Written Answers to Questions
Wednesday 21 July 2010
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Biodiversity
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she has made an assessment of the likely effects on biodiversity of land use, land use change and forestry projects in the Clean Development Mechanism. [8611]
Richard Benyon: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by the Minister of State for Energy and Climate Change (Gregory Barker) on 19 July 2010, Official Report, columns 75-76W.
Common Agricultural Policy
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects the EU to approve arrangements for post-2013 reform of the Common Agricultural Policy. [10093]
Mr Paice: EU negotiations on reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) will begin following the European Commission's Communication on CAP, which will be published towards the end of 2010. Detailed legislative proposals are due in 2011. Negotiations should conclude in time for the start of the next Financial Perspective in 2014.
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is on the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy after 2013. [10095]
Mr Paice: We want to see a competitive, thriving and sustainable EU agriculture sector. Ambitious reform of the Common Agricultural Policy is needed to enable farmers to rise to the challenges and opportunities of the future. Reform must deliver good value for money for farmers, taxpayers, consumers and the environment. It must prepare the agriculture sector for the long term, be affordable, be significantly better at delivering public benefits and reduce the burden of regulation on farmers.
Departmental Buildings
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many separate buildings her Department occupies in (a) London and (b) elsewhere in the UK. [6891]
Richard Benyon: The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which is defined as the core Department and executive agencies, occupies:
(a) Six sites in London and
(b) 107 sites across the rest of the UK.
A number of these sites accommodate staff from departmental delivery bodies and other Government Departments.
Departmental Civil Servants
Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many employees of her Department attended Civil Service Live in (a) 2008, (b) 2009 and (c) 2010; and what estimate she has made of the (i) employee working hours taken up by and (ii) cost to her Department of such attendance in each such year. [9046]
Richard Benyon: Civil Service Live events are owned and managed by the private company Dods (the publishers of Civil Service World), who bear all of the financial risks.
The overall delegate numbers for Civil Service Live in 2008, 2009 and 2010 were approximately 6,000, 8,000 and 7,700 respectively. Delegate registration is managed centrally by Dods. Departments do not keep a detailed record of every member of staff that attends.
Civil servants do not pay to attend Civil Service Live events. Travel and subsistence costs for individuals attending the event will be met in line with the Department's rules.
Departmental Equality
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much her 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 her Department for this purpose. [5919]
Richard Benyon: DEFRA has a diversity team in place to help ensure that DEFRA complies with equality legislation and develops and implements strategies that actively promote equality and diversity throughout the organisation and its provision of services.
The Department's spend for staff costs on promoting equality and diversity in each of the last three years and the number of people who are employed by the Department for this purpose are detailed in the following table.
| Department's diversity spend (diversity team budget) (£) | Staff costs (£) | Number of s taff employed by diversity team( 1) | |
| (1) The figures represent base salary, earning related national insurance contributions (ERNIC) and employer's superannuation costs. The figures take account of part-time hours, changes in staff profile and proportion of time spent on diversity issues. | |||
The staff cost of the diversity team has reduced to £134,380 for 2010-11. This is the result of a strategic decision to move towards embedding diversity throughout the organisation. This has resulted in the number of staff employed by the diversity team having reduced to 2.2.
Departmental Internet
Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much (a) her Department and its predecessors and (b) its agencies and non-departmental public bodies spent on website design in each year since 1997. [7604]
Richard Benyon: The DEFRA website has undergone a single redesign since the creation of the Department in 2001. This went live on 17 September 2009 and external costs for this (for audience research, web structure analysis, design and accessibility auditing) totalled £181,378. It is not possible to separate out the internal staff costs for this work.
The Food and Environment Research Agency (FERA) website design was completed in 31 March 2009. The cost of external website design company work was £11,643.75. Of this cost, approximately £2,250 would come under the heading of 'Strategy and planning', the remainder would come under the heading 'Design and build'. The website is hosted on Fera's own IT infrastructure and it is not possible to disaggregate the costs associated with hosting the website. 'Content provision' and 'Testing and evaluation' were all carried out in-house. It is not possible to separate out the internal staff costs for this work.
The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS) has spent a total of £42,500 on design for its website since 1997.
The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) website was redesigned in the financial year 2005-06. A project to enable single payment scheme customers to submit and track their applications online has been running since 2008 with the functionality made widely available in 2010. The data required to provide information on costs for website design from these projects are not held in a form that is easily accessible and as such this information can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
The Cattle Tracing System Online transactional website, which enables farmers to submit cattle birth and movement data directly to RPA's central tracing system, was completely rebuilt during 2008 and 2009 using new hardware and software. This provided enhanced functionality and security through the Government Gateway at a total project cost of £3,959,270. Most of the cost was on developing and testing hardware and software to support the interactive transactional services to customers. The spend on web design, which cannot be separated from the total spend, was a small proportion of the overall cost.
The Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA) website was redesigned during 2007-08 to improve its template design, navigation and accessibility. The new site went live on 29 April 2008 and external costs totalled £9,394.13.
Between 1997 and 2008 the Environment Agency spent approximately £40,000 on website design. The Agency's internet website, intranet and the NetRegs website were redesigned during 2008. The intranet went live in August 2008 and the website and NetRegs in December 2008. Because most of the templates are shared, it is impossible to extract costs for the website alone. The external costs for this work (template design, prototype creation, user testing of prototypes and accessibility review) was £88,590. It is not possible to provide internal staff costs for this work.
Natural England vested in October 2006. The design and information architecture costs for the new Natural England website in October 2006 were £17,610. The redesign of the Natural England website went live in February 2009. The design and information architecture costs for this work were £53,991.
The Animal Health Agency (known as the State Veterinary Service prior to 2007) came into existence in 2005. The Agency spent £8,000 during 2009-10 to redesign its web pages to match the new DEFRA templates. It is intended that the refreshed pages will go live during July 2010.
The Gangmasters Licensing Authority (GLA) spent approximately £30,000 in 2005 on redesigning its website. In 2009-10 it spent a further £37,323.29 on design. This work is still ongoing with a planned launch date of autumn 2010.
The Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) has spent a total of £6,900 on design since 1997.
The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) has redeveloped its website a couple of times since 1997. Specific figures are not available for earlier work. Following comments from users the VMD is in the process of redesigning its website and costs to date (all internal staff costs) are £17,618.
The Drinking Water Inspectorate spent approximately £5,000 on redesign work in 2009.
In 2005 the existing Sustainable Development Commission (SDC) site was redesigned to improve accessibility, transparency and usability. The cost of this was £3,307.50.
The Inland Waterways Advisory Council (IWAC) is an NDPB created in April 2007. External costs for website design/update work have to date totalled £496.88.
I understand that other agencies and non-departmental public bodies have not carried out redesigns of their websites during this period.
Departmental Manpower
Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much her Department has spent on human resources in each year since 1997. [5107]
Richard Benyon: The HR profession across Whitehall has only centrally collected the cost of human resources for Departments from 2008 onwards. It should also be recognised that there have been significant organisational changes for human resources activities in DEFRA since 1997, which makes like-for-like comparison from year to year very difficult. As a result data prior to 2008 could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
The following data are available for spend on human resources in core DEFRA and its agencies in 2008-09:
The costs for human resources in 2009-2010 are currently unavailable.
Departmental Marketing
Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much her (a) Department and its predecessors and (b) its agencies and non-departmental public bodies spent on logo design in each year since 1997. [7479]
Richard Benyon: The DEFRA logo was designed when the Department was established in 2001. It was prepared as part of the branding and was not costed separately. The logo has remained the same since the Department was established and there has been no expenditure on the design.
Information on the cost of logo design in DEFRA's agencies and non-departmental public bodies could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Flood Control
Hilary Benn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the total
estimated monetary value is of flood defence assets in England; and what the estimated cost of maintaining those assets is in each of the next three years. [9826]
Richard Benyon: The Environment Agency estimates the replacement value of flood defence assets in England to be at least £30 billion (at 2005 prices). The Environment Agency maintains an estimated £20 billion of these assets and third parties maintain an estimated £10 billion.
The estimated cost of maintaining the Environment Agency's flood defence assets is £210 million annually for the next three years. The cost for third parties to maintain their assets is unknown.
Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what flood defence schemes are in the planning stage; and what the target (a) start and (b) completion date is for work on each scheme. [9827]
Richard Benyon: The figures in the following table show the capital schemes with flood defence grant in aid (FDGiA) funding in 2010-11 in England that are currently in the appraisal stage, and that are estimated to have a final value of more than £250,000. Estimated construction start and completion dates are also given.
Progress of these schemes depends on many factors, including the strength of priority within their business cases, support within each community, appropriate planning and other consents, and the availability of funding. This includes both national grants paid for by general taxation, and local contributions in recognition of the significant benefits to householders, businesses, developers, utilities, landowners and others being delivered through better protection from the damaging consequences of flood events.
Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much her Department spent on flood defence in each year between 1999-2000 and 2010-11; and what estimate she has made of the number of additional properties protected by schemes completed in each of those years. [10086]
Richard Benyon: The table provides a breakdown of funding to the Environment Agency for flood risk management between 1999-2000 and 2010-11 and the number of households protected. The household figures for 1999-2000 to 2002-03 are not held centrally and therefore unavailable.
The figures are based upon the annual report and accounts and board papers of the Environment Agency. These sums relate to flood defence grant in aid, excluding non-programmed items, and other income such as Regional Flood and Coastal Committee levies, Internal Drainage Board precept and contributions.
| EA total England (£ million) | Households protected | |
| (1) Budgeted. (2) To be confirmed. | ||
In April 2006 the Environment Agency took on responsibility for the administration of capital grants payable to local authorities and Internal Drainage Boards (IDBs). This was under delegation from DEFRA for all schemes promoted under the Land Drainage Act and for schemes under the Coast Protection Act from April 2008.
In accordance with this, and in addition to the sums shown in the above table, the following figures were allocated to local authorities and IDBs.
| £ million | ||
| Local authorities | IDBs | |
Flood Control: Witham
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to improve flood defences in Witham constituency; and if she will make a statement. [10089]
Richard Benyon: The Environment Agency is investigating the provision of flood resilience measures, to improve protection to properties in Witham and upstream in the River Blackwater catchment.
The Environment Agency undertakes an annual programme of maintenance on rivers and tidal defences in the Witham constituency to maintain the current standard of flood protection.
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much funding her Department allocated to flood defence measures in Witham constituency in the last 12 months. [10090]
Richard Benyon: In the last 12 months to April 2010, the Environment Agency spent £540,000 in the Witham constituency. Expenditure included work on flood defence maintenance (£460,000), flood incident response and developing proposals to protect properties in and around Witham.
Inland Waterways
David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department is taking to protect and enhance the canal network. [9532]
Richard Benyon: We recognise that the canal network is a vibrant resource which provides a wide range of public benefits. There has been significant public and private investment in the canal network over recent years, and British Waterways' grant from DEFRA remains at the significant sum of £51.3 million this year. British Waterways manages its maintenance programme using a risk-based approach in order to ensure that its network remains in a reasonable and safe condition, and is engaged in a number of improvement projects.
We are currently considering the possible movement of British Waterways in to the civil society, and this has the potential to make a significant, and innovative, contribution to the long-term sustainability and resilience of the waterways by providing additional income and greater engagement of all users, volunteers and local communities in waterways management. Decisions will be made in the context of the forthcoming spending review.
Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what funding her Department has allocated to research and development in respect of reliable and sustainable water infrastructure. [9541]
Richard Benyon: The budget in 2010-11 for research and development under the Water Availability and Quality programme is around £2.7 million, of which around £500,000 is allocated to research and development on water efficiency and water supply.
Water companies also fund their own research and development.
Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the effects of implementation of the provisions of the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 on Witham constituency. [10091]
Richard Benyon: A thorough assessment of the effect of the provisions of the Marine and Coastal Access Bill 2009 was made during its passage through Parliament. The impact assessment for the resulting Act can be found at:
This sets out that parts 1 to 8 of the Act are expected to provide average annual benefits in the range of £753-1,654 million, together with various non-monetised benefits, for an average annual cost of £41-81 million. Assessments are not made at constituency level. Proposals on how different parts of the Act are to be implemented are being put forward for public consultation and are accompanied by individual impact assessments.
National Parks
Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent representations she has received on the accountability to the public of governance structures of national parks. [9838]
Richard Benyon: Since the end of May two parliamentary questions have been received on this issue, both of which were from my hon. Friend the Member for New Forest West (Mr Swayne). The first was answered 21 June 2010, Official Report, column 30W. The second is due to be answered 22 July. Mr Swayne has also written on behalf of a constituent about this issue.
I had an opportunity to discuss accountability when I recently visited the Northumberland National Park Authority and have since exchanged letters with the English National Park Authorities Association on the issue.
Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the administrative costs of (a) the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority and (b) each other national park authority were in each of the last three years. [9839]
Richard Benyon: Administrative costs are not recorded separately by the national park authorities but are included in the expenditure figures under activity headings. The most recent information available is for 2008-09 and is as follows:
| £000 | |||||||||
| Broads | Dartmoor | Exmoor | Lake District | New Forest | Northumberland | North York Moors | Peak District | Yorkshire Dales | |
Information for previous years is available from the individual national park authorities' websites at:
Reservoirs
Mr Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the total water storage capacity in UK reservoirs was (a) at the latest date for which figures are available, (b) in 2005 and (c) in 2000. [9092]
Richard Benyon: DEFRA does not hold figures for 2000 and 2005. Until recently, the net change in reservoir capacity since privatisation in 1989 had been small, although within that some small reservoirs were taken out of operation and some introduced.
As of 14 July 2010 the total capacity of all reservoirs in England and Wales which fall under the Reservoirs Act 1975 (large raised reservoirs with a capacity of 25,000 cubic metres of water or more above natural ground level) was 3,064 million cubic metres.
Information for Scotland can be obtained from the Scottish Government and for Northern Ireland from the Northern Ireland Office.
Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the reservoir capacity was of each privatised water company (a) on the date of privatisation and (b) at the latest date for which information is available. [10033]
Richard Benyon: The following table sets out the capacity of reservoirs for each privatised water company in England and Wales on 16 July 2010. These are reservoirs that fall under the Reservoirs Act 1975 (large raised reservoirs with a capacity of 25,000m(3) or more above natural ground level). There are some reservoirs that fall under the Act which are not owned by the water companies.
| Water company | Capacity (m( 3) ) |
Reservoir capacities on the date of privatisation are not available.
River Blackwater
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has for the future of the environment of the River Blackwater and surrounding land. [10092]
Richard Benyon: The Environment Agency has plans under the water framework directive to improve river habitats, reduce the impact of diffuse pollution from agriculture and modify abstraction licences to improve the River Blackwater.
Under the Catchment Flood Management Plan, the current river maintenance programme and standards of protection, including around Witham, Coggeshall and Kelvedon, will be maintained.
Rivers: Pollution
Mr Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the level of pollution to rivers and water supplies resulting from the run-off of chemicals and metals from car wash businesses. [10103]
Richard Benyon: The Environment Agency undertakes extensive monitoring of river quality, including for chemicals and metals. No specific work has been undertaken to determine the impact of uncontrolled car washes on water quality. The Environment Agency is aware of the potential impact these activities can have on the water environment and has, in collaboration with other UK regulators, produced pollution prevention guidance (PPG13) for their safe operation. It uses this guidance to help inform operators of their legal responsibilities and the measures they can use to control their discharges.
DEFRA is working with the Environment Agency to investigate whether a different approach to regulation is necessary.
Seas and Oceans: Environment Protection
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the Government's position is on the establishment of a replacement target date for an ecologically coherent network of well-managed protected marine areas under the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic. [10219]
Richard Benyon: The Government recognise that the previous OSPAR target for a well-managed ecologically coherent network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) by 2010 will be missed. A replacement target will be agreed at the OSPAR ministerial meeting in September. In determining any new target, we will look to reflect our national commitment to a substantially established ecologically coherent network of MPAs by 2012, and work with contracting parties to agree a revised target that is both ambitious and achievable. To support this, we are seeking reform of the Common Fisheries Policy that ensures all MPAs can be properly managed.
Northern Ireland
Departmental Communication
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what instructions have been issued by the private office of each Minister in his Department on the preparation of briefing, speeches and replies to official correspondence. [9666]
Mr Paterson: No instructions have been issued.
Departmental Legal Costs
Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much (a) his Department and (b) its agencies and non-departmental public bodies spent on legal advice in each year since 1997. [7576]
Mr Paterson: On 12 April 2010 the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) transferred responsibility for Policing and Justice to the Northern Ireland Assembly. Comparable figures for the Department as it is now configured are not available.
The Department is charged on an annual basis for legal services. Since devolution, the Department has incurred costs of £5,573.
The NIO has no agencies. It has one non-departmental public body which has incurred a cost of £880 since 12 April.
Departmental Official Cars
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much his Department has spent on the Government Car Service since the Government took office. [7963]
Mr Paterson: The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) has spent £13,410.68 on the Government Car Service since the Government took office.
Departmental Travel
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have been driven by the Government Car Service since the Government took office; and how much each of these persons has received in expenses for use of taxis, buses and underground trains in that period. [7964]
Mr Paterson: Since the Government took office, the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) ministerial team and nine departmental officials, when carrying sensitive documents, have been driven by the Government Car Service. There have been no claims made for travel expenses by these officials.
In addition, the Government publish, on a quarterly basis, the expenses incurred by the most senior officials which includes use of the Government Car Service and other travel expenses.
EU Law
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will estimate the cost to his Department of compliance with regulations arising from EU obligations in the last 12 months. [6867]
Mr Paterson: On 12 April 2010 the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) transferred responsibility for Policing and Justice to the Northern Ireland Assembly. Comparable figures for the Department as it is now configured are not available.
Since 12 April the Department has incurred no expenditure in this area.
The NIO has no agencies. It has one non-departmental public body which has also incurred no expenditure in this area.
House of Commons Commission
Capital Expenditure
Mr Andrew Turner: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the House of Commons Commission what (a) capital and (b) revenue schemes in excess of £100,000 the House of Commons Commission started in (i) 2008-09, (ii) 2009-10 and (iii) 2010-11. [7560]
Sir Stuart Bell: Those schemes in excess of £100,000 which commenced in each of the financial years were:
Refurbishment of Library accommodation in Norman Shaw North building;
Refurbishment of toilets in Palace of Westminster centre curtain area;
Conversion of lift in Norman Shaw North building to evacuation lift;
Mechanical and electrical services modernisation in the Palace of Westminster;
1 Canon Row refurbishment and lift extension;
Estates Enterprise Programme Management System.
Portcullis House fire safety system upgrade;
Extension of Whitehall security measures to the Northern Estate;
Refurbishment of ventilation in workshops in the Palace of Westminster;
Disability Discrimination Act works;
Parliamentary Outreach.
Schemes involving a mixture of capital and revenue
ICT infrastructure replacement;
Improvement of Department of Facilities IT systems.
Acquisition of 53 Parliament street;
14 Tothill street office fit-out for occupation;
Preparation of 4 Millbank for occupation;
Refurbishment of toilets in 7 Millbank;
Palace of Westminster lower waiting hall toilet refurbishment;
1 Canon Row gym ventilation and cooling.
Refresh of Members' offices;
Refurbishment of Lord Speaker's lift to provide evacuation facility;
School Transport Subsidy relating to increase in education service;
ICT Research and Development;
Implementation of House Equality Scheme.
Schemes involving a mixture of capital and revenue
Enterprise Information Management;
Core Parliamentary Information Management Framework.
Conversion of first floor, 1 Parliament street to a nursery.
Replacement of Chamber cameras.
Accommodation and services changes and other costs associated with changes following the general election.
Justice
Alcoholic Drinks: Fraud
Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people were prosecuted for offences of alcohol fraud in 2009. [9913]
The Attorney-General: I have been asked to reply.
The Revenue and Customs Prosecution Office prosecuted 20 people for alcohol fraud in the calendar year 2009.
Courts: Sentencing
Mr George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice which organisations are contracted to provide facilities for carrying out community sentences given by courts; and if he will publish the evaluation carried out by his Department on the programmes provided by each such organisation. [9272]
Mr Blunt: Completion of community sentence orders are managed by each of the 35 Probation Trusts. Probation Trusts are established as separate corporate entities to the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and they do not have central systems with the MoJ that permit access to information.
Therefore, the information requested would require the manual collection of all associated data and records from each individual Probation Trust at a disproportionate cost.
Courts: Sunderland
Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the status is of the proposed rebuilding of court premises in Sunderland; and if he will make a statement. [9264]
Mr Djanogly: HMCS is committed to the delivery of a new Justice Centre in Sunderland. It has acquired the Farringdon Row site from Sunderland city council and completed the design to Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Stage D.
HMCS has a portfolio of major build projects, which are at various stages of their development. In line with standard practice, these will be assessed as part of Government investment and governance procedures and considered against the outcome of the current comprehensive spending review.
Departmental Billing
Mr Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what information his Department holds on the time taken by contractors employed by it to pay the invoices of their sub-contractors under prompt payment arrangements; and if he will make a statement. [9249]
Mr Blunt: The Department does not hold information on the time taken by its contractors to pay their sub-contractors.
However, the Department's standard contractual terms and conditions include a stipulation that contractors ensure that a provision is included in sub-contracts which requires payment to be made of all sums due by the contractor to the sub-contractor within a specified period not exceeding 30 days from the receipt of a valid invoice.
Legal Aid: Victims
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will direct his proposed review of legal aid to consider whether a proportion of the legal aid budget should be made available to assist victims and witnesses in cases of violent and serious crime; and if he will make a statement. [9091]
Mr Djanogly: There are currently no plans to consider whether a proportion of the legal aid budget should be made available to assist victims and witnesses in cases of violent and serious crime.
The Government ensure practical and emotional support to victims through Victim Support and other voluntary sector providers. Through the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme, they also provide financial compensation to blameless victims of violent and sexual crime. Bereaved relatives of homicide victims are also able to access free legal advice using a specialised helpline established in 2009. Any victim or witness can access free legal advice through the Legal Services Commission's Community Legal Advice website and helpline.
The MoJ currently funds Victim Support on an annual basis and it received £38.2 million in the last financial year (2009-10). This year Victim Support is testing a model of working that has seen the development of enhanced support services for the most vulnerable victims of crime and in particular families bereaved by homicide. Other specialist providers of services to victims are funded by the victims' fund, comprised of money collected through the Victims' Surcharge which is levied on all fines and ring-fenced for spending on services to victims. In 2010-11 £2.25 million has been made available to fund third-sector services for victims of sexual violence, £270,000 to fund third-sector services for families bereaved through homicide and £250,000 has been made available to third-sector services for hate crime.
The Government are also working to ensure victims and witnesses get the support they need to attend court and give best evidence. Witness Care Units (run jointly be the Police and CPS) ensure witnesses are kept involved in the process, helped to attend court and offered special measures, for example giving evidence by video, behind screens or with the help of an intermediary to assist communication and enable vulnerable and/or intimidated victims to give best evidence. Victims are also able to make a victim personal statement which enables them to set out in their own words the impact of the crime upon them so that it can be considered by the court.
On 23 June 2010 the Justice Secretary announced that we are considering policy on the subject of legal aid in England and Wales. We are looking at how to make the legal aid system more efficient, in the context of the current financial climate, while ensuring that it continues
to play a vital part in ensuring that people can get access to justice. The Government will consider the policy, and intend to seek views on the proposed new approach in the autumn.
Legal Representation: Mentally Ill
Esther McVey: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) what mechanism exists for detained mental health patients to choose their legal representation; [9162]
(2) what steps his Department has taken to assist detained mental health patients to contact solicitors and to reduce the time taken for such patients to have access to legal services. [9164]
Mr Djanogly: Legal advice is available to detained mental health patients to assist in the preparation and in representing a client before the Mental Health Tribunal. Such advice and assistance is without reference to a client's means. There are currently 221 providers in England and Wales who have contracts to undertake such work. Their details are available on the Community Legal Advice website. Additionally we are aware that many Mental Health Act Administrators within hospitals have a list of local solicitors which they provide to clients to enable them to access legal advice.
A recent tender exercise has been carried out by the Legal Services Commission (LSC) for new Mental Health contracts commencing in October 2010. The tender exercise has been significantly oversubscribed in all strategic health authorities.
Rape Crisis Centres
Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) what plans he has for future funding of existing rape crisis centres; [10255]
(2) what criteria will be used to determine in which areas to establish new rape crisis centres; [10228]
(3) whether the Government's plans to establish 20 new rape crisis centres will affect levels of funding for existing rape crisis centres; and if he will make a statement. [10229]
Mr Blunt: The Government recognise the crucial role played by rape support centres in the provision of support to victims of rape and other forms of sexual violence. To improve stability within the sector and increase the provision of services across England and Wales we have committed within the Coalition programme for government to
'consider how to use proceeds from the Victim Surcharge to deliver up to 15 new rape crisis centres, and give existing rape crisis centres stable, long-term funding.'
This commitment remains a priority for the Government. Work to develop a sustainable funding model for the sector and to identify, through comparison of existing service provision against predicted demand, those areas where the need for new centres is most acute will be undertaken in conjunction with the comprehensive spending review. No final decisions will be made until the autumn, when the results of the spending review are announced.
Rape: Victims
Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of (a) reported cases of rape, (b) prosecutions for rape and (c) convictions for rape involved a victim with (i) disabilities and (ii) learning disabilities in the latest period for which figures are available. [10231]
Mr Blunt: Information collected by the Home Office on the number of recorded offences does not separately identify whether the victim of rape had a disability.
The Court Proceedings Database held by the Ministry of Justice contains information on defendants proceeded against, found guilty and sentenced for criminal offences in England and Wales. Other than where specified in a statute, statistical information available centrally does not include the circumstances of each case. It is therefore not possible to separately identify from prosecutions and convictions for rape, the number of cases where the victim had a disability.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Departmental Art Works
Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department has spent on works of art since 2005. [6163]
Alistair Burt: Spending on works of art by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) was as follows:
| £ | |
| (1) To date. | |
Works of art displayed in FCO buildings in the UK and throughout the network are from the Government Art Collection (GAC), which publishes an annual list of acquisitions. The most recent details of acquisitions made by the GAC were published on 5 October 2009 and are available on the GAC website:
Departmental Mobile Phones
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many mobile telephones issued by his Department were recorded as (a) lost, (b) stolen and (c) broken in each year since 1997. [8833]
Alistair Burt: Within the Foreign and Commonwealth Office responsibility for the management of mobile phones is devolved to Directorates and Posts overseas. There is no central record of lost, stolen or broken mobile phones and consequently it is not possible to provide the information requested without incurring disproportionate cost.
Departmental Pay
Mr Straw: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimates his Department makes of the level of emoluments it pays to locally-engaged staff; and what mechanisms are in place to ensure that the level of such emoluments is in line with that paid to locally-engaged staff of other Departments. [10144]
Alistair Burt: The paybill for locally-engaged staff, as published in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's (FCO) resource accounts, for the 2009-10 financial year was £167.7 million. This figure includes both the salary and pension costs for approximately 10,500 local staff employed by the FCO overseas.
A large proportion of local staff employed by other Government Departments are recruited and paid according to the FCO's locally set terms and conditions of service, ensuring equality on emoluments. In 2009 the FCO and the Department for International Development undertook an exercise to ensure local staff pay and benefits for both Departments remained in line with each other and with local market conditions.
Diplomatic Service
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what guidance his Department has issued to UK embassies on support and assistance that should be offered to UK nationals undertaking human rights monitoring or advocacy in other jurisdictions. [9778]
Mr Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is committed to providing high quality consular support to British nationals travelling or resident overseas. Information on how the FCO can help British nationals is set out in the public guide 'Support for British Nationals Abroad: A Guide'. The publication is available on the FCO website at:
Foreign and Commonwealth Office Travel Advice is an authoritative source of travel safety information for all British nationals (regardless of their purpose of travel). See the FCO website:
Our embassies implement the EU Guidelines on Human Rights Defenders which apply to all individuals promoting or protecting human rights (including UK nationals). The Guidelines provide practical guidance to EU member states' embassies and EU Representations and Delegations abroad on how to fulfil the commitment in EU Common Foreign and Security Policy to promote and encourage respect for the right to defend human rights. This policy is based on the premise of the UN human rights system (i) that member states are responsible for ensuring that the rights of individuals, as set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and in the UN human rights conventions which they have ratified, are respected and protected within their jurisdictions and (ii) that all member states share this responsibility to respect and promote these universal rights for all individuals everywhere.
Overseas Aid: Human Rights
Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 29 June 2010, Official Report, columns 37-8WS, on Foreign and Commonwealth Office programmes, what work in which countries will be stopped as a result of the £560,000 reduction in spending on human rights and democracy; and if he will make a statement. [5487]
Mr Jeremy Browne: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary announced a 10% reduction this year in the Strategic Programme Fund for Human Rights and Democracy, as a contribution to reducing public expenditure, while making clear our desire to sustain such programmes in future years. Programme funds are only one way in which the Government uphold human rights, which are also a major focus of our overall bilateral and multilateral diplomatic activity. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, in consultation with partners, is currently assessing how this 10% reduction to the Strategic Programme Fund for Human Rights and Democracy can be implemented.
Communities and Local Government
Affordable Housing: Construction
Mr Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many affordable homes have been built in Peterborough constituency in each year since 2005; and if he will make a statement. [10097]
Andrew Stunell: Information on new affordable homes is not available by constituency. The information requested for Peterborough local authority is provided in the following table.
| New-build affordable homes delivered in Peterborough( 1) | |
| Number | |
| (1) Rounded to nearest 10 homes. Source: Homes and Communities Agency and local authorities. | |
Not all affordable housing is provided through new-build completions as supply can also come from the acquisition and refurbishment of private sector homes. In 2008-09, for example, a total of 420 additional affordable homes were provided in Peterborough.
The next CLG affordable housing statistical release containing figures for 2009-10 is scheduled to be published in the autumn.
Council Housing: Harlow
Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) if he will make an estimate of the financial effect on Harlow district council of the Tenant Services Authority inspection and audit programme in financial year (a) 2009-10 and (b) 2010-11; [9810]
(2) what estimate he has made of the cost to local authorities of the Tenant Services Authority's programme of annual inspections and audits in financial year 2010-11. [9812]
Andrew Stunell: The Tenant Services Authority (TSA) was not responsible for the inspection or regulation of local authorities in 2009-10.
The previous inspections regime for local authorities ceased on 1 April 2010 and is currently being reviewed. No fees in relation to inspections will be incurred by any local authority in 2010-11.
Housing: Construction
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much funding he has allocated for the building of houses in (a) England, (b) Tyneside and (c) Newcastle Central constituency in 2010-11. [9937]
Andrew Stunell: The three programmes which provide funding directly for the building of new affordable homes in England in the current spending period are: the National Affordable Housing Programme, Kickstart Housing Programmes, and Local Authority New Build. These programmes have mainly funded new affordable homes for social rent and low-cost home ownership, although Kickstart has delivered an element of market sale homes.
Information on the National Affordable Housing Programme allocations across the spending period are available on the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) website. These are provided by region and local authority area:
A list of those schemes which have been successful in their applications for Kickstart Housing Delivery and Local Authority New Build are available on the HCA website:
Local Government Finance
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he plans to take to increase the transparency of the existing formula grant allocation process. [8010]
Robert Neill: The coalition Government are fully committed to a local government resource review and we will make a further announcement in due course. In the meantime, we are prepared to keep an open mind about proposals for increasing the transparency of the formula grant distribution process.
Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what timetable he has set for his Department's review of the local government finance formula; and when he expects to be in a position to implement a new formula. [9547]
Robert Neill:
The coalition Government are fully committed to a local government resource review and we will make a further announcement in due course. This is the last year of a three-year settlement, and we
will be consulting on our proposals for 2011-12 in due course. We are of course prepared to keep an open mind about options for change regarding the distribution of formula grant to local authorities.
Local Government Services: Expenditure
Mr Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether he has made a recent estimate of the proportion of local authority expenditure incurred on services provided under statutory obligations. [10147]
Robert Neill: No. The information requested is not available centrally.
Local Government: Contracts
Mr Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what his most recent estimate is of the monetary value of contracts entered into by local authorities; and what estimate he has made of the monetary value of such contracts in each of the next three years. [10146]
Robert Neill: The information requested is not collected centrally.
Ordnance Survey
Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether he plans to take steps to encourage the further (a) release and (b) public re-use of Ordnance Survey geospatial data. [7905]
Robert Neill: The release of some Ordnance Survey datasets through OS OpenData earlier this year will give citizens and businesses the ability to freely use and re-use those data, including for commercial purposes. The package of products released was chosen to maximise the ability to make best use of other public data which are freely available (e.g. through data.gov.uk) and to ensure that Ordnance Survey continues to provide high-quality products and services to those customers who need them. There are no current plans to change the products made available through OS OpenData.
Rented Housing: Empty Property
Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the number of vacant properties in the (a) social and (b) private rented sector in Sunderland. [9318]
Andrew Stunell: Information is not collected by constituency.
The Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix (HSSA) collects information from local authorities on the number of vacant dwellings within each local authority area as at 1 April. Information is not collected on the number of vacant dwellings in the private rented sector.
The Regulatory Statistical Return (RSR) is collected by the Tenant Services Authority (TSA) and collects information on vacant dwellings from registered social
landlords as at 31 March. However, the number of vacant dwellings recorded includes general needs dwellings only.
A table showing the number of vacant dwellings owned by local authorities and registered social landlords in each local authority area as at 1 April 2009 and 31 March 2009 respectively has been placed in the Library of the House.
Social Rented Housing
Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many households with people of working age in social housing are deemed to be under-occupying by (a) one bedroom and (b) two or more bedrooms in each local authority area. [10028]
Andrew Stunell [holding answer 20 July 2010]: Data on under-occupation are not available at local authority level. Under-occupied households are normally defined as those with two or more bedrooms more than required as assessed by the Bedroom Standard. On this basis it is estimated that 216,000 households with a household reference person of working age in social housing were under-occupying in 2007-08. It is estimated that 721,000 households with a household reference person of working age in social housing had one bedroom more than required. These estimates are based on data from the Survey of English Housing.
Culture, Media and Sport
Arts: Finance
Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what assessment he (a) has made and (b) plans to make of the differential effect on the regions of a reduction in public spending on the arts. [10165]
Mr Jeremy Hunt: No decisions have yet been made on the spending review and the Department remains in discussions with HM Treasury.
We recognise the importance of understanding the distributional impact of any proposed changes, and are carrying out detailed work over the summer to analyse the impact of any changes.
Church of England: Anniversaries
Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will discuss with the Church of England events to mark the 350th anniversary of the Book of Common Prayer in 2012. [9204]
John Penrose: I understand that the Prayer Book Society is currently campaigning for a special coin and stamp to be issued by the Royal Mint and Royal Mail to commemorate the 350th anniversary of the Book of Common Prayer. We currently have no plans to discuss any commemorative events to celebrate the anniversary with the Church of England.
Departmental Civil Servants
Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many employees of his Department attended Civil Service Live in (a) 2008, (b) 2009 and (c) 2010; and what estimate he has made of the (i) employee working hours taken up by and (ii) cost to his Department of such attendance in each such year. [9044]
John Penrose: Civil Service Live events are owned and managed by the private company Dods (the publishers of Civil Service World), who bear all of the financial risks.
The overall delegate numbers for Civil Service Live in 2008, 2009 and 2010 were approximately 6,000, 8,000 and 7,700 respectively. Delegate registration is managed centrally by Dods. Departments do not keep a detailed record of every member of staff that attends.
Civil servants do not pay to attend Civil Service Live events. There may have been some travel and subsistence costs for delegates paid for by individual departments. Civil servants attending the event will have followed the travel and subsistence guidelines set by their departments.
Departmental Communication
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what instructions have been issued by the private office of each Minister in his Department on the preparation of briefing, speeches and replies to official correspondence. [9669]
John Penrose: The private offices maintain a guidance document which provides general advice for officials working with Ministers.
In providing briefings and speeches I have requested that all documentation is concise, focused and easy to navigate.
The Secretary of State has asked officials to provide clear and detailed responses to official correspondence within 48 hours where possible and to move to an entirely electronic system of correspondence handling to further drive efficiency in this area.
Digital Broadcasting: Milton Keynes
Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will estimate the average cost per household, including vehicle ownership, of upgrading radio equipment in preparation for the proposed switchover from analogue to digital radio in Milton Keynes North constituency. [8489]
Mr Vaizey: The Government are preparing a comprehensive review of the costs and benefits of a digital radio switchover. Only once such an assessment has been made can a decision be taken on whether to implement a radio switchover programme.
On 8 July I announced the Digital Radio Action Plan, which outlines the information the Government will need in order to make a well-informed decision on
whether to proceed with a radio switchover. A key aspect of the plan will include a detailed impact assessment of the proposed costs, including household and vehicle conversion, and benefits of a digital radio switchover programme.
Digital Broadcasting: Motor Vehicles
Dr Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what estimate his Department has made of the number of car radios that will be unable to receive radio broadcasts following digital switchover. [9514]
Mr Vaizey: On 8 July I announced the Digital Radio Action Plan, which outlines the information the Government will need in order to make a well-informed decision on whether to proceed with a radio switchover. As part of this process, the Technical and Equipment Consumer Expert Group will consider the impact of a possible digital radio switchover on existing and new car radios.
Digital Broadcasting: North West
David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps his Department is taking to ensure that television broadcasts are available to all in the north-west following the switch-off of the analogue signal; and by what date he expects full coverage in the north-west to be established. [9523]
Mr Vaizey: Between 2008 and 2012, analogue TV signals are being replaced with digital on a region by region basis. Granada TV region switched to digital in December 2009. Digital UK (DUK) is responsible for co-ordinating the switchover programme and publishes switchover dates on its website:
approximately eight to 12 months in advance of the region switching.
After switchover is complete, 98.5% of households in the UK will be able to receive about 15 TV channels, including all the Public Service Broadcast (PSB) channels, and many will be able to receive considerably more. In addition, viewers can choose from a number of other digital television options. Coverage by the commercial multiplex operators is a commercial matter for them.
Detailed information on the coverage of digital terrestrial TV for the PSB and commercial multiplexes after switchover can be found on the Ofcom website:
Digital Switchover Fund
Mr Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what the projected total underspend is in the Digital Switchover Fund. [10223]
Mr Vaizey: The BBC licence fee settlement ring-fenced £600 million for the Digital Switchover Help Scheme. We now estimate that the Help Scheme will underspend by £300 million.
Gaming Machines
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent representations he has received on the effects on amusement centres (a) at the seaside and (b) elsewhere of increasing the stake for category B3 machines to £2 and increasing the proportion of category B3 machines in each establishment. [9448]
John Penrose: On 23 June 2010 I met with representatives of the British Amusement Catering Trades Association (BACTA) to discuss a range of issues affecting the gaming machine industry, including seaside arcades. Our discussion included the case for increasing the stake for category B3 machines to £2 and the proportion of category B3 machines in each establishment as a means of helping adult gaming centres to remain competitive. I am now considering these matters in the context of the public protection objectives of the Gambling Act 2005.
I hope to make an announcement shortly.
National Lottery
Mr Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether Big Lottery funding after 1 April 2011 will be able to go to the good cause of health, education and environment. [8008]
John Penrose [holding answer 12 July 2010]: The Big Lottery Fund will continue to be a lottery distributor after April 2011, funding the same range of projects as it does now, but focusing on the voluntary and community sector.
National Lottery: Arts
Mr Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what the (a) cash and (b) percentage change in the amount of lottery funding for the Arts Council England would be if the share of lottery funding going to the arts good cause were increased to 20%. [8006]
John Penrose [holding answer 12 July 2010]: On current projections, the arts will receive about an extra £50 million a year, of which Arts Council England would receive about £35 million extra per year, bringing ACE's total lottery income to about £210 million. This is 20% more than the body would receive without the share change. Also, after ACE's contribution to the Olympics ends in 2012, £30 million more of this income will be available for arts projects.
National Lottery: Olympic Games 2012
Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much has been raised from all dedicated London 2012 Olympic Lottery games (a) in total and (b) in each quarter of the last two years. [9635]
John Penrose: As at 31 March 2010, the total contributed to the Olympic Lottery Distribution Fund (OLDF) from designated Olympic Lottery games is £468.3 million.
The amount contributed to the OLDF from designated Olympic Lottery Games in each quarter of financial year 2008-09 and 2009-10 is:
| £ million | |
These figures include only primary contributions and not investment income or unclaimed prizes.
The National Lottery Commission publishes quarterly reports detailing the level of funds that have been transferred to the OLDF. These are available on its website:
Public Libraries
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many public libraries (a) opened and (b) closed in each year since 1997. [8804]
Mr Vaizey: Central Government do not produce data on the number of public libraries opened or closed each year.
Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport (1) how many new public libraries were built in England in each of the last 10 years; [7927]
(2) how many public libraries were closed in England in each of the last 10 years. [7928]
Mr Vaizey: Central Government do not produce data on the number of public libraries built or closed each year. Data showing the number of public library service points in England are published by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) in its annual Public Library Statistics and are reproduced in the following table. Copies of the CIPFA Public Library Statistics are available in the House Libraries.
| Libraries open 60+ hrs per week | Libraries open 45-59 hrs per week | Libraries open 30-44 hrs per week | Libraries open 10-29 hrs per week | Mobile libraries | Libraries open 10+ hrs per week (incl. mobiles) | Libraries open <10hrs per week | Libraries open (all hours) | |
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