Written Answers to Questions
Wednesday 27 October 2010
Church Commissioners
Ethical Criteria: Investments
Mr Binley: To ask the hon. Member for Banbury, representing the Church Commissioners, what account the Church Commissioners take of ethical criteria when making investments. [19330]
Tony Baldry: The Church Commissioners are committed to managing our assets in a way that reflects the Church's teaching and values and take advice on ethical investment policies from the Church's Ethical Investment Advisory Group. I would be very happy to send him copies of the latest Advisory Group annual review.
Wales
Departmental Training
Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much her Department spent on employee training since 1997. [7657]
Mr David Jones: The Wales Office came into existence in 1999 though my Department only holds financial records from 2003 onwards. Since 2003 the Wales Office has spent £122,471 on employee training.
Scotland
Rail Services
13. Mr Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent representations he has received from representatives of businesses in Scotland on cross-border rail services. [18983]
David Mundell: Both my right. hon. Friend and I have received representations on cross-border rail services from various interests including businesses in Scotland.
Rural Economy
14. Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues on initiatives to assist the rural economy in Scotland. [18984]
Michael Moore: We are fully committed to improving the lives of people living in rural areas. As an example, the highlands and islands is one of four rural areas in the UK selected to pilot the next generation of high speed broadband. Rolling out superfast broadband is of vital importance in ensuring the sustainability of our rural communities in the 21st century.
Work and Pensions
Asbestos
Steve Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will bring forward proposals to amend the provisions of the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 2002 to distinguish the white form of asbestos and the blue and brown forms of that substance. [16563]
Chris Grayling: The 2002 Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations were replaced by the Control of Asbestos Regulations in 2006.
The existing regulatory approach is based on evidence of risk and already distinguishes between different types of asbestos-containing materials depending on both the type of asbestos they contain, and the propensity for fibres to be released if the material is disturbed or damaged. The regulations allow work on lower risk materials, such as bonded white asbestos cement, to be undertaken with less stringent controls than those which apply to higher risk materials.
This recognises the evidence which shows there is a substantially lower risk associated with white asbestos for a given amount of exposure in comparison with blue and brown asbestos. This does not, however, equate to no risk.
There is, at present, international scientific consensus on the classification of asbestos as carcinogenic, which informs government policy. We will keep this under review and until the consensus changes, the Secretary of State has no plans to amend the regulations.
Steve Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will commission an inquiry into the appropriateness of the health and safety precautions in force in respect of asbestos cement. [18119]
Chris Grayling: The current requirements contained in the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006, which apply to asbestos cement products, implement the European Codified Directive 2009/148/EC on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to asbestos at work. The 2006 regulations were the subject of public consultation and the requirements were framed in accordance with the responses received as far as the directive allowed.
There is, at present, international scientific consensus on the classification of asbestos, which informs government policy. No significant new evidence has since been presented to suggest that the present health and safety precautions should be reviewed. We will keep this under review and until the consensus changes, the Secretary of State has no plans to amend the regulations.
Employment Schemes: North East
Grahame M. Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what support will be provided to assist people into work in the North East, prior to the introduction of the Work Programme in the North East; and if he will make a statement. [19301]
Chris Grayling: The Work Programme aims to simplify the back to work system by replacing many of the current schemes. These include Flexible New Deal (FND), New Deals for Jobseeker's Allowance customers and Employment Zones which will be phased out and replaced by the Work Programme by summer 2011. Pathways to Work will be phased out and folded into the new arrangements in the first half of next year. We are working with our delivery partners to give continuity of support until transition to the Work Programme. We intend for support to be available for all customers during the transition to the Work Programme.
Housing and Council Tax Benefit: Fraud
Mr Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will assess the merits of ring-fencing the funding allocated to local authorities for the detection of (a) housing benefit and (b) council tax benefit fraud. [18100]
Chris Grayling: The Department does not ring-fence the funding allocated to local authorities for the detection of (a) housing benefit and (b) council tax benefit fraud. We combine the funding for all aspects of administering these benefits to give local authorities the flexibility to respond to local circumstances.
The Department published a new fraud and error strategy on 18 October 2010. The strategy includes the Department's plans for improving detection of fraud across all benefits, including housing benefit and council tax benefit.
Poverty: Children
Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what recent estimate he has made of the number of children (a) in absolute poverty, (b) in relative poverty and (c) with combined material deprivation and low income in Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East constituency; [16319]
(2) how many children are living in poverty (a) before and (b) after housing costs in Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East constituency. [16320]
Maria Miller: Estimates of the number and proportion of children living in poverty in Scotland are published in 'Poverty and Income Inequality in Scotland: 2008-09'. This uses household income adjusted (or 'equivalised') for household size and composition, to provide a proxy for standard of living.
As they are based on survey data, child poverty estimates published in 'Poverty and Income Inequality in Scotland' do not allow analysis by parliamentary constituency. However, figures for Scotland are set out in the following table.
Social Security Benefits: Guardianship
Nicky Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues on the provision of benefits for relatives who are permitted by social services to act as guardians to children in the (a) short, (b) medium and (c) long term; and if he will make a statement. [16921]
Maria Miller: We acknowledge that people who are permitted by social services to provide 'kinship' care for children of relatives undertake an extremely valuable role, often taking on this responsibility in difficult circumstances. Such carers are usually entitled to benefits available to birth parents, including child benefit, child tax credits or pension credit, subject to meeting the normal conditions of entitlement. Relevant discussions with ministerial colleagues have therefore focused on wider issues concerning benefits for parents.
Social Security Benefits: Haematological Cancer
Sir Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the estimated annual cost is to his Department of providing financial support for a patient with a poor diagnosis of haematological cancer. [17746]
Chris Grayling: I refer my right hon. Friend to the written answer I gave him on 20 October 2010, Official Report, column 766W. A wide range of support is available to disabled and ill people. The way benefits are awarded and data are collected means that we are unable to provide an estimated annual cost of the financial support for a patient with the particular condition of haematological cancer.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Agriculture
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many (a) farmers, (b) directors, (c) partners and (d) spouses worked in each agricultural sector in each of the last five years. [18497]
Mr Paice: DEFRA only collects data on the total number of farmers, partners, directors and spouses working on agricultural holdings. The number by farm type for the last five years is shown in the following table:
| Number of principal farmers, partners, directors and spouses working on agricultural holdings in England 2005-09 | |||||
| Thousand | |||||
| Farm type | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
| Source: DEFRA June Survey of Agriculture and Horticulture | |||||
Farm type is classified by the predominant farming activity taking place on the holding, based on economic measure and profitability (standard gross margin, SGM). The farm type is defined as the activity which contributes more than two thirds of the total SGM for the holding.
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects to publish her Department's strategy for sustainable food production; and if she will make a statement. [19782]
Mr Paice: The Government have made it a Structural Reform Plan priority to support UK agriculture and encourage a sustainable increase in production to meet demand. We will take a coherent whole food chain approach in developing actions to take this forward.
Agriculture: Overtime
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the average monthly overtime payments were for a worker employed in each of the six agricultural wages grades in each of the last five years. [19784]
Mr Paice: We do not have a breakdown of the average monthly overtime payments for workers employed in each of the six agricultural wages grades in each of the last five years. However, details for the years 2007, 2008 and 2009 are set out in the following table.
| Overtime pay | |||
| (£ per month) | |||
| Grade | 2007( 1) | 2008( 2) | 2009( 3) |
| (1) Based on data from 4 quarters for the year, to January 2008. (2) Based on data from 4 quarters of the year, to January 2009. (3) Based on data from 4 quarters of the year, to September 2009. Due to changes in the structure and publication of the Earning and Hours survey, there was no survey in January 2010. These are the latest figures available. Note: Figures are given for permanent, full time staff only. These figures are based on a sample survey, and are therefore subject to a degree of sampling error. Pay information is standardised to a weekly equivalent, but for this table has been converted to pay per calendar month. Source: DEFRA Survey of Earnings and Hours of agricultural workers | |||
Agriculture: Pay
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the average wage was for a worker employed in each of the six agricultural wages grades in each of the last five years. [19785]
Mr Paice: We do not have a breakdown of the average wage for workers employed in each of the six agricultural wages grades in each of the last five years. However, details for the years 2007, 2008 and 2009 are set out in the following table:
| Average pay | |||
| £ per month | |||
| Grade | 2007( 1) | 2008( 2) | 2009( 3) |
| (1) Based on data from four quarters of the year, to January 2008. (2) Based on data from four quarters of the year, to January 2009. (3) Based on data from four quarters of the year, to September 2009. Due to changes in the structure and publication of the Earning and Hours survey, there was no survey in January 2010. These are the latest figures available. Note: Figures are given for permanent, full time staff only. These figures are based on a sample survey, and are therefore subject to a degree of sampling error. Pay information is standardised to a weekly equivalent, but for this table has been converted to pay per calendar month. Source: DEFRA Survey of Earnings and Hours of agricultural workers. | |||
Bees
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) whether she plans to retain BeeBase as a voluntary registration scheme for beekeepers; [18823]
(2) how many beekeepers have registered on BeeBase since its creation; [18825]
(3) what steps her Department is taking to increase the number of active beekeepers registered on BeeBase. [18826]
Mr Paice: The Food and Environment Research Agency's (Fera's) National Bee Unit's BeeBase database is a vital tool in controlling bee pests and diseases. Knowing the location of apiaries is essential if these harmful organisms are to be controlled quickly and effectively. An action plan is in place to increase the number of beekeepers who are voluntarily registered on the database. Depending on the success of this plan, compulsory registration may be considered but current policy remains one of encouraging voluntary registration.
The action plan, which is a key part of the Healthy Bees Plan, includes the National Bee Unit's bee inspectors encouraging beekeepers to register, and a campaign by Fera in partnership with beekeeping stakeholders to raise awareness of BeeBase, and promote its aims and benefits. As a result, BeeBase registrations are increasing.
Since its creation in 1992, BeeBase has been regularly updated to reflect the turnover in beekeepers and currently over 21,000 beekeepers are registered compared to approx 18,000 in 2008.
Bovine Tuberculosis
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many (a) cases of positive bovine tuberculosis and (b) inconclusive reactor cattle were identified in the latest period in which figures are available. [18637]
Mr Paice: The number of cattle slaughtered in England from 1 January to 31 July 2010 under bovine tuberculosis control measures as test reactors and inconclusive reactors is shown in the following table.
| Number | |
| Note: Figures are subject to change as more data become available. Source: VetNet-Animal Health database (downloaded 20 October 2010). | |
Carbon Emissions: Business
Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she plans to introduce mandatory reporting of carbon dioxide emissions by UK-listed companies; and if she will make a statement. [19718]
Mr Paice [holding answer 26 October 2010]: We are yet to take a decision on whether to introduce regulations requiring companies to report their greenhouse gas emissions.
Departmental Visits Abroad
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much her Department spent on overseas visits for senior officials in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [18412]
Richard Benyon: From the information held centrally and by the Department's Executive Agencies, the following table shows expenditure on overseas visits by senior officials (SCS grade) in the financial year 2009-10.
| £ | |
All travel is undertaken in accordance with the Civil Service Management code.
Livestock: Waste Disposal
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the monetary value was of payments in respect of animals disposed of under the National Fallen Stock Scheme in each of the last five years. [18520]
Mr Paice: The information requested is not held by DEFRA. The National Fallen Stock Scheme is operated by the National Fallen Stock Co. and requests for such information should be directed to the company.
Wood
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) whether she plans to bring forward legislative proposals to regulate the sale of timber obtained from illegal logging; [19313]
(2) whether she plans to bring forward legislative proposals to prohibit the purchase of timber obtained from illegal logging. [19846]
Mr Paice: We will put in place the necessary legislation to implement the provisions of the EU Illegal Timber (Due Diligence) Regulation in the United Kingdom. This underlines our commitment to eliminating illegal timber from the UK market. The Regulation prohibits the first-placing of illegal timber on the EU market, restricting its purchase and sale down the supply chain.
Electoral Commission Committee
Electoral Systems
Mr Bone: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what recent discussions the Electoral Commission has had on allowing electors who have not yet voted but who are within the precinct of the polling station at the close of a poll to cast their votes. [19296]
Mr Streeter: In May 2010 the Electoral Commission recommended that the relevant rules for all elections in the UK should be amended to allow any elector who is entitled to vote at a polling station and who is in the queue to enter the polling station at the close of poll, to cast a vote.
The Electoral Commission informs me that it has discussed this issue with the Deputy Prime Minister, the Minister for Political and Constitutional Reform and with a range of other interested parties, including Members of Parliament, Returning Officers, Government officials and electoral administrators.
Business, Innovation and Skills
Departmental Pay
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 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 his Department's inception; how many officials received such payments; and what the monetary value was of the largest 20 payments made in each such year. [18773]
Mr Davey: An element of the BIS overall pay award for staff below the SCS is allocated to non-consolidated variable pay related to performance. There are two types of award:
1. Annual performance awards, that reward staff who achieve a highly successful annual performance rating.
2. In-year awards that recognise strong performance in particularly demanding tasks or situations.
These non-consolidated variable pay awards are used to drive high performance and do not add to future pay bill costs, as they are funded from within existing pay bill controls, and have to be re-earned each year against pre-determined targets. The payments made for both types of award are entirely related to staff performance. The in-year scheme was suspended on 9 July and no payments have been made to staff since that date.
Performance awards for the SCS are part of the pay system across the whole senior civil service, and are used to reward high performance sustained throughout the year, based on judgments about how well an individual has performed relative to their peers. The performance related pay scheme is designed to help drive high performance and support better public service delivery. Performance awards are non-consolidated and non pensionable. The percentage of the pay bill set aside for performance-related awards for the SCS is based on recommendations from the independent Senior Salaries Review Body.
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS)
BIS was formed through a machinery of government (MoG) change that occurred in June 2009. The Department was created by merging the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) and the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS).
The following table shows the number of payments that were made in BIS to non-SCS staff and the costs to the Department in 2009-10.
| Number of awards | Amount (£) | |
|
In-year performance awards paid between April 2009 and March 2010 | ||
The following table shows the cost and number of payments that were made to staff via the in year scheme in 2010/11 before it was suspended on 9 July.
| Number of awards | Amount (£) | |
|
In-year performance awards paid between April 2010 and July 2010 | ||
No annual performance payments have yet been made to non-SCS staff in 2010-11.
For 2009-10 the Senior Salaries Review Body advised Departments that up to 8.6% of their SCS pay bill could be used for non-consolidated awards for the SCS. In BIS just under 5% was actually awarded.
| SCS 2009/10 performance awards paid in July 2010 | |
| Number of awards | Amount(£) |
The following table shows the top 20 performance payments that were made to BIS staff in 2010.
| SCS performance year 1 April 2009 to 31 March 2010 with payments made July 2010 | |
| Payment | £ |
A small number of individuals are employed on non-standard SCS contracts which link a higher percentage of their pay to delivery based objectives.
The Department has not made any non-consolidated payments to staff outside of the arrangements described above unless they have been part of contractual severance arrangements.
The information for non-departmental public bodies is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Helicopters: Finance
Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much launch aid has been repaid to his Department from the EH101 helicopter project. [19854]
Mr Prisk: Details of the repayment terms of the launch investment contracts are commercially confidential. However, no repayments have yet been made on the EH101 contract.
Higher Education: Admissions
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has for the future cap on the number of funded places for universities in England; and if he will make a statement. [19757]
Mr Willetts: The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) will receive its annual grant letter for 2011-12 by January 2011. It will set out the number of funded places for that year. Plans for the longer term will be set out in the Higher Education White Paper this winter.
Higher Education: Bexley
Mr Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what percentage of school leavers in the London borough of Bexley progressed to university within 12 months of leaving school in the last period for which figures are available. [19533]
Mr Willetts: It is estimated 56% of students from Bexley local authority who were aged 17, studying two or more A levels at English schools in 2005/06, progressed to Higher Education in 2006/07.
This figure is taken from matched data from the National Pupil Database, the Higher Education Statistics Agency Student Record and the Individualised Learner Record. The figure includes students who progress to HE level courses at English Further Education Colleges.
Higher Education: Finance
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of the administration of (a) the system of higher education funding and student finance proposed in the Browne Review and (b) the current system in 2011-12; and if he will make a statement. [19759]
Mr Willetts: The administration budgets for 2011-12 for both the Higher Education Funding Council for England and the Student Loans Company have not yet been set. We will consider the longer term costs in the context of the Government's response to Lord Browne's review. However, the outcome of the comprehensive spending review for the Department requires a reduction of around a third in the administration budgets of BIS's arm's length bodies over the CSR period.
Higher Education: Greater London
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) how many students normally resident in (a) London, (b) Lambeth and (c) Streatham constituency applied during academic year 2009-10 for university entry in (i) autumn 2010 and (ii) autumn 2011; [18552]
(2) how many students normally resident in (a) London, (b) Lambeth and (c) Streatham constituency who applied during academic year 2009-10 for university entry in autumn 2010 and autumn 2011 were not offered a place. [18553]
Mr Willetts: The information is in the following table.
The figures cover applicants applying during the 2010 application cycle, which runs from September 2009 to October 2010, to enter courses beginning in autumn 2010 or, on the basis of deferred entry, autumn 2011 (they do not include people applying during the 2011 application cycle).
| Applicants from London, Lambeth and Streatham applying to full-time undergraduate courses starting in autumn 2010 and autumn 2011 via the Universities and Colleges Admission Service (UCAS) | ||||
| Year of entry | ||||
| Data | Domicile/parliamentary constituency | 2010 | 2011 | Total |
| Notes: 1. The data presented are for the provisional end of year 2010 captured on 13 October 2010. Final data on entry for the 2010 cycle will be available from 20 January 2011. 2. "London" and "Lambeth" have been identified using the declared area of permanent residence (domicile). 3. "Streatham" has been identified using the home postcode. 4. Only applicants with at least one autumn 2010 or autumn 2011 choice (ie application) have been reported for that year of entry ie those with only choices starting in January have been excluded. Applicants may be reported in 2010 and 2011 if they had made both a current year and a deferred entry choice, which may result in some applicants being counted twice. 5. "Unplaced applicants" will include: individuals who do not receive any offer; individuals who receive an offer (conditional or unconditional) but decide not to go to university in either 2010 or 2011; and individuals who receive a conditional offer and fail to meet the specific conditions (eg they do not achieve certain grades). Source: UCAS | ||||
Internet
Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills which officials from his Department attended the fifth annual Internet Governance Forum meeting; and what the outcome was of discussions at that meeting. [18020]
Mr Vaizey: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 22 October 2010, Official Report, column 916W.
Members: Correspondence
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he plans to reply to the letter of 13 September 2010 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton on Ms D Burton. [19862]
Mr Davey: We regret that we could find no record of his correspondence. The right hon. Member kindly sent me the correspondence again, and I can confirm that the matters raised by his constituent are the responsibility of the Department for Education.
I understand that the right hon. Member has also sent his constituent's concerns to that Department and I can confirm that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education will respond.
Paternity Leave
Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the answer of 13 October 2010, Official Report, column 335W, on paternity leave, how many business owners employing fewer than 10 people were spoken to directly regarding the policy on additional paternity leave. [19786]
Mr Davey: A consultation on additional paternity leave was launched in September 2009 ahead of the introduction to Parliament of draft regulations introducing additional paternity leave. All business owners were given the opportunity to respond to the consultation.
Of the 111 responses received, 4.5% were from business owners with 0-9 employees.
Further details on the responses to the consultation can be found at
www.bis.gov.uk/assets/biscore/employment-matters/docs/10-567-additional-paternity-leave-response.pdf
Previous consultations took place in 2005, 2006 and 2008 on proposals to introduce additional paternity leave to which all business owners were invited to respond.
Postgraduate Education: Finance
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the potential effects of implementation of the Browne Review recommendations on funding for (a) the teaching of postgraduate study and (b) postgraduate student maintenance; and if he will make a statement. [19760]
Mr Willetts: The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) will receive its annual grant letter setting out its allocation of teaching grant and other funding lines for 2011-12 by January 2011. Lord Browne considered the student support regime for postgraduate students. However, he concluded that no changes were required as there was little evidence of a detrimental impact on access to postgraduate education. They will however continue to benefit from access to Professional and Career Development Loans.
Royal Mail
Guy Opperman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent representations he has received on the future ownership of the Royal Mail; and if he will make a statement. [19739]
Mr Davey: The Government have discussed developments in the postal market and Royal Mail's role in that market with a range of interested parties, including Royal Mail, the unions, other mail operators, Postcomm, Ofcom and Consumer Focus in recent months. We also asked Richard Hooper to update his independent report on the future of the universal service. Our policy on ownership was set out in the policy statement that we published alongside introduction of the Postal Services Bill on 13 October.
Copies of this statement "Delivering for the future-a universal mail service and community post offices in the digital age" were laid in the House Libraries and it can also be viewed on the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills website at:
Students: Fees and Charges
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether his Department has modelled the effects on the disposable income of new students aged over 30 years of increasing tuition fees to (a) £7,000, (b) £8,000, (c) £9,000, (d) £10,000, (e) £11,000 and (f) £12,000 per annum. [19762]
Mr Willetts: Income contingent student loan borrowers are not required to pay back their loan until the April after they finish their course. Repayments are based on 9% of income above the threshold of £15,000 per annum (or monthly/weekly equivalent). The following table provides examples of how much a borrower would expect to repay each month based on repayments of 9% of income over the current £15,000 threshold; and how much a borrower may expect to repay if the threshold was raised to £21,000, as proposed in the Browne review of higher education funding and student finance.
Repayments are linked directly to a borrower's income and not the size of the loan, hence the size of the loan does not affect the borrower's disposable income.
| £ | ||
| Monthly repayments | ||
| Annual income | £15,000 threshold (current) | £21,000 threshold (Browne proposal) |
Cabinet Office
Departmental Sick Leave
John Stevenson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many days on average were lost to sickness in organisations in the (a) private and (b) public sector in (i) 2008 and (ii) 2009. [19353]
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 question concerning how many days on average were lost to sickness in organisations in (a) the private and (b) the public sector in (i) 2008 and (ii) 2009. 019353.
Data concerning the number of days lost to sickness are not available from ONS surveys.
Jobseeker's Allowance
John Stevenson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people in (a) the UK, (b) Cumbria and (c) Carlisle constituency have been in receipt of jobseeker's allowance since January 2010. [17800]
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 Parliamentary Question asking how many people in (a) the UK, (b) the county of Cumbria and (c) Carlisle constituency have been in receipt of jobseeker's allowance since January 2010. (017800)
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles the number of claimants of Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) from the Jobcentre Plus administrative system.
Table 1 shows the number of persons resident in (a) the UK, (b) the county of Cumbria and, (c) Carlisle constituency who were in receipt of JSA in each month since January 2010. The data have been provided from January 2010 to the latest available period up to September 2010.
National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
| Table 1. Number of persons claiming jobseeker's allowance residing in the UK, the county of Cumbria and Carlisle constituency | |||
| 2010 | UK | Cumbria | Carlisle |
| Source: Jobcentre Plus administrative system. | |||
Personnel
Graham Evans: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what plans the Government has to reduce its costs by sharing human resource services between departments and agencies. [19575]
Mr Maude: The Government are committed to reducing the cost of human resource services by implementing new shared arrangements for the delivery of core functions, including learning and development, HR policy development and e-resourcing, across Departments and agencies from the next financial year.
Public Bodies: Procurement
Dr Pugh: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what plans he has to reduce the cost to public bodies of the procurement process. [18501]
Mr Maude: To reduce the cost of the procurement process to public bodies we are centralising the procurement of common goods and services across government, using our combined purchasing power to get the best value for every pound we spend.
We will be acting on the recommendations made by Sir Philip Green, and have begun work to streamline and accelerate the procurement process, to reduce costs to departments and suppliers and therefore secure the efficient delivery of future contracts.
To reduce the costs to the public purse of current contracts we have implemented a programme of structured negotiations with the major suppliers to Government to identify immediate and sustainable cost reductions.
Deputy Prime Minister
Elections: Expenditure
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what recent estimate he has made of the costs of holding elections to the House of Commons under (a) first-past-the-post and (b) proportional representation systems. [19408]
Mr Harper: Based on the information set out in the Parliamentary Elections (Returning Officers' Charges) Order 2010 the estimated cost of holding a stand-alone UK parliamentary election in Great Britain under the first past the post system is £89.6 million.
The Government have not made any estimate of the cost of conducting elections to the House of Commons under a proportional representation system.
Energy and Climate Change
Departmental Disciplinary Proceedings
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 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 his Department's inception. [18794]
Gregory Barker: We are unable to provide information requested about dismissals as totals of five or less are suppressed on the grounds of confidentiality under section 40 of the Data Protection Act. However staff may be dismissed for poor performance, poor attendance, gross misconduct or repeated misconduct
We are unable to provide the other information requested as responsibility for commencing capability and minor disciplinary procedures rests with line management across the Department. No records have been collated centrally regarding how many procedures are initiated in the Department since its inception in October 2008.
Health
Tobacco: Sales
Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues on the implementation of the provisions in the Health Act 2009 in respect of the (a) prohibition of sales of tobacco products from vending machines and (b) prohibition of point of sale tobacco displays; and if he will make a statement. [19817]
Anne Milton: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State regularly meets with his entire ministerial team and colleagues across government to discuss a range of matters, including those relating to public health.
Autism: Children
Mr Nuttall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to reduce the average age at which autism in children is diagnosed. [19253]
Paul Burstow: The Department has commissioned specific training from the Royal College of Psychiatrists and the British Psychological Society on the recognition, diagnosis and health needs of people with autism presenting to mental health services. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence is currently developing a clinical guideline on autism spectrum disorders in children and young people. This will be based on a thorough assessment of the available evidence.
Carers: Learning Disabilities
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps he plans to take to assist (a) elderly carers and (b) other people with learning disabilities; [19285]
(2) what mechanisms his Department has in place to assist carers who wish to make contingency plans for circumstances in which they predecease the person for whom they are caring; [19286]
(3) what assistance his Department provides for carers of people with learning disabilities who are from black and minority ethnic communities. [19287]
Paul Burstow: The coalition Government continue to support the aims of the Valuing People Now programme, originally published in January 2009. This sets out the cross Government commitment to help people with learning disabilities have control over their lives and the care they receive. The three top priorities continue to be health, housing and employment.
The Department is also currently updating the Carers Strategy. The revised strategy will outline ways in which all carers, including older carers and those from ethnic minority communities, can be supported in their caring role. Carers often feel more comfortable seeking advice and support from a voluntary sector and the Department funds a number of voluntary organisations who offer support to older carers and carers from ethnic minority communities.
There are a number of voluntary sector organisations who support families to make contingency arrangements for the ongoing care of someone after the death of their carer. For example, MENCAP offer advice about wills
and setting up trusts. They also support local voluntary organisations, enabling them to provide advice to families within their local communities.
Clinical Wastes: Recycling
Tristram Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the potential to increase the proportion of medically related waste that is recycled. [19577]
Mr Simon Burns: The Department collects data on national health service related waste disposal and recycling rates through the Estates Returns Information Collection system. Data analysis shows a significant increase in recycling from 11% in 2008-09 to 18% for 2009-10, with a corresponding reduction in waste disposal as follows:
| Waste disposal route | Percentage reduction from 2008-09 to 2009-10 |
The Department provides guidance on the management of waste in 'Health Technical Memorandum: 07-01 Safe management of healthcare waste', which has already been placed in the Library.
The Government will incentivise waste producers to reduce their waste through a number of measures including the landfill tax and legislation covering the polluter pays principle, which will give waste producers greater responsibility for waste production and their choice to use sustainable waste management options. The White Paper, 'Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS', empowers providers, giving them more autonomy and, in return, making them more accountable for the results they achieve to the public at local level.
Health Services: Young People
Mr Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will review the process used to classify as children or adults 15 and 16-year-olds who are receiving continuous health treatment for an ongoing condition. [19589]
Anne Milton: The national health service manages transitions for children with long-term conditions from child to adult services flexibly, starting at an age suitable for each child, taking account of individual circumstances and the need to ensure there is a period over which the transition can be successfully managed. If need be the transitional period may continue into the early twenties.
The Framework for Children and Young People's Continuing Care contains guidance on conducting an assessment of continuing care needs for those under the age of 18. It defines continuing care as
"a continuing care package will be required when a child or young person has needs arising from disability, accident, or illness that cannot be met by existing universal or specialist services alone."
It also contains guidance on managing the transition from child to adult services, and makes clear that children's continuing care teams should identify those young people for whom it is likely that adult NHS continuing health care will be necessary and notify the relevant primary care trust (PCT) who will hold adult responsibility for
them. Such young people should be identified when they reach the age of 14. This should be followed by a formal referral for screening at age 16 to the adult continuing health care team at the relevant PCT.
Hospitals: Food
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department spent on NHS hospital food in each of the last three years (a) in total and (b) per patient per meal. [19774]
Mr Simon Burns: The information is not available in the format requested. However, data provided to the Department show the gross cost of patient food services and the average cost of feeding one patient per day. Information for the last three years is shown in the following table:
| £ | ||
| Gross cost of patient food services | Average cost of feeding one patient per day | |
For 2007-08 the data supply relating to patient food services was voluntary. From 2008-09, the data supply became mandatory for all national health service organisations with the exception of NHS foundation trusts. The information has been supplied by the NHS and has not been amended centrally. The accuracy and completeness of the information is the responsibility of the provider organisation.
Medical Treatments
David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many stenting procedures in the (a) iliac arteries, (b) femoral arteries and (c) arteries below the knee have taken place in each NHS trust in the latest year for which figures are available; [19358]
(2) how many percutaenous transluminal angioplasty procedures of the (a) iliac arteries, (b) femoral arteries and (c) arteries below the knee have taken place in each NHS trust in the latest year for which figures are available; [19359]
(3) how many renal stenting procedures have taken place in each NHS trust in the latest year for which figures are available; [19360]
(4) how many carotid stenting procedures have taken place in each NHS trust in the latest year for which figures are available. [19361]
Mr Simon Burns: The data have been placed in the Library due to the length of the response. Reference should be made to the footnotes and clinical codes section when interpreting the data.
Monitor
Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the oral statement of 14 October 2010, Official Report, columns 505-6, on public bodies reform, what the functions of Monitor are; which additional functions it will assume when it becomes an economic regulator; and from which bodies these functions will be transferred. [19239]
Mr Simon Burns: Monitor's function as independent regulator of NHS foundation trusts (FTs) is set out in the National Health Service Act 2006. The Government have set out their proposal in the consultation document; "Liberating the NHS: Regulating Healthcare providers (July 2010)" which is to develop Monitor into an economic regulator for health and adult social care.
Subject to legislation, Monitor's role would change significantly and consequently, Monitor would not retain all of its existing powers as the regulator of FTs, but would extend its role in relation to providers more generally.
Monitor's overarching duty would be to protect the interests of patients and the public in the provision of health and adult social care services, by promoting competition where appropriate, and through regulation where necessary, including price regulation.
Monitor would be required to take a consistent approach to licensing and regulation of all providers.
NHS: Leasing
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the amount spent by the NHS on renting equipment in each of the last three years. [19775]
Mr Simon Burns: The information requested, for 2007-08 and 2008-09, is in the following table.
| Amounts charged to expenditure in respect of the hire of plant and machinery | ||
| £000 | ||
| 2008-09 | 2007-08 | |
| Source: NHS (England) Summarised Account 2008-09 and 2007-08 | ||
Figures for plant and machinery were not disclosed separately in the 2009-10 NHS Summarised Accounts following the implementation of International Financial Reporting Standards.
Social Services: Learning Disability
Mr Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to ensure that the social care budget is adequate to meet the needs of adults with a learning disability; and if he will make a statement. [19309]
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for the future of the Learning Disabilities Development Fund after March 2011. [19284]
Paul Burstow: The Learning Disabilities Development Fund forms part of the personal social services grant, which is currently allocated from the Department to local authorities. The personal social services grant will increase by £1 billion in real terms by 2014-15. However, to reduce the administration burdens and increase flexibility for local authorities, after March 2011 this grant will be rolled into local government formula grant.
The coalition Government have allocated an additional £2 billion by 2014-15 to support the delivery of social care. This means, with a realistic programme of efficiency, that there is sufficient funding available both to protect people's access to services, meet demographic pressures and deliver new approaches to improve quality and outcomes. We expect that this will benefit all users of social care services, including people with learning disabilities.
Home Department
Criminal Records Bureau
Simon Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average time taken for a Criminal Records Bureau check was in (a) each of the last five years and (b) each of the last three months in 2009. [19115]
Lynne Featherstone: Please find following table detailing the average waiting time in days for both Standard and Enhanced Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) Checks in the financial years 2007-08, 2008-09 and 2009-10 and for the months of October, November and December 2009.
Data are not held in relation to the financial years 2005-06 and 2006-07.
| D ays | ||
| Financial year/month | Standard disclosures average turnaround | Enhanced disclosures average turnaround |
The length of time a CRB check can take to process can include "time out with customer". This occurs when the CRB has to contact the Registered Body for additional information about the applicant, when the application form has not been completed correctly or where the police require additional clarification about the applicant's identity. The CRB cannot continue to process the application until the Registered Body provides this information; or the applicant resolves any question of identity to the satisfaction of the police force.
There are a number of other factors that can affect the timely completion of CRB checks, including but not restricted to the length of time it can take for an employer to deal with the initial application; the accurate completion of the application form; the clarity of the information provided; the existence of conviction or non-conviction information; any ongoing or outstanding criminal investigations or proceedings; where more than one force holds relevant information and the operational effectiveness of the Disclosure Units of the police forces involved in the CRB checking process.
The CRB have been working with police forces through joint operational performance reviews, to address the problems associated with delays and the impact that exceptional demand for CRB checks can have on police forces. The CRB has set up improvement plans with those forces that have been having problems meeting the demand for certificates.
This is aimed at maintaining a steady output of applications on the system while also reducing the number of outstanding cases that have been with police forces for more than 25 days.
Freedom Bill
Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what timetable she has set for bringing forward her proposals for a Freedom Bill; and if she will make a statement. [19217]
James Brokenshire [holding answer 26 October 2010]: As announced in the Queen's speech, the Government will bring forward a Freedom Bill in the current parliamentary session.
Immigration: Detention Centres
Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) children and (b) families have been held in (i) immigration detention, (ii) short-term holding units and (iii) mother-and-baby units in prisons in each month of 2010 to date. [19110]
Damian Green [holding answer 26 October 2010]: Local management information shows children and families entering detention held solely under Immigration Act Powers (excluding Harwich), January to June 2010(1,2,3,4,5), as follows:
| UK Border Agency removal centres | UK Border Agency short-term holding facilities( 6) | HM Prison mother and baby units | ||||
| 2010 | Children | Families | Children | Families | Children | Families |
| Notes: 1. These figures are based on management information and are not subject to the detailed checks that apply for National Statistics. They are provisional and may be subject to change 2. Some detainees may be recorded more than once if, for example, the person has been detained on more than one separate occasion in the time period shown, such as a person who has left detention, but has subsequently been re-detained. 3. Figures rounded to the nearest five ('-' = 0, * = one or two) 4. Figures exclude persons recorded as entering Harwich short-term holding facility, police cells and those recorded as detained under both criminal and immigration powers and their dependants. 5. Figures will overstate if any applicants aged 18 or over claim to be younger. 6. Dover Harbour, Colnbrook Short Term, Pennine House | ||||||
Information on children detained solely under Immigration Act powers Q3 2010 will be available on 25 November in the Control of Immigration: Quarterly
Statistical Summary, United Kingdom, July to September 2010 on the Home Office's Research, Development and Statistics website at:
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
British Nationals Abroad: Prisoners
Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in respect of how many cases relating to (a) British prisoners and (b) political prisoners abroad his Department is involved. [18434]
Mr Jeremy Browne: Following are the latest detainee figures which show a snap shot of the British nationals in detention whom we have assisted, as of 31 March 2010. We do not hold a separate figure for political prisoners.
| Half-yearly detainee figures: 31 March 2010 | ||||
| Country | FCO post | Male | Female | Total |
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |