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8 Sep 2010 : Column 548W—continued
Headteachers
Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what guidance his Department provides on measures to retain experienced head teachers. [9970]
Mr Gibb: We are making headship more attractive by reducing red tape, giving head teachers more autonomy to run schools and empowering head teachers to maintain discipline.
The age profile indicates that the number of head teachers retiring will increase in the near future. In 2008 59%(1) of head teachers in the maintained sector were aged 50 and over compared to 50% in 2000.
In the light of this we need both to retain experienced head teachers and ensure that we have a sufficient supply of good quality school leaders for the future.
(i) roles such as the National Leaders of Education which provide opportunities for the best and most experienced heads to take on new roles to bring about system wide improvement.
(ii) reforms made to the Teachers' Pension Scheme which have given heads more flexibility to phase their retirement.
(1) Database of Teachers Records (data for 2007 and 2008 are provisional)
Pupils: Disadvantaged
Jake Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether all funding from his Department to assist children from more deprived backgrounds will be routed through the pupil premium. [11462]
Mr Gibb: The current school funding system already includes funding to assist pupils from deprived backgrounds. The targeting of that funding is, however, flawed and insufficiently transparent. We intend to introduce a pupil premium for disadvantaged pupils. On 26 July 2010, the Secretary of State for Education, announced in a written ministerial statement, the launch of a consultation on the introduction of the premium. In that consultation, we have said that for 2011-12 we intend to continue with the current methodology for the distribution of school funding to allow for a clear and transparent introduction of the pupil premium. We also recognise, however, that the funding system should more accurately reflect pupil characteristics and so we intend to review the system for funding schools beyond 2011-12.
Schools: Databases
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many open maintained primary and secondary schools in England were on the edubase database on 25 May 2010. [10602]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 22 July 2010]: The information requested is as follows.
| Schools in England | ||
| Local authority maintained | Academies | |
| Notes: 1. The figures represented in this table do not include Special Schools. 2. The table includes Academies because this type of establishment receives state funding from the Government. Source: EduBase2 | ||
Schools: Science
Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps his Department plans to take to assist school science departments to work together with high technology employers in their areas. [11812]
Mr Gibb: I refer my hon. Friend to the response given to my hon. Friend the Member for Morecambe and Lunesdale (David Morris) on 14 July 2010, Official Report, column 773W.
Schools: Special Educational Needs
John Howell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many statutory assessments for a statement of special educational needs were undertaken in each local education authority in England in 2009; and how many resulted in a child being statemented. [10460]
Sarah Teather: Information on the number of children assessed for special educational needs and the number of children for whom statements were made for the first time during the calendar year is published in the Statistical First Release, "Special Educational Needs in England, January 2010":
Energy and Climate Change
Boilers: Government Assistance
Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he plans to take to reduce the time between receipt and acknowledgement of applications made under the boiler scrappage scheme; what steps he plans to take to reduce the time taken between application and issuing payments under the scheme; and if he will make a statement. [14430]
Gregory Barker: Applications to the Boiler Scrappage scheme closed on 26 March 2010. An automated response was produced to acknowledge applications.
The number of valid vouchers yet to be claimed is 24. There are fewer than 200 claims, or less than 0.2%, which have yet to be paid. These are mainly outstanding claims where we have requested additional information before we will be able to make the payment. The Energy Saving Trust who deliver the scheme are acting within advertised service standards to pay monies on receipt of a valid claim within five weeks. Their guidance notes that in some cases it will take a little longer for the payments to go through and appear on bank statements.
Departmental Billing
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what proportion of invoices from suppliers his Department paid within 10 days of receipt in July and August 2010. [13316]
Gregory Barker: The percentage of invoices paid by the Department within 10 days of receipt in July 2010 was 99.1% and 99.0% in August 2010.
Departmental Fines
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many transport-related fines his Department has settled on behalf of its staff in each year since 2005; and what the cost to the public purse was in each year. [13318]
Gregory Barker: Departmental policy is that the driver of the vehicle is responsible for following all advice, guidance and legislation in relation to road safety and is therefore also responsible for meeting the cost of any fines incurred (including parking fines), as a result of any driving offence. The Department will not meet those costs.
Fuel Poverty
Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what plans he has to ensure that fuel regulators have adequate powers to reduce the level of fuel poverty. [13624]
Gregory Barker: It is for Government to decide the strategy for tackling fuel poverty, and setting the framework for this to happen. Where Ofgem, as the independent regulator, has a role it is in using its monitoring and enforcement powers to ensure licensed energy companies comply with this framework.
Under the Gas and Electricity Acts, Ofgem and the Secretary of State are required to have regard to the interests of certain groups of vulnerable consumers when carrying out their functions.
Members: Correspondence
Mr Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Basildon and Billericay of 29 July on the construction of a combined heat and power generation facility in that constituency. [13881]
Gregory Barker: The matter raised in the letter is the responsibility of the Department for Communities and Local Government. The letter was transferred to and accepted by that Department on 17 August for reply.
Nuclear Power
Edward Miliband: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his policy is on the proportion of new electricity generating capacity which should be met by new nuclear power capacity. [13963]
Charles Hendry: The UK needs a mix of all types of new electricity generating capacity, including new nuclear, in order to achieve energy security at the same time as dramatically reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
It is for industry to propose the specific type of energy developments that they assess to be viable within the strategic framework established by Government. This is the nature of a market-led energy system and therefore the Government do not propose to set targets or limits on the amount of new nuclear power. Instead, it is Government policy that new nuclear power should be able to contribute as much as possible to the UK's need for new non-renewable electricity generation capacity.
Offshore Industry: Regulation
Edward Miliband:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he plans to publish the rapid review of the implications of the Deepwater Horizon incident for his Department's
offshore regulatory regime; when he plans to undertake a more comprehensive review of the matter; and if he will make a statement. [13978]
Charles Hendry: Following the Gulf of Mexico incident, and on the basis of the information available at that time, senior management in DECC conducted a rapid review of the implications for DECC's offshore regulatory regime.
The recommendations made to me in the light of this initial review have already been acted upon. This was only the first stage in the review process and as such I do not intend publishing any material. However, as stated in the Annual Energy Statement, a further review will be carried out as soon as the more precise and detailed findings from the Gulf of Mexico investigations have been released (currently anticipated early 2011). This will enable us to determine what more, if anything, needs to be done to reinforce further our regulatory approach and keep our safety regime as one of the most robust in the world. The findings from this review will be published.
Renewables Obligation
Elizabeth Truss: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what plans he has for the future of the Renewables Obligation scheme; and if he will make a statement. [13619]
Charles Hendry: The coalition agreement makes clear our commitment to maintaining a banded Renewables Obligation, and not changing the ground rules for existing investments. We are also committed to implementing a full feed-in-tariff, with the aim of securing a significant increase in investment in renewables so that we can meet both the legally binding renewable energy target in 2020, and our longer term decarbonisation objectives.
We are still working through the details of such a feed-in-tariff, any changes made to the support mechanism will be considered in light of wider electricity market reform.
Elizabeth Truss: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the timescale is for his Department's review of the Renewables Obligation scheme banding levels. [13622]
Gregory Barker: A banding review is scheduled to begin in October 2010 with changes to be introduced on 1 April 2013.
Torness Power Station
Fiona O'Donnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will visit Torness Nuclear Power Station to discuss the role of nuclear power in contributing to security of energy supplies. [13630]
Charles Hendry: In my role as Energy Minister, it is my intention to visit a range of power stations, including nuclear power stations. I would be pleased to visit Torness nuclear power station at some point in the future.
Warm Front Scheme
Nicky Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent representations he has had on the Warm Front grant scheme; and if he will make a statement. [13361]
Gregory Barker: DECC Ministers keep in regular contact with key stakeholders that have an interest in the Warm Front scheme.
Funding for the scheme is just over £1.1 billion for the current three-year spending period to March 2011. This includes a cash provision of £345 million for 2010-11. Funding for future years will be considered as part of the budget and spending review processes.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Boilers: Biofuels
Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 12 July 2010, Official Report, column 455W, on boilers: biofuels, if she will take steps to establish a full emissions profile for the use of B30K fuel in domestic boilers, including the emission of all air quality pollutants contained in her Department's air quality strategy. [13875]
Richard Benyon: The Department has no plans to establish a full emission profile for B30K.
Departmental Official Engagements
Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what Ministerial commitments she has on 8 September 2010. [13628]
Richard Benyon: The Secretary of State will be holding meetings with Departmental officials and representatives from the water industry on 8 September.
Departmental Sponsorship
Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what costs her Department incurred in connection with its sponsorship of the Environmental Innovation in Waste Collection Achievement of the Year award at the Municipal Journal Awards 2010 in respect of (a) sponsoring the award, (b) publicity in connection with sponsoring the award and (c) travel, accommodation and subsistence for the cost of Ministers, staff or guests of her Department attending the award. [13649]
Richard Benyon: The Environmental Innovation In Waste Collection Achievement of the Year award was a commitment of the previous Government and was jointly sponsored with the Department for Communities and Local Government. The only charge to the Department was £11,750 including VAT which was paid to sponsor the award. The Department incurred no costs in relation to publicity, travel, accommodation or subsistence for Ministers, staff or guests.
Making Space for Nature Review
Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will place in the Library a copy of the report of Sir John Lawton's review of wildlife sites and ecological networks in England. [14322]
Richard Benyon: The independent review into England's network of wildlife sites 'Making Space for Nature' chaired by Professor Sir John Lawton is due to report later in September. I will arrange for a copy of the report to be placed in the Library.
Natural England: Planning
Damian Collins: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much Natural England has spent on external legal advice on planning issues in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [13652]
Richard Benyon: The figures provided in the following table represent the amount Natural England has paid for legal advice and representation in major casework (including, but not limited to, the provision of solicitors and legal counsel) plus other technical advice on interpretation of Government planning and other policy.
Natural England commenced operations on 1 October 2006 and therefore comparative full year data for 2005-06 and 2006-07 cannot be provided.
| Legal and planning advice | |
| £ | |
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
British Indian Ocean Territory: Fisheries
Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress he has made in renegotiating the contract with the Marine Resources Assessment Group for management of fisheries in the Chagos Island. [13443]
Mr Bellingham: The current contract between the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) Administration and MRAG Ltd for the provision of management of the British Indian Ocean Territory Fisheries Regime will expire on 31 May 2011.
The BIOT Administration is considering requirements for any new contract which will be put out to tender.
British Overseas Territories: Environment Protection
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has for the future funding of the Overseas Territories Environment programme. [14144]
Mr Bellingham: As my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary announced in his statement to the House on 29 June 2010, Official Report, column 37WS, we will sustain in future years (resources permitting) the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO)'s programme spending in support of the Overseas Territories. The FCO's contribution to the joint FCO-Department for International Development Overseas Territories Environment programme is currently funded from the Overseas Territories Programme Fund. Further decisions will be taken once the outcome of the spending review is clear.
Burma: Human Rights
Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had (a) in international fora and (b) with the Burmese regime on the rights of the Rohingya people in Burma. [13381]
Mr Jeremy Browne: The UK is deeply concerned at the continuing ethnic, religious and political persecution endured by the Rohingya ethnic group in Burma. They are victims of widespread human rights violations including denial of citizenship, economic deprivation and restrictions on freedom of movement. I discussed the situation faced by ethnic groups, including the Rohingya, at an EU/ASEAN meeting on 26 May, at which the Burmese Foreign Minister was also present. At the end of July I travelled to south-east Asia and raised our concerns about ethnic minorities in Burma with representatives from the Thai, Philippine and Indonesian governments. We also plan to raise the issue in the forthcoming session of the UN Human Rights Council. Our ambassador in Rangoon repeatedly raises his concern at the discrimination and treatment of ethnic minorities with the Burmese regime and will continue to do so.
Burma: Prisoners
Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Burmese military leadership on freeing (a) Aung San Suu Kyi and (b) other political prisoners. [13411]
Mr Jeremy Browne: Aung San Suu Kyi and over 2,100 other political prisoners continue to be unjustly detained. Many prisoners are held in harsh conditions in remote locations far from their families. I raised Burma at the EU-ASEAN meeting on 26 May, at which the Burmese Foreign Minister was present. I made clear that the continued detention of political prisoners including Aung San Suu Kyi was unacceptable. Our ambassador in Rangoon repeatedly raises the need for the release of all political prisoners with Ministers in the Burmese military Government and will continue to do so.
Colombia: Human Rights
Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the government of Colombia on human rights in that country. [13623]
Mr Jeremy Browne: I represented the UK at the inauguration of President Juan Manuel Santos in August. I took the opportunity of a private meeting with the President and several of his Ministers on 9 August to urge more progress on human rights. I was encouraged by the President's commitment to make human rights a "non-issue" in Colombia. We welcome this renewed commitment and we will work with his administration towards this common end.
During his visit to the UK as President-elect in July, Juan Manuel Santos stressed to my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister his strong commitment to improving the human rights situation in Colombia.
The human rights situation in Colombia is of significant concern. High levels of poverty and inequality, and the continued internal conflict fuelled by the cocaine trade, continue to undermine respect for human rights. Human rights defenders, including civil society activists, lawyers, trade unionists, journalists and religious leaders continue to suffer frequent violence and intimidation. We receive regular reports about human rights abuses committed by state security forces, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), illegal armed groups and criminal gangs. The high level of impunity exacerbates the problem.
We will continue to regularly raise these concerns with senior Colombian Ministers, and continue to work with unions and employer organisations to strengthen labour relations in Colombia. We are also working with the UN on a research initiative to help improve trade union human rights protection and the development of positive labour relations. With the EU and other partners, we will continue to encourage a stronger relationship between the Colombian Government and civil society.
Indonesia: Religious Freedom
Nicky Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will take steps to promote inter-religious dialogue and co-operation in Indonesia. [13393]
Mr Jeremy Browne: We, along with our EU partners, raise human rights concerns with the Indonesian Government and have pressed the authorities to ensure the rights of all religious minorities. We will continue to call for religious tolerance across Indonesia.
At the UK's request, freedom of religion was included as a substantive item on the agenda of the first EU-Indonesia Human Rights Dialogue held in June 2010. The EU noted Indonesia's efforts in promoting interfaith dialogue and raised concerns over treatment of the Ahmadiyya community and recent attacks on Christians.
Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has received on (a) attacks on churches in Indonesia, (b) restrictions on the construction of churches in that country and (c) the revocation of licences for some existing churches. [14118]
Mr Jeremy Browne: We are aware, through media and diplomatic reporting, of some incidents of churches being attacked, construction restrictions and licences being revoked. No representations have been made to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
At the UK's request, freedom of religion was included as a substantive item on the agenda of the first EU-Indonesia Human Rights Dialogue held in June 2010. We, along with our EU partners, continue to raise human rights concerns with the Indonesian Government and have pressed the authorities to ensure the rights of all religious minorities. We will continue to call for religious tolerance across Indonesia.
Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports his Department has received on (a) the effect on the demographics of Papua of migration from other parts of Indonesia and (b) the effect of such migration on levels of religious harmony and freedom in Papua. [14119]
Mr Jeremy Browne: We have received no independent reports on this issue.
Mexico: Climate Change
Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he plans to take to work with the Government of Mexico on tackling climate change. [11564]
Mr Jeremy Browne: The Government have prioritised working with Mexico on climate change. Our embassy in Mexico has an established team working on a wide range of political and practical co-operation, including projects to build domestic capacity in Mexico and promote opportunities for bilateral trade in low carbon sectors. Both my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and I, and Ministers at the Department for Energy and Climate Change have discussed the climate change agenda with our Mexican opposite numbers. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State with responsibility for Climate Change, my hon. Friend the Member for North West Norfolk (Henry Bellingham), has also met with the Mexican Ambassador to the UK to discuss Climate Change. Further ministerial contact is planned in the months ahead.
Mexico will host the next meeting of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)-commonly referred to as the Conference of the Parties-COP 16 in Cancun in November this year. The UK and Mexico are fully supportive of ambitious global action to tackle climate change at the summit-and the UK is supporting Mexican preparations for Cancun both through support to the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs and through our diplomatic efforts to raise ambitions for a global deal.
Turkey: Human Rights
Mr MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the number of Kurdish children (a) prosecuted and (b) imprisoned in Turkey under that country's counter-terrorism legislation in the last 12 months. [13868]
Mr Lidington: The UK Government have not received figures reporting on the number of Kurdish children prosecuted and imprisoned under Turkish anti-terror legislation. In July, the Turkish Parliament passed an amendment to the anti-terror law which gives children greater protection in the judicial system.
Mr MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether officials of his Department observed the recent trial of Ismail Besikci, Zeycan Balci Simsek and Selcuck Kozagacli in Turkey. [13870]
Mr Lidington: There were no UK or EU observers present at the trial of Ismail Besikci, Zeycan Balci Simsek and Selcuck Kozagacli.
Mr MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations the Prime Minister has received from (a) the government of Turkey and (b) Turkish citizens resident in the UK in respect of the treatment in that country of Kurds not involved in PKK violent actions. [13871]
Mr Lidington: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has received no representations from the Government of Turkey in respect of the treatment of Kurds in Turkey. However, the British Government regularly discusses this issue with the Turkish Government in the context of Turkey's EU accession negotiations. Turkish citizens resident in the UK sometimes write to their MPs to voice their various concerns, but we have no record of receiving correspondence specifically relating to this issue.
Health
Antibiotics
Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effects of the NDM-1 enzyme on public health; and what steps he is taking to reduce those effects. [13854]
Anne Milton: So far 60 patients with bacteria producing the New Delhi metallo-6-lactamase (NDM) enzyme have been identified in the United Kingdom by the Health Protection Agency. Bacteria with the NDM enzyme do not appear to be a major immediate threat to public health but are a concern because they are resistant to nearly all antibiotics, including the carbapenems, which are commonly used against infections due to multi-resistant bacteria.
As resistant bacteria with NDM and other similarly-broad resistances can spread rapidly and compromise hospital care, guidance highlighting the importance of early identification and reporting of cases and the need for increased awareness and infection control was issued in January and July 2009. The Health Protection Agency and our advisory committee ARHAI (Advisory Committee on Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare Associated Infection) are keeping the situation under close review and will advise of any further action as necessary.
Blood: Contamination
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of screening processes for Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in blood and blood products; and if he will make a statement. [13757]
Anne Milton: At present, there are no validated blood screening tests for variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease on the market. The Department, together with the UK blood services, continues to monitor scientific research and development in this area.
The Department is aware of other companies and academic institutions which are attempting to develop tests. A process, which involves the UK Blood Services and the Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs (SaBTO), has been established to review test development and advise Health Departments. Unfortunately, the development of a test with appropriate sensitivity and specificity is proving technically difficult.
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons there is a difference in the level of payments for haemophiliac patients infected with HIV by contaminated blood or blood products and those infected with hepatitis C; and if he will make a statement. [13759]
Anne Milton: The difference between the ex gratia payment schemes for HIV and hepatitis C reflect the different times when they were set up. When the MacFarlane and Eileen Trusts, which make payments to individuals infected with HIV by contaminated NHS blood and blood products, were established, there was no effective antiretroviral drug treatment for HIV to prevent progression to AIDS, and life expectancy was short. When the Skipton Fund, which makes ex gratia payments to people infected with hepatitis C from NHS treatment with blood, blood products or tissue, was set up in 2004, there were already the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence recommended drug treatments for hepatitis C available.
Nevertheless we are currently looking at the needs and wishes of those who have been infected with HIV and/or hepatitis C by NHS supplied contaminated blood and blood products. I have recently held a series of meetings with the Chairs of the MacFarlane and Eileen Trusts and the Skipton Fund, as well as representatives of the campaign groups and other affected individuals, to gather information and evidence. We intend to report the outcome of this work by the end of this year.
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the merits of the provisions of the Contaminated Blood (Support for Infected and Bereaved Persons) Bill [Lords]. [13761]
Alun Michael: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps he is taking to implement the recommendations of the report of the Archer Inquiry on contaminated blood and blood products which were accepted; [13626]
(2) what timescale he has set for the implementation of the recommendations of the report of the Archer Inquiry on contaminated blood and blood products which were accepted. [13627]
Anne Milton:
Lord Archer's report was published in February 2009. A number of the recommendations were either already in place in one form or another, or have since been implemented. The Contaminated Blood (Support for Infected and Bereaved Persons) Bill, which has been introduced into the House of Lords, largely
replicates the recommendations of Lord Archer's report. The Government therefore do not believe that legislation is necessary.
We are currently looking at the needs and wishes of those who have been infected with HIV and/or hepatitis C by NHS supplied contaminated blood and blood products. I have recently held a series of meetings with the Chairs of the MacFarlane and Eileen Trusts and the Skipton Fund, as well as representatives of campaign groups and other affected individuals, to gather information and evidence. We intend to report the outcome of this work by the end of this year.
Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of levels of payment made to those affected by contaminated blood and blood products. [14092]
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will assess the merits of introducing annual payments for haemophiliac patients who contracted hepatitis C from contaminated blood or blood products similar to those for patients who contracted HIV. [13760]
Diana R. Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 29 June 2010, Official Report, column 516W, on blood: contamination, when he expects to decide on his policy on equalising the level of payments made by the Skipton Fund and the MacFarlane Trust for people infected by contaminated blood and blood products. [13531]
Anne Milton: We are currently looking at the needs and wishes of those who have been infected with HIV and/or hepatitis C by NHS supplied contaminated blood and blood products. I have recently held a series of meetings with the chairs of the MacFarlane and Eileen Trusts and the Skipton Fund, as well as representatives of the campaign groups and other affected individuals, to gather information and evidence. We intend to report the outcome of this work by the end of this year.
Continuing Care
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations he has received on the criteria set for continuous health care; and if he will make a statement. [12897]
Mr Burstow: The eligibility criteria for continuing healthcare, published in National Framework for NHS continuing healthcare and NHS-funded nursing care July 2009, were revised following a review process where issues were raised by health and social care professionals, key stakeholders and members of the public.
The Department continues to receive correspondence on the eligibility criteria for continuing healthcare from Members of Parliament, members of the public and their legal representatives.
Departmental Consultants
Pete Wishart:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent on external consultants and advisers by (a) his Department and (b) each (i)
non-departmental public body and (ii) executive agency for which his Department is responsible in each year since 2005. [12458]
Mr Simon Burns: The expenditure on external consultants and advisers by the Department is shown in the following table:
| £000 | |||||
| Organisation | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 |
| (1) Figure awaiting publication Note: The figure for 2009-10 is currently being validated and will be released in due course. | |||||
The expenditure on external consultants and advisers by each of the Department's executive non-departmental public bodies and its executive agency is shown in the following table:
| £000 | |||||
| Organisation | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 |
|
Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (Executive Agency) | |||||
Departmental Training
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many external training courses were attended by staff of his Department in the last 12 months; and what the cost to the public purse was of each such course. [13311]
Mr Simon Burns: Information is not held centrally about which and how many external training courses were attended by staff in the Department. Decisions on external training courses for staff are made locally, by directorates. To collect such information would incur disproportionate cost.
Doctors: Training
Mr Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to improve the quality of training for doctors. [13199]
Anne Milton: The content and standard of medical training is the responsibility of the General Medical Council (GMC), which is the competent authority for medical training in the United Kingdom. Its role is that of custodian of quality standards in medical education and practice.
Since the publication of the White Paper, "Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS", the Department has been working to develop a new system to deliver education and training based on the principle that it should be driven by healthcare provider decisions and underpinned by strong clinical leadership. A public consultation is planned for later this year.
Health Inequalities Unit: Awards
Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what costs the Health Inequalities Unit incurred in connection with its sponsorship of the Reducing Health Inequalities Achievement of the Year award at the Municipal Journal Awards 2010 in respect of (a) sponsoring the award, (b) publicity in connection with sponsoring the award and (c) travel, accommodation and subsistence payments to Ministers of his Department or staff or guests of the Health Inequalities Unit of his Department attending the award. [13650]
Anne Milton: The Municipal Journal Reducing Health Inequalities Achievement of the Year Award 2010 was sponsored by the Department under the previous Government.
The cost of sponsoring the award was £19,995 excluding VAT, which was paid to the Hemming Group Ltd. The Department's Health Inequalities Unit incurred no travel, accommodation or subsistence costs for Ministers, staff or guests. The award will not be sponsored in 2011.
Health Professions: Training
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on ringfencing of funding for multi-professional education and training. [13785]
Anne Milton: The multi-professional education and training budget is allocated to strategic health authorities to fund investment in the training and development of the health care work force, including costs of clinical placements, tuition fees and student support. The funding is not ring fenced although the Department has an annual service level agreement with each strategic health authority that sets out the outcomes expected from the investment.
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what discussions he has had with (a) the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and (b) the Higher Education Funding Council for England on proposals to transfer funding for multi-professional education and training to the Higher Education Funding Council for England; [13786]
(2) what criteria will apply to determine the amount of multi-professional education and training funding to be transferred from each strategic health authority (SHA) to successor bodies when SHAs are abolished; [13879]
(3) which organisations will have responsibility for multi-professional education and training funding following the abolition of strategic health authorities. [13880]
Anne Milton: "Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS" set out the principles for the future arrangements for education and training. The Department will publish proposals for consultation later this year. This will include proposals on the future management of multi-professional education and training funding. In developing these proposals, the Department has held exploratory discussions with a number of organisations including the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Higher Education Funding Council for England. The purpose of this discussion was to understand how other areas of higher education are funded to inform the development of proposals.
Health: Disadvantaged
Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he plans to take to improve the health of residents in the most deprived areas. [14062]
Anne Milton: We expect to publish a White Paper on public health later this year. This will outline the Government's plans for establishing the new public health service, and it will also map a cross-Government strategy on public health that will be taken forward in the future.
The Government have made it clear that tackling health inequalities is a priority. Improving equity and fairness is a theme of this Government. Everyone should have the same opportunities to lead a healthy life, no matter where they live or who they are.
The White Paper, "Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS", published on 12 July 2010, announced the establishment of an independent and accountable National Health Service Commissioning Board. The board will have an explicit duty to tackle inequalities in health care access and outcomes.
This White Paper also announced plans for the new public health service that will have an important role in reducing inequalities in health. The public health budget will be ring-fenced and allocated to reflect relative population health outcomes, with a new "health premium" to promote action to reduce health inequalities. We will therefore create a service that both recognises the impact of deprivation and rewards improvement, providing further incentives to reduce inequalities in health.
Health: Information
Mr Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what contribution he expects information prescriptions to make to the healthcare information revolution. [12766]
Mr Burstow: The Department is committed to ensuring that patients have the information they need to make choices and to take greater control of making decisions about their care and well-being.
Information prescriptions are an important contribution to this, providing a mechanism for patients to access the information they need, when they need it most. Information prescriptions contain information and signposts to further sources of advice and support, such as local patient groups and self-management programmes, access to benefits and social care services. The contents of an
information prescription are tailored to each patient's individual needs, through discussions with health and social care professionals.
The Information Prescriptions Service
has recently been launched to give health and care professionals easy access to NHS information alongside quality-assured information from Britain's leading charities.
We will publish details of further developments in our information strategy in the autumn.
Mental Health Services
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the adequacy of provision of psychological therapies by each primary care trust in each year from 2000 to 2010; and if he will make a statement. [13246]
Mr Burstow: Psychological therapy services are organised at a local level and commissioners in primary care trusts (PCTs) determine their provision. They have a duty to consider the level of local need, through joint strategic needs assessments and commission services to meet this need.
We do not hold information centrally about the level and nature of provision of psychological therapies in the national health service for the period 2000-10. We do, however, have information about the provision of services to treat mild to moderate anxiety and depression, as organised under the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme since 2006. The programme aims to improve access to evidence based talking therapies in the NHS through an expansion of the psychological therapy workforce and service.
Some 114 PCTs across England, providing access to around 60%, of the population in England, have already established IAPT services and more than 2,500 therapists have already joined (and completed) the IAPT training programme.
Services are designed to meet local need and to date:
932,283 people have been referred to psychological therapy services;
324,550 people have entered IAPT services;
177,786 people have completed treatment;
57,255 people have moved to recovery; and
8,363 people have moved off sick pay and benefits.
Mental Health Services: Older People
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many consultants specialising in old age psychiatry there are in each primary care trust; and if he will make a statement. [13251]
Mr Burstow: The requested information is not collected centrally.
NHS: Reorganisation
Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the letter issued on 13 July 2010 by the NHS chief executive, what estimate he has made of his Department's expenditure in each cost category on the proposed reorganisation of the NHS. [13865]
Mr Simon Burns: The White Paper "Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS" laid out proposals for fundamental changes to the ways that the national health service is structured and run. These changes were described in the letter of the NHS chief executive on 13 July 2010. The precise costs of the transition to the new system will not be known until the new organisations that will underpin the new system have been designed in more detail.
A number of consultations on how the new organisations should be designed are being published, and once the results of these are known we will publish the costs of the new system in an impact assessment.
NHS: Training
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding has been allocated for multi-professional education and training to each strategic health authority in (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11 and (c) 2011-12. [13878]
Anne Milton: The Multi Professional Education and Training (MPET) budget allocations to strategic health authorities (SHAs) in 2009-10 and 2010-11 are shown in the following table.
| MPET budget allocated to SHAs | ||
| £000 | ||
| 2009-10 | 2010-11 | |
No budget has yet been calculated or allocated for 2011-12.
Nutrition
Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the name of each organisation that took part in the Healthy Food Marks pilots is. [13866]
Anne Milton: 78 public sector organisations took part in two pilot phases (October to December 2009 and February to July 2010) for the Healthier Food Mark project. The names of these organisations are available on the Healthier Food Mark website at:
School Milk
Dr Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the Healthy Start scheme. [13614]
Anne Milton: A rapid evaluation of the scheme's early impact in Devon and Cornwall was carried out in early 2006 and informed the scheme's national roll out in November of that year.
The Department has recently commissioned an assessment of the scheme's nutritional impact through the Diet and Nutrition Survey of Infants and Young Children which focuses on measuring the nutritional status of children aged 4-18 months. Sampling work will begin this year and results are expected to be completed by autumn 2012.
Two further research projects on the broader impact of Healthy Start have been commissioned from the university of Bristol and the university of York. These will explore in particular how vouchers are used and the time scale, though still under discussion, is expected to be expected to completed by autumn 2012.
Self-harm: Health Services
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will bring forward proposals to increase provision of services for people who (a) repeatedly self-harm and (b) self-harm and are diagnosed with a personality disorder; and if he will make a statement; [13247]
(2) if he will commission research into the provision of a dedicated self-harm service as part of the NHS; and if he will make a statement; [13248]
(3) what his latest estimate is of the incidence of self-harm among older people; and if he will commission research on the reasons for such self-harm; [13249]
(4) what steps he is taking to reduce the number of older people who (a) attempt and (b) commit suicide; [13250]
(5) if he will take steps to improve NHS treatment of depression in older people; and if he will make a statement. [13253]
Mr Burstow: Suicide, attempted suicide and intentional self-harm are almost always symptoms of a complex mix of problems like mental illness, personality disorder, social exclusion and poverty. Reducing them is a priority. Equally, we recognise that more needs to be done to reduce the inequality currently experienced by many older people trying to access mental health services and receiving care. We have recently announced that, in the months ahead, we will reshape mental health strategy. The issues of self-harm, suicide and of eliminating discrimination in services for older people experiencing mental health problems will be considered as part of that strategy.
Smoking
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will bring forward legislative proposals to create an offence of smoking in cars where children are present. [13625]
Anne Milton:
We have no plans to extend the smokefree law to private vehicles. Many families are now voluntarily making their homes and cars smokefree, reducing their children's exposure to second-hand smoke. We will continue to urge parents to do this in encouraging them
to take responsibility for their children's health. The Public Health White Paper due later this year will set out our priorities for action in this and other areas of tobacco control.
Tobacco: Retail Trade
Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on the display of tobacco products in retail premises. [14432]
Anne Milton: The Government are developing options around the display of tobacco in shops.
Tuberculosis: Children
Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children were diagnosed with tuberculosis in each of the last five years. [13518]
Anne Milton: The information requested is shown in the following table.
| Tuberculosis case reports in children aged 16 or under, England, 2004 - 09( 1) | |||
| Age group (years ) | |||
| Under 5 | 5 to 16 | Total | |
| (1 )Data for 2004 to 2008 as at September 2009. Data for 2009 are provisional as at February 2010. Source: Health Protection Agency | |||
Home Department
Asylum: Deportation
Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions removals by the UK Border Agency have been abandoned or postponed because the deportee has required medical treatment in each of the last two years. [13221]
Damian Green: When a UKBA removal is abandoned or postponed, this is called a failed removal.
UKBA attribute failed removals into certain categories. There is no specific category for 'deportee requiring medical treatment'. However we do record the following categories:
Medical reps received
Subject deemed medically unfit by carrier
Subject medically unfit to fly
The latest full two years worth of data available are for 2008-09 and 2009-10. Over these two years, 602 removals failed due to one of the above three reasons. It should be noted that these are instances of failed removals i.e. the same individual could potentially fail to be removed on medical grounds on multiple occasions.
It should be noted that when a removal has failed every effort is made to ensure their successful removal at a later date.
Note:
AII figures quoted are internal management information only and are subject to change. This information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols.
Asylum: Gloucestershire
Richard Graham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost to the public purse of provision of asylum seeker (a) accommodation and (b) support services in Gloucestershire was in each of the last five years. [13407]
Damian Green: The Annex to this reply provides estimated costs for accommodation and for subsistence payments in Gloucestershire for the years 2006-07 to 2009-10. The information is not available to provide similar figures for 2005-06.
| Table 1: Estimated cost of accommodating asylum-seekers in Gloucestershire | |
| Financial year | Estimated cost (£000) |
| Note: We are unable to provide similar information for 2005-06 as accommodation provision in that year was on a different basis. Such records as are available do not provide a suitable basis for analysis by county for 2005-06. | |
| Table 2: Subsistence payments to asylum-seekers in Gloucestershire | |||
| £000 | |||
| Financial year | S95 costs | S4 costs | Total |
| Notes: 1. These figures are based on average accommodation costs and average numbers of applicants accommodated. They should therefore be treated as approximations. 2. We do not have the information available to provide similar information for 2005-06. | |||
| Table 3: Payments to Gloucestershire authorities for UASCs | |||
| £ | |||
| Financial year | Gloucestershire C.C. | South Gloucestershire | Total |
| Note: These figures are for payments made in each financial year rather than for liabilities incurred in those years. We do not have information available to provide similar figures for 2005-06. | |||
Borders: Personal Records
Robert Halfon:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department has paid to Deloitte Consulting for work on the eBorders programme since September 2005; whether further payments remain to be made; how much her Department has paid to Raytheon for work on the eBorders programme since
November 2007; and what (a) incentives and (b) performance indicators were used to measure Deloitte's performance. [12877]
Damian Green: Since September 2005 the e-Borders programme has paid Deloitte Consulting £37.3 million; there is an amount of £139,414 remaining to be paid for work done during June and July 2010. Since November 2007 e-Borders has paid £188.9 million to Raytheon.
Performance indicators were included within work packages agreed with Deloitte Consulting. These included detailed lists of deliverables to be completed within scheduled timescales. The acceptance criteria were agreed by the manager of the relevant workstream with a review being completed prior to acceptance.
Reports of monthly progress were reviewed and agreed at the programme level.
These detailed the work completed and activities to be completed in the following month. Any failure to complete a deliverable to the accepted criteria would result in a percentage deduction in fees. No incentives were agreed within work packages.
Departmental Chief Scientific Advisers
Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions each Minister in her Department has met the Chief Scientific Officer in her Department since 6 May 2010. [10029]
Lynne Featherstone [holding answer 20 July 2010]: I have met with Professor Bernard Silverman, the Home Office's Chief Scientific Officer on one occasion.
My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary has met with him once on 28 July 2010; the Minister of State for Security and Counter-Terrorism has met with him five times; the Minister of State for Policing and Criminal Justice has met with him once; and the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Crime Prevention has met with him on two occasions.
In addition, Professor Silverman has been present at a number of larger meetings chaired by the Home Secretary, and one chaired by the Minister of State for Policing and Criminal Justice.
Detainees: Children
Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children have been detained in immigration removal centres since 6 May 2010. [13606]
Damian Green: Published management information shows 115 children entered detention and were held solely under Immigration Act powers in Q2 2010. Of these, 50 children had entered between 6 May and 30 June.
The latest published information on children detained solely under Immigration Act powers relating to the second quarter 2010 are available in the Table 3.4 of the Control of Immigration: Quarterly Statistical Summary, United Kingdom, April to June 2010 in the Library of the House and the Home Office's Research, Development and Statistics website at:
The Government have been clear in their commitment to end the detention of children. We therefore continue to work with our corporate partners to find an alternative that protects the welfare of children, without undermining our immigration laws.
Entry Clearances: Overseas Students
Laura Sandys: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will assess the financial effects on educational institutions of implementation of her Department's proposed changes to the student visa system. [14039]
Damian Green: It is the Government's aim to reduce net migration to sustainable levels; tens of thousands not hundreds of thousands. The Government will be reviewing the non-economic immigration routes with a view to bringing forward proposals in due course. Economic impact on the sector will be assessed as part of the detailed consideration of the student visa system.
Security Industry: Regulation
Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she plans to bring into force those provisions of the Crime and Security Act 2010 relating to the private security industry not yet in force. [11940]
Lynne Featherstone [holding answer 27 July 2010]: I announced on 17 August 2010 the Government's intention to ban wheel-clamping and towing on private land in England and Wales. The ban will be included in the Government's Freedom Bill which will be introduced later this year. Accordingly, sections 42 and 44 of the Crime and Security Act 2010, which provide for the regulation of the vehicle immobilisation industry by way of business licensing, will be repealed.
The 2010 Act also includes a provision, section 43, which would extend the scope of the Security Industry Authority's voluntary Approved Contractor Scheme beyond private security contractors to enable other businesses to apply for membership in respect of their in-house security operations. The Government will consider their plans for commencement of this provision in due course.
UK Border Agency: Patrol Craft
Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she plans to review the number of vessels used by the UK Border Agency for coastline patrols. [13213]
Damian Green: In line with the requirements of the Comprehensive Spending Review, all UKBA resources and assets are under review and this includes the Border Force cutter fleet.
Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost to the public purse of coastline patrols by the UK Border Agency was in each of the last five years. [13214]
Damian Green: Approximate operating costs (running costs for vessels and crew salaries) are as follows:
| £ million | |
Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many vessels are used by the UK Border Agency to patrol the Scottish coastline; and how many staff are employed to crew these vessels. [13215]
Damian Green: Our Cutter fleet is deployed according to risk and intelligence and works closely with other agencies and is a key component in making our border secure. In order to respond effectively to risk and intelligence one cutter and on occasion two cutters are deployed in Scottish waters. Each cutter carries a maximum crew of 12 border force officers.
Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many arrests have been made following coastline patrols by the UK Border Agency in each of the last five years. [13216]
Damian Green: The number of arrests made in the last five years in relation to patrols by cutters in UK and international waters respect of the seizures is as follows:
| Arrests | |
| (1) Arrests to date | |
It is important note that these figures do not include arrests which may have been made by other agencies and police forces.
Yarl's Wood Immigration Removal Centre
Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children are being held at Yarl's Wood detention centre. [13605]
Damian Green: Published data, using the usual rounding conventions in our statistical publications to ensure the confidentiality of individual case files, show that as at 30 June 2010 there were less than three people detained solely under Immigration Act powers at Yarl's Wood removal centre who were recorded as being less than 18 years of age. This figure includes any cases where the age is disputed at the time.
Information on children detained solely under Immigration Act powers relating to the second quarter 2010 are available in the Control of Immigration: Quarterly Statistical Summary, United Kingdom, April to June 2010 in the Library of the House and the Home Office's Research, Development and Statistics website at:
The Government have been clear in their commitment to end the detention of children. We therefore continue to work with our corporate partners to find an alternative that protects the welfare of children, without undermining our immigration laws.
Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority Committee
ICT
John Mann: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, how many field visits staff and officers of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority have made to assess the effectiveness of its remote data access system since 7 May 2010. [13666]
Mr Charles Walker: The online expenses system is monitored remotely for effectiveness frequently. This allows IPSA to see how the remote access system is working and therefore field visits specifically to assess remote access are not required.
John Mann: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, how many complaints the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority has received about loss of data entered into its online claims system since 7 May 2010. [13667]
Mr Charles Walker: The IPSA has advised me that it is not aware of any complaints relating to loss of data entered into the online expenses system.
John Mann: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, what the log out parameters for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority online claims system are. [13668]
Mr Charles Walker: To log off the online expenses system users must first click the "log off" button in red at the top of the screen and close the window before signing out of the secure website by clicking on "sign out" on the right had side of the screen.
If the page is closed prematurely while the user is logged in, the system will lock the user out for a period of approximately five minutes.
In addition, to protect MPs data, the online expense system automatically logs users out after five minutes of inactivity.
John Mann: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, for what reason the hon. Member for Bassetlaw was unable to access the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority online expenses system at 14.30 on 29 July 2010. [13669]
Mr Charles Walker: The online expense system suffered a technical problem on 29 July 2010 resulting in a short period of unavailability. This was remedied on the same afternoon by stopping and restarting the web services.
Members: Allowances
John Mann: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, when the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority plans to reimburse the hon. Member for Bassetlaw for his claims for sums spent on office rental. [13670]
Mr Charles Walker: The IPSA has advised me that it does not consider it appropriate to comment publicly on expense claims submitted by individual MPs.
Redundancy Pay
Mr Liddell-Grainger: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, how many Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority staff have received redundancy payments; of what amount in each case; and for what reasons. [14305]
Mr Charles Walker: No IPSA staff have received redundancy payments.
International Development
Conflict Resolution: Females
Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many officials of his Department have engaged in the cross-departmental process on renewal of the National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security in the last month; and what the payband of each such official is. [13643]
Mr O'Brien: Nine officials from the Department for International Development (DFID) have been engaged in the cross-departmental process of renewing the National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security in the past month. A senior civil servant (deputy director) is leading this process, supported by two senior advisers (DFID A1 payband), five advisers (A2 payband) and one programme coordinator (B1 payband).
Departmental Consultants
Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much was spent on external consultants and advisers by (a) his Department and (b) each non-departmental public body for which he is responsible in each year since 2005. [12494]
Mr O'Brien: Amounts spent on external consultants and advisers by the Department for International Development (DFID) in each financial year since 2007-08 are set out in the table. Information on a comparable basis is not available for earlier periods. No external consultancies were commissioned by the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission, DFID's only non-departmental public body, from 2005-06 to 2009-10.
| Consultancy spending (£000) | |
Departmental ICT
Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which IT contracts awarded by his Department in each of the last five years have been abandoned; and what the monetary value of each such contract was. [12722]
Mr O'Brien: In 2008, the Department for International Development cancelled an internal information technology project run by our Pakistan office. The project had spent £7,000 at the point of cancellation.
Developing Countries: Debts
Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many countries with debts to the UK had all or part of that debt cancelled between 1997 and May 2010. [13672]
Mr O'Brien: At least 49 countries with debts to the UK had all or part of that debt cancelled between 1997 and May 2010.
Information on debt relief from the Department for International Development (DFID) before 2001 could not be provided without disproportionate cost. This figure therefore includes (i) debt relief provided by DFID 2001 to 2010 and (ii) debt relief provided by the Export Credit Guarantees Department 1997 to May 2010.
East Kilbride
Mr McCann: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the (a) rent and (b) operating cost of his Department's offices at (i) Abercrombie House, East Kilbride and (ii) Palace Street, London SW1 were in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [12163]
Mr O'Brien: The rent and operating costs for Abercrombie House (East Kilbride) and Palace Street (London) during the financial year 2009-10, were as follows:
| 2009-10 | Abercrombie House | Palace Street | Total (£) |
| (1) Excludes rates | |||
Mr McCann: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much of his Department's property at (a) Abercrombie House, East Kilbride and (b) Palace Street, London SW1 is vacant. [12164]
Mr O'Brien:
None of the Department for International Development's property in Palace Street or Abercrombie House is vacant. 1 Palace Street is shared with Visit
Britain and Visit England (agencies of the Department of Culture, Media and Sport).
International Assistance: Disability
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what objectives he has for policy on assistance for disabled people in developing countries at the forthcoming UN summit on the Millennium Development Goals. [12209]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK Government, along with our European Union partners, are working hard to secure the strongest possible outcomes for the world's poor at the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) summit next month to ensure that efforts to reach the MDGs seek to support the poorest and most vulnerable people, including disabled people.
Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) are a major cause of disability in the developing world. Successfully addressing the NTDs challenge is fundamental to achieving the MDGs, particularly MDG 6 (Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Other Diseases). The Department for International Development is working to ensure a substantive reference to NTDs and maternal and child health in the MDG summit's outcome document which will focus international efforts and actions over the next five years. Focusing on improving health in the developing world will help to reduce incidences of disability.
Israel
Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department paid to (a) B'Tselem, (b) HaMoked, (c) Yesh Din, (d) Ir Amin, (e) Bimkom, (f) the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel, (g) the Israeli Committee Against House Demolition, (h) Gisha, (i) the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, (j) Peace Now, (k) Mossawa and (l) Breaking the Silence in each financial year since 2005-06; for what purposes those payments were made; and what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of his Department's spending on each such programme or project undertaken by each such organisation. [11500]
Mr Duncan: The Department of International Development (DFID) has not provided funding directly to any of these organisations. However DFID, along with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Ministry of Defence provides funding to the Conflict Prevention Pool (CPP). For details of CPP support to these organisations and the UK Government's view of their effectiveness, I refer my hon. Friend to the answer provided by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, (Mr Hague) of 6 September 2010, Official Report, columns 219-21W.
Libya: Overseas Aid
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions (a) Ministers and (b) officials from his Department have had with their Libyan counterparts on his Department's work in that country in the last 12 months. [12303]
Mr O'Brien: Neither Ministers nor officials from the Department for International Development (DFID) have had discussions with their Libyan counterparts.
Overseas Aid: Finance
Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the Government's budget for overseas aid (a) was in 1997-98 and (b) is in 2010-11; and what estimate he has made of the number of people lifted out of poverty by actions attributable to UK aid expenditure in each year since 1997. [13673]
Mr O'Brien: United Kingdom official development assistance in 1997 was £2.1 billion. The Department for International Development's (DFID) budget for 2010-11 is £7.7 billion. The total level of official development assistance from other Government Departments and agencies for 2010-11 will be finalised in the course of the current spending review.
DFID does not hold estimates of the number of people lifted out of poverty by actions attributable to UK aid expenditure in each year since 1997. Recent estimates suggest that DFID's aid lifts 3 million people out of poverty each year.
The Government are committed to making UK aid more effective in reducing poverty, through improved transparency and value for money. As part of this work, we are looking to develop new ways of standardising and aggregating the results of individual projects to help improve estimates of our impact on poverty reduction.
Zimbabwe: Politics and Government
Neil Parish: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions he has had with the (a) Government of South Africa, (b) African Union and (c) Southern African Development Community members on progress on the provisions of the Zimbabwean Global Political Agreement relating to land audit. [12740]
Mr O'Brien: In recent months, the Secretary of State has had discussions with key interlocutors in the Zimbabwean Global Political Agreement process. These discussions have not gone into the specifics of moving forward on a land audit.
The UK continues to work closely with other donors through the United Nations and World Bank in supporting the policies required for an effective land audit. We will consider further support to a physical land audit when we are confident this will be used for the benefit of the people of Zimbabwe.
Justice
Prisoners: Religion
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice in respect of which prisons he has received recent reports on the religious radicalisation of prisoners. [12410]
Mr Blunt:
Prison staff are asked to submit reports to prison security departments on any subject of concern. Guidance and training have been provided to help staff
identify potential concerns around extremism and radicalisation. The guidance draws a clear distinction with the legitimate practice of faith or expression of political ideas. Where staff observe behaviours which give rise to concern they are reported using these established procedures. Each report is considered and its likely reliability and importance assessed, in order for appropriate actions to be taken.
It is important to note that reporting may be partial, uncorroborated or duplicative. Therefore the number of prisons where reports of radicalisation has been received does not of itself indicate an established or absolute level of risk.
In the most recent three month period (May to July 2010), national recording systems show 44 prisons in England and Wales logged Security Information Reports of incidents which might relate to manifestations of attempted radicalisation. This figure represents a snapshot in time influenced by operational variables such as population mix, regime and other factors.
Radicalisation is a societal phenomenon; the holding of extremist views does not necessarily lead to violent extremist behaviour and the challenge is to identify and manage risks appropriately. Prisons therefore work closely with the police and other partners to manage those risks among offenders and have a developed programme of work to deliver more effective management of those risks.
Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system.
Care Proceedings: Finance
Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how much the High Cost Case Unit spent on (a) solicitors' costs, (b) counsels' fee and (c) disbursements on care proceedings in the last 12 months for which figures are available; [12655]
(2) how much the High Cost Case Unit spent on care proceedings in the last 12 months for which figures are available; [12656]
(3) how much was spent by the High Cost Case Unit on the 10 most costly care proceedings in the last 12 months for which the figures are available. [12654]
Mr Djanogly: The most costly public law Children Act proceedings, for which the final bill was authorised in financial year 2009-10, were as follows:
1. £356,400
2. £323,580
3. £271,330
4. £229,860
5. £221,910
6. £217,030
7. £215,200
8. £214,880
9. £212,340
10. £211,120
Spend on public law Children Act cases in financial year 2009-10, under the very high cost case (VHCC) scheme, was £57 million. This figure includes solicitor fees, counsel fees and disbursements.
Civil VHCC costs are not recorded centrally in a way that separates (a) solicitor costs, (b) counsel fees and (c) disbursement costs. Therefore the detailed information requested is not readily available.
Departmental Assets
Mr Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) which former (a) buildings and (b) land owned by (i) his Department and (ii) (A) non-departmental public bodies and (B) agencies for which his Department is responsible have been sold since May 2005; what the sale price of each was at the time of sale; and to which body the funds from the sale accrued in each case; [12324]
(2) how much was paid by his Department in rent for properties in (a) total and (b) each (i) region and (ii) nation of the UK in each of the last five years. [12325]
Mr Blunt: The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) was created in May 2007 and information relating to buildings and land, including rents, is only held centrally from that date. Obtaining this information before May 2007 would incur disproportionate costs. Information on MoJ non-departmental public bodies is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
The following tables give details of the proceeds of the sale of properties and amounts paid in rent since May 2007. It includes information from MoJ headquarters, National Offender Management Service Agency (custodial and non-custodial), HM Courts Service, Tribunals Service and the Office of the Public Guardian.
A breakdown of buildings and land sold is not available and information on the sale of properties is not held on a regional basis. The following tables detail total revenue from the sale of land and property by MoJ bodies.
| £ million | |||||
| 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | |
Information on rent paid on MoJ properties is not held on a regional basis, other than for London. The following tables provide figures for rents paid.
| England | |||
| £ million | |||
| 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | |
| (1 )Rent for the OPG is paid by the Ministry of Justice headquarters. (2) Central records of rent paid by NOMS agency is not held before 2008-09. It is not broken down by region and includes data for Wales which could not be disaggregated. | |||
| Scotland | |||
| £ million | |||
| 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | |
| (1 )The Tribunals Service is the only part of the MoJ that pays rent on property in Scotland. | |||
| Wales | |||
| £ | |||
| 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | |
| (1) Rent for the OPG is paid by the Ministry of Justice HQ. (2 )Central records of rent paid by NOMS Agency are not held before 2008-09. They are included in the data for England in the table above. | |||
Departmental Buildings
Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how much office space per employee his Department and its predecessors occupied in each year since 1997; [12996]
(2) how much his Department and its predecessors spent on vacant properties in each year since 1997. [13015]
Mr Blunt: The Ministry of Justice was created in May 2007 and information before then is not held centrally. Obtaining these details would incur disproportionate costs.
The following data include headquarters buildings for the Ministry of Justice (MOJ), National Offender Management Service (NOMS) Agency, including custodial and non-custodial estate, the Tribunals Service and the Office of the Public Guardian. HM Courts Service details are not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Information on over 60 other MOJ agencies and non-departmental public bodies is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
| Office space per employee | |||
| Square metre | |||
| Body | Office space per employee 2007-08 | Office space per employee 2008-09 | Office space per employee 2009-10 |
| n/a = Not available Note: Data on floor space for MOJ headquarters for the period 2009-10 have not yet been processed. The details in the table are based on available information. | |||
With regard to vacant property, information is only available for the NOMS Agency from 2008-09. A cost of £517,000 was incurred in 2008-09 and £719,000 in 2009-10.
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