| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
25 Oct 2010 : Column 84W—continued
Serious Crime Divisions: Prostitution
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many brothel visits have been made by officers from Serious Crime Division 9 in the Metropolitan police area in each month since January 2010. [16073]
James Brokenshire: The Metropolitan police have provided the following table which shows the number of visits carried out by SCD9, broken down by the borough in which they were carried out.
| BOCU brothel visits 2010 | |||||||||
| January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | Total | |
Work Permits
Mr Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many grants of settlement have been made (a) on the basis of employment with a work permit and (b) to (i) spouses and (ii) dependants of those granted settlement on the basis of employment with a work permit in each of the last eight quarters for which figures are available. [19083]
Damian Green: The latest available quarterly statistics (Q3 2008 to Q2 2010) are provided in the following table.
Data on grants of settlement made on the basis of employment with a work permit to both principal applicants and spouses and dependants combined are published in Table 4.3 in the quarterly series the 'Control of Immigration: Quarterly Statistical Summary, United Kingdom'. Settlement data for third quarter 2010 are scheduled for publication on 25 November 2010.
Home Office statistical publications are available from the Library and from the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics website at:
| Grants of settlement( 1,)( 2, )( 3) by selected category of grant, excluding EEA and Swiss nationals( 4) , Q3 2008 to Q2 2010 | ||||||||
| Number of persons | ||||||||
| 2008 | 2009( 5,6) | 2010( 6) | ||||||
| Broad category of grant | Q3 | Q4 | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Q1 | Q2 |
| (1) Figures rounded to the nearest five and may not sum to the totals shown because of independent rounding. (2) Includes reconsideration cases and the outcome of appeals. (3) May include a small number of cases in which a decision is recorded twice, where an individual has dual nationality. (4) Data exclude dependants of EEA and Swiss nationals in confirmed relationships granted permanent residence. (5) Revised figures. (6) Provisional figures. | ||||||||
Communities and Local Government
Audit Commission
Mr Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) pursuant to the answer of 7 September 2010, Official Report, column 179W, on Audit Commission, what steps his Department is taking to develop a mutual model for the Audit Commission; and if he will make a statement; [18537]
(2) whether he has assessed the merits of establishing a fully mutual model to undertake the functions of the Audit Commission; and if he will make a statement. [18555]
Robert Neill:
As my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State told the House on 7 September 2010, Official
Report, columns 179-186, we will consider a range of options for moving the Audit Commission's in-house practice to the private sector. The Government would be happy to see a mutual set up by existing Audit Commission staff, if this proves to be appropriate and practical. The Commission has appointed Gareth Davies as managing director of its audit practice and he is leading the practice's work on these matters.
Charities: Finance
Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the monetary value of local authority funding for (a) all charities, (b) charities working with children, young people and families in each year since 2007-08; if he will make an estimate of the equivalent figure for (i) 2011-12, (ii) 2012-13, (iii) 2013-14 and (iv) 2014-15; and if he will make a statement. [19267]
Andrew Stunell: The latest figures (for 2007-08 from the NCVO's UK Civil Society Almanac 2010) show that local authorities fund the voluntary sector to the value of £6.6 billion. Data on funding to charities working with children, young people and families are not held centrally.
Spending decisions are, and will continue to be, a matter for local authorities. We have a rich diversity of voluntary organisations, charities, faith groups, co-operatives, social enterprises and local housing trusts-all of who already make a huge contribution to local life. The big society means using their potential and involving them even more in delivering what people want. I do not expect local authorities to respond by passing on disproportionate cuts to other service providers, especially the voluntary sector.
I also draw the attention of my hon. Friend to my Department's press release of 14 October 2010 on the valuable role of the voluntary sector, a copy of which I have placed in the Library.
Departmental Pay
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what allowances and payments in addition to salary were available to officials in his Department and its non-departmental public bodies in each year since 1997; and what the monetary value was of payments and allowances of each type in each such year. [18738]
Robert Neill: The Department for Communities and Local Government was created in 2006.
We are currently carrying out a review of all allowances paid in DCLG. The following allowances are payable to officials in the Main Department:
Temporary Responsibility Allowance
Recruitment and Retention Allowance
Procurement Allowances
Accountancy Allowances
Analyst Allowances-introduced in 2009
Supervisory Allowances
Private Office Allowances
On-Call Allowances
Fast Stream Allowances-being withdrawn
Detached Duty Allowances
Duty Officer Allowances
We also pay the following historical allowances to a small number of staff on a reserved rights basis:
Market Related Allowance
Typing Proficiency Allowance
ADP Allowance
In addition, non-consolidated payments are made to high performing staff at the end of each performance year and the Department operates a scheme for all staff below the senior civil service under which individuals or teams may receive a small non-consolidated award in recognition of an outstanding contribution over a limited period.
The following table shows the amount paid to officials in allowances and bonuses since that date.
| £ | ||
| Allowances | Bonuses | |
Fire Services: Bassetlaw
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many (a) retained and (b) full-time fire crew there were at each fire station in Bassetlaw on the latest date for which figures are available. [19105]
Robert Neill: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
The latest levels of staffing of wholetime and retained firefighters are collected for each Fire and Rescue Authority. Figures for Nottinghamshire and England are provided in the table.
| Levels of staffing of wholetime and retained firefighters in Nottinghamshire and England in 2009-10 | |
| 2009-10 | |
| (1) Full-time equivalent (2 )In 24-hour units of cover Source: Fire and Rescue Services Annual Returns to CLG | |
Fire Services: Finance
Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans he has for the future funding of fire authorities; and if he will make a statement. [18670]
Robert Neill: The provisional Local Government Finance Settlement for the period from 2011-12 will be announced in late November or early December, as in previous years. This includes the provisional formula grant allocations for fire and rescue authorities.
Fire resource expenditure will reduce by 13% in real terms over the spending review period. Within this, central Government grants to local authorities will be reduced by 25% over the period. These savings will be back-loaded to years three and four of the period so that fire and rescue authorities will have the time to make changes and reforms necessary without impacting on the quality or breadth of services offered to their communities. Areas where we believe significant saving can be found include:
Flexible staffing arrangements
Improved sickness management
Pay restraint and recruitment freezes
Shared services/back office functions
Improved procurement
Sharing chief fire officers and other senior staff
Voluntary amalgamations.
Homelessness
Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what methodology his Department uses to collect data on homeless people; and whether he plans to take further steps to identify as such homeless people who do not present themselves to local authorities for assistance. [18431]
Grant Shapps: Data are collected quarterly from local housing authorities on their activities under homelessness legislation and are published by the Department on the CLG website. These statistics include information on decisions on applications for housing assistance, the number of households accepted as owed a main homelessness duty and the number of households in temporary accommodation arranged by local authorities under homelessness legislation:
Information is also collected on rough sleeping. Since 1998, only councils in areas with a known, or suspected, rough sleeping problem were required to conduct an official rough sleeper count-which meant that only 70 councils submitted information to central Government. Figures published in July 2010 showed that under this previous method, on any given night there were 440 rough sleepers in England. However, when the remaining 256 councils provided estimates of the scale of the problem in their areas, this added a further estimated 807 rough sleepers-taking the national total to 1,247 rough sleepers on any given night. These figures are published on the CLG website here:
Under new guidance all councils across England will now provide information on rough sleeping. This move follows consultation with homelessness charities and councils and is aimed at getting a clearer picture of the scale of the problem in each area so more targeted support can be provided to some of the most vulnerable in society.
The Department also collects data on the users of Supporting People services which include some rough sleepers and single homeless people with support needs. These statistics are published quarterly by the department on the CLG website:
One of the issues the recently established Ministerial Working Group on Preventing and Tackling Homelessness will consider is how to increase transparency of information available to communities to support them in meeting the needs of homeless people.
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) what his most recent estimate is of the number of people who are homeless (a) nationally, (b) in London, (c) in Lambeth borough and (d) in Streatham constituency; [18499]
(2) what definition of homelessness his Department uses for the purposes of compiling statistical information. [18554]
Grant Shapps: Statutory homelessness data collected include the number of households accepted by local housing authorities as eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and in priority need, and therefore owed a main homelessness duty (to secure that suitable accommodation is available). If a settled home is not immediately available, the authority must secure temporary accommodation until a settled home becomes available and this information is also collected. These are published by the Department in the quarterly Statistical Release on Statutory Homelessness via the CLG website at:
The following table gives the most recent figures for households accepted as owed a main homelessness duty and households in temporary accommodation in England, London and Lambeth.
| Quarter 2, 2010 | ||
| Number and rate per 1,000 households | ||
| Households accepted as owed a main homelessness duty during the quarter | Households in temporary accommodation at the end of the quarter | |
| Notes: 1. Figures are provisional. 2. Totals may not equal the sum of components because of rounding. 3. Lambeth figure is as reported. London and England figures include estimates for any non-responding authorities. Source: P1E quarterly returns. | ||
Information is also collected on rough sleeping. Since 1998, only councils in areas with a known, or suspected, rough sleeping problem were required to conduct an official rough sleeper count-which meant that only 70 councils submitted information to central Government. Figures published in July 2010 showed that under this previous method, on any given night there were 440 rough sleepers in England. However, when the remaining 256 councils provided estimates of the scale of the problem in their areas, this added a further estimated 807 rough sleepers-taking the national total to 1,247 rough sleepers on any given night. These figures are published on the CLG website at:
Under new guidance, all councils across England will now provide information on rough sleeping. This move follows consultation with homelessness charities and
councils and is aimed at getting a clearer picture of the scale of the problem in each area so more targeted support can be provided to some of the most vulnerable in society.
The following table gives the street count and estimates in England, London and Lambeth for 2010.
| Street counts | Estimates | Total | |
| Notes: 1. The 2010 local authority street counts were carried out between January 2009 and May 2010. 2. Local authorities who did not carry out a count submitted a single figure estimate of the number of people sleeping rough on any given night as at June 2010. | |||
The figures provided in this answer are available both in the Library and via the CLG website at the links provided.
The Department does not collect data on homelessness at parliamentary constituency level.
Local Government
Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he expects to introduce proposals to devolve powers and responsibility to town and parish councils; and if he will make a statement. [19093]
Robert Neill: Town and parish councils already have a wide range of powers at their disposal. In the forthcoming localism Bill we intend to make provision to achieve our commitments to devolve further powers to local government and communities, including the area of parish involvement in neighbourhood planning.
Mr Nuttall: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans he has to enable local authorities to reintroduce the committee system. [19248]
Robert Neill: As set out in 'The Coalition: Our Programme for Government', we are committed to allow councils to return to the committee system should they wish to. We intend to provide for this in our forthcoming localism Bill.
Local Government: Sick Leave
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what information his Department holds on the number of days lost to sickness absence in each local authority in each of the last three years. [18882]
Robert Neill: The information requested is not held centrally, because councils manage their own work forces and the Department has no direct role in local government work force matters, including councils' policy on managing absence.
Non-domestic Rates: Wolverhampton
Paul Uppal: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what effect on levels of revenue the removal of business rate relief on (a) industrial property, (b) retail property, (c) commercial property and (d) office accommodation has had in respect of Wolverhampton. [19001]
Robert Neill: Information is not available centrally on the effect of the repeal of business rate relief on revenue levels split by the property types requested.
Planning Permission
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government in what circumstances a local planning decision may be called in for determination by the Secretary of State; and if he will make a statement. [19143]
Robert Neill: The power to call in planning applications for Secretary of State determination is set out in s.77 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990. This gives Ministers wide discretion about how to use the call-in power. Call-in policy is set out in the Caborn statement of 1999 of 16 June 1999, Official Report, column 138W, which makes it clear that Ministers will be very selective about what is called in.
Localising decision making and planning is central to the Government's policy. Ministers have made it clear that they will exercise the power to call in only very sparingly where matters of significant national interest and policy are concerned.
Residential Property Tribunal Service: Mobile Homes
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he plans to lay before the House secondary legislation to transfer jurisdiction for park homes to the Residential Property Tribunal. [19183]
Grant Shapps: The secondary legislation to transfer the jurisdiction will be laid before the House as soon as possible.
Social Rented Housing: Repairs and Maintenance
Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether he plans to review the provisions of the Housing Act 2002 and associated guidance on housing allocation to enable positive behaviour by tenants in respect of property maintenance to be taken into account in the allocation of social housing. [18551]
Andrew Stunell: Section 167 (2A) of the Housing Act 1996 already gives local authorities the power to take into account certain factors for the purposes of determining relative priorities between applicants in the reasonable preference categories when allocating accommodation. Examples of such factors are given in the legislation and include any behaviour of the applicant (or a member of their household) which affects his or her suitability to be a tenant. This would include good tenant behaviour as well as poor behaviour.
We have no plans to review the legislation in this respect.
Voluntary Organisations: Newton Abbot
Anne Marie Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much funding his Department allocated to voluntary groups in Newton Abbot in each year since 2005. [18564]
Robert Neill: The Department's records do not hold information about grant payments to the voluntary sector by geographical area so the information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, if my hon. Friend would like to provide us with a list of voluntary groups in Newton Abbot we could let her know the grant payments made over the period. In addition, as part of the Department's transparency agenda, grant spending over £500 for 2008-09 and 2009-10 can be found online on my Department's website.
House of Commons Commission
Opening of Parliament
Kate Hoey: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the House of Commons Commission what the cost was of the State Opening of Parliament in 2010. [18650]
Sir Stuart Bell: The cost to the House of Commons of the State Opening of Parliament in 2010 is estimated to have been £177,000, which represents the Commons contribution to costs shared with the House of Lords.
Leader of the House
Private Members' Bills
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Leader of the House if he will bring forward proposals to provide more time for the committee stage of private Members' Bills. [18994]
Sir George Young: I am giving consideration to how the time available for private Members' Bills in the current long Session should be increased, including time available in Committee.
Deputy Prime Minister
Referendums: Scotland
Grahame M. Morris: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether he made an assessment of the findings of the 2007 Gould report on Scottish elections before selecting 5 May 2011 as the date for the proposed referendum on the voting system for election to the House of Commons. [18235]
Mr Harper: The Gould Report identified a number of contributory factors which led to a high number of spoilt ballot papers in 2007. Most of these, such as the introduction of a new electoral system and combined ballot papers, will not be in play on 5 May 2011.
The Report also recognised that there are benefits to combining elections such as reducing cost, achieving higher turnout and minimising disruption to voters. In evidence to the Scottish Affairs Committee on 21 September 2010, Mr Ron Gould said:
"I do not believe that the same factors which led to voter confusion and the large number of rejected ballots at the last Scottish Parliamentary and Municipal elections would arise if both the (Scottish) Parliamentary Election and the Referendum were held on the same date. The marking of yes or no on a referendum ballot is much easier to understand and carry out than the requirements of marking an STV ballot."
The Electoral Commission will be responsible for running the referendum. After the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill was introduced, the Commission released a statement on 22 July 2010 announcing that they believe it should be possible to deliver the different polls if the key risks are properly managed. We are working closely with the Electoral Commission and others to maximise the benefits of combination and ensure the polls on 5 May 2011 are delivered effectively.
Education
Departmental Contracts
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the monetary value of the contracts between his Department and private sector companies which will be cancelled under his Department's planned spending reductions. [10169]
Tim Loughton: We are in the process of reviewing contracts from which savings can be made through renegotiation or termination. The total value of those contracts and the potential savings will not be known until the full review is complete.
Departmental Manpower
Mr Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many (a) officials and (b) external advisers are working on the forthcoming Green Paper on special educational needs and disabilities. [16560]
Sarah Teather: Work on the Green Paper on special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) is being led by three full-time equivalent officials. These officials are working closely with colleagues in the Department for Education's SEND division, as well as officials from across the Department and across Government.
This Division also employs one professional adviser who supports the Division's overall activity, which includes advising on aspects of the Green Paper.
To inform the Green Paper, the Department has sought a number of views through informal discussions with experts, voluntary organisations, local authorities, teachers, parents and a call for views consultation.
Sixth Form Education: Capital Investment
Yvonne Fovargue: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether he plans to allocate capital funding to sixth form colleges funded by the Young People's Learning Agency at the same level as that allocated to further education colleges through the Train to Gain programme for the purposes of renovating buildings and facilities. [15590]
Tim Loughton
[holding answer 16 September 2010]: The Capital Review announced on 5 July 2010, in the context of the budget pressures and emerging policy, is examining the Department's capital programmes including capital funding to sixth form colleges, and will make recommendations on the future shape of all its capital investment for the next spending review period and beyond. It will conclude its work by the end of the calendar year. We intend to determine capital allocations
as soon as possible thereafter. The Review team has been tasked with exploring new approaches to school building, and ensuring investment is focused on areas in the greatest need-those educational establishments in most disrepair, to deal with the urgent demand for primary school places from rising birth rates, and ensure that future capital investment represents good value for money and strongly supports the Government's ambitions to raise standards and tackle disadvantage.
Teenage Pregnancy
Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to reduce the number of teenagers who become pregnant in England. [15616]
Sarah Teather: The reduction in the under-18 conception rate over the last decade-to the point where it is at its lowest level for over 20 years-is positive. But it does not mask the fact that England still has high teenage pregnancy rates compared with many other countries.
We want local areas to continue to prioritise reducing teenage pregnancy rates, using the international evidence and the lessons from areas where teenage pregnancy rates have fallen fastest, to accelerate progress. There are clear social and economic benefits from investing in actions to prevent teenage pregnancies and improve outcomes for teenage parents and their children. These will contribute to local strategies to: reduce child poverty and health inequalities; and improve public health.
We are currently reviewing the curriculum, including the place of sex and relationships education (SRE) within it. We will be announcing our plans later this year. But whatever the status of SRE in future, we are clear that it should focus more on relationships. We know that parents are concerned about the early sexualisation of children and the worrying levels of violence reported in teenage relationships and believe that high quality SRE can help children and young people to: cope with the pressures they face to have sex-from both their peers and the media; and to understand what is meant by sexual consent.
We are also considering how best to ensure that sufficient accessible, young people-friendly contraceptive and sexual health services are available in each local area, so that sexually active young people do not risk having unprotected sex, which can result in an unplanned pregnancy or a sexually transmitted infection. We will be publishing a Public Health White Paper later this year.
UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what programmes and projects his Department has funded to raise public awareness of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in the last five years. [17433]
Sarah Teather: The Government are committed to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and to raising awareness of the Convention.
The Department has supported and funded a number of initiatives aimed at raising awareness of the Convention in the last five years such as:
Collaborating with the Ministry of Justice and the British Institute of Human Rights (BIHR) to develop a curriculum resource for teachers on the UNCRC, to be used with Key Stage 3 pupils. Right Here, Right Now - Teaching Citizenship through Human Rights was published in 2007;
The Department provided funding to UNICEF for its Rights Respecting Schools initiative which encourages and helps schools to embed the UNCRC into their ethos and curriculum;
In July 2008, the Department held an event for children and young people and key stakeholders to discuss UK's reporting to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child and a follow up event was held in September 2009 to discuss the UN Committees Concluding Observations;
As part of the 20th anniversary of the ratification of the UNCRC on 20 November 2009), the Department, with the Office of the Children's Commissioner held a celebration event led by children which was aimed at raising awareness of the UNCRC among children and young people.
The Government operate a number of web-based portals, enabling children and adults to access information about the Convention. For parents and young people, DirectGov has a popular UNCRC section. For children under 10, DirectGovKids has a section on the UNCRC, developed in conjunction with UNICEF. There is also specific information available on the web for people who work with children, for example, through teachernet.
Voluntary Organisations: Contracts
Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what contracts his Department has awarded to voluntary sector organisations in the last two years; and what the monetary value was of each such contract. [17607]
Sarah Teather [holding answer 18 October 2010]: To gather the information required to identify all the contracts and monetary value of each contract awarded to voluntary sector organisations in the last two years would exceed the disproportionate cost threshold.
Details of all new central Government contracts will be published in full from January 2011.
Written Questions: Government Responses
Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he plans to answer question (a) 14560 on the school lunch grant, (b) 14561 on the home access scheme and (c) 14564 on the School Food Trust. [17066]
Sarah Teather: The responses to the hon. Member's questions were issued on 13 October 2010.
PQ 14560: 13 October 2010, Official Report, column 324W
PQ 14561: 13 October 2010, Official Report, column 323W
PQ 14564: 13 October 2010, Official Report, column 325W.
Young People: Obesity
Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what guidance his Department issues to schools on reducing obesity among persons aged under 16 years; and if he will make a statement. [5636]
Sarah Teather:
The Department for Education does not issue any specific guidance to schools on reducing obesity. However, this Government recognise that through physical education, competitive school sport and healthy eating, schools can help address the problem of childhood obesity. In the past, the Department has made available
guidance and resources to help schools provide a healthy environment by providing nutritious school lunches, improving participation in high quality PE and sport opportunities, helping children learn about health through personal, social, health and economic education and practical activities such as cooking. Guidance from DfE and Department of Health was issued to schools on how they can support the National Child Measurement Programme, which collects height and weight data on primary school pupils in reception and year 6.
Cabinet Office
Civil Servants: Resignations
Mr Umunna:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate he has made of the proportion of officials who were identified as being (a) from black and minority ethnic backgrounds and (b) disabled who left the civil service before retirement age in (i)
2008-09, (ii) 2009-10 and (iii) 2010-11 on the latest date for which figures are available. [18498]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning the proportion of officials who were identified as being (a) from black and minority ethnic backgrounds and (b) disabled who left the Civil Service before retirement age in (i) 2008-09, (ii) 2009-10 and (iii) 2010-11 on the latest date for which figures are available. (18498)
Civil Service Statistics are published annually by the Office for National Statistics on the National Statistics website. Statistics for 2010 will be published on 19 November 2010. The requested estimates for the years 2008 and 2009 are attached at Annex A. Since April 2010, there has been no default retirement age across the Civil Service, but we have used an age of 65 years for the purpose of making these estimates.
Annex A
| Civil service employment: civil service leavers before retirement age( 1,2) | ||||
| All employees | ||||
| 2008( 3) | 2009( 3) | |||
| Headcount | % | Headcount | % | |
| (1) Numbers are rounded to the nearest ten.( 2) For the purpose of this analysis retirement age has been taken to be 65 years.( 3) Survey reference date 31 March. Source: Annual Civil Service Employment Survey. | ||||
Employment: Public Sector
Ian Swales: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate he has made of the number of people employed in the public sector in (a) the UK, (b) the North East and (c) Redcar constituency in each of the last 13 years. [19504]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated October 2010:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning the number of people employed in the public sector in (a) the United Kingdom (b) the North East and (c) Redcar constituency, in each of the last thirteen years. (19504)
Estimates of employment for the UK public sector are taken from the ONS release on Public Sector Employment at
The ONS's preferred estimates of regional public sector employment are based on returns from public sector organisations. These estimates supersede previous estimates of regional employment derived from the Labour Force Survey (LFS). Data up to 2007 are based on the LFS and are adjusted to compensate for seasonal variations in employment. Data from 2008 onwards are based on actual returns from public sector organisations and have not been seasonally adjusted.
The number of people employed in the public sector in the North East is not available before 1999.
The number of people employed in the public sector in Redcar constituency is not available.
The available data are attached at Annex A.
| Annex A: Public Sector Employment( 1,2,3) | ||
| Headcount (thousand) | ||
| UK( 4) | North East( 5,6) | |
| (1) Annual figures relate to June Q2 except the North East for 1999 which relates to December Q4. (2) Estimates are based on where people are employed. (3) Northern Rock classified to the public sector from 9 October 2007, Bradford and Bingley classified to public sector from 26 September 2008, Royal Bank of Scotland Group and Lloyds Banking Group classified to the public sector from 13 October 2008. (4) Figures for the UK are seasonally adjusted. (5) 1998-2007 seasonally adjusted and based on returns from the LFS. (6) 2008-2010 not seasonally adjusted and based on returns from public sector organisations. | ||
Immigration: Transcaucasus
Robert Halfon: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent estimate he has made of the number of people originating from (a) Armenia, (b) Azerbaijan and (c) Georgia who are resident in the UK. [18502]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated October 2010:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to respond to your Parliamentary Question to Secretary of State for the Home Department, concerning the number of people from (a) Armenia, (b) Azerbaijan and (c) Georgia who are resident in the UK [18502].
The latest estimates available, based on the Annual Population Survey, are for the 12 month period of January to December 2009. These are shown in the table below.
| Estimated population resident in the United Kingdom, by selected nationalities and country of birth | ||||
| Thousand | ||||
| Country of birth | Nationality | |||
| Estimate | CI+/- | Estimate | CI+/- | |
| n/a = "not available" CI = Confidence Interval Source: Annual Population Survey (APS)/Labour Force Survey (LFS), ONS | ||||
Lone Parents: Brighton
Simon Kirby: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many lone parents were resident in Brighton, Kemptown constituency in each of the last 10 years. [19011]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated October 2010:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your request to ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many lone parents were resident in Brighton, Kemptown constituency in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available (19011).
Estimates, based on the Annual Population Survey, for lone parent families which include at least one child aged under 16, are given in the table below. Data are available for 2004 to 2008.
This is based on the 2008 parliamentary constituency boundary, which contained 10 electoral wards, one more than the current constituency.
| Number of lone parent families with at least one child under 16 in Brighton, Kemptown constituency | |
| Estimate (thousand) | |
| Source: APS | |
Ovarian Cancer
Gavin Barwell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the five-year survival rate from ovarian cancer was in the latest period for which figures are available. [18828]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated October 2010:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what the five-year survival rate from ovarian cancer was in the latest period for which figures are available (18828).
ONS publishes cancer survival rates calculated from the date of diagnosis.
The latest figures available show that five-year relative survival for ovarian cancer, in England, was 41 per cent for women, aged 15-99 years, diagnosed in 2003 - 2007 and followed up to 2008.(1, 2)
Survival figures for England published by ONS, for 21 common cancers, are available on the National Statistics website at:
(1) Relative survival is the probability of survival (shown here as a percentage) after correction for other causes of death.
(2) Ovarian cancer is defined by the International Classification of Diseases, tenth revision (ICD-10) codes C56, C57.0, C57.7.
Strategic Defence and Security Review: Climate Change
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what plans he has to include in the remit of the Strategic Defence and Security Review consideration of the effects of climate change and resource competition. [18321]
Mr Letwin: The National Security Strategy (NSS), which was published on 18 October, assessed that competition for resources-such as energy, water or food-among or within other countries can result in instability which may impact on the UK's national security, for example in the form of conflict or increased migratory pressures. It also assessed that the physical effects of climate change are likely to become increasingly significant, exacerbating existing tensions around the world. The Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR), which was published the following day, makes recommendations for improving the Government's ability to consider and tackle these issues, and establishes clear governance structures and accountability.
Teenage Pregnancies: Peterborough
Mr Stewart Jackson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the answer of 14 September 2010, Official Report, columns 998-99W, on teenage pregnancies, how many pregnancies were recorded among women aged 15 to 17 years living in Peterborough City council area in 2009; and if he will make a statement. [19103]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated October 2010:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many pregnancies were recorded among women aged 15 to 17 years living in Peterborough City Council area in 2009 (19103).
Figures on conceptions are estimates based on the number of live births, stillbirths or legal abortions. They do not include miscarriages and illegal abortions. Because of the confidentiality of data on abortions and stillbirths, figures on conceptions at specific ages are not published for small areas, such as Peterborough City Council, because of the risk of disclosing such information.
There were 168 conceptions to women under 18 years of age in Peterborough Unitary Authority in 2008 (the most recent year for which figures are available). The data for 2008 are provisional.
Third Sector: Surveys
Sir Alan Beith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office for what reasons his Department has decided to undertake a second wave national survey of charities and social enterprises. [18593]
Mr Hurd: The National Survey of Charities and Social Enterprises is the largest and most far reaching survey of its kind, and is vital in providing detailed information on the state of the sector at a local level. The first wave of the survey in 2008 proved invaluable to the sector and local statutory bodies in identifying and addressing key local issues, and has informed both national and local policy.
The Government have set out a clear role for the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector in building a stronger civil society and the second wave of the survey will be key to providing information needed to effectively support the sector in this role. The survey results, which will be fully published at:
will provide citizens, communities, the sector and local and central Government with real insight into the current environment for the sector, in addition to an unprecedented level of evidence on the sector over time. This data will be crucial in supporting evidence-based decision-making in response to public spending reductions, holding government account on its support for the sector, and providing the tools to drive real change in local areas.
UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Kate Hoey: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps his Department is taking to ensure compliance with Article 29 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in respect of participation in political life in regard to its provisions for (a) ensuring that voting procedures, facilities and materials are appropriate, accessible, easy to understand and use, (b) protecting the right of persons with disabilities to vote by secret ballot in elections and public referendums without intimidation and to stand for elections, to effectively hold office and perform all public functions at all levels of government, facilitating the use of assistive and new technologies where appropriate and (c) guaranteeing the free expression of the will of persons with disabilities as electors and to this end, where necessary, at their request, allowing assistance in voting by a person of their own choice. [18594]
Mr Harper: The Government are keen to ensure that disabled people are supported to participate in political and public life and that the electoral process is accessible to all electors. This reflects our commitment to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and in particular the obligations set out in Article 29.
This is why the Cabinet Office has made an early commitment as part of our coalition document to introduce extra support for disabled people who want to become MPs, councillors or other elected officials. We are currently looking at the detail of how best to support disabled people who want to enter political life. In working up detailed policy proposals, we will draw on the evidence set out by the cross-party Speaker's Conference and involve the expertise of disabled people and disabled people's organisations at an early stage.
The Electoral Administration Act 2006 ("EA Act 2006") and associated legislation contain measures aimed to make the voting process more accessible for disabled electors. Returning officers are required to display an enlarged version of the ballot paper in polling stations and to provide upon request at polling stations a large hand-held sample copy of the ballot paper for the assistance of visually impaired voters. Returning officers must also ensure that each polling station is supplied with a tactile voting device which is designed to enable blind and partially sighted voters to cast their vote independently without revealing their voting intentions to a third party.
Electoral officers are also required to make information and documents about the electoral process available to electors in other languages and formats, including Braille and audio format.
There are also a number of provisions in legislation which are specifically intended to support disabled electors to vote at elections. These include provision that, on application to the presiding officer, disabled voters in polling stations may cast their vote with the assistance of a companion.
Local authorities have a statutory responsibility for designating polling places and must carry out a full assessment of polling places at least every four years to ensure that, so far as it is practicable, all venues are accessible to electors who are disabled. This should mean that polling places are regularly checked for accessibility, and consideration given to making reasonable improvements where practicable.
The Government are also aware that for some groups in society, including electors who are disabled, e-voting can assist them to overcome barriers to participation. This may be an area that needs closer consideration as to how information technology can assist in the absence of a full e-voting solution being put in place alongside the existing paper-based model, which is a model that many trust and expect. Where there are issues with the existing paper-based system, the Government will look at the evidence and identify what needs to be taken forward to address those issues.
Peter Bottomley: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps his Department has taken to ensure that its activities are compliant with the provisions of Article 29 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on participation in political and public life. [17888]
Mr Harper: The Government are keen to ensure that disabled people are supported to participate in political and public life and that the electoral process is accessible to all electors. This reflects our commitment to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and in particular the obligations set out in Article 29.
This is why the Cabinet Office has made an early commitment as part of our coalition document to introduce extra support for disabled people who want to become MPs, councillors or other elected officials. We are currently looking at the detail of how best to support disabled people who want to enter political life. In working up detailed policy proposals, we will draw on the evidence set out by the cross-party Speaker's Conference and involve the expertise of disabled people and disabled people's organisations at an early stage.
There are a number of provisions in legislation which are specifically intended to support disabled electors to vote at elections. These include provision that, on application to the presiding officer, disabled voters in polling stations may cast their vote with the assistance of a companion.
The Electoral Administration Act 2006 ("EA Act 2006") and associated legislation also contain measures aimed to make the voting process more accessible for disabled electors. Returning Officers are required to display an enlarged version of the ballot paper in polling stations and to provide upon request at polling stations a large hand-held sample copy of the ballot paper for the assistance of visually impaired voters. Returning Officers must also ensure that each polling station is supplied with a tactile voting device which is designed to enable blind and partially sighted voters to cast their vote independently without revealing their voting intentions to a third party.
Electoral officers are also required to make information and documents about the electoral process available to electors in other languages and formats, including Braille and audio format.
Local authorities have a statutory responsibility for designating polling places and under the EA Act 2006 have an obligation to carry out a full assessment of polling places at least every four years to ensure that, so far as it is practicable, all venues are accessible to electors who are disabled. This should mean that polling places are regularly checked for accessibility, and consideration given to making reasonable improvements where practicable.
The EA Act 2006 allows certain prescribed persons, e.g. a local councillor, or 30 or more local electors, to make representations to the Electoral Commission to review the local authority's decision.
Disabled electors may choose to vote by post as an alternative to voting in a polling station. The law allows an Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) to dispense with the requirement for postal vote applicants to provide a signature if the ERO is satisfied that the applicant is unable to do so due to the elector being disabled.
Unemployment
Gregg McClymont: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what definition of a workless household his Department uses. [17958]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your question concerning what definition of a workless household the Department for Work and Pensions uses. [17958].
Official statistics on workless households are produced by the Office for National Statistics. The definition of a workless household is a household that includes at least one person aged 16 to 64 and where no individuals aged 16 and over are in employment.
Culture, Media and Sport
Next Generation Broadband
16. Stephen Metcalfe: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what progress he has made on his plans to roll out next generation broadband. [18958]
Mr Jeremy Hunt: The Government are committed to delivering the best superfast broadband network in Europe by 2015, including into rural areas. Last week, the Chancellor announced four superfast broadband pilot projects, in Cumbria, Herefordshire, North Yorkshire and the Highlands and Islands as a first step to delivering this. These pilots will be the first projects supported using the £530 million funding for broadband that my right hon. Friend the Chancellor announced as part of the spending review.
Arts Council England
17. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what plans he has for the future of Arts Council England; and if he will make a statement. [18959]
Mr Vaizey: The Arts Council plays a vital role in bringing expertise and impartiality to arts funding and providing support to artists and arts organisations. It will continue to do so in the future.
Arts and Creative Industries
18. Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the effect on the economy of changes in his Department's levels of funding for the arts and creative industries. [18960]
Mr Vaizey: As part of their settlement we have asked the Arts Council to limit cuts in the overall budget for arts organisations to just 15% in real terms. I am confident that this relative level of protection, combined with an increase in lottery funding over the coming years will allow the arts and creative industries to continue to play a vital role in our economy.
Broadband
Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps he has taken to ensure the rapid roll-out of superfast broadband across the country. [18222]
Mr Vaizey: I have been asked to reply in my capacity as a Minister in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
The Government are committed to delivering the best superfast broadband network in Europe by 2015, including into rural areas. Last week, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced four superfast broadband pilot projects, in Cumbria, Herefordshire, North Yorkshire and the Highlands and Islands as a first step to delivering this. These pilots will be the first projects supported using the £530 million funding for broadband that the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced as part of the spending review.
Departmental Contracts
Andrew Bingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of quality management statements in assisting with contract decisions for the 2012 London Olympic games. [18999]
Hugh Robertson: The use of quality management statements in the selection of suppliers, leading to contract award decisions, is recognised good procurement practice.
The vast majority of contracts by value for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games will be awarded by the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) with a significant number awarded by the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (LOCOG).
While LOCOG is a private company not bound by public procurement regulation, the ODA is a DCMS public body. As such, DCMS officials have reviewed ODA procurement policy and are satisfied that it encompasses good procurement practice.
Specifically, the ODA uses a "balanced scorecard" of criteria at both the prequalification stage to select a shortlist of suppliers to invite to tender and at the tender evaluation stage in selecting the successful supplier. The balanced scorecard considers five broad criteria areas including quality management and reviewing the quality management statements of prospective suppliers.
DCMS officials have also reviewed LOCOG procurement policy and are satisfied that LOCOG also adopts good practice consideration of quality management statements in its contract award process.
It is, however, recognised that a good quality management statement is no guarantee that a supplier will in fact perform well in practice. Therefore appropriate consideration of other factors, such as health, safety, environmental capabilities, financial viability, construction quality and others, are taken into account as part of the "balanced scorecard" to select suppliers.
Departmental Disciplinary Proceedings
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many officials in his Department have been (a) subject to disciplinary action, (b) removed from post, (c) transferred to another position and (d) dismissed for matters relating to their (i) disciplinary record and (ii) performance in each year since 1997. [18745]
John Penrose: The Department's HR department holds records from 2000. We are not able to break down the information into disciplinary and performance issues. The information we are able to provide is as follows:
| N umber of disciplinaries | Removed from post | Transferred to another position | Dismissed | |
Departmental Pay
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much was paid to officials in his Department and its non-departmental public bodies in bonuses and other payments in addition to salary in each year since 1997; how many officials received such payments; and what the monetary value was of the largest 20 payments made in each such year. [18743]
John Penrose: The Department makes bonus payments to its staff for two purposes: (a) special bonuses to reward outstanding contributions in particularly demanding tasks or situations; and (b) performance related bonuses to reward highly successful performance over a whole year. Awards were made in line with Cabinet Office principles and guidelines on performance-related pay.
Such information that is available is shown in the tables.
| Financial year | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 |
|
Number of staff awarded special bonuses and performance related bonuses | |||||||
| £ | |||||||
| Largest 20 bonuses of any type | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 |
The Department does not hold information prior to 2003.
Data on payments by non-departmental public bodies are not held centrally and I will ask the chief executive of each body to write to the hon. Member.
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what allowances and payments in addition to salary were available to officials in his Department and its non-departmental public bodies in each year since 1997; and what the monetary value was of payments and allowances of each type in each such year. [18744]
John Penrose: The types of allowances that are paid to staff in the Department and their monetary values are shown in the table. Allowances are paid on a monthly basis in addition to basic salaries.
Data on allowances or payments by non-departmental public bodies are not held centrally and I will ask the Chief Executive of each body to write to the hon. Member.
| Allowance t ype | Total a mount (£) | |
The Department does not hold information prior to 2003.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |