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4 Oct 2010 : Column 1295W—continued
Pupils: Bullying
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he plans to take to assist schools to reduce levels of bullying. [13232]
Mr Gibb:
The coalition Government have made it a priority to tackle bullying. The Government will give schools the legal powers they need to take a zero-tolerance approach to tackling bad behaviour and bullying. In
July I announced that we would remove the requirement on schools to give parents 24 hours written notice for detentions outside school hours and extend teachers' powers to search pupils.
We will issue shorter and clearer guidance on how to prevent and tackle bullying and we are working with Ofsted to ensure that tackling bad behaviour and bullying is given more prominence in planned changes to school inspection.
We will announce further steps to reduce bullying in schools in due course.
Pupil: Premium
Glenda Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the number of (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in the London borough of (i) Camden and (ii) Brent which will qualify for receipt of the pupil premium. [11833]
Mr Gibb: On Monday, 26 July we launched a consultation to seek views on how best to operate the pupil premium including which deprivation indicator to use. Our intention is that the pupil premium should be allocated to schools on the basis of the number of deprived children attending that school. Until we have decided which deprivation measure to use it is not possible to estimate the number of children covered.
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) how many pupils who received free school meals in year 11, went on to (a) study A-Levels, (b) undertake an apprenticeship and (c) participate in other forms of education or training in each of the last five years; [13942]
(2) how many pupils who received free school meals in year 11 continued to (a) sixth form college, (b) a further education college, (c) employment-based training, (d) full-time employment, (e) part-time employment, (f) part-time education or training and (g) unemployment in each of the last five years. [13943]
Mr Gibb: Estimates of the activities of young people who had been in receipt of free school meals (FSM) in year 11 are shown in the following table. The information is based on what they were doing in the first year after completing compulsory education. The source of these estimates is the Department for Education's matched administrative data. This source cannot provide information on the employment status of young people.
Pupils: Multiple Births
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) if he will take steps to ensure schools involve parents of multiple birth children in deciding whether their children should be placed in the same or a separate class when starting school; and if he will make a statement; [12428]
(2) what steps he is taking to implement the recommendations of the Chief Schools Adjudicator that (a) the admission code be altered to ensure that multiple birth children are allocated places together at primary school by adding them to the list of excepted pupils in the class size regulations and (b) that admission authorities be compelled to consult on and publish arrangements for the admission of multiple birth children. [12429]
Mr Gibb: It is for schools to determine in which classes children from multiple births should be placed, but I would expect their parents to be consulted in each case.
My hon. Friend the Secretary of State is considering the Chief Adjudicator's recommendations to the previous Secretary of State regarding the admission to the same school of twins and other children from multiple births, and will announce in due course any policy changes which may arise.
Pupils: Per Capita Costs
Emma Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much was spent on education per pupil in Wolverhampton North East constituency (a) in 1997 and (b) on the latest date for which information is available. [13377]
Mr Gibb: Figures are not available for the parliamentary constituency of Wolverhampton North East as data are collected at a local authority level. The available information on how much was spent per head in Wolverhampton local authority is shown in the following table.
The Department is currently collecting and validating the section 251 Outturn data relating to the 2009-10 financial year.
| School based expenditure per pupil in Wolverhampton local authority for 1997-98 and 2008-09 | ||||
| Total (including pre-primary) | Total (excluding pre-primary) | |||
| Wolverhampton | England | Wolverhampton | England | |
| (1) 1999-2000 saw a change in data source when the data collection moved from the Revenue Outturn collection by CLG to the Section 52 (now section 251) collection by the DfE. 2002-03 saw a further break in the time series following the introduction of Consistent Financial Reporting (CFR) and the associated restructuring of the Outturn tables. Notes: 1. School based expenditure includes only expenditure incurred directly by the schools. This excludes the central cost of support services such as home to school transport, local authority administration and the financing of capital expenditure. 2. Pupil numbers include only those pupils attending maintained establishments within each sector and are drawn from the DfE Annual Schools Census adjusted to be on a financial year basis. 3. Figures are rounded to the nearest £10. Cash terms figures as reported by LAs as at 6 September 2010. | ||||
Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what his timetable is for the reallocation of the functions of the Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency. [15345]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 15 September 2010]: On 15 September my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State wrote to the chair of the QCDA setting out its revised remit and budget for the current year and indicating how continuing functions will be handled. A copy of that letter has been placed in the House Libraries.
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he expects to announce the number of staff of the Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency that will be retained. [15346]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 15 September 2010]: On 15 September my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State wrote to the chair of the QCDA setting out its revised remit and budget for the current year and indicating how continuing functions will be handled. A copy of that letter has been placed in the House Libraries.
Qualifications: Plumbing
Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will make it his policy to ensure full-time provision for 16 to 18 year olds in (a) level 1, (b) level 2 and (c) level 3 plumbing qualifications from September 2010; and if he will make a statement. [13687]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 9 September 2010]: A number of colleges and employers are concerned that changes proposed to the content and funding arrangements for sector-endorsed plumbing qualifications risk excluding full-time students and, that in many cases the full-time offer for 16 to 18-year-olds does not properly prepare them for employment. The Government take these concerns seriously. The regulator, Ofqual, the funding agencies and the Sector Skills Council 'Summit Skills' have agreed to defer the date of the proposed changes from September 2010 to spring 2011. Officials from the Department for Education and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills will use the autumn term to work with all key partners, including colleges, to look more closely at the issues and I will be happy to make a statement once this work has concluded.
School Meals: Standards
Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to bring forward proposals to repeal or amend the provisions of the Education (Nutritional Standards for School Lunches) (England) Regulations 2006. [14570]
Mr Gibb: The Government take the matter of healthy school meals very seriously. We recognise that healthy school food can help to improve children's readiness to learn and their behaviour at school, and that it can also help to establish healthy eating habits for life.
Statutory nutritional standards for school lunches became fully implemented in September 2009 and need to be given time to settle in. We are considering when it would be timely to review the standards but at present, we have no plans to repeal or amend the standards.
Schools: Anti-Semitism
Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what progress has been made by his Department since July 2010 on preventing the bullying and intimidation of Jewish children in schools; what conclusions were reached at the meeting he had with representatives of the Jewish community on this matter; and if he will make a statement. [14349]
Mr Gibb: The coalition Government have made it a priority to tackle bullying, particularly bullying motivated by prejudice. It is not acceptable for a child to be victimised because of their race or religion. The Government will empower schools so that they can take a zero-tolerance approach to tackling bad behaviour and bullying.
We will issue clearer guidance to schools on these issues and work with Ofsted to ensure that tackling bad behaviour and bullying is given more prominence in planned changes to school inspection.
The Secretary of State has met with representatives of the Jewish community on a range of issues, including school security, but not specifically on bullying.
Schools: Bedfordshire
Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what grants his Department has made to Bedfordshire County Council for schools outside the per pupil funding formula for each year since 1996-97. [11811]
Mr Gibb: Tables have been placed in the House Libraries, setting out the grants allocated to Bedfordshire county council for schools for each year from 1996-97 to 2008-09, and 2009-10 to 2010-11 for the two successor unitary authorities, Bedford borough, and central Bedfordshire. These grants were allocated in addition to per pupil formula funding allocated through the local government finance system up to 2005-06, and Dedicated Schools Grant since 2006-07.
Schools: Capital Investment
Mr Spencer: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will allocate funds to (a) Joseph Whitaker School, Rainworth and (b) Dukeries College, Ollerton for the purpose of improving school buildings. [13077]
Mr Gibb: On 5 July the Secretary of State announced a review of all aspects of the Department for Education's capital spending. All future capital investment, including allocations to Nottinghamshire schools, will be determined following the outcome of the capital review.
The capital review team will be providing advice to Ministers for use in the comprehensive spending review, and will complete its work by the end of the calendar year.
Schools: Discipline
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what additional powers he plans to give to teachers to ensure discipline in the classroom. [13234]
Mr Gibb: We have made it a priority to improve standards of behaviour and discipline in schools.
On 7 July I announced to the House the first of a number of measures to give teachers the powers and freedoms they need to maintain discipline in the classroom and promote good behaviour. The measures I announced include removing the requirement for schools to give 24 hour notice when issuing detentions, extending teachers' powers to search pupils and clarifying their powers to use force. I refer the hon. Member to the Official Report, of 7 July 2010, column 11WS.
I will be announcing further measures in due course, including measures to tackle bullying.
Schools: Finance
Liz Kendall: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent estimate he has made of the average cost of employing each additional (a) primary school teacher, (b) secondary school teacher and (c) classroom assistant in the maintained sector. [14037]
Tim Loughton: The average annual cost per regular full-time qualified classroom teacher in local authority maintained nursery and primary schools in England and Wales as at March 2009 was £38,600. For local authority maintained secondary schools it was £42,700. These figures include superannuation and employers' national insurance contributions. The average is for all regular full-time qualified teachers in England and Wales except head, deputy and assistant head teachers.
The Department does not currently gather the support staff pay data that would be needed to estimate accurately the average cost of employing a classroom assistant in the maintained sector. There is no central mechanism for deciding the pay of school support staff, with employers having responsibility for determining the salaries of school support staff at local level. However, some research data exist, for example, the Deployment and Impact of Support Staff in Schools (Blatchford et al., 2009) reported that the hourly wage of teaching assistant equivalent staff as at 2008 was £10.28, based on sample survey data collated over several years. This does not include superannuation or employers' national insurance contributions. This figure includes the salaries of teaching assistants, higher level teaching assistants, nursery nurses, therapists and learning support assistants for pupils with special educational needs. The figure includes staff in primary and secondary schools and schools for pupils with special educational needs.
Schools: Information and Communications Technology
Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent assessment he has made of the contribution to support for educational activities of information and communication technology and broadband. [10348]
Mr Gibb: The international 'Study of the Impact of Technology in Primary Schools' (STEPS) funded by the European Community (EC) investigated the primary education systems of 30 countries, measuring the impact of ICT on learning. Schools which make use of broadband connectivity are found to have improved academic results and increased learner motivation compared to those which do not make use of this technology.
However technology does not on its own guarantee educational success. Evidence shows that technology has a positive impact on learning and broader outcomes when it is used as part of good teaching practice.
Schools: Management
Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to his contribution of 21 June 2010, Official Report, column 29, on the free schools policy, whether the New Schools Network will have a role in co-ordinating expressions of interest in the free schools programme; and what services his Department has contracted the New Schools Network to provide in the last 12 months. [6335]
Mr Gibb: On 18 June 2010 the Department agreed to enter into a grant agreement with New Schools Network (NSN) to provide support for groups wanting to find out more about setting up a free school. It is supporting groups to develop and submit to the Department a proposal to establish a free school.
Schools: Manpower
Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many (a) teachers and (b) support staff including teaching assistants were employed in maintained schools in (i) 1997 and (ii) May 2007. [14029]
Mr Gibb: The information requested is published in Table 1 within the Statistical First Release, 'School Workforce in England (including local authority level figures), January 2009 (revised)' published on 29 September 2009. It is available at the following web link:
Schools: Standards
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of pupils in (a) all schools and (b) schools rated outstanding in their most recent Ofsted inspection received free school meals in the latest period for which figures are available. [12530]
Mr Gibb: The average percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals in schools generally is 17.4. The average for schools rated outstanding by Ofsted at their last inspection up to the end of March 2010 is 13.4%.
Schools: Water
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps his Department plans to take to improve water and toilet facilities at schools. [12066]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 6 September 2010]: The Department is reviewing its capital spending to ensure that future capital investment represents good value for money and strongly supports the Government's ambitions to reduce the deficit, raise standards and tackle disadvantage. As part of this we will take into account the work that was carried out before the General Election to review the 1999 School Premises Regulations and their coverage of toilet and drinking water provision in schools.
We will consult on any proposals and announce our plans in due course.
Secondary Education: Oldham
Mr Woolas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what assessment he has made of (a) present provision for Roman Catholic secondary education in Oldham and (b) proposals for a new Roman Catholic secondary school in Oldham; and if he will make a statement; [11295]
(2) when he expects to make an announcement on the future of Roman Catholic state secondary education in Oldham. [11296]
Mr Gibb:
Under current legislation local authorities are responsible for planning and securing sufficient suitable maintained schools in their area. Where changes to existing schools are proposed a statutory process must be followed which is decided under established local decision-making arrangements. The proposal from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Salford to establish a new voluntary aided Roman Catholic secondary school
in Oldham on 1 September 2012, to replace two closing Roman Catholic schools, was approved by the local authority on 23 March 2009.
The Secretary of State's announcement on 6 August included allocation of capital for the proposed new Roman Catholic school in Oldham.
Special Educational Needs: Finance
Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what provision he plans to make for Special Educational Needs capital expenditure in Gateshead in each of the next three years. [12169]
Mr Gibb: Gateshead has been allocated £1 million over the past three years for the Schools Access Initiative. Depending on priorities set locally, Gateshead can also use funding from the £5 million modernisation programme to help pupils with special needs, or other resources raised locally; this programme is not ring-fenced.
The Capital Review team will be providing advice to Ministers for use in the Comprehensive Spending Review, and will complete its work by the end of the calendar year.
Teachers and Classroom Assistants: Pay
Ed Balls: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what his most recent estimate is of the average cost to a (a) school and (b) local authority of employing a (i) teacher and (ii) classroom assistant; and what forecast he has made of the cost in each year from 2011-12 to 2014-15. [15623]
Tim Loughton [holding answer 16 September 2010]: The average annual cost per regular full-time qualified classroom teacher in local authority maintained nursery, primary and secondary schools, schools for pupils with special educational needs and pupil referral units in England and Wales as at March 2009 was £41,000. These data are provisional and are the most recent available. The average cost for financial year 2009-10 is forecast to be £41,600; for 2010-11 it is forecast to be £42,600 and for 2011-12 and 2012-13 it is forecast to be £43,100. The forecasts are based on the headline pay awards that have been previously announced of 2.3% in September 2009 and September 2010 followed by a two year pay freeze. Further years will depend on recommendations made by the independent school teachers' review body. These figures include employers' superannuation and employers' national insurance contributions. With regard to national insurance contributions, the secondary threshold and upper accruals point in 2011-12 are increased based on the announcements and forecast indexation rate in the June 2010 budget. These are assumed to remain the same for 2012-13. The average is for all regular full-time qualified teachers in England and Wales except head, deputy and assistant head teachers.
The Department does not currently gather the support staff pay data that would be needed to estimate accurately the average cost of employing a classroom assistant in the maintained sector. There is no central mechanism for deciding the pay of school support staff, with employers having responsibility for determining the salaries of school support staff at local level. As such it is not possible to make accurate forecasts of the future costs
of support staff. However, some research data exist, for example, the Deployment and Impact of Support Staff in Schools (Blatchford et al., 2009) reported that the hourly wage of teaching assistant equivalent staff as at 2008 was £10.28, based on sample survey data collated over several years. This does not include superannuation or employers' national insurance contributions. This figure includes the salaries of teaching assistants, higher level teaching assistants, nursery nurses, therapists and learning support assistants for pupils with special educational needs. The figure includes staff in primary and secondary schools and schools for pupils with special educational needs.
Teachers: Pay
Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the average salary for a primary school teacher was in (a) England, (b) Leeds and (c) Leeds North West constituency in the latest 12 month period for which figures are available. [12887]
Mr Gibb: The following table provides the average gross salary (mean) of full-time qualified regular teachers in service in England, Leeds local authority and Leeds North West constituency in March 2009, the latest information available.
| Average gross salary (mean), of full-time regular qualified teachers( 1) in local authority maintained( 2) primary schools: Year: March 2009 (provisional): Coverage: England, Leeds local authority and Leeds North West constituency( 3) | |
| Mean salary (£) | |
| (1) All grades including head, deputy and assistant head teachers. (2) Excludes any primary-age-range academies. (3) Revised constituency boundary as at 6 May 2010 general election. Note: Figures are rounded to the nearest £10. Source: Database of Teacher Records | |
Teachers: Physics
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what his Department's target is for the future number of specialist physics teachers. [13804]
Mr Gibb: The Government accept that there is a continuing need to increase the number of physics and other science teachers, in order to attract more top science graduates into the profession. We are therefore reviewing the routes into teaching and the incentives offered to well qualified people who want to teach science disciplines. We have already announced plans to double the number of participants in the successful Teach First scheme so that more schools may benefit from the talents of some of the country's best graduates. Three quarters of Teach First participants teach in the more demanding shortage subjects, including mathematics and science.
Written Questions: Government Responses
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he plans to answer question 12029, tabled on 23 July 2010, on ministerial meetings. [15479]
Tim Loughton: A response was issued to the hon. Member on 16 September 2010, Official Report, column 1176W.
Defence
Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) when he expects the Warthog all-terrain vehicle to be fully deployed in Afghanistan; [14422]
(2) when he expects the first Warthog all-terrain vehicle to arrive in Afghanistan; [14423]
(3) what assessment he has made of the reasons for the time taken to deliver the Warthog all-terrain vehicle. [14424]
Peter Luff: The first Warthog vehicle arrived in Afghanistan on 10 September 2010, three months ahead of the original schedule. It is planned that Warthog will reach full operating capability by the end of the year.
The Ministry of Defence has worked successfully against an aggressive schedule to deliver this capability to our armed forces as early as possible. This has included rigorous testing, which has been undertaken over the past eight months to ensure that Warthog is ready to deal with the demanding Afghan terrain and changing threats from insurgents. The project delivery schedule has been subjected to routine review and assessment, taking into account results from tests and trials, to ensure that the project delivers the operational requirement as quickly as possible, without compromising essential safety, reliability and protection standards.
Mr Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of UK military operations in Afghanistan since 2001; what factors he took into account in making this estimate; and if he will make a statement. [14722]
Dr Fox: The net additional costs of operations in Afghanistan from 2001 to the end of financial year 2009-10 was £9.5 billion. The estimated cost for this financial year is £4.4 billion as recently published in Ministry of Defence's main estimates. The costs that the MOD would have incurred regardless of the operation taking place, such as wages and salaries, are not included. Savings on activities that have not occurred because of the operation-training exercises for example-are included.
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the number of Pashtuns serving in the Afghan (a) army and (b) police in Helmand province who originate from that province. [15555]
Mr Robathan: We have not carried out an estimate of the number of Pashtuns serving in the Afghan National Army or Afghan National Police in Helmand province who originate from Helman Province. The ethnicity and origins of members of these forces is a matter for the Government of Afghanistan.
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what weapons systems UK forces have trained the Afghan army to operate. [15556]
Nick Harvey: UK forces have trained the Afghan National Army with a range of weapons. These include AK47 variants in addition to types of pistols, machine guns and grenade launchers.
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what vehicles the Afghan army operates; and what vehicles he expects it to operate in 2015; [15557]
(2) which models of aircraft the Afghan armed forces (a) operate and (b) expect to operate in 2015. [15558]
Nick Harvey: We do not comment on the capabilities of other nations. I am therefore unable to provide details on the vehicles and models of aircraft operated by the Afghan National Army and what it expects to operate in 2015.
Aircraft Carriers
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the number of jobs which are sustained or created by the aircraft carrier contracts (a) on the Clyde and (b) at Rosyth; and what assessment he has made of the likely effects in each area of a decision to reduce the number of carriers to (i) one and (ii) zero. [15671]
Peter Luff [holding answer 16 September 2010]: The Ministry of Defence is examining a range of factors relating to this programme, including industrial and employment issues, as part of the Strategic Defence and Security Review, which will conclude in the autumn in co-ordination with the Government's spending review.
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date (a) his Department asked BAE Systems to consider reducing the number of ships in the Queen Elizabeth carrier class programme from two to one or zero and (b) he advised the Secretary of State for Scotland that his Department had done so. [15672]
Peter Luff [holding answer 16 September 2010]: To inform the ongoing work of the Strategic Defence and Security Review, BAE Systems Surface Ships was asked by the Department to investigate the implications of reducing the Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers from two ships to one or zero on 2 September 2010.
The Secretary of State for Defence has regular discussions with the Secretary of State for Scotland on a range of issues across defence.
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Scotland on the number of jobs sustained by the aircraft carrier programmes in Scotland. [15673]
Peter Luff [holding answer 16 September 2010]: The Secretary of State for Defence has regular discussions with the Secretary of State for Scotland on a range of issues across defence.
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) letters and (b) emails his Department has received (i) in favour and (ii) against the construction of the Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers in the last six months. [15760]
Peter Luff: The Department has received the following pieces of correspondence that could easily be identified as expressing a "for or against" opinion regarding the construction of the Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers in the last six months.
| For QE class | Against QE class | |
The Strategic Defence and Security Review team within the Ministry of Defence has also received a substantial amount of correspondence in this period covering a wide range of issues, but reviewing this information to determine any "for or against" carrier opinion can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received on the construction of the Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers in the last six months. [15761]
Peter Luff:
Since taking office in May, the Secretary of State for Defence has received several representations on the construction of the Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers, including meetings with industry and
correspondence from non-governmental organisations, members of the public and members of this House.
Armed Forces: Education
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on education in (a) independent and (b) boarding schools for families of members of the armed forces in each of the last 13 years. [14668]
Mr Robathan: All schools on the list of approved schools provide boarding facilities. Details on how much was spent on schools in the independent sector could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
For the total spend I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 6 September 2010, Official Report, column 166W, to the hon. Member for Ashfield (Gloria De Piero).
Armed Forces: Foreign Workers
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many citizens of each country were members of each armed service on the latest date for which figures are available. [14768]
Mr Robathan: The information requested is provided in the following table:
Armed Forces: Officers
Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the ratio is of officers to non-officers in each of the armed forces. [15787]
Mr Robathan: As at 1 July 2010, the ratio of officers to other ranks in each of the armed forces is given in the following table:
| UK Regular Forces personnel at 1 July 2010 | |||
| Royal Navy | Army | RAF | |
Armed Forces: Public Appointments
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has made an assessment of the merits of establishing a military post of UK cyberspace commander. [14128]
Nick Harvey: Cyber security is an important element of the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR). Decisions on enhancing our capabilities will form part of the SDSR, which we will announce to the House later this autumn.
Armed Forces: Uniforms
Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department is taking to review (a) tendering processes for military clothing and (b) the Interim New Clothing Solution to ensure (i) appropriateness of tender specifications and fitness for purpose and (ii) value for money. [15915]
Peter Luff: The Ministry of Defence tendering process for military clothing is carried out in accordance with the European Union Public Contracts Regulations, which is statute legislation and Office of Government Commerce expectations.
The Interim New Clothing Solution (iNCS) enables 40,000 service personnel to order their military clothing via an internet website. The clothing is provided under existing MOD contracts, therefore, only items of clothing that are fit for purpose are provided. The iNCS is subject to regular reviews to ensure that the expectations of our service personnel continue to be met and that value for money is being achieved. The teams responsible for providing clothing seek constant feedback from the front line to see what people need and what is working.
The iNCS will inform the development of the full New Clothing Solution project, modernising the defence clothing supply chain following best practice in industry to ensure that service personnel receive the right kit, at the right time, in the right place. This will consider a range of options with a decision being made on the basis of overall value for money. This work is due to be completed in 2013.
Astute Class Submarines
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received on the construction of the Astute class submarines in the last six months. [15762]
Peter Luff: Since taking office in May, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Defence has received several representations on the construction of the Astute class submarines, including correspondence from industry, non-governmental organisations and Members of this House. Given the informal nature of some of these representations, it would not be possible to provide a detailed list.
Christopher Myers
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost to the public purse was of the participation of Christopher Myers in a visit to Afghanistan in January 2010. [15759]
Dr Fox: Mr Myers was the assistant accompanying the then Shadow Foreign Secretary when he visited Afghanistan with the Shadow Chancellor in January 2010. The Ministry of Defence costs directly attributable to Mr Myers during the visit were £278.
Defence Estates
Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to page 6 of the National Audit Office report on A defence estate of the right size to meet operational needs, Session 2010-11, HC70, what the location is of each of the 200 sites with the greatest potential for receipts identified by his Department. [15911]
Mr Robathan: The Ministry of Defence has drawn up a list of sites which are believed to have the greatest potential for receipts. However the list has been prepared solely to inform decision-making and inclusion on the list does not imply that sites are surplus or likely to become so.
To release the list could put MOD at a disadvantage should any sites be brought forward for disposal on the open market in future, and impact on the benefit of such disposals to the taxpayer generally. For that reason I am withholding the list on the grounds that it could be prejudicial to the effective conduct of public affairs and of commercial confidentiality.
A list of the sites in the present disposal programme and those currently earmarked for future disposal is available the Library.
Defence: Expenditure
John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the average annual percentage change in defence spending was between (a) 1980 and 1997 and (b) 1997 and 2010. [14123]
Dr Fox: The average annual percentage change in defence spending between 1980-81 and 1997-98 was minus 1.2% in real terms.
The average annual percentage change in defence spending between 1997-98 and 2009-10 was plus 2.5% in real terms.
The variation reflects the changing strategic environment over time.
More detailed defence expenditure figures can be found in UK Defence Statistics, copies of which are available in the Library.
Defence: Procurement
Stephen McPartland: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will take steps to encourage defence contractors to increase the value for money of procurement contracts with HM Government by taking account of export opportunities; [14996]
(2) if he will take steps to encourage defence contractors to develop generic platforms for use in a range of applications; [14997]
(3) if he will take steps to reduce the number of changes in customer specification in defence procurement contracts. [14998]
Peter Luff: Yes. As part of the Strategic Defence and Security Review and Defence Reform Review announced by the Secretary of State for Defence and building on the Defence Strategy for Acquisition Reform published in February 2010, the Department is taking a number of steps to achieve an affordable, balanced and agile programme and value for money for the taxpayer.
This will require a balance to be struck between a number of complex and interrelated issues, including:
the adoption of innovative solutions exploiting open systems architecture and, where appropriate, generic platforms;
robust control of the number of changes to customer specifications throughout the life of a project and;
ensuring that due account is taken of export opportunities in the development of solutions.
These aspects are actively being addressed as part of the Defence Acquisition Reform Programme and Through Life Capability Management.
We have also recently reinforced direct links between the MOD and the UK Trade and Industry Defence and Security Organisation in the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills to ensure that export opportunities are now routinely considered as new projects are initiated.
These issues will be further addressed in the forthcoming Defence Industry and Technology Policy Green and White Papers, which will pay particular attention to ensuring the exportability of defence equipment developed for the MOD.
Departmental Chief Scientific Advisers
Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions each Minister in his Department has met his Department's chief scientific officer since 6 May 2010. [15441]
Dr Fox: I have met Professor Mark Welland, the Ministry of Defence's chief scientific adviser (CSA), twice since 6 May 2010. The Minister of State for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology has also met him twice during this period.
In addition, Defence Ministers and the CSA regularly meet as part of larger Board or Committee discussions.
Departmental Manpower
Mr Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many staff his Department employs to consider (a) departmental and (b) national strategy; what output such staff are required to produce; and if he will make a statement. [15598]
Dr Fox: The Director General Strategy is responsible for the Defence contribution to cross-Whitehall strategy. He has three teams focused principally on this work. They currently comprise 46 staff. Their main outputs are the Defence Strategic Direction, Defence Plan and, at the moment, the Defence contribution to the Strategic Defence and Security Review.
Departmental Official Hospitality
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how much his Department spent on hospitality for events hosted by each Minister in his Department in (a) May and (b) June 2010; [10108]
(2) how much his Department spent on hospitality for events hosted by each Minister in his Department in July 2010. [15147]
Mr Robathan: The Ministry of Defence did not spend any money on hospitality for events hosted by Ministers during May,
On 2 June 2010, the Minister for International Strategy and Security hosted a reception to mark the visit of the NATO Defence College, which was attended by over 200 guests from the various countries with members on the course. The total cost for this event was £3,025.
On 28 June 2010, the Secretary of State hosted a lunch for a delegation from Germany including the Defence Minister, at a total cost of £1,412.
Both events were important in furthering relations with our key partners, and the expenditure was in accordance with the rules governing official use of hospitality.
On 26 July 2010, the Under-Secretary of State and Lords Spokesman on Defence hosted a meeting to brief other members of the House of Lords and ex-Service Chiefs on Defence issues. The total cost for this event was £99.
Departmental Public Expenditure
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has spent in each (a) nation of the UK and (b) region of England in each of the last six years. [15475]
Nick Harvey: Estimated direct Ministry of Defence (MOD) expenditure for the nations of the United Kingdom and the regions of England for the latest six years, where data are available, are presented in the following tables. These estimates cover MOD expenditure on equipment, non-equipment, service and civilian personnel costs.
| £ m illion at current prices (VAT exclusive) | ||||||
| Nation | 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 |
| £ million at current prices (VAT exclusive) | ||||||
| Regions of England | 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 |
| Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest £10 million. 2. All totals have been calculated using unrounded data. 3. Indirect expenditure, such as subcontracted work, is not reflected in these figures. 4. Personnel costs exclude contributions made by MOD to the Armed Forces Pensions Scheme and War Pensions Scheme. | ||||||
The MOD no longer compiles estimates of expenditure at the sub-UK areas described in the table as they do not directly support policy making or operations. The last estimates relate to 2007-08.
As a result, the complex data analysis required to produce the underlying sub-UK expenditure data are no longer performed. To produce a comparable time series beyond 2007-08 would incur disproportionate cost.
Ex-servicemen: Housing
Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department is taking to assist ex-service personnel to obtain housing. [15108]
Mr Robathan: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) encourages its serving personnel to prepare for their return to civilian life during their careers by purchasing their own homes. Measures include the Long Service Advance of Pay, an interest-free loan of up to £8,500, and the Armed Forces Home Ownership Scheme, a shared equity initiative.
Further information on civilian housing is available for all Service personnel, in particular those about to return to civilian life, through the MOD Joint Service Housing Advice Office (JSHAO). JSHAO provide briefings to Service families on their housing options ranging from home ownership through to applying for social housing. Service personnel are also given information on Key Worker Living status, which has been extended to enable Service Leavers to access sponsored affordable housing schemes 12 months after discharge, as well as exploring interim solutions such as occupying empty Service Families Accommodation.
For those who have already discharged, housing is a devolved matter and local authorities are responsible for framing their own social housing allocations schemes. A number of measures have been introduced that seek to make it easier for Service personnel leaving the armed forces to obtain social housing including changes to the legislation in England and Wales to ensure that Service personnel are recognised as having a local connection, through residency or employment, when applying for social housing.
Single former Service personnel are able to access the SPACES (Single Personnel Accommodation for Ex Services) project. This aims to assist single Service leavers to secure appropriate accommodation as they leave the armed forces and reduce the likelihood of becoming homelessness. Mike Jackson House in Aldershot has been built on land gifted by the MOD and provides fully furnished sing room accommodation for up to 35 individuals. The latest development is The Beacon on the outskirts of Catterick Garrison, also being built on MOD gifted land, that will provide a further 31 accommodation flats from March 2011.
France: Unmanned Air Vehicles
Mr MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions he has had with the government of France on joint production of drones; and if he will make a statement. [14605]
Peter Luff: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence met M. Herve Morin, his French counterpart, on 3 September 2010 in Paris. They discussed a number of potential opportunities for defence cooperation between the UK and France, including unmanned aerial systems.
I expect that a statement about progress on defence cooperation will be made at the time of the UK/French Summit in November.
Gibraltar
Mr Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) one-bedroom, (b) two-bedroom, (c) three-bedroom and (d) four bedroom properties are owned by his Department in Gibraltar. [14626]
Mr Robathan: There are the following number of Service Family Accommodation properties in Gibraltar:
| Service family accommodation | |
| Number | |
HMS Endurance
Mr Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to make a decision on the future of HMS Endurance. [15653]
Nick Harvey: The decision on the future of HMS Endurance is expected to be taken in mid 2011, following the outcome of the Strategic Defence and Security Review. The Ministry of Defence is currently reviewing options for the optimum provision of the ice patrol capability in the interim period.
Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations
Mr Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the total cost to the public purse of UK military operations in Iraq since 2003; what factors he took into account in making this estimate; and if he will make a statement. [14723]
Dr Fox: The net additional costs of operations in Iraq from 2003 to the end of financial year 2009-10 was £8.2 billion. The estimated cost for this financial year is £179 million as recently published in Ministry of Defence's main estimates. The costs that the MOD would have incurred regardless of the operation taking place, such as wages and salaries, are not included. Savings on activities that have not occurred because of the operation-training exercises for example-are included.
Military Exercises
Mr MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions military personnel or officials of his Department were present at weapons testing at each site outside the UK between 2008 and 2010. [14658]
Nick Harvey [holding answer 15 September 2010]: Information on the number of occasions on which Ministry of Defence Service and civilian personnel have attended weapon testing at overseas locations since 2008 is not held centrally or in the format requested. The effort required to identify all such occasions, across the Department, would incur a disproportionate cost.
Parachute Regiment
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of each battalion of the Parachute Regiment (a) were and (b) were not qualified as parachutists on the latest date for which figures are available. [14808]
Nick Harvey: The number of members of each battalion of the Parachute Regiment who were qualified and not qualified as parachutists as at 1 August 2010 are shown in the following table
| Unit | Qualified | Not qualified |
There will always be a number of personnel awaiting qualification given the constant output of newly trained soldiers. The 'not qualified' figure will therefore change regularly as new recruits emerge from basic training.
I am withholding the information for 1st Battalion the Parachute Regiment as its disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.
Piracy: Deployment
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assets are deployed on anti-piracy operations; and in what international missions they are participating. [15828]
Nick Harvey: The UK is providing a sizeable contribution to the military effort, and has a leading role in countering pirate activity off the coast of Somalia. The Royal Navy currently has HMS Northumberland and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary Fort Victoria assigned to the Coalition Maritime Force's Counter-Piracy Task Force 151. HMS Montrose is also deployed as part of NATO's Operation Ocean Shield. The Ministry of Defence has also been at the forefront of the European Union mission, Operation Atalanta, since it was introduced in December 2008, providing the Operation Commander and Operation Head Quarters at Northwood.
RAF St Athan
Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Gosport (Caroline Dinenage) of 7 July 2010, Official Report, column 254W, on RAF St Athan, for what reason the cost of the new facilities at St Athan rose from £11 billion in February 2008 to £14 billion in July 2010; what effect the increased cost has on the assessment of the facilities' value for money; and if he will identify potential alternatives to the facilities. [14480]
Nick Harvey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 6 September 2010, Official Report, columns 158-59W, to the hon. Member for The Wrekin (Mark Pritchard). Value for Money is tested through a comparison of the costs of the project compared to a public sector comparator; through life mechanisms for ensuring value for money such as benchmarking and market testing and an assessment of the qualitative benefits of the project. The comparisons are kept up to date and incorporate any changes that have occurred.
Wind Power
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what technical means there are to prevent radar clutter and aircraft obscuration caused by wind turbines. [14597]
Nick Harvey: There are several potential technical mitigation solutions under development. None of these prevent clutter or obscuration but the introduction of new radars, and enhancements to existing radars, with improved processing and clutter management capabilities may serve to reduce the impact of wind farms to manageable levels.
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment his Department has made of whether the performance of air defence radars is degraded by wind farms. [14598]
Nick Harvey: To date the Ministry of Defence (MOD) has performed two trials on the T101 Air Defence Radar both of which demonstrated that wind turbines had a significant effect on the ability of the radar to detect targets over and around wind turbine developments.
No direct testing has been performed on the T102 Radar but it is of a sufficiently similar system design to the T101 that it is determined that the radar will be affected by the presence of turbines but not to the same degree as the T101.
No direct testing has been performed on the T92 Radar but the MOD was involved in a trial of a TPS-77 radar in Denmark which showed the Radar to be quite resilient to the degrading effects of turbines. The T92 is of a similar system design and from the same manufacturer and it is determined that the T92 will also be resilient but perhaps not to the same degree because it is older technology.
World War I: War Memorials
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will commission (a) a national inspection of all memorials commemorating the First World War and (b) a schedule of renovation of such memorials to be completed by 11 November 2018. [14769]
Mr Robathan: No. Although memorials provide a vital reminder of all those who have served so courageously and deserve to be remembered they are not a responsibility of the Ministry of Defence. The cost of maintenance and protection of a memorial, of which there are a significant number and can range in form from a statue, to a bench or a bus shelter, rests with the owner, the charity or organisation in which ownership is vested.
The Department for Culture Media and Sport sponsor the UK National Inventory of War Memorials. This database of memorials for all conflicts is a joint initiative between the Imperial War Museum and English Heritage, formerly the Royal Commission on the Historic Monuments of England, and assisted by a team of volunteers.
Scotland
Departmental Buildings
Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much office space per employee his Department and its predecessor occupied in each year since 1997. [12999]
David Mundell: The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999.
Information on how much office space there was per employee is not available in the form requested. The Office currently occupies premises at Dover House, London and Melville Crescent, Edinburgh. Both buildings provide non-standard office accommodation and have listed building status; they provide both office space as well as accommodation that can be doubled up for hosting meetings and events. The office occupies a floor area of 927.5m(2) in Dover House and 694m(2) in Melville Crescent.
Departmental Communication
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland 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. [9667]
David Mundell: The private office ensures guidance is available to staff on our intranet pages regarding the preparation of briefing, speeches and replies to correspondence.
Departmental ICT
Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland 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. [12724]
David Mundell: The Scotland Office shares an information technology system (SCOTS) with the Scottish Government, which is responsible for the development, administration and maintenance of the system; consequently, the Office does not directly award IT contacts.
Wines
Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department and its predecessor spent on wine in each year since 1997. [12817]
David Mundell: The Scotland Office records its hospitality expenditure in accordance with the principles of Managing Public Money. It keeps no separate record of expenditure on wine.
Health
Audio Equipment: Health Hazards
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will discuss with the manufacturers of personal music players measures to restrict the volume at which music may be played on them. [14770]
Mr Burstow:
The responsibility for the regulation of consumer products, such as music players, lies with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS).
Officials from BIS have informed the Department that they do not have any plans to discuss with manufacturers at present.
Cancer
Mr Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the correlation between (i) health, (ii) social and (iii) environmental factors and the incidence of localised cancer clusters. [15474]
Mr Simon Burns: The Department is currently funding research on updated investigations of cancer excesses in the vicinity of Seascale and Dounreay.
The Health Protection Agency funds the Small Area Health Statistics Unit (SAHSU) at Imperial College. SAHSU carries out studies to examine the associations between health and environmental factors, with an emphasis on the use and interpretation of routine health statistics. The studies take into account socio-economic differences between different areas. SAHSU has carried out a few studies that examined the association between a specific environmental exposure and a local cancer cluster. Details of SAHSU's publications are available on its website at:
The independent advisory Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment (COMARE) has published a number of reports on cancer incidence. Details of COMARE's publications are available on its website at:
Care Homes
Grahame M. Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of how best to support the elderly and disabled to remain living in their own homes; whether his Department is working with other departments on this issue; and if he will make a statement. [14148]
Mr Burstow: We acknowledge how important it is for people to remain living in their own homes for as long as possible. Our aim is that people should be helped to live at home for longer through solutions such as home adaptations and community support programmes, telehealth and telecare solutions. We are working with other Government Departments and interested groups such as the national health service, social care, the voluntary sector and individuals locally to commission and deliver these services.
The Government plan to publish their vision for adult social care in autumn 2010, which will set the context for the future of social care, following the publication of the NHS White Paper and the outcome of the spending review in October.
Care Homes and Hospitals: CCTV
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what arrangements there are for the regulation of CCTV installations in (a) NHS and (b) private (i) care homes and (ii) hospitals. [15569]
Mr Simon Burns: Use of closed-circuit television (CCTV) installations is regulated by the Data Protection Act 1998. Installation or expansion of a CCTV system must be included in an organisation's Data Protection Registration and notified to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) within 28 days. Failure to register a CCTV system is a criminal offence.
Staff operating CCTV or monitoring images must comply with the CCTV Code of Practice 2008 issued by the ICO and, if monitoring members of the public, must undergo training by Security Industry Authority (SIA) approved bodies and be licensed by the SIA.
All regulation of CCTV installations applies to national health service and private care homes and hospitals.
Childbirth: Health Education
Nicky Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if his Department will take steps to provide more information for pregnant women of the (a) advantages and (b) disadvantages of home births. [13344]
Anne Milton: Home birth is one of several choices available to women during pregnancy. A midwife discusses these choices with each woman and her partner taking into consideration her specific medical and social history, options for birth and their wishes so that they can make an informed decision about their choice of place of birth. The decision can alter at any stage during the pregnancy as there is continual risk assessment and a women may change her mind about choice of place of birth anytime up until the birth of the baby.
The NHS Choices website contains information regarding the choice of place of birth available to the mother. The National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit is undertaking research called 'Birthplace', which is a National Prospective Cohort Study of Planned Place of Birth. This is due for publication in 2011 and will provide further evidence to assist expectant parents in choosing a place of birth.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Stephen McPartland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects the final version of the Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease National Strategy to be published; whether he has set a timetable for implementation of that Strategy; and whether he has made a decision on his Department's priorities in respect of recommendations on (a) asthma and (b) Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. [15872]
Mr Simon Burns: The Department is currently reviewing the responses received to its consultation on a strategy for services for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in England, and awaiting the outcome of the consultation on 'Transparency in outcomes-A framework for the NHS'.
Implementation of the recommendations set out in the consultation document has already commenced with the development of communities of practice at a local level and the initiation of pilots with NHS Improvement. A full timetable of implementation will be published in due course.
Dementia: Bexley
Mr Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent estimate he has made of the number of people in the London borough of Bexley who have been diagnosed with dementia. [15579]
Mr Burstow: The Quality and Outcomes Framework collects data from general practices including the prevalence of dementia. The latest figures are for the financial year 2008-09. Figures are collected for Bexley Care Trust. The number of people in Bexley diagnosed with dementia in 2008-09 was 909.
Departmental Public Expenditure
Mr Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to publish details of his Department's expenditure in accordance with the Prime Minister's letter of 31 May 2010; and if he will set the threshold for publication lower than the level of £25,000 so stipulated. [15355]
Mr Simon Burns: The Department's expenditure for the period 1 April 2010 to 30 September 2010 will be published by 31 October 2010, in accordance with the Prime Minister's letter of 31 May 2010. Subsequent months' expenditure will be published by the 15th working day of the following month.
The threshold for publication will be £25,000 including VAT, where applicable.
Doctors: Manpower
Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospital doctors he expects to be employed by the NHS in each of the next five years; and if he will make a statement. [15613]
Mr Simon Burns: The White Paper makes it clear that accountability for decisions affecting work force supply and demand needs to sit in the right place, with employers having greater autonomy for planning and developing the work force alongside greater professional ownership of the quality of education and training.
The number of doctors employed by the national health service in each of the next five years will depend on local plans, and an impact assessment will be published in due course.
General Medical Council
Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department monitors the effectiveness of the General Medical Council in supervising the conduct and practice of medical practitioners. [15369]
Anne Milton: The Department does not monitor the effectiveness of the General Medical Council. It is the responsibility of the Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence (CHRE) to oversee the work of the nine regulatory bodies that set standards for training and conduct of health professionals. CHRE undertakes an annual performance review of these bodies and publishes copies of its subsequent report on its website at:
CHRE is required to make an annual report on the exercise of its functions. This is laid before Parliament, the Scottish Parliament, the National Assembly for Wales and the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust: Clinical Trials
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many complaints about the running of clinical trials at Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital have been received from staff employed to manage these trials; and how much it has cost to investigate such complaints; [15282]
(2) whether he has had discussions with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency on the conduct of clinical trials at Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital; [15283]
(3) whether the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has (a) investigated clinical trials in the Rheumatology Department at Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital and (b) been requested to investigate those trials. [15284]
Mr Simon Burns: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has not received any complaints about the running of clinical trials at Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital.
The Secretary of State for Health has not had any discussions with the MHRA about the conduct of clinical trials at this hospital.
The MHRA has not conducted any Good Clinical Practice (GCP) inspections of Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital. The hospital is part of a group of five trusts running the same quality system and they have not been inspected yet; others in this group have. A serious breach notification was received in January 2009 from a sponsor of a trial running there. The sponsor and the trust dealt with this adequately and the case was closed in March 2009. No request has been made by the sponsor or the trust to investigate the conduct of the trial or the conduct of the investigator.
Health Services: Children
Dr Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the recommendations of the review of NHS children's services have been presented to the NHS Chief Executive; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the report of the review. [15424]
Anne Milton: The report 'Getting it right for children and young people: Overcoming cultural barriers in the NHS so as to meet their need' was published on 16 September 2010 and a copy has been placed in the Library.
Hospitals: Infant Foods
Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost to the NHS was of provision of infant formula milk for new-born babies in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will initiate an investigation into the amount of waste arising through provision of infant formula milk in pre-mixed 100 ml bottles in hospitals. [15153]
Anne Milton: The information requested is not held centrally.
National health service hospitals, through local agreements with their suppliers, determine the procurement arrangements. All recycling of waste materials are determined at a local level.
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