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27 Oct 2010 : Column 359W—continued
Education
Academies
Mr Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what mechanisms exist for parents to submit complaints about the operation of academy schools. [8981]
Mr Gibb: Academies are required by the independent school standards regulations to have a complaints procedure which must be available on request to parents. The procedure must provide for complaints to be managed within clear timescales. If initial informal consideration does not resolve the complaint, then the procedure must also include steps to escalate a complaint through both a formal written stage and, if necessary, a hearing before a panel that includes at least one member who is independent of the academy.
If the complaint cannot be resolved at school level the Young People's Learning Agency (YPLA) will be the next route of redress. The YPLA will review the evidence provided by the complainant and the academy to determine if the academy has followed its own complaints procedure or is in breach of a contractual or statutory obligation. If the academy has not followed its procedures or obligations it will be asked to do so to rectify any failings.
Mr Robin Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what timetable has been set for determining the status of academy building programmes listed by his Department as for discussion; and if he will make a statement. [10449]
Mr Gibb: On 6 August the Government confirmed the capital allocation for some of the academy building programmes listed as for discussion, and announced that the capital allocation for the remaining academies would be announced after the spending review. Tudor Grange Academy, Worcester, falls in to the first category and so the Government have confirmed that the capital allocation for this academy will go ahead.
Academies: Special Educational Needs
Pat Glass: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will review the provisions governing the ability of (a) local authorities and (b) the Special Educational Needs Tribunal to name an academy on a statement of special educational need in order to permit an academy to be named on such a statement. [7007]
Mr Gibb: The Academies Act 2010 brought in new provisions which mean that in future all state-funded schools will have the same obligations in relation to children with special educational needs, including requirements with regard to the naming of a school on a statement of special educational needs.
In practical terms, the new obligations on Academies are:
An obligation to inform parents that their child has SEN and the special educational provision (SEP) being made;
An unqualified obligation to admit a child to the school if the school is named in the statement; and
An obligation to appoint a person as SENCO who is a qualified teacher and that new SENCOs will have to undertake prescribed training.
This applies to any new Academy and any existing Academy which moves to the new Funding Agreement, the contract between the Secretary of State and the Academy which regulates how an Academy operates. As a result, local authorities can now name an Academy on a statement of special educational needs in the same way as they can name a maintained school on a statement.
Parents, either for or against the naming of an Academy in the child's SEN statement, have always had the same rights of access to the First-tier Tribunal (Special Educational Needs and Disability). The First-tier Tribunal can determine that an Academy should be named on a statement of special educational needs.
Building Schools for the Future Programme
James Wharton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what estimate he has made of the average cost to the public purse of refurbishing or rebuilding a school under the Building Schools for the Future scheme; [11796]
(2) what estimate he has made of the average cost of refurbishing or rebuilding a school in the five years prior to the commencement of the Building Schools for the Future scheme. [11816]
Mr Gibb: The average cost to the public purse of a refurbishment school under the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) scheme is £3.9 million. The average cost to the public purse of a new build school under the BSF scheme is £22 million. From a small sample of local authorities in Waves 5 and 6, the average cost to a local authority for its BSF scheme during pre-procurement was £1.6 million.
The Department for Education does not hold information on the average cost of refurbishing a school in the five years prior to the commencement of the BSF scheme.
Connexions Service: Finance
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what information his Department holds on reductions in funding to (a) Brighton and Hove Connexions Service, (b) Connexions services nationally and (c) other frontline services within his Department's area of responsibility; and what assessment he has made of the effect of reductions in Connexions services on (i) the provision of careers support and guidance to young people, (ii) the number of young people not in education, employment or training and (iii) the number of young people accessing (A) substance misuse programmes, (B) teenage pregnancy and sexual health programmes and (C) reducing offending programmes. [14009]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 8 September 2010]: The Department for Education does not hold information on the funding of individual Connexions services funded by grant from the Department. It is for Brighton and Hove city council, and for councils in other areas, to decide the level of funding for Connexions and other services supporting young people, and where to make savings. While the Department's area based grant (ABG) to local authorities was reduced by £311 million as part of the local government contribution to deficit reduction in 2010-11, the reduction in ABG does not imply a direct cut to the services funded by the grant. The Government have made it clear that local authorities should have the maximum flexibility to make efficiency savings from all their funding sources, taking into account their statutory responsibilities and the need to protect front line services as much as possible. We do not expect that cuts should fall disproportionately on Connexions services over others.
Departmental Legislation
Eric Ollerenshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many statutory duties were placed on local authorities by legislation introduced by his Department and its predecessors in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [17020]
Sarah Teather: This information is not readily available and could be compiled only at disproportionate cost. The Government intend to reduce the level of central prescription, strengthen public accountability, trust local professionals and encourage new and diverse ways of providing services for children and families.
Departmental Photographs
Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much his Department has spent on official photographs of Ministers since the formation of the present administration. [6437]
Tim Loughton: The Department has spent £2,300 on official photographs of its Ministers. This is comparable with the previous Administration's costs, which were £2,038-27 February 2008, Official Report, column 1685W.
Departmental Public Relations
Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the monetary value was of (a) public opinion research and (b) public relations contracts awarded by his Department in each of the last five years in each region. [12440]
Tim Loughton: The Department has spent a total of £579,263 on public opinion research since 2006, which is outlined in table A. The figures cannot be broken down into regions without incurring disproportionate cost.
| Table A | |
| Total spend (£) | |
Public relations agencies are employed for specific communications tasks, most commonly working alongside our press office to provide campaign support in local, regional and specialist media. The Department's total expenditure on public relations since 2007 is outlined in table B. Figures cannot be provided for previous years or broken down into regions without incurring disproportionate cost.
| Table B | |
| Total spend (£) | |
Departmental Secondment
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many staff his Department has appointed on secondment since 7 May 2010; and from what organisation each such member of staff has been seconded. [16269]
Tim Loughton: There have been no inward secondments into the Department since 7 May 2010.
Further Education: Doncaster
Edward Miliband: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will ensure the provision of funding to rebuild Campsmount Technology College in Doncaster North constituency. [8672]
Mr Gibb: The independent capital review team is working with building companies on a pilot proposal to rebuild Campsmount Technology College in Doncaster. There is a good prospect that the new school could be built ahead of the original schedule and with significant cost savings.
Schools: Capital Investment
Mr Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what capital spending allocations he plans to make for (a) new academy schools and (b) maintained schools in each of the next three years. [9548]
Mr Gibb: The Department has commissioned a review of all of its capital expenditure to inform decisions about future capital investment. This will include capital investment in new academies and maintained schools.
All funding after this financial year is subject to the outcomes of the comprehensive spending review. The review team will provide an interim report in the autumn and a final report by the end of the year that will guide future spending decisions over the next spending review period (2011-12 to 2014-15).
Special Educational Needs
Mr Robin Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will ensure that his Department's review of the funding formula addresses provision for special needs children. [11321]
Mr Gibb: Any review will address funding for the education of children with special needs.
Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent assessment he has made of the efficiency of the Special Educational Needs Tribunal Service. [19417]
Mr Djanogly: I have been asked to reply.
In November 2008 the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal (SENDIST) was transferred to the Health, Education and Social Care Chamber of the First-tier Tribunal under the authority of the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007. The Tribunal has jurisdiction in England only. The Tribunals Service regularly reviews the processes of the Tribunal and its rules of procedure in consultation with stakeholders and user groups, including parental representative bodies. Tribunals Service officials are in regular contact with officials at the Department for Education.
The Tribunals Service Framework Document requires the agency to report the First-tier Tribunal' Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal's performance in its Annual Report and Accounts, copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House and on the Tribunals Service website:
The Tribunal aims for 75% of hearings to take place within 22 weeks of registration of the appeal. In 2009/10 the percentage of cases disposed of within 22 weeks of receipt was 82%. The Tribunals Service has also published detailed official annual statistics for the operational year 2009-10 and, most recently, for the first quarter of 2010-11. The performance has risen to 83% for this first quarter.
Taxis
Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much his Department and its predecessors spent on taxi fares in each year since 1997. [12992]
Tim Loughton: The Department for Education was established under the machinery of government on 12 May 2010. Therefore the response covers its predecessors the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF), which was established on 28 June 2007, and the Department for Education and Skills (DFES), which was established on 8 June 2001. To provide the information that has been requested would incur disproportionate cost.
Teachers and Classroom Assistants: Manpower
Ed Balls: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many (a) teachers and (b) teaching assistants there were in maintained schools in (i) England and (ii) each local authority area in each year since 1997. [15624]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 16 September 2010]: The information requested for full-time equivalent teachers and teaching assistants in 1997, 2001 to 2009 is published in tables 19 and 26 of the Statistical First Release (SFR) 'School Workforce in England (including local authority level figures) January 2009 (Revised)' published on 29 September 2009. The SFR is available at the following web link:
The equivalent information requested for 1998 to 2000 is published in tables 18 and 24 of the Statistical First Release (SFR) 'School workforce in England (including pupil:teacher ratios and pupil:adult ratios) January 2007 (Revised)' published on 27 September 2007. The SFR is available at the following web link:
Teachers and Classroom Assistants: Pay
Ed Balls: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of employing (a) teachers and (b) teaching assistants in (i) England and (ii) each local authority area in 2010-11. [15622]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 16 September 2010]: The available information on how much has been spent on employing teachers and teaching assistants is shown in the following table. The Department is currently collecting and validating the section 251 outturn data relating to the 2009-10 financial year.
Defence
Strategic Defence and Security Review
Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether there will be changes to the surface warship refurbishment workstream for Rosyth dockyard following the outcome of the Strategic Defence and Security Review. [19670]
Peter Luff [holding answer 26 October 2010]: As has been the practice since the formation of the Surface Ship Support Alliance (SSSA), discussions have been continuous between members of the SSSA (the Department, Babcock Marine and BAE Systems Surface Ships) about the best allocation of the forward programme of upkeep periods for the Royal Navy surface warships. Following the Strategic Defence and Security Review, it is too early to say what changes might be required to the programme at Rosyth and elsewhere in the SSSA.
Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what contribution his Department has made to the financing of the Afghan (a) army and (b) police force in the latest period in which figures are available. [19402]
Dr Fox: In 2009-10, the United Kingdom provided financing through the tri-departmental conflict pool of £8.8 million for the Afghan national police and £0.5 million for the Afghan national army.
Over the same period, the United Kingdom also made significant contributions to Afghan army and police development through the embedded partnering of British and Afghan forces, our contribution to the NATO training mission-Afghanistan and EUPOL missions, and other targeted assistance linked to operations funded through the Treasury reserve.
Air Force: Training
Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he plans to take to improve simulated training in the Royal Air Force. [19559]
Nick Harvey: The Royal Air Force's (RAF) use of simulators already forms a key element through the full spectrum of training provided to RAF personnel from basic training onwards. The use of simulators offers cost-effective and practical training for a wide range of appropriate and relevant skills and the RAF is working closely with the Ministry of Defence, allies and industry to maximise the benefits available from this approach. In particular, the RAF is currently developing two major simulator-based projects. The first links realistic simulation environments for training fast jet pilots, ISTAR (Intelligence Surveillance Targeting, Acquisition and Reconnaissance) and aviation specialisations. This is planned to enter service with the RAF in 2013. The second aims to deliver an enhanced training capability in support of the RAF's air transport capability, including the C130J and A400M aircraft. This project is also planned to be in use by 2013. However, it needs to be recognised that a significant irreducible element of live flying training by the RAF will be required to maintain the safe operation of front-line aircraft for the foreseeable future.
Armed Forces: Germany
Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what estimate he has made of the cost to his Department of the draw-down of troops from Germany; [19567]
(2) what procedure he plans to use to effect the draw-down of troops from Germany; [19568]
(3) what his timetable is for the draw-down of troops from Germany; [19569]
(4) where he expects armed forces personnel drawn-down from Germany to be based upon return to the UK. [19570]
Nick Harvey: As the Prime Minister announced in the House of Commons on 19 October 2010, Official Report, column 797, as part of the Strategic Defence and Security Review, the Government have decided to accelerate the re-basing of 20,000 military personnel in Germany with a view to returning half of those personnel to the UK by 2015 and the remainder by 2020.
More detailed work will now be undertaken to identify precisely how this will be implemented. It is therefore too early to say what the financial impact will be or specifically where returning personnel will be based.
Armed Forces: North East
Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people from the North East are serving in the armed forces. [19363]
Peter Luff: The information is not available in the format requested. However, as at 1 July 2010 there were 1,440 service personnel stationed in the region covered by the Government office north-east. The figure quoted includes the region's total for Darlington, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland, Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham, Northumberland and Tyne and Wear.
Army
Mr Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what procedure he intends to use to determine which two of the 10 regional brigade headquarters will be closed; [19379]
(2) what estimate he has made of the cost to his Department arising from the closure of two of the 10 regional brigade headquarters; [19380]
(3) what savings he expects to accrue to his Department from the closure of two of the 10 regional brigade headquarters in the next 12 months; [19381]
(4) what assessment he has made of the potential saving to the public purse of the reduction in the Army's non-deployable regional administrative structure; [19438]
(5) by what means his Department plans to reduce the non-deployable regional administrative structure of the Army; [19439]
(6) what estimate he has made of the cost of replacing the four regional division headquarters with one UK support command; [19440]
(7) what estimate he has made of the potential savings to the public purse consequent on replacing the four regional division headquarters with one UK support command. [19441]
Nick Harvey: As stated in the White Paper on the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR), the Army will significantly reduce its non-deployable administration structure in order to enhance its focus on front-line capabilities. The current four regional divisional headquarters will be replaced with a single UK Support Command and at least two regional brigade headquarters will close. This will generate savings in personnel and estate costs. It is too early to provide detailed estimates.
A project team was established in June 2010 to examine and rationalise the Army's non-deployable regional administrative structure after the publication of the SDSR. This team will continue the detailed work of identifying the most cost-effective way of achieving this transformation.
Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what his Department's most recent estimate is of the likely time period for which each of the Army's five multi-role brigades will be kept in a state of high-readiness at any one time; [19434]
(2) what his most recent estimate is of the cost of (a) training and (b) configuring the Army's five multi-role brigades. [19435]
Nick Harvey: The Army's five new multi-role brigades will consist of 6,500 personnel and provide a wide range of capabilities, allowing them to operate effectively across the variety of possible conflicts that could arise over the next decades. It is likely that one multi-role brigade will be kept at readiness for a period of six months on rotation.
It is too early to assess the likely cost of training and configuring the multi-role brigades.
Army: Manpower
Angus Robertson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) required and (b) actual training strength is of the (i) 4th Battalion of the Royal Scottish Regiment, (ii) 5th Battalion of the Royal Scottish Regiment, (iii) 5th Battalion of the Rifles, (iv) 21 Engineer Regiment, (v) 28 Engineer Regiment, (vi) 32 Engineer Regiment,
(vii) 35 Engineer Regiment, (viii) Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, (ix) Queen's Royal Hussars, (x) the Queen's Dragoon Guards and (xi) 9th/12th Royal Lancers. [19446]
Nick Harvey: The most recently available figures for each unit are in the following table.
| Required strength | Actual strength | |
The figures represent the peacetime establishments of the units concerned, and include full-time personnel only. As a result of differences in the method of calculation, the totals for the four Engineer Regiments include personnel from other arms and services who are on the units' establishment, while the figures for the other units include only personnel of the Infantry or Royal Armoured Corps as appropriate.
Astute Class Submarines
Mr Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost is of the seventh Astute-class submarine. [19382]
Peter Luff: On 19 October 2010, the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) (Cm7948) confirmed the Department's intention to purchase the seventh Astute class submarine. It also stated that the Department will work with British industry to improve efficiency and optimise its capacity to build and support submarines.
The outcome of this work will inform the procurement costs and in-service dates for the Astute class submarines, including boat 7. It will not be possible to confirm this information until it has been approved through the Department's and HM Treasury's formal investment approvals processes.
Atomic Weapons Establishment: Fire Regulations
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what investigation his Department has undertaken into the fire protection procedures at Atomic Weapons Establishment Aldermaston following the fire in August 2010. [19606]
Peter Luff [holding answer 26 October 2010]: The Defence Fire Risk Management Organisation has undertaken two investigations into the Atomic Weapons Establishment's fire protection procedures as a result of the fire that occurred on 3 August. One investigation focused on the cause of the fire and the other focused on the fire and rescue services' operational response.
Ballistic Missile Defence
Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) whether he has had discussions with his Russian counterpart on NATO's proposed anti-ballistic missile shield; [18529]
(2) what representations he has received on the participation of the Russian government in NATO's proposed anti-ballistic missile shield. [18530]
Mr Gerald Howarth: No such discussions have taken place, nor representations received.
Chelsea Barracks: Property Transfer
Jason McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) whether the remaining £159 million balance from the sale of Chelsea Barracks will be allocated to his Department; [17907]
(2) what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the allocation of the remaining balance from the sale of Chelsea Barracks for expenditure on armed forces' accommodation; [17908]
(3) with reference to the answers of 6 February 2008, Official Report, column 1148W, on Chelsea Barracks: sales, and 29 January 2008, Official Report, House of Lords, WA100, on Army: Chelsea Barracks, when it was decided that the allocation of the final payment from the proceeds of the sale of Chelsea Barracks would be subject to negotiation with HM Treasury. [17909]
Peter Luff: The spending review, published on 20 October 2010, sets out the Department's capital budget for the next four years. This takes account of the position set out in the comprehensive spending review 2007 regarding the disposal of Chelsea Barracks.
Claro Barracks Ripon
Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for (a) the maintenance of and (b) expenditure on (i) facilities and (ii) housing at Claro Barracks, Ripon in each of the next three years. [15831]
Mr Robathan: Expenditure on maintenance over the next three years is currently anticipated at around £1.5 million per year.
Housing at Claro Barracks is not currently within the upgrade programme but this remains under review.
The MOD is currently undertaking a Strategic Defence and Security Review. The rationalisation and development of future estates and the management of defence infrastructure is included within it. The outcome will be announced in due course.
Defence: Procurement
Mr Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he next plans to review arrangements for defence procurement; and if he will make a statement. [19196]
Peter Luff:
Reform of the Ministry of Defence's procurement processes remains an essential and ongoing programme of activity within the Department. This is being taken forward by the Defence Acquisition Reform Programme (DARP) team. I welcome the recent National
Audit Office Major Projects Report which recognised the Department's improved project management performance.
In August 2010 my right hon. Friend the Defence Secretary launched the Defence Reform Unit under the leadership of Lord Levene. One of the areas the Review is looking at is that of acquisition reform, working with the DARP team. Lord Levene will look to work closely on this with the next Chief of Defence Materiel, once they are appointed. The Review aims to report in July 2011.
Defence: Training
Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the future of defence training in the UK. [19414]
Nick Harvey [holding answer 25 October 2010]: The Government are committed to ensuring our armed forces are given the high quality training they require whatever their role.
Regarding defence technical training specifically, the Ministry of Defence worked tirelessly to deliver the Defence Training Rationalisation project but it became clear that Metrix could not deliver an affordable, commercially robust proposal within the prescribed period and it was therefore necessary to terminate the procurement and Metrix's appointment as preferred bidder.
For good reasons, St Athan was previously chosen as the best location on which to situate a defence technical college and it remains an option for the location of future defence technical training.
Work will begin as soon as possible to determine the optimal approach to meeting our technical training requirement and where it is to be located. As an interim measure, training will continue to be delivered at current locations.
Departmental Official Cars
Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 27 July 2010, Official Report, column 1053W, on departmental official cars, how many cars constitute his Department's car pool; and if he will make a statement. [19177]
Mr Robathan [holding answer 25 October 2010]: There are approximately 22 vehicles which form the car pool available to Ministers and senior personnel in Main Building, London.
The Ministry of Defence also has White Fleet vehicle contracts that could be used to meet vehicle requirements across various locations in the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland and British Forces Germany. Top Level Budgets have delegated authority to determine the number of pool cars held locally, subject to the constraint that it should be sufficient to provide for normal tasking needs only.
As was the case under previous Governments, all service personnel, civil servants and special advisers may use an official car or taxi in properly defined circumstances. Ministers and senior personnel employed in our headquarters have given up their cars with a dedicated driver and share pool cars instead.
Departmental Pay
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 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. [18726]
Peter Luff: The Department currently has over 500 pay-related allowances and payments in addition to salary available to civilian staff, the majority of which are listed on the People, Pay and Pensions Agency (PPPA) website:
http://www.pppaservices.qinetiq-tim.com/https@knowledge.chris.r.mil.uk/pppa/index@page=content&;id=us131&cat=pay_and _expenses&actp=list.htm
Travel and subsistence claims and transfer allowances are payable to civilian staff, in addition to salary. These are listed on the PPPA website:
http://www.pppaservices.qinetiq-tim.com/https@knowledge.chris.r.mil.uk/pppa/index@page=content&;id=pr200&cat=travel_and _subsistence&actp=list.htm
Information on the monetary value of each type of allowance and payment in each year since 1997 is not held in the format requested, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, information is available from July 2007, but will take a short while to compile. I will write to my hon. Friend with the information as soon as possible.
As the Strategic Defence and Security Review made clear, we intend to simplify the allowance structure, as part of an update of the current package of terms and conditions of service.
Energy Supply: International Cooperation
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the merits of designating energy security an Article 5 matter under the North Atlantic Treaty. [14476]
Mr Gerald Howarth: NATO's role in addressing the range of security challenges we face will be articulated in a new strategic concept, which is due to be endorsed at a summit meeting in Lisbon in November. However, article 5 of the North Atlantic treaty concerns an armed attack on one or more allies. Wider security challenges to the alliance, such as energy security, are more appropriately addressed under article 4 of the treaty:
"The Parties will consult together whenever, in the opinion of any of them, the territorial integrity, political independence or security of any of the Parties is threatened."
Such consultations would determine the appropriate response by the alliance.
European Fighter Aircraft
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Typhoons can be used for close air support; and what weapons those Typhoons can carry. [19447]
Peter Luff: Of the 66 strong Typhoon fleet, 23 aircraft are multi-role capable and can carry out close air support activity. The number of aircraft that can be used for close air support will grow as more Tranche 1 aircraft are upgraded to a multi-role capability. These multi-role aircraft can employ the following weapons: Paveway and Enhanced Paveway II Laser Guided Bombs, which are supported by Litening III Laser Designator Pods; and 1,000 lbs Freefall Bombs. An enhanced air-to-surface capability is expected to be integrated on Tranche 2 aircraft from 2012. Further weapon upgrades are also under consideration to enable Typhoon to employ a greater variety of air-to-surface munitions in future.
Ex-servicemen: Radiation Exposure
John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the likely cost to the public purse of the payment of a war pension to each eligible individual affected by ionising radiation arising from nuclear tests undertaken by his Department. [19373]
Mr Robathan: Some 21,000 UK personnel were involved in the nuclear test programme conducted between 1952 and 1958.
All former members of HM forces, including nuclear test veterans, suffering from a disablement caused by an illness or injury attributable to service in the armed forces before 6 April 2005, may apply for compensation in the form of a war pension.
At current war pension rates, the Ministry of Defence may pay a basic war pension worth up to £154.70 per week, depending on the degree of disablement. Additional supplementary benefits based on factors such as age, mobility and employability can increase this figure to over £525 per week. The scheme also makes provision for widows and widowers of personnel whose death is attributable to service. All cases for war pensions are considered on their specific service and medical facts and individuals may appeal to an independent tribunal. It is therefore not possible to estimate the cost of paying all nuclear test veterans a war pension.
MOD spends around £1 billion per year on war pensions. We do not collate separately figures for nuclear test veterans claiming war pensions.
Ex-servicemen: Unemployment
Mr Nuttall: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has made an estimate of the number of former members of the armed services of working age who are unemployed; and what steps his Department is taking to (a) provide support to and (b) assist with access to training for such former personnel to help them back into employment. [19291]
Peter Luff:
The Ministry of Defence is unable to estimate the number of former members of the armed forces of working age who are unemployed. However, all service personnel, regardless of time served, are entitled to some form of resettlement. Data to improve our understanding of the situation are being gathered in order to make our system of resettlement more personalised and sophisticated. This can range from advice on how to find employment, through to formal training activity to complement the transferable skills
they have acquired through service. All injured service personnel who are discharged will receive the full resettlement package, that in some cases can be deferred until they are well enough to undertake resettlement activity.
The most recent data available from the NAO show that resettlement outcomes remain impressive: over 90% of personnel who transition using the services of the Career Transition Partnership (a partnering arrangement between MOD and Right Management Limited, a leading specialist outplacement company) are in employment within six months of being discharged. Nevertheless, the MOD recognises that making the transition from the armed forces into civilian life can be daunting and we are doing more to enhance the resettlement package.
Prior to discharge, individual employment needs are identified from a mandatory interview with a trained service resettlement adviser who is able to signpost to a number of organisations and services ranging from the 'Flexible New Deal' programme available at Jobcentre Plus through to workshops and training delivered through the Career Transition Partnership. For those who have left, lifetime job finding support is available through the Officers' Association or the Regular Forces Employment Association. There are also various regimental associations, for example RAJA (Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineer (REME) Association Job Agency) that provide further help for former soldiers of certain regiments.
In addition, the MOD has been working closely with the Department for Work and Pensions and armed forces champions have been appointed that aim to ensure Jobcentre Plus staff are providing the correct advice and support, not only to families of our armed forces but also to former service personnel.
Military Aircraft: Guided Weapons
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which aircraft in the RAF can use the (a) Harpoon AGM-84D and (b) Sting Ray missile. [19445]
Peter Luff: No RAF aircraft have the capability to carry these weapon systems; indeed the Harpoon AGM-84D variant was withdrawn from service in 2004. However, the Royal Navy (RN) retains a variety of platforms capable of using both Sting Ray and Harpoon, or other weapons systems with a similar capability. In the anti-shipping role, RN Frigates are fitted with Harpoon, while Lynx helicopters carry the Sea Skua missile. Both RN Merlin and Lynx helicopters are capable of delivering the Sting Ray Torpedo.
Nuclear Fuels
Mr Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish an update on the quantities of (a) plutonium, (b) enriched uranium and (c) other special nuclear materials that are outside international safeguards. [19137]
Dr Fox: We have no plans to publish follow-up documents to the historical accounts of defence fissile material holdings. The Government are committed to transparency and openness about the defence nuclear programme when compatible with national security and the UK's international obligations under article 1 of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. We will keep under review the opportunities for greater openness on other special nuclear material holdings.
RAF Lossiemouth: Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft
Mr McCann: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reason Lossiemouth was selected as preferred base station for the proposed Joint Strike Fighter. [19241]
Nick Harvey: I refer the hon. Member to the oral statement given by the previous Administration on 17 November 2005, Official Report, column 1119. Work is now under way to consider the implications of decisions announced in the Strategic Defence and Security Review for UK military bases.
Royal Navy: Manpower
Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the likely effects on HMNB Clyde of the proposed reduction of Royal Navy staff by 5,000 by 2015. [19714]
Peter Luff [holding answer 26 October 2010]: The impact of the Strategic Defence and Security Review announcements on personnel numbers across all of the naval service's activities is currently being assessed. Reductions will be achieved through a combination of natural wastage and compulsory redundancy over the four-year planning round period. Initial numbers and profiles will be established over the next few months and refined in subsequent planning rounds. It is therefore too early to judge the effects on specific locations of the planned reductions in the number of Royal Navy personnel.
Type 26 Frigates
Mr Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the cost to his Department of the Type 26 Frigate programme. [19314]
Peter Luff: The cost to the Department of progressing the Type 26 programme, the Global Combat Ship, from the concept stage through to the completion of the four-year assessment stage is estimated to be approximately £170 million.
The cost of building the ships will be determined at the main investment decision point, anticipated to be by the middle of this decade.
Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the number of jobs dependent on the Type 26 Frigate programme. [19317]
Peter Luff: At the peak of the Type 26 (Global Combat Ship) four-year assessment phase, currently under way, it is anticipated that there will be approximately 300 people engaged on the programme on a full-time basis with further people employed on sub-contracts. It is too early to estimate the number of people that will be engaged on the programme following the completion of the assessment phase.
Warships
Mr Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what potential sites he has identified for Royal Navy ships kept in extended readiness. [19376]
Peter Luff: For reasons of security the work of placing warships into extended readiness and maintaining them in that state is only undertaken in the Royal Navy base ports of Her Majesty's Naval Base Portsmouth, Devonport and Clyde.
Mr Alan Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many full-time equivalent jobs he expects to be dependent on keeping Royal Navy ships in extended readiness in 2011-12; [19383]
(2) what estimate he has made of the average cost of keeping a Royal Navy ship in extended readiness for 12 months in the latest period for which figures are available; [19384]
(3) what procedures his Department uses to enable companies to bid for work involved in placing a Royal Navy ship into extended readiness. [19385]
(4) what estimate he has made of the average cost of placing a Royal Navy ship into extended readiness in the latest period for which figures are available; [19386]
(5) what the procedure is for a Royal Navy ship to be placed into extended readiness. [19387]
Peter Luff: The procedures for placing a Royal Navy warship into extended readiness vary depending on the length of time the platform is planned to be at this readiness level and the future plans for the vessel. The Surface Ship Support Alliance (SSSA) manages the work required to place warships in extended readiness through agreement between its members: the Ministry of Defence, Babcock Marine and BAE Systems Surface Ships.
The most recent warship to be placed in extended readiness was HMS Invincible. The work to prepare her for extended readiness took place during 2005-06 and cost £2.5 million. The cost of keeping her in extended readiness is estimated at approximately £52,000 a year. It is important to note that as HMS Invincible is an aircraft carrier at the end of her service life, these costs cannot be considered representative of the average cost of placing or keeping any other Royal Naval ship in extended readiness.
Following the Strategic Defence and Security Review announcement, further work is under way to identify the package of work required to ensure that ships placed in extended readiness in 2011-12 are maintained in the appropriate condition. It is not possible to say with any accuracy the level of manpower resource needed to support the Royal Navy ships in extended readiness until this is complete.
Treasury
Child Benefit: Gateshead
Ian Mearns: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many families in Gateshead constituency will be affected by the proposed changes to the administration of child benefit. [19364]
Mr Gauke: Information on household income for child benefit claimants is not available at parliamentary constituency level.
Child Benefit: Scotland
Gregg McClymont: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people in Scotland earning over £37,401 receive child benefit. [16323]
Mr Gauke: HMRC estimates that around 26,000 adults in Scotland have incomes over £37,401 and also received child benefit payments in 2009-10.
Departmental Sick Leave
Priti Patel: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many days his Department has lost to staff sickness in each year since 1997; and what estimate he made of the cost to his Department of sickness absence in each such year. [18765]
Justine Greening: The Cabinet Office has published annual sickness absence reports for the civil service (from 2003 to 2007), these can be viewed via:
Reliable data before 2002 are not available from HMT electronic systems.
HM Treasury days lost due to staff sickness from 2007 onwards are as follows:
| Days | |
Estimated costs of staff sickness are not recorded, therefore this information could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.
Priti Patel: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many officials in his Department have had (a) fewer than five days, (b) five to 10 days, (c) 10 to 15 days, (d) 15 to 20 days, (e) 20 to 25 days, (f) 25 to 50 days, (g) 50 to 75 days, (h) 75 to 100 days, (i) 100 to 150 days, (j) 150 to 200 days, (k) more than 200 days, (l) more than three months, (m) more than six months and (n) one year on paid sick leave (i) consecutively and (ii) in total in each year since 1997. [18796]
Justine Greening: Sick absence for HM Treasury is recorded and monitored on the electronic HR system. However it is not recorded in the format required for this PQ. Therefore the information requested could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.
However the Cabinet Office has published previous annual sickness absence reports for the Civil Service (2003-2007). These can be viewed at:
Departmental Stationery
Graham Evans: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much (a) his Department and (b) its agencies and non-departmental public bodies spent on stationery in each year since 1997. [7454]
Justine Greening: The information requested is shown in the following table:
| £000 | |||
| HM Treasury (HMT) | Debt Management Office (DMO) | Asset Protection Agency (APA) | |
Data for HM Treasury and DMO are not available prior to 2002-03 due to the introduction of a new accounting system in that year. APA was formed in December 2009.
Stationery spending by the Royal Mint Advisory Committee is not separately identifiable within the Royal Mint's accounting system and cannot be provided.
Economic Situation
Rehman Chishti: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his Department has (a) undertaken and (b) evaluated recent research on the social effects of increases in gross domestic product. [19257]
Justine Greening: The Treasury published an economic working paper 'Developments in the economics of well-being' in November 2008, which considered economic growth and well-being.
In the June 2010 Budget, the Government stated their commitment to developing broader indicators of well-being and sustainability. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) and the Cabinet Office are leading work on taking forward the recommendations of the 2009 Stiglitz, Sen and Fitoussi report on the measurement of economic performance and social progress. The ONS article, 'There's more to life than GDP but how can we measure it?', published in September 2010 identifies relevant outputs and initiatives that support this broader societal well-being agenda and areas for potential development.
DEFRA publishes cross-government sustainable development indicators annually, covering economic, social and environmental issues, and including well-being. The latest edition 'Measuring progress: sustainable development indicators 2010' was published in July 2010 at:
The Government continue to engage with the European Commission, Eurostat and other EU member states on developing broader indicators of well-being and sustainability, building on the Commission's communication 'GDP and Beyond-Measuring Progress in a Changing World, from August 2009' (see EM 12739/09).
EU Budget
Alun Cairns: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on the increased EU budget contributions agreed in the European Parliament on 20 October 2010. [19613]
Justine Greening [holding answer 26 October 2010]: I and other Government Ministers are working hard to make the case to our counterparts across the European Union for a freeze in the EU budget.
We have been absolutely clear that we cannot accept the 6% budget increase from 2010 levels, proposed by the Commission at the start of these negotiations. We also therefore oppose the European Parliament's suggested budget increase, which-while still representing a 6% increase overall-is higher still than the Commission's proposal. This is completely out of step with the very tough fiscal consolidation measures being taken not just in the UK, but also by Governments across the EU.
In Brussels on 14 October, I strongly urged MEPs not to support such an increase, and will continue to engage in this way.
Financial Markets
John Mann: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received on the Financial Services Authority and his Department's report on Reforming OTC derivative markets: A UK perspective, published in December 2009. [17854]
Mr Hoban: Treasury Ministers and officials receive representations from a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings and discussions.
Human Rights
Priti Patel: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he made of the cost to his Department and its non-departmental public bodies of compliance with (a) domestic, (b) European and (c) other international human rights requirements in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [18761]
Justine Greening: The information sought (on the estimated cost of complying with domestic, European and international human rights requirements) is not recorded in, or derivable from, the Department's records. The Department takes account of the domestic and relevant international human rights framework in developing all its policies and practices, as it does other relevant legal obligations. An accurate estimate of the total cost of compliance with human rights obligations could not be made without incurring disproportionate cost.
National Insurance
Robert Halfon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many active national insurance numbers HM Revenue and Customs recorded in the last 24 months. [19320]
Mr Gauke: HMRC's latest figures available show that it registered approximately 1.6 million new national insurance numbers (NINOs) on our systems between April 2008 and March 2009 and 1.4 million new NINOs between April 2009 and March 2010.
National insurance numbers are used for several purposes and it would be disproportionately expensive to identify how many of these national insurance accounts have been active in the past 24 months.
PAYE
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has made of the effect on other HMRC services of the recent miscalculations of tax liability under the PAYE system. [15451]
Mr Gauke: HMRC managed the issues that arose at PAYE Annual Coding 2010 by reprioritising work loads on a daily basis to keep the operational effects to a minimum. HMRC services other than PAYE were unaffected.
HMRC will continue to prioritise resources to support customers through the PAYE 2008-09 and 2009-10 end of year reconciliation exercise.
Poverty: Children
Stephen Timms: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his statement of 20 October 2010, Official Report, columns 949-63, on the comprehensive spending review, what estimate he has made, based on the model referred to in the statement, of the likely effect on the level of child poverty of implementation of the proposals in the spending review in each of the next four years. [19517]
Justine Greening: The spending review announced a package of reforms to reduce the deficit while supporting the most vulnerable. This included withdrawing child benefit from families with a higher rate taxpayer, and using some of savings to fund above-indexation increases in the child tax credit. As a result, the spending review will have no measurable impact on child poverty in the next two years.
The Prime Minister has asked the right hon. Member for Birkenhead (Mr Field) to conduct an independent review on poverty and life chances in the UK. This review will inform the Government's longer term child poverty strategy, which will be published in March.
Estimates of the impact of spending review measures on the number of children in relative poverty after 2012-13 are not available due to reservations over forecasting median household incomes (from which low-income poverty thresholds are calculated) further ahead.
Public Expenditure
Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what (a) growth and (b) inflation assumptions he based the estimates used in the comprehensive spending review; and if he will make a statement. [19678]
Justine Greening: The CSR estimates were prepared on the basis of growth and inflation forecasts produced by the OBR for the June Budget; these are included in Table C5: Determinants of the fiscal forecast of the Budget.
Ian Lucas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what conditions he plans to attach to the support provided to Augusta Westland civil rotocraft design and manufacture referred to in the spending review 2010. [19853]
Danny Alexander: In line with standard practice, the precise terms and conditions of such support will be commercially confidential.
Revenue and Customs: Manpower
Mr Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many tax inspectors HM Revenue and Customs employed in (a) 2008-09 and (b) 2009-10. [15916]
Mr Gauke: HMRC no longer uses the term tax inspector.
HMRC deployed approximately 32,000 staff at all grades in 2008-09 on a variety of compliance activities including risk assessment, addressing inaccurate returns and verifying repayment claims, debt collection and criminal investigations across all heads of duty. The equivalent figure for 2009-10 was some 31,000 staff.
Officers engaged in this work could cover everything from correcting relatively low value errors made by small businesses and individuals to significant risks among the largest corporates, as well as countering criminal attacks on the tax and duty systems.
Revenue and Customs: Pay
Mr Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent estimate he has made of the (a) average annual salary of a tax inspector and (b) average annual amount of unpaid tax recovered by a tax inspector. [15917]
Mr Gauke: HMRC no longer uses the term tax inspector. Details of HMRC's pay structure can be found:
Compliance officers at all grades are engaged in a wide range of activities, which may include risk assessment, recovery of underpaid tax, the prevention of further tax losses, debt collection and the deterrence of tax evasion through, for example criminal investigation.
For this reason, HMRC does not collect statistics on the average salary or average revenue collected by a compliance officer. HMRC's compliance intervention results were published in their 2009 autumn performance report, available at:
Senior Civil Servants : Redundancy
Priti Patel: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of making redundant an HM Revenue and Customs official in a Senior Civil Service grade. [18263]
Mr Gauke [holding answer 19 October 2010]: Estimates for the cost of redundancy depend on the individual(s) concerned and the terms of the Civil Service Compensation Scheme (CSCS), which is currently being reviewed with primary legislation also currently going through Parliament.
The latest update on this can be found at:
which includes a stylised example of the cost of making a very senior civil servant redundant under proposed new CSCS terms. The cost calculated would apply to a senior employee of HMRC who had the salary and length of service given in the example.
To date HMRC has not made any member of the senior civil service (SCS) compulsorily redundant, and will continue to do all that it can to avoid compulsory redundancies as far as practically possible.
Taxation
Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department has received in tax revenues from (a) tobacco and (b) alcohol sales in each of the last five years. [19768]
Justine Greening: Total duties received in each of the past five years are summarised in the following table:
| Total duties on tobacco and alcohol | |||||
| £ million | |||||
| 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | |
HMRC does not collect VAT data on specific products. Receipts figures from alcohol and tobacco duties are published monthly by HMRC in the alcohol and tobacco duty bulletins, available at:
https://www.uktradeinfo.com/index.cfm?task=bulletins&;hasFlashPlaver=true
Taxation: Construction
Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his most recent estimate is of the average time taken by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to issue a unique taxpayer reference number; what steps HMRC is taking to reduce that time; and if he will make a statement. [19621]
Mr Gauke: In September HMRC published a revised turnaround time of eight weeks for the issue of a Unique Tax Payer Reference (UTR). This timing represents the turnaround from the customer posting the application until processing has been completed and the customer receives the appropriate output. It is currently taking up to nine weeks for a UTR to be issued and plans are in place to reduce this to six weeks by the end of the year.
Detailed analysis of the full end-to-end process involving agents and other interested parties is currently under way to identify potential improvements with the aim of delivering a more streamlined and more efficient process in the future.
Third Sector: Finance
Greg Mulholland: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with the Minister for Civil Society on the likely effects of the outcome of the spending review on funding for voluntary and community organisations. [19260]
Justine Greening:
Ministers from Cabinet Office and HM Treasury are in regular contact and have discussed the potential impact of the spending review on the
sector. This includes ways of helping voluntary and community organisations transition to a tighter funding environment and future opportunities presented by increased public service delivery.
At spending review, a £100 million transitional fund was announced to further support those in this sector in their work providing front-line public services.
VAT
Chris Evans: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his most recent assessment is of the potential effect on retail prices of implementation of the change in the rate of VAT to 20 per cent. [17597]
Mr Gauke: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), who has been asked to reply.
Working Tax Credit: Scotland
Miss Begg: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) whether he has made a recent estimate of the number of households in (a) Aberdeen South constituency, (b) Aberdeen local authority and (c) Scotland which will be affected by the freezing of the (i) basic and (ii) 30-hour element of working tax credit; [19452]
(2) whether he has made a recent estimate of the number of households in (a) Aberdeen South constituency, (b) Aberdeen local authority and (c) Scotland which will be affected by the proposed reduction of the percentage of child care costs which parents may claim through the child care element of the working tax credit; [19453]
(3) whether he has made an estimate of the number of households in (a) Aberdeen South constituency, (b) Aberdeen local authority and (c) Scotland which will be affected by proposed implementation of the changes to the eligibility rules for working tax credits. [19454]
Mr Gauke: The Government have frozen the basic and 30 hour elements of working tax credit, reduced the proportion of child care costs that can be claimed from 80% to 70%, and changed the working hours rule so that couples with children have to work 24 hours between them to be eligible for working tax credit. To ensure support is better targeted at low income families with children, some of the savings from these measures have been recycled into increases to the child tax credit in 2011-12 and 2012-13 such that there is no measurable negative impact on child poverty.
All families who are entitled to tax credits will be affected by this package.
The latest information on the number of households benefiting from tax credits, by each parliamentary constituency and local authority, is available in the HMRC snapshot publication 'Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics. Geographical Analyses', available at:
International Development
Children: Health
Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much funding his Department allocated to projects on the health of children aged under five years in (a) 2008-09 and (b) 2009-10. [19890]
Mr O'Brien: Efforts to improve the health of children under-five are an important part of many of Department for International Development funded programmes and of our efforts to strengthen health systems in partner countries. However it is not possible to disaggregate expenditure to improve the health of children under-five from our wider health care spend without incurring disproportionate cost.
In 2008-09 DFID's total spend on health was over £1 billion. Figures for 2009-10 will be available in January 2011.
Details of DFID's bilateral projects, including a summary description of each, are published in the project database on the DFID website.
Colombia: Overseas Aid
Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what objectives were set for the outcome of projects in Colombia funded by his Department in the last five years; and what mechanisms were used to assess the outcomes of such projects against those objectives. [19432]
Mr O'Brien: Projects funded by the Department for International Development (DFID) in Colombia in the last five years focused on reducing poverty and inequality in line with the international community's commitment to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015. Objectives included increasing the access of poor and excluded people to credit, promoting the active role of women in decision making, and supporting those displaced by civil conflict or disasters. DFID's regional office in Bolivia closed in September 2008.
All DFID development partners provide detailed annual reporting and monitoring information. This allows DFID to check the progress of funded interventions against pre-defined objectives and plans and assess whether it has achieved desired outcomes at the end of a project.
DFID's work in Colombia is also being assessed as part of the ongoing bilateral and multilateral aid reviews, which will report early next year.
Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what conditions were placed on the allocation of funding to Colombia in the last five years. [19433]
Mr O'Brien: The Department for International Development (DFID) has supported a number of projects through partner organisations and civil society in Colombia over the last five years, alongside core contributions to multilateral agencies.
We do not use conditions to impose specific policy choices on recipients of DFID funding, but we do use them to help ensure that aid is used effectively for the purposes intended, is not misused through corruption, and can be accounted for to the UK Parliament. Standard conditions include: access for DFID to project sites and to relevant records for the purposes of monitoring, evaluation and audit; provision of annual progress reports to DFID; and continuation of projects being dependent upon satisfactory progress being achieved in the first year.
Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much aid the Government has allocated to projects in Colombia in each of the last five years. [19508]
Mr O'Brien: A breakdown of bilateral aid provided to Colombia from 2005-06 to 2009-10 is provided in the following table (£000). Details of UK aid expenditure are published annually in Statistics on International Development, which is available on the Department for International Development (DFID) website and in the Library of the House.
| 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | |
| (1) Negative amounts reflect accounting adjustments after closure of DFID's regional office in Bolivia. | |||||
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