements in the levels of the sanitation and sustainability of major rivers in the developing world. [7057]
Mr O'Brien: The Department for International Development (DFID) supports actions at country, regional and global levels to improve the overall management of water resources, which includes measures to manage pollution and maintain water quality in rivers.
Better water management supports economic growth, increases resilience to climate change and reduces the potential for conflict. In developing countries, DFID is supporting water resource programmes in Sudan (Darfur), Ethiopia, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. DFID also supports improved regional water management in the Nile Basin, South Asia and Southern Africa.
Overseas Aid: Health Services
Iain Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when he plans to publish his Department's 2009 health portfolio review. [7192]
Mr O'Brien: The Department for International Development's health portfolio review will be published later this year and will be available at:
Iain Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many of his Department's country programmes had health advisors in (a) 2007-08, (b) 2008-09 and (c) 2009-10. [7193]
Mr O'Brien: The Department for International Development (DFID) had 20 country programmes with health advisors in 2007-08 and 2008-09 and 19 in 2009-10.
Pakistan: Overseas Aid
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what support his Department is giving to renewable energy projects in Pakistan. [7385]
Mr O'Brien:
Renewable energy has not been a priority for the Department for International Development's (DFID's) programme in Pakistan. However, DFID has supported preparations of an implementation plan for the Pakistan Domestic Biogas Programme, which aims to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide emissions per
household by 2 tonnes annually. DFID also provided technical advice to the Chief Minister of the Punjab on renewable energy.
The Secretary of State has recently commissioned 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. DFID's programme in Pakistan is being reviewed as part this process.
Yemen: Overseas Aid
Mike Crockart: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment his Department has made of the relative priority of Yemen relative to his Department's other funding priority countries. [7122]
Mr O'Brien: I refer the hon. Member to the answer provided by my right hon. Friend the Member for Rutland and Melton (Mr Duncan) on 8 July, Official Report, column 421W, on Yemen: Overseas Aid.
Health
Agency Nurses: Manpower
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent estimate he has made of the number of agency nurses working in (a) Essex and (b) England. [7200]
Anne Milton: The Department does not collect centrally the number of agency staff employed in the national health service in England.
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nurses employed by the NHS are also employed as agency staff. [7201]
Anne Milton: The 2009 NHS Workforce Census shows that there are 395,229 qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff (excl. general practice nurses of which there are 21,935) employed in the national health service in England.
The Department does not collect centrally whether nurses who are employed by the NHS also work as agency staff.
Arthritis: Health Services
Grahame M. Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has made a recent assessment of the (a) performance of the NHS in delivering health services to people with rheumatoid arthritis and (b) cost-effectiveness of the provision of such services in relation to the levels of economic productivity of such people; and if he will make a statement. [8366]
Mr Burstow: It is the responsibility of commissioners of health care services to deliver services which are closely matched to the needs of their populations. This includes supporting people with rheumatoid arthritis to enter, return to and remain in employment.
As part of Dame Carol Black's review of the health of Britain's working age population "Working for a healthier tomorrow", 11 Fit for Work Service pilots will integrate with existing health and employment-related structures and services, such as Jobcentre Plus and relevant local partnerships to join up appropriate support for sickness absentees. The pilots will evaluate the benefits of case managed, multi-disciplinary support for individuals in the early stages of sickness absence to ensure an early return to work and prevent long-term unemployment.
As musculoskeletal disorders are one of the most common causes of sickness absence, appropriate support for these will be an integral part of the Fit for Work Service pilots and those with rheumatoid arthritis will receive appropriate and timely treatment.
The Department has not made specific assessments of the performance of the national health service in delivering services to people with rheumatoid arthritis or of the cost effectiveness of the provision of such services in relation to the economic productivity of people with rheumatoid arthritis.
Autism: Children
Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will commission research to inform the proposed National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidelines on managing autism in children, with particular reference to effective interventions for children with autism and co-occurring mental health problems. [8376]
Mr Burstow: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence is currently developing a clinical guideline on autism spectrum disorders in children and young people. This will be based on a thorough assessment of the available evidence.
The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and the Medical Research Council already fund a range of research relating to autism. A study currently funded by NIHR on effective therapy for anxiety in young people with autism spectrum disorder is expected to complete in September 2011.
Blood: Cancer
Sir Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 30 November 2009, Official Report, column 527W, on blood: cancer, what progress has been made by those cancer networks which had not implemented all the key recommendations made by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence in its guidance on improving outcomes in haematological cancers guidance; whether the Government is on track to meet the target of full implementation of the guidance by December 2010; and if he will make a statement. [7752]
Mr Burstow:
All 28 cancer networks in England have implemented the clinical service element of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's guidance on improving outcomes in haematological cancers. Issues remain about implementation of the guidance on setting up haemato-pathology services across all the cancer networks. The National Cancer Action Team continues to work with cancer networks to support implementation of the guidance across the country by the end of December
2010, but it is possible that a minority of networks will not be in a position to commence activity in this area until early 2011.
Cancer: Drugs
Mr Brine: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his most recent assessment is of progress on the proposed Cancer Drugs Fund; and if he will make a statement. [7175]
Mr Simon Burns: We are working towards implementing the Cancer Drugs Fund from April 2011. We plan to set out details for the establishment of the fund soon. In the meantime, we are considering what more can be done before this to help patients access the cancer drugs recommended by their clinicians.
Cancer: Health Services
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the maximum time an NHS patient with cancer should have to wait from reporting the onset of symptoms to (a) diagnosis and (b) treatment; and if he will make a statement. [8390]
Mr Burstow: Any patient urgently referred for suspected cancer by their general practitioner (GP) should be seen by a specialist and begin the diagnostic process within two weeks, unless they choose to wait longer. If cancer is subsequently diagnosed, these patients, unless there is good clinical reason or patient choice, should begin treatment within 62 days.
In the last period for which statistics are available (Quarter 4 2009-10) 95.6% of patients were seen by a specialist within two weeks of an urgent GP referral for suspected cancer. 86.7% of patients began treatment within 62 days of an urgent GP referral for suspected cancer.
Statistics on the time a patient waits between referral and diagnosis for cancer are not collected centrally.
Care Homes: Exercise
Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to encourage care homes to provide exercise for their residents. [7812]
Mr Burstow: The Care Homes Regulations 2001, supported by National Minimum Standards, require care homes to meet service users' needs and to satisfy their expectations, preferences and social, cultural, religious and recreational interests. This will include, if it is appropriate to service users' wishes and needs, ensuring sufficient opportunities for exercise and recreation.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspects homes against a series of outcomes for residents. Outcome 4 -"Care and welfare of people who use services"-states:
"People who use services should experience effective, safe and appropriate care, treatment and support that meets their needs and protects their rights"
"Maintains (their) welfare and promotes their wellbeing by taking account of all their needs, including: physical, mental, social, personal relationships, emotional, daytime activity."
During an inspection visit, CQC will ask providers to demonstrate how they ensure that residents are enabled to take appropriate exercise or participate in suitable activities and will ask residents themselves for their rating of these activities.
UK Older People's Day-to take place on 1 October this year, to coincide with the United Nation's International Day for Older People. This will be the fourth year the day has been celebrated in the UK. For 2010, Older People's Day will have a new theme-"Getting and staying active in later life." Encouraging people to prepare well for and enjoy a positive later life benefits each of us individually and society as a whole. Information is provided at:
More information on how to get involved with Older People's Day 2010 will be made available over coming months.
Diabetes
Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many admissions to hospital with a (a) primary and (b) secondary diagnosis of diabetes there were (i) in all age groups and (ii) amongst those aged 65 years and over in (A) England and (B) each primary care trust area in each of the last 13 years. [7254]
Mr Burstow: The information requested has been placed in the Library.
Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of trends in the prevalence of diabetes (a) in the general population and (b) amongst those aged 65 years in the last 20 years; and what his most recent estimate is of the prevalence of diabetes in each of those groups. [7255]
Mr Burstow: We know that the number of people being diagnosed with diabetes is increasing. There are a number of reasons for this. It is partly because our population is living longer and partly because of the rise in the number of people who are obese. Improvements in the identification of diabetes have also been made.
The assessment in trends for the general population and those aged 65 years and over for which data are available is shown in the following table.
| Prevalence of diabetes, by survey year and age | ||||
| Percentage | ||||
| Survey year | ||||
| Doctor-diagnosed diabetes ( adults-age ) | 1994 | 1998 | 2003 | 2006 |
| Notes: 1. Data are available only from 1994 to 2006 2. Estimates from the Association of Public Health Observatories suggest that in 2010 there are: 3,099,000 people with diabetes (diagnosed and undiagnosed) aged 16 years and older 1,514,000 people aged 65+ with diabetes (diagnosed and undiagnosed). Source: Health Survey for England | ||||
The Institute of Diabetes for Older People has been commissioned by the Department to undertake a national initiative to enhance the quality of diabetes care for all older people in the United Kingdom. Part of this work involves developing an audit/quality tool to assess the diabetes care within residential and nursing homes. A pilot assessment of a toll is going on in Hertfordshire currently to be completed by October 2010. A larger national audit is being planned for 2011.
Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what data the Care Quality Commission (a) collects and (b) holds on the care of people with diabetes resident in adult social care homes; [7256]
(2) what data the Care Quality Commission (a) collects and (b) holds on the screening for diabetes of people resident in adult social care homes; [7281]
(3) what measures the Care Quality Commission uses to assess the quality of diabetes care for people with that condition who are resident in adult social care homes in England; [7282]
(4) on how many occasions (a) the Care Quality Commission and (b) the Commission for Social Care Inspection has reported on the quality of diabetes care in adult social care homes in each of the last five years; [7283]
(5) what recent assessment he has made of the quality of care delivered to people with diabetes in care homes. [7286]
Mr Burstow: The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and adult social care in England and is therefore responsible for assuring the safety and quality of care in care homes.
CQC has provided the following information about its current practices.
Under the current framework, set by the Care Standards Act 2000, CQC does not collect information about the specific health needs of residents, or about the residents themselves. Diabetes is not a primary reason for needing admission to a home so it is not part of the 'client group' data that CQC does collect. In addition, care homes are not required to register as specialist providers of diabetes care.
The same approach applies in terms of screening. No data are specifically collected on diabetes, although providers of residential care are expected to ensure that people have access to community health care services in the same way as people living in their own homes.
Under the new registration framework for health and social care, which will be introduced on 1 October for independent healthcare and adult social care providers (including providers of care homes), all providers of regulated activities have to register with the Commission and meet a set of 16 registration requirements of essential levels of safety and quality.
In relation to diabetes care, the registration requirements include the following: care and welfare of service users, management of medicines, and meeting nutritional needs.
The CQC is responsible for ensuring that providers of regulated activities meet the registration requirements. The Commission has issued its Guidance about Compliance, which explains in more detail about how providers can comply with them.
Neither CQC nor its predecessor, the Commission for Social Care Inspection, have undertaken or published any special studies relating to diabetes care in care homes.
Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library a copy of the guidance his Department has issued to providers of adult social care homes on (a) screening for diabetes and (b) managing the care of residents with diabetes. [7284]
Mr Burstow: The Department has not published specific guidance to providers of adult social care homes on managing people with diabetes. However, Diabetes UK has recently published "Good clinical practice guidelines for care home residents with diabetes" available at:
The guidelines cover national policy on good clinical practice for diabetes care within care homes, a framework of assessment of the quality of diabetes care within care homes for use by regulatory bodies that have responsibility for this provision and made key recommendations.
Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the proportion of residents of care homes who have (a) diagnosed and (b) undiagnosed diabetes. [7287]
Mr Burstow: The information requested is not collected centrally. The Department has commissioned the Institute of Diabetes for Older People to undertake a national initiative to enhance the quality of diabetes care for all older people in the United Kingdom. Part of this work involves developing an audit/quality tool to assess diabetes care within residential and nursing homes. A pilot assessment of a tool is going on in Herefordshire currently to be completed by October 2010. A larger national audit is being planned for 2011.
Emergency Calls
Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the system for locating the source of medical emergency calls made from rural areas. [8781]
Mr Simon Burns: Incoming 999 emergency calls are for NHS ambulance services to manage locally and no formal assessment has been made centrally. However, where a 999 call is made (either from a landline or mobile phone), location information (the address for calls from a landline and an approximate area for calls from a mobile phone) is provided to the ambulance service by the communications provider. This information is available to all emergency controls either by automatic data transfer or verbally on request. Trusts have been encouraged to invest in the technology that enables automatic data transfer.
Genetically Modified Organisms
Mr Meacher:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what projects on public attitudes to genetically-modified (a) crops, (b) food and (c) feed have been funded by the Food Standards Agency since 1997; what the
(i) topic, (ii) start date, (iii) cost and (iv) project code was of each such project; who the main contractor was in each case; and which such projects have been completed to date. [8031]
Anne Milton: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has commissioned one research project on public attitudes to genetically modified food, project X04002 "Exploring Attitudes to GM Food" which was carried out by the National Centre for Social Research between April and November 2009. The total cost was £73,654.50 and the final report has been published on the FSA's website at:
The FSA previously undertook a range of activities in 2002-03 to complement the Government's "GM Nation?" public debate. These included focus groups (Cragg Ross Dawson and the Scottish Civic Forum, March 2002 and March 2003), a citizen's jury (Opinion Leader Research, April 2003), a schools' debate (March 2003 and a school video (April 2003). The total cost of these activities was £112,935. The report of these activities is published on the FSA's website at:
Health Services: Ex-servicemen
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on encouraging general practitioners (a) to ask whether a patient has served in the armed forces and (b) to provide information on support services to ex-service personnel. [8129]
Mr Simon Burns: The former chief medical officer sent a letter to all general practitioners (GPs) in February this year asking GPs to record the status of veterans as part of any referral. GPs have also been given guidance on how to record the status of veterans on their information systems. We are proceeding with plans to improve information systems so that, in future, when military personnel leave the armed forces, they will be provided with information on their entitlement to treatment in the national health service, including priority treatment. Once these are in place, military personnel will be encouraged before they leave the service to fill out a GP registration form which asks whether or not the patient registering is a veteran. The form will then be sent direct to the new GP or given to the veteran to present on registration.
A leaflet setting out what support is available has been produced for service veterans and copies were sent to each GP practice last year. These were produced with the Royal British Legion and we will continue to work with them and with Combat Stress as one of our strategic partners to ensure that the services available for veterans are publicised.
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the level of awareness of general practitioners and other health service providers of the medical assistance programme for ex-service personnel. [8130]
Mr Simon Burns:
The Medical Assessment Programme (MAP), based at St Thomas' Hospital, London, is available to veterans who were deployed on operations
since 1982. It offers comprehensive physical and mental health assessments for veterans who feel that their ill health may be linked to military service. The MAP can be accessed directly by veterans and their families, as well as through general practitioners (GPs). Although we have made no specific assessment of the level of awareness about this programme, it is publicised through many channels. We have confirmed that £2 million additional funding in the current financial year will be made available for a range of initiatives to improve veterans' mental health and this will include production of training resources for GPs. Discussions are currently in hand with the Royal College of General Practitioners about what form this might take.
Hospitals: Admissions
Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information his Department collects on the reasons for which people are admitted to hospital from residential care institutions. [7285]
Mr Burstow: The NHS Information Centre for Health and Social Care collects and publishes details of all admissions to national health service hospitals in England as hospital episode statistics (HES).
HES includes a field entitled 'Source of Admission'. This field contains a code, which identifies where the patient was immediately prior to admission and which can be used to differentiate between patients admitted from home and patients transferred from another hospital provider or institution.
HES also contains clinical information on patients such as diagnosis, clinically significant co-morbidities and treatments performed. This can be combined with data on the source of admission to allow analysis into the clinical reasons for which people are admitted to hospital from residential care institutions.
Mental Health Services: Children
Nicola Blackwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will take steps to ensure that primary care trust commissioners work in partnership with schools in the process for commissioning child and adolescent mental health services at a local level; [7229]
(2) what statutory duties there are on (a) adult mental health services, (b) adult social services and (c) child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) to aid the transition of children who need continuing mental health support from CAMHS to adult services. [7230]
Mr Burstow: In 2006, the Department of Health and the Department for Education and Skills (now DFE) published 'Transition: Getting it Right for Young People', which provided guidance for primary care trusts and local authorities to ensure that they worked together effectively.
A review of services for disabled children in 2007 found inconsistency in transition support and families were not clear about the purpose of the transition process. The Transition Support Programme (TSP) managed by the Council for Disabled Children is helping all 152 local services (education, health and social care) to develop and work better together, to ensure that young people and their families are at the heart of decisions and plans for the future.
The transition from child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) to adult services is a critical point for young people with complex mental health needs. The Government are developing support to help young people's and adult services improve these transitions to ensure that both the processes and the models of care meet the needs of young people and their families.
In response to the final report of the independent CAMHS review published in November 2008, which was critical of transitional arrangements, a number of pieces of work on the transition between children's and adult mental health care have been set-up. The Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE), the National CAMHS Support Service (NCSS) and National Mental Health Development Unit (NMHDU) will be collaborating to produce a series of resources to support practitioners and commissioners to provide better care for adolescents and young adults.
The work is being overseen by a steering group on which SCIE, NCSS and NMHDU are represented along with adult and CAMHS, Department of Health and Department of Education representatives. The group meets monthly to co-ordinate the work. Advisory processes for engagement of external stakeholder are currently being agreed.
Local education authorities have a statutory duty to co-operate with other local agencies including health and social care in making transition plans for each child with special educational needs (SEN). The Department and the DFE are working together to ensure that organisations co-operate locally including on CAMHS.
While there are no specific statutory duties on these organisations relating CAMHS, many children and young people with mental health needs also have a Statement of SEN.
Multiple Sclerosis
Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) males and (b) females in each age group were diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in each of the last 10 years; what medication is available on the NHS to those diagnosed with multiple sclerosis; and if he will make a statement. [8571]
Mr Burstow: Patients living with multiple sclerosis are able to access the full range of medications, as recommended in the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidelines for the treatment of this condition. This may include steroids to treat relapses, and the use of disease modifying drugs such as beta interferon, glatiramer acetate, and natalizumab.
Information on the number of people diagnosed with multiple sclerosis each year is not collected centrally.
NHS: Drugs
Mr Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the Government plans to review the appraisal of drugs for the treatment of ultra orphan diseases through a process of national specialist commissioning. [8783]
Mr Simon Burns: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 12 July, Official Report, column 482W.
NHS: Finance
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the effect on the number of hospital (a) accident and emergency, (b) surgical units and (c) children's departments in (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011-12, (iii) 2012-13 and (iv) 2013-14 of the planned savings of £20 billion in the NHS between 2011 and 2014. [8115]
Mr Simon Burns: Information on the effect of local plans on the number of accident and emergency, surgical units and children's departments is not collected centrally.
Decisions on the configuration of local health services are made by local national health service organisations.
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the effect on the number of (a) nursing, (b) midwifery and (c) other non-nursing posts in the NHS in (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011-12, (iii) 2012-13 and (iv) 2013-14 of the planned savings of £20 billion in the NHS between 2011 and 2014. [8116]
Mr Simon Burns: It is the responsibility of local national health service organisations to plan and deliver a work force appropriate to the needs of their local population, based on clinical need and sound evidence; this includes planning their share of the efficiency savings. Their proposed plans will be ready later this year.
Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) whether he plans to include day care services provided by hospices in the proposed per-patient funding system; [8131]
(2) whether funding under the proposed per-patient funding system will be determined on a local or on a national basis. [8132]
Mr Burstow: There will be a new review into the funding of palliative care, to be chaired by Tom Hughes-Hallett, Chief Executive of Marie Curie Cancer Care. This will look to ensure that money intended to help support those adults and children in need of palliative care is spent in the right way.
The review will make recommendations for a funding system that will cover care provided in all settings by hospices, the NHS or any other appropriate providers. It is due to report during the summer 2011.
NHS: VAT
Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the financial effect on the NHS of the proposed increase in the standard rate of value added tax in 2011. [7273]
Mr Simon Burns: The information required to estimate the impact of the proposed increase in value added tax is not held centrally.
Nurses: Manpower
Mr Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when estimate has been made of the effect of implementation of recruitment freezes on the number of frontline nursing posts in the NHS. [7845]
Mr Simon Burns: No estimates are held centrally on the effect of recruitment freezes on the number of frontline nursing posts in the national health service.
It is for local NHS organisations to plan and deliver a workforce appropriate to the needs of their local population, based on clinical need and sound evidence. This will require strong leadership and partnership working.
Nutrition: EU Law
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) when he expects the community list of permitted health claims, under article 13.3 of the Nutrition and Health Claims Regulation, to be established; [7884]
(2) when he expects the first batch of article 13.1 health claims under the provisions of the Nutrition and Health Claims Regulation, to be adopted; [7885]
(3) what his Department's policy is on the establishment of the community list of permitted article 13.1 health claims in batches. [7886]
Anne Milton: A draft European Commission Regulation authorising the first batch of Article 13.1 health claims on the role of nutrients, or other substances, in the growth, development and the functions of the body (which are subject to procedures set out under article 13.3) was discussed at the 12 July Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health but not agreed. The Commission intends to present an amended proposal to standing committee on 11 October. If the proposal is agreed by member states on that date legislation could come into force around the end of the year.
The Government support the aims of the regulation to provide businesses with clarity in the market and to protect consumers against misleading claims. The European Commission has indicated that it is committed to authorising health claims in response to each batch of opinions. The Government are aware of United Kingdom businesses' concerns and the Food Standards Agency will work closely with UK businesses and enforcement bodies to minimise any negative impact this approach may have on businesses.
Osteoporosis: Health Services
Mr Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effects of the Osteoporosis Diagnosis and Prevention scheme on the (a) prevalance and (b) date of diagnosis of osteoporosis. [7046]
Mr Burstow: The Osteoporosis Diagnosis and Prevention scheme introduced in 2008 within general practitioner (GP) contractual arrangements aims to provide an incentive to GP practices to confirm diagnosis and prescribe appropriate pharmacological secondary prevention in patients. Its purpose is to improve patient care by ensuring that specified patient groups are managed appropriately and in accordance with National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidance.
Information on prevalence and date of diagnosis is not available centrally. However, financial information from primary care trusts shows that in 2009-10 nearly two-thirds of the available reward monies were paid to GPs for achievement.
Mr Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure compliance with the commissioning guidance on osteoporosis and fracture services included in the prevention package for older people. [7047]
Mr Burstow: In 2009, as part of the prevention package for older people, the Department issued best practice guidance on "Falls and fractures: effective interventions in health and social care" for organisations to determine how they will implement falls prevention and effective fracture management.
It is for organisations to decide locally how best to deliver services that meet the requirements of their communities. In doing this, local commissioning of services should be community focussed and take account of the full range of services for falls, fractures and osteoporosis.
Energy and Climate Change
Departmental Consultants
Mr Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what budget his Department has allocated for consultancy in 2010-11. [5927]
Gregory Barker: The Department has allocated a budget of £14,327,220 for the financial year 2010-11.
Departmental Internet
Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much (a) his Department and (b) its non-departmental public bodies spent on website design in each year since its inception. [7608]
Gregory Barker: The Department of Energy and Climate Change was created on 3 October 2008, and its official corporate website:
was launched on 23 February 2009.
The amount spent on website design by the Department and bodies, since the Department's inception, is as follows:
| £ | ||
| Financial year | ||
| Organisation | 2008-09 | 2009-10 |
| (1) Cost of design and set-up of whole site following creation of CCC. Not possible to extract design costs alone. (2) Cost of management of the whole site. Not possible to extract design costs alone. | ||
Departmental Official Hospitality
Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much (a) his Department and (b) its non-departmental public bodies spent on hospitality in each year since its inception. [7445]
Gregory Barker: Department of Energy and Climate Change and its non-departmental bodies spend on hospitality was:
| £000 | ||
| Financial year | ||
| 2008-09 | 2009-10 | |
Departmental Security
Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much (a) his Department and (b) its non-departmental public bodies spent on security in each year since its inception. [7375]
Gregory Barker: The Department was established in October 2008. It spent £298,000 on security from October 2008 to March 2009 and £600,000 in 2009-10.
The Department's non-departmental public bodies spent £322,000 on security in 2008-9 and £361,000 in 2009-10.
Departmental Stationery
Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much (a) his Department and (b) its non-departmental public bodies spent on stationery in each year since its inception. [7464]
Gregory Barker: The financial systems used by the Department for Energy and Climate Change and its non-departmental public bodies do not enable all stationery costs to be separately identified. To provide the information would disproportional in terms of cost. Therefore the figures in the table for stationery expenditure also include some printing costs:
| £ 000 | ||
| FY 2008-09 | FY 2009-10 | |
Departmental Utilities
Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much (a) his Department and (b) its non-departmental public bodies spent on (i) electricity, (ii) water, (iii) heating and (iv) telephone services in each year since its inception. [7589]
Gregory Barker: The Department spent from its inception in October 2008 the following amounts in each year.
Electricity and heating costs are not separately identifiable without incurring disproportionate cost. In respect of telephone services the costs for 2008-09 are not separately identifiable without incurring disproportionate cost.
| £000 | ||
| 2008-09 | 2009-10 | |
| n/a = Not available. | ||
Expenditure by the Department's non-departmental public bodies is as follows.
| £000 | ||
| 2008-09 | 2009-10 | |
EC Law
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will estimate the cost to his Department of compliance with regulations arising from EU obligations in the last 12 months. [6877]
Gregory Barker: Like all employers, Government Departments have to act in accordance with a wide variety of regulation ranging from health and safety to employment, but it is not standard accounting practice to distinguish regulatory compliance costs from overall running costs, whether of EU origin or domestic.
Given the lack of off-the-shelf figures, producing such an estimate on a Department-by-Department basis would be a major undertaking, and would involve disproportionate expenditure. By way of comparison, the Administrative Burdens Measurement Exercise, which provided an indicative estimate of administrative burdens across the UK economy, cost in excess of £10 million to undertake.
Electric Cables
Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether his Department plans to undertake strategic environmental assessments of the onshore electricity transmission lines proposed by the Electricity Networks Strategy Group; and if he will make a statement. [6283]
Charles Hendry: The Electricity Networks Strategy Group report "Our Electricity Transmission Network: A Vision for 2020" sets out the Transmission Network companies' view of the potential electricity transmission network investments that would be needed to accommodate the change in the generation mix to 2020. Their report does not require strategic environmental assessment (SEA).
Routes for specific transmission lines are subject to planning approval, and the planning system allows all stakeholders to have their views considered when decisions are made. As part of the process of preparing an application for a transmission line, National Grid will undertake routeing and siting studies in accordance with guidelines that take into account amenity issues including visual and other environmental impacts of proposed lines.
Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on alternatives for electricity transmission to overhead lines of 132 kilovolts and above; and if he will make a statement. [6284]
Charles Hendry: Electricity transmission in England and Wales is defined as above 132kv. In Scotland transmission is defined as 132kv and above.
It is the responsibility of the transmission owners (TOs) to design and develop the networks in the most efficient manner.
DECC has not undertaken research of its own into this matter.
Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his policy is on the replacement of overhead power lines and pylons with underground cables. [8245]
Charles Hendry: It is the responsibility of the transmission owners to design and develop the networks in the most efficient manner, within the regulatory price control review mechanism.
We would expect the transmission owner companies to make a balanced assessment of the benefits of reducing any environmental impacts of overhead electricity transmission lines, including by undergrounding, against the costs and technical challenges of doing so.
Energy: Subsidies
Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much (a) his Department and its predecessors and (b) its non-departmental public bodies spent on subsidies for wind turbines in each year since 1997. [6231]
Charles Hendry: The renewables obligation is currently the Government's main mechanism for supporting renewables generation. It is a market based instrument and the amount received by generators is set by the market. It is therefore not possible to say with certainty how much support has been received by wind generation. However, the following table gives an estimate of the amount of subsidy given out.
| £000 | |
| Total (onshore and offshore) | |
In the years between 1997 and 2002 the Government's main mechanism for supporting renewables generation was the non-fossil fuel obligation (NFFO), but data on the amount of subsidy provided for wind are not readily available, and the cost of obtaining it would be disproportionate on this timescale. The renewables obligation was introduced in April 2002. Final figures for the year 2009-10 are not yet available.
The DTI offshore wind capital grants scheme made a net award of £36.0 million to support the development of four early offshore wind farms between 2004-05 and 2009-10.
Grants from the Low Carbon Building Programme (LCBP) as well as Clear Skies are outlined in the following table:
| £ | ||||
| LCBP-1 and 1e | Clear Skies | LCBP-2 and 2e | Total | |
Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much (a) his Department and its predecessors and (b) its non-departmental public bodies spent on subsidies for hydro-electricity power production in each year since 1997. [6232]
Charles Hendry: The renewables obligation is the Government's main current mechanism for supporting renewables generation. It is a market based instrument and the amount received by generators is set by the market. It is therefore not possible to say exactly how much support has been received by hydro generation. However, the following table gives an estimate of the amount of subsidy given out.
| Financial year | ( 1) Total (£ 000 ) |
| (1) Estimate | |
In the years between 1997 and 2002 the Government's main mechanism for supporting renewables generation was the non-fossil fuel obligation (NFFO), but data on the amount of subsidy provided for hydro are not readily available, and the cost of obtaining them would be disproportionate on this timescale.
The variation between years is mainly due to different levels of rainfall, e.g. 2005-06 was a fairly dry year.
Final figures for the amount of subsidies given out for hydro under the renewables obligation in 2009-10 will not be available until later in the year.
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