Written Answers to Questions
Thursday 4 November 2010
Women and Equalities
Departmental Official Hospitality
Ian Austin: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities how much the Government Equalities Office spent on hospitality for events hosted by each of its Ministers in (a) September and (b) October 2010. [21793]
Lynne Featherstone: The Government Equalities Office has not spent any money on ministerial hospitality in September or October 2010.
Departmental Public Expenditure
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities whether the Government Equalities Office has established processes to monitor any effects of proposed reductions in its expenditure. [21627]
Lynne Featherstone: The Government Equalities Office and its Board will use existing processes to monitor the Government Equalities Office expenditure and the effects of reductions in its budget following the spending review.
Departmental Redundancy
Ms Angela Eagle: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities how much funding to meet staff redundancy costs was identified in the settlement letter for the Government Equalities Office in respect of the comprehensive spending review. [21565]
Lynne Featherstone: The settlement letter relating to the Government Equalities Office did not identify funding specifically to meet staff redundancy costs.
Philip Davies: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities how many staff of the Government Equalities Office have been offered enhanced early retirement packages in each of the last three years. [22034]
Lynne Featherstone: The Government Equalities Office (GEO) has not offered any enhanced early retirement packages over the past three years.
Departmental Travel
Ian Austin: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what estimate the Government Equalities Office has made of its expenditure on travel undertaken by (a) her and (b) each other Minister in the Office in (i) September and (ii) October 2010. [21862]
Lynne Featherstone: The Government Equalities Office has not spent any money on ministerial travel during September or October 2010.
Home Department
Animal Experiments: Primates
Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many overseas companies designated as breeding and supply establishments to supply non-human primates to the UK for the purposes of scientific research wean infant primates from their mothers at six months or younger. [22007]
Lynne Featherstone: The Home Office has no jurisdiction or remit to designate or approve overseas breeding and supplying centres. The use of non-human primates from an overseas source in regulated procedures is authorised only when the centre in question has demonstrated that animals bred and supplied to licensees in the United Kingdom will have been weaned at more than six months of age except in rare cases where infants have been either abandoned or orphaned.
Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if her Department will consider implementing a ban on the import of (a) all primates for the purposes of scientific research, (b) the offspring of wild-caught primates and (c) primates from establishments that trap wild monkeys for breeding purposes. [22039]
Lynne Featherstone: I have no plans to do so. However European Directive 2010/63/EU on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes, published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 20 October 2010, which must be implemented in United Kingdom legislation from 1 January 2013, contains proposed time scales for a move towards the use of F2 non-human primates or animals sourced from self-sustaining colonies.
A detailed assessment of the provisions of the new directive is under way and will in due course be included in a public consultation on options for transposition.
Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (a) how many and (b) what species of non-human primates imported for the purposes of scientific research were categorised as (i) captive-born (or F1 generation) and (ii) captive-bred (F2+ generation) in (A) 2009 and (B) 2010. [22045] [Official Report, 9 November 2010, Vol. 518, c. 9MC.]
Lynne Featherstone: Although the information currently submitted to the Home Office following the acquisition of each batch of non-human primates provides evidence that animals have been born in captivity, there is currently no requirement for the records to indicate whether animals are F1 or F2+. However, from the information available we estimate the respective totals to be as detailed in the following table.
| Numbers of imported captive-born (or F1 generation) and captive-bred (F2+ generation) non-human primates | ||
| F1 | F2 | |
Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her Department's policy is on the importation to the UK for the purposes of scientific research of (a) the offspring of wild-caught primates and (b) non-human primates from establishments that trap wild monkeys for breeding purposes. [22046]
Lynne Featherstone: Within current policy the use of non-human primates from an overseas source in regulated procedures is authorised only when the centre in question has demonstrated that it provides appropriate standards of housing and care for animals likely to be bred and supplied to licensees in the United Kingdom. Where applicable, the breeding centre should also have a policy of reducing dependence on wild-caught animals for future breeding stock at least in relation to the animals likely to be bred and supplied to the UK. The number of wild-caught animals introduced into the colony for breeding should be in accordance with restrictions imposed by the relevant national authority. Where the breeding centre is capturing wild or feral primates it should have a clearly defined and effective process for ensuring that any person trapping primates is adequately trained and supervised in humane methods of capture.
Entry Clearances
Mr Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the Government has opted in to (a) the EU Directive establishing the conditions of entry and residence of third country nationals entering the EU through an intra-company transfer and (b) the EU Directive on conditions of entry and residence of third country nationals for the purpose of seasonal employment. [21718]
Damian Green: The UK has not opted in to either of these EU Directives.
EU Blue Card: Engineers
Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment her Department has made of the merits of implementing the EU Blue Card scheme for engineers and IT technicians. [21413]
Damian Green [holding answer 2 November 2010]: The UK has not opted into the EU Blue Card scheme and has no plans to do so. Engineers and IT technicians may apply to work in the UK under our Points-Based System.
Foreign Nationals: Prisoners
Mr Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to remove from the UK foreign prisoners held in the prison estate under immigration powers after completion of their sentences; and if she will make a statement. [20966]
Damian Green: The UK Border Agency makes every effort to ensure that a person's removal by deportation coincides, as far as possible, with his/her release from prison on completion of sentence. Where sentence length allows, the UK Border Agency will consider deportation up to 18 months prior to the earliest point of removal.
Foreign nationals who are served with a deportation notice have the right of appeal against the decision before the courts.
Deportation can be delayed in a number of ways. Judicial challenge can be used as a means to frustrate removal. This is being tackled through improved legal and case working in the UK Border Agency and closer co-operation with the judiciary.
There may be delays in deportation if foreign national prisoners do not fully co-operate with the documentation process. Failing to answer questions or providing false information will prevent or delay the UK Border Agency obtaining a travel document to facilitate their removal. Where there are difficulties in obtaining travel documents these issues are taken up directly with the relevant embassy or high commission.
The Government are committed to exploring ways of removing these individuals even earlier. This will include working with the prisons, courts and the police to build on our capacity to gather intelligence information on nationality at an earlier stage.
Human Trafficking
Mr Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the title is of the official in her Department who has lead responsibility for human trafficking policy. [21735]
Damian Green: Policy responsibility for human trafficking rests with the Organised and Financial Crime Unit in the Home Office which is headed by a deputy director.
Identity Cards
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the saving to the Exchequer arising from her decision not to introduce compulsory identity cards in each of the next five years. [21131]
Damian Green [holding answer 1 November 2010]: It is estimated that exchequer savings of approximately £86 million will be realised from cancelling ID cards and the National Identity Register over the next four years.
Immigration Controls: Foreign Workers
Alan Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions she has had with the Office for Budget Responsibility on the effect on economic growth of a permanent cap on the number of immigrant workers. [13921]
Mrs May: I have not discussed with the Office for Budget Responsibility the impact of a migration limit on growth, but Home Office officials are currently assessing the potential impacts in liaison and consultation with other Government Departments.
Immigration: Detainees
Caroline Dinenage: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans she has to accelerate the decision-making process for immigrants being held in detention centres. [21259]
Damian Green: Detention is important in ensuring that those who do not have a basis to remain in the United Kingdom can be removed from the UK expeditiously once their case is decided. We always prefer that people leave the UK voluntarily rather than have their return enforced but if this option is refused then it will become necessary to enforce removal including the arrest and detention of those who refuse to comply. The agency is committed to making faster decisions that are right first time but is also committed to ensuring that speed is balanced with quality.
Immigration: Pakistan
Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans she has for the future consideration of immigration applications from students and others who have been affected by the recent floods in Pakistan. [21422]
Damian Green: We will continue to assess visa applications from Pakistan against the immigration rules. We will take into account any compelling compassionate circumstances when assessing individual visa applications, but we do not intend to relax the requirements.
Immigration: Research
Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research her Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the likely effects of the proposed immigration cap on (i) academic, scientific and technological research and (ii) high-technology industry. [21412]
Damian Green [holding answer 2 November 2010]: We have made it clear that we want to continue attracting the brightest and the best to the UK. As part of this commitment, my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary launched a consultation over the summer to ensure that we gathered a wide range of views and evidence, before announcing our plans for the first full annual limit. The consultation is now closed and we have received a high volume of responses which are being carefully assessed. The Government will announce its decisions in due course.
Members: Correspondence
Mr Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to reply to the letters of 4 August and 29 September 2010 from the hon. Member for Basildon and Billericay, on a constituent, Mr S Deleay. [20349]
James Brokenshire [holding answer 1 November 2010]: I wrote to my hon. Friend on 4 November 2010.
Slavery
Mr Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department took to mark Anti-Slavery Day 2010; and what guidance her Department provided to other Government departments on marking that day. [19848]
Damian Green [holding answer 27 October 2010]: Anti-Slavery Day provides an excellent focal point around which the voluntary sector can raise awareness of human trafficking as a problem and their work to help combat it.
In the light of this, on 18 October I visited Stop the Traffik to hear about and discuss their work in establishing community groups throughout the United Kingdom aimed at actively raising awareness of the dangers of human trafficking.
In addition to this the UK Border Agency published updated guidance on trafficking and its revised guidance for competent authorities.
Vetting
Anna Soubry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent progress she has made on reviewing the effectiveness of the vetting and barring scheme as a means of protecting children and vulnerable adults; and if she will make a statement. [21929]
Lynne Featherstone: I refer my hon. Friend to the written ministerial statement made by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary on 22 October 2010, Official Report, columns 77-78WS.
Visas: Pakistan
John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Pakistani citizens were refused visas (a) by her Department's Abu Dhabi office in the 12 months since the opening of that office and (b) in the 12 months four years prior to that date. [20963]
Damian Green: The UK Border Agency's Visa Section in Abu Dhabi assumed responsibility for processing all non-settlement visa applications lodged in Pakistan on 1 November 2008. In the 12 months to 31 October 2009, a total of 40,612 visa applications from Pakistani nationals were refused at the visa section.
The number of visa applications from Pakistani nationals that were refused at the visa section in Abu Dhabi in the each of the four years prior to 1 November 2008 is shown in the following table. The vast majority of these applications would have been lodged by Pakistani nationals resident in United Arab Emirates. Applications from those resident in Pakistan were processed in Islamabad.
| As at November to October | Number |
Health
Cancer: Health Services
Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made on his Department's review of the implementation of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence Guidance on improving supportive and palliative care for adults with cancer; and if he will make a statement. [21732]
Anne Milton: A review of progress undertaken by the National Cancer Action Team (NCAT) in January 2010 showed that one cancer network out of 28 had fully implemented the guidance. Of the 10 key priority areas, two had been implemented across all the networks and varying degrees of progress was reported in the remaining areas.
The two priority areas that have been implemented across all cancer networks are: for all multidisciplinary team staff to attend advanced communication skills training; and to have mechanisms in place to ensure that the views of patients and carers are taken into account in developing and evaluating cancer and palliative care services.
A full report on the review of progress undertaken in January, together with an update on the progress made since that evaluation, is scheduled to be published by the end of December.
Since the publication of the Improving Outcomes Guidance (IOG) on Supportive and Palliative Care, other strategies have been published, such as the End of Life Care Strategy, which have overtaken the IOG. NCAT will therefore not provide any further detailed monitoring of the implementation of this IOG.
We are currently undertaking a review of the Cancer Reform Strategy to set the direction for cancer services for the next five years. The updated strategy, to be published in the winter, will set out the future direction for cancer services, including the future direction for the monitoring of IOGs.
Care Homes: Standards
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which residential care homes have been subject to enforced closure by the Care Quality Commission since the Commission was established. [21049]
Mr Simon Burns: The Care Quality Commission is the independent regulator of health and adult social care providers in England. It has a range of enforcement powers in relation to the registration of providers, including (in the most serious cases) closure of services.
The Care Quality Commission has provided the following information.
The registration of eight care home providers has been subject to enforced cancellation by the Commission since it became operational on 1 April 2009. One of these was an urgent cancellation under section 20 of the Care Standards Act 2000. These are:
16 Burghley Road, London, NW5 1UE
Kenilworth Residential Home, 13-14 Linton Road, Hastings, TN34 1TW
Mervyn Lodge, 33 Ashby Road, DE15 OLQ
Carleton House, 33 St Lawrence Avenue, Worthing, BN14 7JJ
Glen Eden, 45 Richmond Road, Worthing, BN11 4AF
Forest View Nursing Home, 100-104 West Coker Road, Yeovil, BA20 2JG
Sherwood Lodge, 42 - 44 Stuart Road, Gillingham, ME7 4AD
Ollerton Manor Care Home, Wellow Road, Newark, NG22 9AH(1)
(1) Closed under section 20 of the Care Standards Act 2000.
Community Hospitals
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on the role of community hospitals in the NHS; and if he will make a statement. [21869]
Mr Simon Burns: Community hospitals provide a vital community resource to support patients in need of rehabilitation and recuperation, preventing unnecessary admissions to hospitals and supporting a rapid return to independence and good health.
The Government are committed to helping the national health service work better by extending best practise on improving discharge from acute hospital and increasing access to care and treatment in the community.
Under our proposals for new commissioning arrangements, general practitioners rather than primary care trust managers will decide how to use NHS resources to get the best health care and outcomes for their patients.
Dental Services
Christopher Pincher: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he next plans to review his Department's document Best Practice HTM 01-05 on dental surgeries; and whether he has made a recent assessment of the effectiveness of decontamination practices in dental surgeries. [21246]
Mr Simon Burns: The Health Technical Memorandum (HTM) 01-05 is a living document and the Department has made a commitment to update it to reflect new evidence as this becomes available. Further, a commitment has been made review the entire document within two years of publication. Dental practices are required within essential quality requirements to have a plan in place to demonstrate how they will achieve best practice. The primary aim of the HTM 01-05 is to encourage practices to meet essential quality requirements and to encourage further progression and improvement.
The Department, in partnership with the Health Protection Agency and the national health service, has recently completed a Dental National Decontamination Survey, the principal aim of which is to establish a baseline of the quality of local decontamination in dental practices against the requirements in the HTM 01-05. A provisional report is expected in the next few weeks.
Departmental Visits Abroad
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department spent on overseas visits for senior officials in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [18409]
Mr Simon Burns: The Department (excluding its agency-the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency) spent £415,686.88 on overseas visits by senior officials in the financial year 2009-10. All travel is undertaken in accordance with the Civil Service Management Code.
Details of business expenses (included in the total above) and hospitality received for the Department's directors general and above are available on the Department's website at:
www.dh.gov.uk/en/Aboutus/Ministersand DepartmentLeaders/Departmentdirectors/DH_110759
Drugs: Rehabilitation
Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his most recent estimate is of the number of people under the age of (a) 18 and (b) 16 years who are in abstinence-based rehabilitative treatment; and how many people in each age group were placed in such treatment in (i) 2008-09 and (ii) 2009-10. [17091]
Sarah Teather: I have been asked to reply.
The overall aim of all substance misuse treatment for young people is abstinence from their problem drug or alcohol use. Young people's substance misuse is markedly different to that of adults, and so is the combination of treatment and support they receive. Most receive psychosocial treatment-talking therapies to change behaviour and address the causes of drug or alcohol misuse. The aim is to reduce or stop completely the young person's use.
24,053 young people under the age of 18 were in treatment for drug or alcohol misuse in 2008-09. Of these, 11,259 were under the age of 16. These are the most recent figures available.
Mr Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the outcome of his Department's randomised injectable opiate treatment trials. [21274]
Anne Milton: Any approach that helps people get off drugs for good should be explored. The results of the randomised injectable opiate treatment trial were reported in T he Lancet on 28 May 2010. The report concluded that in this group of entrenched users who had not responded to other forms of treatment, treatment with supervised injectable heroin leads to significantly lower use of street heroin than does supervised injectable methadone or optimised oral methadone.
In the light of these results, we have asked the Institute of Psychiatry's National Addiction Centre to carry out further work in order to explore:
how to deliver a low-volume service such that it is accessible to a population which is relatively thinly-spread, given that patients need to travel to the clinic twice daily;
the commissioning procedures appropriate to a service with these constraints;
how referral pathways should operate; and
the case management that is necessary to ensure that people progress as appropriate to less intensive treatment once they are stabilised.
We will shortly be publishing a new drug strategy, which will set out a new approach and greater ambition to tackling drugs dependency. It will set out an ambition for a recovery focused system that is locally led and supports individuals to tackle and overcome their dependency, reduce the harm to themselves, their families and the wider community, and make a positive contribution to society. It will encourage local areas to deliver against these outcomes drawing on the evidence of what works.
Health Services
Mr Brazier: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many patients were placed on the Liverpool Care Pathway in each year since 2004; and what proportion of such patients died in each such year; [19288]
(2) which hospitals have introduced the Liverpool Care Pathway in each year since 2004; how many patients in each such hospital were placed on the Pathway in each such year; and how many patients in each hospital placed on the Pathway died in each such year. [19289]
Paul Burstow: The Liverpool Care Pathway (LCP) was developed by the Marie Curie Palliative Care Institute in Liverpool. It is an established and respected tool used to support care in the last hours or days of life. Its purpose is to prevent dying patients from the distress of receiving treatment or tests that are no longer beneficial, while ensuring that they receive appropriate interventions, including medication, to control their symptoms.
The Department does not collect information centrally about the numbers of patients being treated on the LCP, nor the numbers of hospitals who have introduced the LCP as a possible option for treating patients.
Meat Hygiene Service
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the merits of reviewing the (a) responsibilities and (b) efficiency of the Meat Hygiene Service following its transfer to the Food Standards Agency. [21390]
Anne Milton: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has responsibility for delivering official controls in all approved fresh meat establishments in Great Britain under EC Regulation 854/2004. It is not within the remit of the FSA to review its delivery responsibilities under this legislation.
In 2007 the Meat Hygiene Service (MHS) implemented a number of efficiency programmes. As a result of these programmes the cost of delivering meat official controls in Great Britain has reduced significantly from £91.3 million in 2006-07 to £68.1 million at the end of 2009-10, and in Northern Ireland has reduced from £7.1 million in 2007-08 to £6.6 million at the end of 2009-10. Further savings of £0.6 million from the creation of the FSA's Integrated Corporate Services will be attributed to corporate support for meat official controls. Following the merger with the MHS, the FSA has launched an Operations Programme to review all official controls delivered on behalf of the FSA to maximise its efficiency and effectiveness.
Medicine: Education
Stephen Mosley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what proportion of graduates of medical schools in (a) 2007, (b) 2008 and (c) 2009 emigrated in the year following completion of their degree. [20715]
Anne Milton: There data are not collected centrally.
Soft Drinks
Mrs Grant: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made on the effect of high energy drinks on the health of (a) young children and (b) others; and if he will make a statement. [21490]
Anne Milton: The Department has not made any specific assessment on the effects of high energy drinks. Based on expert advice from the Committee on the Medical Aspects of Food Policy, we recommend that the intake of non-milk extrinsic sugars i.e. those added to food should not exceed 60g/day or 11% of food energy.
Government advice discourages giving babies sugary drinks and food, and older children and families are encouraged to substitute sugary drinks with water, milk (ideally semi-skimmed), sugar free drinks, sugar free squash, or unsweetened fruit juice.
Streptococcus: Health Services
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made for benchmarking purposes of best practice in the treatment of group B streptococcal infections in other EU member states; and if he will make a statement. [21841]
Anne Milton: The treatment of group B streptococcal infection is a matter for clinicians and should be in line with evidence-based clinical guidance such as those published by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence or in this case the Green Top guideline published by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) in November 2003. This guidance can be found on the RCOG website at:
The Department does not undertake benchmarking of best practice in clinical treatment.
Justice
Courts: Warrington
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether he plans to review the provision of court services in Warrington. [21746]
Mr Djanogly: On 23 June, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor announced proposals on the future provision of courts services across England and Wales. The consultation paper for the HMCS area of Cheshire and Merseyside, which can be found at:
did not contain proposals concerning courts in Warrington, except that should Runcorn county court close, Warrington county court would potentially need to increase its sitting days to absorb Runcorn's hearings, which it has the capacity to do. Runcorn county court is a civil hearing centre only with all its administrative work handled at Warrington.
The consultation closed on 15 September and we aim to announce decisions by the end of the year. There are no plans at present to further review the provision of court services in Warrington.
Departmental Public Expenditure
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether his Department has established processes to monitor any effects of proposed reductions in its expenditure. [21630]
Mr Kenneth Clarke: The Ministry of Justice routinely monitors its expenditure and the outputs resulting from that spending and publishes this information on a regular basis, such as through published accounts, annual reports, impact assessments and a wide range of statistical and research publications.
Family Courts: Offenders
John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people serving a custodial sentence could not be identified in the media because of an injunction by the Family Court in the latest period for which figures are available. [21503]
Mr Djanogly: Information on the number of people serving a custodial sentence who cannot be identified because of an injunction made by the Family Court is not available centrally. This information can be obtained only by inspection of individual case files at disproportionate cost.
Legal Services Commission: Social Workers
Mr David: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what representations he has received on the proposals of the Legal Services Commission to cap the fees payable to independent social workers appearing as expert witnesses in family courts. [21493]
Mr Djanogly: This change was consulted on as part of the joint Ministry of Justice (MOJ) and Legal Services Commission (LSC) consultation, "Family Legal Aid Funding from 2010" which took place between December 2008 and April 2009. Following the full public consultation, it was confirmed in the consultation response that payment for legally aided independent social work in public and private law children cases would be capped to the same level as that paid by the Children and Family Court Advisory Service (CAFCASS). The consultation response was published on 21 October 2009 and is available on the LSC website at:
https://consult.legalservices.gov.uk/inovem/consult.ti/FamilyFees2008/listdocuments
Although both the LSC and the MOJ have continued to receive additional representations from independent social workers about the change, it is considered that it is not an effective use of public money for the LSC to pay higher rates than those set by CAFCASS.
Proceeds of Crime
Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent estimate he has made of the (a) cost to the public purse of receivers and (b) amount recovered through confiscation orders brought about by the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002; and if he will make a statement. [22018]
Mr Djanogly: Receivers fees are paid from the amounts recovered from criminals, therefore no amount is paid from the public purse. However, prior to 1 October 2010, prosecution agencies had to pay indemnities to the receivers if the amount collected was less than their fees. For example, the CPS paid £112,333 during 2008-09 and £29,875 during 2009-10. Following the new procurement process for receivers that came into effect on 1 October 2010, the contract no longer includes indemnities for receivers, therefore no receivers fees will be paid from the public purse.
HMCS pays all receivers fees. The following table records how much has been paid on a regional basis during the last two financial years.
| £ | ||
| HMCS region | 2008-09 | 2009-10 |
For the period 2004-05 to 2009-10 a total of £233.4 million has been recovered using confiscation orders under the Proceeds of Crime Act, of which £25.7 million has been returned to the victims of crime.
For the period from 1 April 2010 to 31 October 2010, a total of £42 million has been recovered using the
Proceeds of Crime Act legislation, of which £7.7 million has been returned to the victims of crime.
| £ | ||
| Compensation to the victims of crime | Total amount recovered, including compensation and receivers' fees | |
This data was extracted from the Joint Asset Recovery Database (JARD), as at 1 November 2010. No central database was present prior to 2004-05, so prior data are unavailable.
Sentencing
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 25 October 2010, Official Report, columns 41-43W, on sentencing, for what categories of offence those with 15 or more convictions who did not receive an immediate custodial sentence had been convicted; and how many such offenders had received (a) between 16 and 25, (b) between 26 and 50, (c) between 51 and 75, (d) between 76 and 100 and (e) 101 or more convictions. [21260]
Mr Blunt: Table 1 shows offence categories for offenders with 15 or more convictions or cautions who did not receive an immediate custodial sentence. Table 2 shows the number of offenders who were sentenced for indictable offences by number of previous convictions and cautions. These figures are derived from table 6.2 of 'Sentencing Statistics: England and Wales 2009' which was published on 21 October 2010. The published table gives a breakdown of offenders sentenced by number of previous convictions and cautions, and the same basis has been used for this answer.
| Table 1: Number of offenders with 15 or more convictions or cautions who did not receive an immediate custodial sentence for an indictable offence by offence category, England and Wales, 2007-09 | |||
| Number of offenders | |||
| 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | |
The figures have been drawn from the police's administrative IT system, the police national computer, which, as with any large scale recording system, is subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. The figures are provisional and subject to change as more information is recorded by the police.
House of Commons Commission
Parliamentary Education Service
Jo Swinson: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the House of Commons Commission, pursuant to the answer of 26 October 2010, Official Report, columns 176-7W, on the Parliamentary Education Service, for what reasons the House of Commons Commission did not accept recommendation 4 of the report of the Speaker's Conference on parliamentary representation. [21743]
Sir Stuart Bell: Recommendation 4 of the report of the Speaker's Conference on parliamentary representation recommended that the objectives of the Parliamentary Education Service should in future include encouraging a wider range of people to become candidates for election to Parliament.
The objectives of the Education Service do not need to be changed as encouraging a wider range of people to become candidates, alongside encouraging other forms of democratic engagement, can already be effected under existing objectives. The answer given on 26 October highlighted the MP for a week game and the UK Youth Parliament as examples where this is done directly. There are many other examples, such as the Speaker's Schools Council awards scheme, where Parliament's Education Service helps a wide range of young people to acquire a taste for being elected representatives, encouraging them onto a path which may lead towards becoming candidates for election to Parliament.
Energy and Climate Change
Armed Forces: Accommodation
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he plans to take steps to ensure the take-up of the Green Deal in respect of service family accommodation. [18334]
Gregory Barker: In developing the Green Deal, which is to be introduced in 2012, we will work to ensure that all households are eligible to take up offers which can increase the energy efficiency of their homes.
Civil Nuclear Constabulary
Christopher Pincher: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will make an assessment of the merits of transferring responsibility for the Civil Nuclear Constabulary to the Secretary of State for the Home Department. [21245]
Charles Hendry:
The Department has policy responsibility for the security of the UK's civil nuclear industry, and this includes responsibility for the Civil Nuclear Police Authority and Civil Nuclear Constabulary. The Department's responsibility for the safety of civil nuclear power stations in the UK, and for ensuring the security and resilience of the energy sector as a whole, means that DECC is best placed to effectively discharge Government's responsibility for the Civil Nuclear Constabulary. The Department keeps the arrangements for security in the civil nuclear industry under continuous
review to ensure they are robust and effective, and works closely with other Departments with an interest in security issues, including the Home Office.
My right hon. Friends the Secretary of State and the Home Secretary are both members of the National Security Council (NSC) that was established on 12 May by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister and has been tasked with overseeing all issues related to national security, intelligence co-ordination, and defence strategy, and of its nuclear sub-committee, NSC(N). This structure ensures that important security issues can be considered by all relevant Ministers from across Government.
Climate Change: Carbon Emissions
Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent progress his Department has made on the reduction of UK climate change emissions. [22000]
Gregory Barker: Latest provisional statistics indicate that the UK's greenhouse gas emissions have fallen by just over 24% against 1990 levels by 2009(1), taking into account the effects of emissions trading. Final emissions data for 2009 will be published in February 2011. Further information can be found in the independent Committee on Climate Change's latest annual report on progress towards meeting our carbon budgets, published on 30 June, and the Government's response (published 14 October 2010). Both publications are available in the Libraries of the House.
(1) Source:
Liquid Petroleum Gas
Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what information his Department holds on the net length of time micro-combined heat and power technology fuelled by (a) gas and (b) liquefied petroleum gas can contribute to carbon dioxide emission reduction in respect of an energy generation system decarbonising over time. [22353]
Gregory Barker: This issue was raised in consultation as part of the Heat and Energy Saving Strategy consultation. The analysis of responses in September 2009 indicated that there was no clear answer to the question of the degree to which combined heat and power powered by fossil fuel will be less advantageous as electricity generation overall becomes less carbon intensive, because this is likely to depend on a range of factors, particularly the overall energy mix, carbon intensity, and the nature of infrastructure and design. It will also depend on the kind of heating system the micro-CHP unit is replacing.
The Department has published guidance on its website on how to value energy use and greenhouse gas emissions over time for the purposes of business cases and impact assessment. This includes assumptions about the rate of decarbonisation of the electricity generation system. The Committee on Climate Change has also carried out modelling work in this area.
Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the merits of including schemes for micro-combined heat and power technology fuelled by (a) gas and (b) liquefied petroleum gas in the proposed Green Deal; and if he will make a statement. [22354]
Gregory Barker: It is intended that a range of energy saving measures, which are expected to pay for themselves over a set period of time through savings on energy bills, will qualify for green deal finance under the Green Deal for businesses. Decisions on the specific measures and technologies which will be eligible for green deal finance will be taken in due course.
Nuclear Fuels: Transport
Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will discuss with the Secretary of State for the Home Department an increase in the level of security provided for the transport of nuclear materials by train through densely populated residential areas in the West Midlands. [21700]
Charles Hendry: The Department has policy responsibility for the security of the UK's civil nuclear industry, which includes the security of nuclear material in transit. Regulation in this area reflects the UK's international obligations and best practice, and is enforced by the independent security regulator, the Office for Civil Nuclear Security (OCNS). The Department keeps the arrangements for the security of the transportation of civil nuclear material under continuous review to ensure they are robust and effective, and works closely with other Departments with an interest in security issues, including the Home Office.
My right hon. Friends the Secretary of State and the Home Secretary are both members of the National Security Council (NSC) that was established on 12 May by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister and has been tasked with overseeing all issues related to national security, intelligence co-ordination, and defence strategy, and of its nuclear sub-committee, NSC(N). This structure ensures that important security issues can be considered by all relevant Ministers from across Government.
Public Expenditure
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether his Department has established processes to monitor any effects of proposed reductions in its expenditure. [21634]
Gregory Barker: DECC will shortly publish a Business Plan which will contain information on the Department's priorities over the next four years and includes information about areas that are no longer priorities. Further, the Business Plan will provide indicators that can be used to monitor DECC's performance on both delivery and costs.
It is also the case that the Treasury published an Equality Impact Assessment of the spending review, detailing the impact of the cuts on specific groups within society. DECC will continue to ensure that the decisions it makes are fair by undertaking Equality Impact Assessments on its policies.
Wind and Nuclear Power
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the average cost is of a unit of energy generated through (a) wind power and (b) nuclear power. [21264]
Charles Hendry: The table, which will be placed in the Library, is taken from Mott Macdonald (2010) and gives levelised cost estimates (average generation cost per megawatt-hour) for new build plants in the main large-scale electricity generation technologies in the UK, including onshore wind, offshore wind and nuclear, at current engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract prices, and is available at:
It should be noted that for the purposes of presentation, the table only gives either "FOAK" (first-of-a-kind) prices or "NOAK" (nth-of-a-kind) prices for each technology.
As new technologies are deployed it is likely that costs will fall due to learning. The second table, also being placed in the Library, sets out the estimated levelised costs for projects started in 2017 with the assumption that all technologies have reached "nth of a kind" status. It shows the expectation that new nuclear will cost approximately £68/MWh. Offshore wind and onshore wind are estimated to cost approximately £112/MWh and £86/MWh respectively.
It should be noted that the estimates of levelised costs for different types of electricity generation are highly sensitive to the assumptions used for capital costs, fuel and EU ETS allowance prices, operating costs, load factor, and other drivers, meaning that there is significant uncertainty around these estimates.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Agriculture: Competitiveness
Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department is taking to assist the farming industry to become more competitive. [21651]
Mr Paice: In England we are encouraging the farming industry to increase its competitiveness through capital investment, skills development, innovation and technical progress.
We are also identifying ways to reduce the regulatory burden through the Task Force on Farm Regulation, pushing for CAP reform to improve the industry's ability to respond to consumer demand, providing rural development grants, funding research into efficient food production and working with industry on skill development and climate change issues.
Agriculture: Subsidies
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the effects on levels of financial support for farming from the public purse of the outcome of the comprehensive spending review. [21647]
Mr Paice: As the vast majority of the over £3 billion of payments made each year to UK farmers are direct payments made under Pillar 1 of the EU common agriculture policy, we do not anticipate that the spending review will have a significant effect on levels of financial support for farming. Expenditure on the Rural Development Programme for England will be maintained over the spending review period.
Common Agricultural Policy
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent progress has been made in negotiations on reform of the common agricultural policy; and if she will make a statement. [21655]
Mrs Spelman: The UK is committed to ambitious reform of the common agricultural policy (CAP) that delivers good value for farmers, taxpayers, consumers and the environment. A future CAP must enable a sustainable, thriving and competitive EU agriculture and food sector that is able to rise to the challenges and opportunities of the future. Negotiations on CAP will begin formally in the context of a Communication which we expect to be published by the Commission in November.
Common Fisheries Policy
Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment she has made of progress on reform of the Common Fisheries Policy; and if she will make a statement. [21659]
Richard Benyon: The EU Commission's 2009 Green Paper provides a compelling case for radical reform of the current common fisheries policy: changes that simplify and decentralise fisheries management, enabling those closest to fisheries to plan for the long term, and giving fishermen greater incentive to fish sustainably. We expect the Commission to publish draft proposals next spring.
We are working with other member states, and interested parties, to build support for reform ahead of negotiations next year.
Departmental Public Expenditure
Dr Phillip Lee: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what mechanisms are in place to ensure that her Department's decisions on regional funding allocations are based on the most recent available population data. [20693]
Richard Benyon: The Department is a contributor to the regional development agency single pot. Population data were used as a factor shaping funding allocations to RDAs following spending review 2007 and before. Allocations to RDAs following the conclusion of spending review 2010 will be determined shortly but are likely to be based on the levels of legal commitment and anticipated closure costs.
Flood Control: Finance
Chris Evans:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the effect of the outcome of the
comprehensive spending review on her Department's budget for flood defences in each year from 2011-12 to 2014-15. [21642]
Richard Benyon: By March 2015, we will have spent at least £2.1 billion on flood and coastal erosion risk management, and as a result expect to deliver better levels of protection for around 145,000 households.
Forests: Finance
Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the proposed £100 million funding to international forestry projects announced at the UN Biodiversity conference in Nagoya is to be paid in addition to the commitment made to such projects after the 2009 Copenhagen climate change conference. [21498]
Mr Paice [holding answer 3 November 2010]: The spending review provides £2.9 billion of international climate finance (called the International Climate Fund) over the spending review period. This fully funds, and goes beyond, the £1.5 billion commitment made by the previous Government at Copenhagen for the 'fast start' period (2010-12).
The ICF will include money for reducing deforestation, building on the £300 million announced for that purpose at Copenhagen. Detailed allocations of the ICF have yet to be finalised, but will include the £100 million for DEFRA, which goes beyond the Copenhagen Commitment, covering the period to 2014-15.
The ICF is part of the UK's commitment to increase its overseas development assistance to 0.7% of Gross National Income by 2013.
Landfill
Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on the likely effects of the outcome of the comprehensive spending review on the funding available to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill. [21663]
Mrs Spelman: We have worked closely with the Department for Communities and Local Government to understand cost pressures on local authority waste management over the spending review period and have taken these into account in the overall local government settlement.
We have significantly increased financial flexibility which will free local authorities to allocate resources to meet their priorities and make continued efficiency savings, while continuing to deliver our overall environmental goals for waste management.
Transport
Aviation: China
Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the likely effects on the Government's programmes to increase trade and tourism between the UK and China of the 100% increase in air passenger duty to come into force on 1 November 2010. [21188]
Justine Greening: I have been asked to reply.
The increases in air passenger duty that took effect on 1 November were set and legislated by the previous Government. The increase in tax on a flight from London to Beijing is around 5% of the typical economy class return ticket price.
The coalition Government believes that trade and tourism are hugely beneficial to both the UK and China.
Thameslink: Government Assistance
Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will continue his Department's subsidy for Thameslink users who are required to use Transport for London services to reach Moorgate station. [21363]
Mrs Villiers: Following the closure of the Farringdon-Moorgate branch on 22 March 2009 as part of the Thameslink Programme, through fares to Moorgate were protected for two years from this date. This commitment therefore ends on 21 March 2011.
Business, Innovation and Skills
Broadband: Schools
Anne Marie Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Education on ensuring that schools have access to high speed broadband services. [21391]
Mr Vaizey [holding answer 2 November 2010]: The Secretary of State for Business Innovation and Skills has not had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Education on ensuring that schools have access to high speed broadband services. Connectivity for schools is the responsibility of Department for Education. Virtually all schools have broadband connectivity already.
Chinese Paper Lanterns
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will bring forward proposals to regulate the sale and use of Chinese paper lanterns. [21165]
Mr Davey [holding answer 1 November 2010]: We have received no recent representations specifically concerning the safety instructions on sky lanterns.
However, BIS and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs are aware of the broader safety concerns with these products. In August, BIS wrote to local authority trading standards services, asking them to make importers aware that some sky lanterns lacked full instructions, and encouraging them to get manufacturers to address this problem.
Debt Management: Licensing
Ian Mearns:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many actions the Office of Fair Trading has taken to impose requirements or refuse
or revoke licenses held or applied for by debt management businesses under its powers under the Consumer Credit Act 1974 in 2010 to date. [22015]
Mr Davey: This year to date the OFT has imposed requirements on three licensees engaged in debt management activities, revoked one licence held by a licensee engaged in debt management activities and refused to grant a licence to one applicant that proposed to engage in debt management activities. The OFT has also made a determination to revoke the licence of one other licensee engaged in debt management activities, which is subject to an appeal to the First Tier Tribunal.
Adjudicators acting on behalf of the OFT also made three determinations favourable to the trader, which resulted in two licensees engaged in debt management activities being permitted to continue to retain their licences and one to be granted a licence. During the adjudication process one licensee engaged in debt management activities surrendered its licence and one applicant for a licence withdrew its application. One further minded to notice is yet to be determined. The OFT has also warned 63 traders about unlicensed trading or failing to adhere to the Debt Management Guidance.
The primary focus this year has been the OFT's review of compliance with its Debt Management Guidance, which was published on 28 September 2010, and subsequent enforcement action (additional to that detailed above) to warn 129 debt management firms about non-compliant business practices identified during the review. The firms were instructed to produce independently audited evidence confirming action that they have taken to address the identified areas of non-compliance by mid-December 2010. Of the 129 firms, 22 have already surrendered their licences, 92 firms have agreed to comply and the OFT has initiated revocation action against 15 traders, but this may well increase.
Departmental Official Hospitality
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much his Department spent on hospitality for events hosted by each Minister in his Department in (a) September and (b) October 2010. [21801]
Mr Davey: There has been no spend on hospitality for events hosted by BIS Ministers during this period The following amounts refer only to costs for refreshments at meetings.
(a) September 2010: £38.84 in total.
(b) October 2010: £0.
EU Grants and Loans
Mr Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with the European Commission on the administration of European Regional Development Funding bidding rounds following the closure of regional development agencies; and if he will make a statement. [22086]
Mr Prisk:
The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills has had no recent discussions with the European Commission on the administration of European regional development. However, I met with EU Regional Commissioner Johannes Hahn on 28 September to
discuss the closure of the regional development agencies and the creation of local enterprise partnerships. The new delivery structure for the European regional development fund in England is planned to be announced at Budget 2011.
Fossil Fuels: Export Credit Guarantees
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 22 June 2010, Official Report, column 190W, on fossil fuels: export credits guarantees, what definition of dirty fossil-fuel energy production his Department uses. [4580]
Mr Davey: ECGD acts in accordance with the OECD Revised Council Recommendation on Common Approaches on the Environment and Officially Supported Export Credits (the Common Approaches) regarding the potential environmental impacts of projects. The Common Approaches states that:
"Projects are expected to meet the international standards against which they have been benchmarked where these are more stringent than host country standards."
For new coal-fired power generation projects this would mean compliance with the World Bank Group's Environmental, Health and Safety Guidelines for Thermal Power Plants. These EHS Guidelines require emissions to be abated to below set numeric limits for particulate matter, sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. They also provide data on typical carbon dioxide emissions for various combustion technologies/equipment.
The Common Approaches is currently under review by the OECD Export Credits Group and the UK is exploring with other countries the opportunity for incorporating numeric emissions limits for carbon dioxide.
Green Investment Bank
Mr Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what legal framework he plans to establish to govern the operations of the proposed Green Investment Bank. [22105]
Mr Prisk: The Green Investment Bank's legislative requirements, if any, will depend on the nature of its final design. The Government aim to conduct further market testing and to complete their design work by spring 2011.
Mr Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the total cost to the public purse of establishing the proposed Green Investment Bank. [22107]
Mr Prisk: The Green Investment Bank (GIB) will be initially capitalised with £1 billion of funding allocated from departmental budgets together with additional significant proceeds from the sale of Government-owned assets.
Government will also incur costs in setting up the GIB, and will provide further information on the quantum of these costs in due course.
Mr Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he expects to make a decision on the location of the headquarters of the proposed Green Investment Bank. [22108]
Mr Prisk: Decisions on the location of the Green Investment Bank will be taken in due course. Its final design will be subject to the Government's tests of effectiveness, affordability and transparency. However, we are not anticipating the creation of a large institution with high overheads.
Mr Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what mechanism he plans to put in place to provide for appointments to the board of the proposed Green Investment Bank. [22109]
Mr Prisk: Governance arrangements will depend on decisions around the design of the Green Investment Bank.
Mr Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills which (a) public and (b) private bodies he expects to contribute funding to projects through the proposed Green Investment Bank. [22110]
Mr Prisk: I refer the hon. Member to the Chancellor's spending review statement of 20 October.
As my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer had announced, we will be funding the Green Investment Bank from £1 billion of departmental budgets, as well as from additional significant proceeds from Government's asset sales.
Mr Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions his Department had with the devolved administrations prior to his announcement of proposals to establish a Green Investment Bank. [22111]
Mr Prisk: We are looking to create a Green Investment Bank with powers to invest across the UK. We will engage widely, including with the devolved administrations, as we undertake detailed market testing and design work.
Mr Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he commissioned advice from outside his Department when developing proposals for the Green Investment Bank. [22112]
Mr Prisk: We have worked closely with other Government Departments on the development of these proposals, including the Department for Energy and Climate Change, Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, HM Treasury, Department for Transport, Department of Communities and Local Government, Cabinet Office and Infrastructure UK.
Higher Education: Admissions
Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many and what proportion of (a) women and (b) men are studying undergraduate courses in (i) humanities, arts and social science subjects and (ii) science, technology, engineering and mathematics subjects at universities in England. [20964]
Mr Willetts: The latest available information from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) is shown in the table. Figures for the 2009/10 academic year will be available in January 2011.
Humanities, arts and social sciences covers the following subject groups: Social Sciences, Law, Business and Administrative Studies, Mass Communications and Documentation, Languages, Historical and Philosophical Studies, Creative Arts and Design, Education and Combined subjects.
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics covers the following subject groups: Medicine and Dentistry, Subjects Allied to Medicine, Biological Sciences, Veterinary Science, Agriculture and Related Subjects, Physical Sciences, Mathematical Sciences, Computer Science, Engineering and Technology, Architecture, Building and Planning.
| Undergraduate enrolments by gender and subject of study: English higher education institutions, academic year 2008/09 | ||||
| Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences( 1) | Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics( 2) | |||
| Gender | Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage |
| (1) Covers the following subject groups: Social Sciences, Law, Business and Administrative Studies, Mass Communications and Documentation, Languages, Historical and Philosophical Studies, Creative Arts and Design, Education and Combined subjects. (2) Covers the following subject groups: Medicine and Dentistry, subjects allied to Medicine, Biological Sciences, Veterinary Science, Agriculture and Related Subjects, Physical Sciences, Mathematical Sciences, Computer Science, Engineering and Technology, Architecture, Building and Planning. Note: Figures are based on a HESA standard registration population and have been rounded to the nearest five. Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) | ||||
Local Enterprise Partnerships: Finance
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) what estimate he has made of the funding to be made available to local enterprise partnerships in each of the next three years; [22462]
(2) what potential sources of funding he has identified for local enterprise partnerships other than the Regional Growth Fund. [22463]
Mr Prisk: The availability of funding to support economic growth, including through local enterprise partnerships, is covered in the White Paper on Local Growth. No funding is expected to be allocated specifically for local enterprise partnerships.
Newton Scholarship Programme
Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has for the future status of the Newton Scholarship Programme; and if he will make a statement. [21212]
Mr Willetts: On 17 June the Chief Secretary to the Treasury announced that a number of unfunded projects would be cancelled or suspended. This included the Newton Scholarships, on which any future decision will now be taken during the detailed allocation process following the recent spending review settlement.
Radio Frequencies
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills in which calendar year he expects the 800 and 2.6 spectrum auctions to take place. [21868]
Mr Vaizey: Ofcom will be responsible for the auctioning of this spectrum and they are required to go through a process to do so. I would hope that this process might be concluded by the end of 2011, but it is possible that it could fall into the first half of 2012.
Research Councils
Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much his Department allocated to each research council in each year since 2005. [21214]
Mr Willetts: The allocations to each research council in each year since 2005 are set out in the following publications:
Science Budget Allocations 2005/06 to 2007/08-published in May 2005 by the DTI.
The Allocations of the Science Budget 2008/09 to 2010/11-published in December 2007 by DIUS.
Small Businesses: Kent
Mrs Grant: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has to support small and medium-sized enterprises in Maidstone and the Weald constituency. [21489]
Mr Prisk: I am pleased to be able to report a number of measures which are being undertaken with the purpose of stimulating growth which are particularly targeting support for small and medium sized enterprises.
The Government will provide highly focused support to SMEs through a renewed and streamlined portfolio of business improvement products to be launched by this Department in April 2011.
As the RDAs are decommissioned I will introduce a new and flexible delivery system comprising a national website, a national contact centre and access to mentors. I also intend to establish a network of Growth Hubs in England to support those businesses with high growth potential.
We are establishing Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) as set out in the White Paper. Maidstone and the Weald will be covered by a new LEP for Kent, Greater Essex and East Sussex. This will involve local business and civic leaders working together to drive economic growth and create new jobs in their communities.
In addition, the Government will commit an extra £200 million to Enterprise Capital Funds which enable firms to sell debt in exchange for a stake in the business.
I also will be working towards removing any qualification barriers that prevent small firms from accessing Government contracts.
Students: Kent
Mrs Grant: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of students educated in Maidstone and the Weald constituency who attended university in the last 12 months. [21488]
Mr Willetts: Figures for higher education entrants who were educated in Maidstone and the Weald are not available. As an alternative, figures for entrants to higher education (HE) who were resident in Maidstone and the Weald have been provided as an alternative.
The latest available information from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) relates to the 2008/09 academic year. Figures for the 2009/10 academic year will be available in January 2011.
In the 2008/09 academic year, there were 1,190 undergraduate entrants to UK higher education institutions who were resident in Maidstone and the Weald. The Department has recently received updated parliamentary constituency data therefore figures may not match those previously published. Figures for entrants to HE level courses at further education colleges are not available by parliamentary constituency, and are therefore excluded.
University Enterprise Capital Fund
Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has for the future status of the University Enterprise Capital Fund; and if he will make a statement. [21213]
Mr Willetts: The Government are committed to the continuance of the Enterprise Capital Fund programme that supports investments for the highest growth potential small businesses in the 'equity gap'. The spending review settlement will allow us to commit a further £200 million to new Enterprise Capital Funds over the coming four years. The Government's expert small business investment arm, Capital for Enterprise Ltd, have a pipeline of potential new Enterprise Capital Funds with whom they are in discussion and they anticipate the first of these to be investing early in the new year. There are a number of potential university focussed propositions among that pipeline which will be considered as they come to fruition.
Scotland
Departmental Official Hospitality
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department spent on hospitality for events hosted by each of its Ministers in (a) September and (b) October 2010. [21789]
David Mundell: Scotland Office expenditure on hospitality for events hosted by each Minister is as follows:
| £ | ||
| September | October | |
All expenditure incurred is in accordance with the principles of Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety.
Departmental Reviews
Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what departmental policy reviews his Department has undertaken since 6 May 2010; on what date each such review (a) was announced and (b) is expected to publish its findings; what estimate he has made of the cost of each such review; who has been appointed to lead each such review; to what remuneration each review leader is entitled; how many (i) full-time equivalent civil servants and (ii) seconded staff are working on each such review; from which organisations such staff have been seconded; and how much on average such seconded staff will be paid for their work on the review. [21876]
David Mundell: The Scotland Office has not undertaken any such departmental policy reviews since 6 May 2010.
Departmental Travel
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate his Department has made of its expenditure on travel undertaken by (a) him and (b) each other Minister in his Department in (i) September and (ii) October 2010. [21853]
David Mundell: Scotland Office estimated expenditure on travel undertaken by Ministers in September and October 2010 is as follows:
| £ | ||
| September | October | |
All ministerial travel is undertaken fully in accordance with the rules set out in the Ministerial Code and Travel by Ministers.
Welfare State: Reform
Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the likely effects on people in Scotland of the Government's proposed reductions in welfare expenditure. [22074]
Michael Moore: The Government's welfare reforms aim to create a system that supports those who need it, helps people back into work and makes work pay. Details have been laid out in the comprehensive spending review and more information will follow as the Government develop their Work programme.
Cabinet Office
Central Office of Information: Redundancy
Alison Seabeck: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) how many applications the Central Office of Information received for voluntary redundancy in the last two months; [20602]
(2) what consultation he has undertaken with trade unions on procedures for making compulsory redundancies in the Central Office of Information. [20603]
Mr Maude: I have asked the chief executive of the COI to write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Mark Lund, dated 1 November 2010:
As Chief Executive of the Central Office of Information (COI), I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question 020602/3 regarding the compulsory redundancy scheme, which was mitigated by the voluntary applications recently undertaken by COI.
236 applications for voluntary redundancy were received in September and October 2010.
COI is not aware however of any consultation that has taken place between the Minister for the Cabinet Office and the trade unions regarding this compulsory redundancy scheme.
Northern Ireland
Departmental Official Hospitality
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much his Department spent on hospitality for events hosted by each of its Ministers in (a) September and (b) October 2010. [21787]
Mr Paterson: The total amount spent was as follows:
September: £1,283.49
October: £1,018.03.
Wales
Unemployment
Dr Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on transport for unemployed people seeking work in remote rural and valley areas in Wales; and if she will make a statement. [20053]
Mr David Jones: My right hon. Friend has meetings with Ministers in the Department for Work and Pensions about a range of issues relevant to Wales.
It is an integral part of the role of advisers in Jobcentre Plus to take account of local transport issues when advising unemployed people seeking work on the options available. All claimants should be willing to take employment within a reasonable travel to work area. The local travel to work area is determined by each individual Jobcentre, taking into account the availability of local transport facilities.
Attorney-General
Departmental Redundancy
Ms Angela Eagle: To ask the Attorney-General (1) how much funding to meet staff redundancy costs was identified in the settlement letter for the Law Officers' Departments in respect of the Comprehensive Spending Review; [21505]
(2) what estimate he has made of the number of redundancies arising from the spending reductions proposed in the comprehensive spending review in respect of (a) the Law Officers' Departments and (b) their non-departmental public bodies; [21506]
(3) what estimate he has made of the cost to the Law Officers' Departments of staff redundancy in each of the next four years. [21507]
The Solicitor-General: All pressures on Departments' budgets were taken into account as part of the spending review and settlements were allocated accordingly. The full costs of any redundancies will be met from within the Law Officers' Departments' spending review resource DEL settlement. That settlement covers all of the departments for which the Attorney-General is responsible-namely, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), the Treasury Solicitor's Department, HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate, the Attorney-General's Office and the National Fraud Authority.
Determining optimal work force reforms in order to live within the Law Officers' Departments' spending review resource DEL settlement will be an ongoing process. The Crown Prosecution Service-which represents the most significant share of the Law Officers' Departments' overall budget-has already set out plans to reduce numbers in its headquarters directorates by 50%, and this process has already begun. These reductions are expected to be substantially met by natural wastage but there could be a small number of voluntary redundancies. However, detailed decisions regarding the number of redundancies that may be required overall-and the associated costs-have yet to be finalised.
Human Trafficking: Prosecutions
Mr Bone: To ask the Attorney-General in how many prosecutions undertaken by the Crown Prosecution Service (a) a person was charged with offences related to human trafficking and (b) such charges were reduced to lesser charges in each of the last five years. [21736]
The Solicitor-General: The Crown Prosecution Service's records show that, in the last five years, the following prosecutions have been brought on charges under sections 57, 58 and 59 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003, alleging trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation and section 4 of the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants) Act 2004, alleging trafficking for other exploitative purposes:
| Number of prosecutions | |
| (1) April to September 2010 only | |
The data relate only to the number of charged offences that reached first hearing in the magistrates courts.
The CPS holds no records of the number of offences that were subsequently reduced to lesser charges during this period.
Treasury
Community Investment Tax Relief
Dr Thérèse Coffey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he plans to bring forward proposals to extend access to community investment tax relief; and if he will make a statement. [21382]
Mr Gauke: Community investment tax relief (CITR) is an approved state aid, with the period of approval running from 2002 to 2012. It has raised funds which have been lent to businesses in or serving disadvantaged areas. As CITR nears the end of its current state aid approval, the Government will review the operation of the scheme and will announce its intentions for the future at the appropriate time.
Crown Lands and Estates: Wind Power
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will bring forward proposals to cap payments made by the Crown Estate to the Royal Family in respect of the development of wind farms for the purposes of allocating additional revenue to the (a) Green Investment Bank and (b) New Green Deal Fund. [21285]
Justine Greening: The Chancellor's statement of 20 October set out that the future payments to the Royal Household will be voted in the Treasury estimate, not made direct by the Crown Estate. Primary legislation to give effect to this decision will be brought forward and debated in due course.
Excise Duties: Fuels
Mr MacNeil: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his proposals to pilot a rural fuel discount scheme will include the Isle of Skye. [22053]
Justine Greening: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for North Ayrshire and Arran (Katy Clark) on 20 October 2010, Official Report, column 809W and the hon. Member on 1 November 2010, Official Report, columns 663-64W.
Personal Income
John McDonnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of (a) millionaires and (b) billionaires resident in the UK in each year since 2000; how many people were taxed on the basis of incomes of over £1 million a year before allowances on the latest date for which figures are available; how many were so taxed in each of the last 10 years; and what estimate he has made of the tax revenue generated from those so taxed in each year. [21106]
Mr Gauke: Estimates of the number of millionaires in the UK by year are given in the following table. Data beyond 2005 are not available due to data quality problems. HMRC is reviewing data in this area, with a view to publishing figures for subsequent years once the quality issues have been resolved.
| Number of millionaires (thousand) | |
| n/a = not available | |
The latest estimate (2005) is published in the HMRC Personal Wealth National Statistics Table 13.5:
An estimate of the number of billionaires is not available.
Information on the number of taxpayers with income, subject to income tax, in excess of £1 million for 2007-08 to 2010-11 can be found on the income tax statistics and distribution table 2.5 'Income tax liabilities, by income range' published on HMRC's website:
Information for earlier years is shown in the following table.
| Taxpayers with income, subject to income tax, in excess of £1 million | ||
| Number of taxpayers (thousand) | Total tax liability (£ million) | |
| Source: Based on the Survey of Personal Incomes (SPI) | ||
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