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8 Nov 2010 : Column 91W—continued
In addition to Back-Bench Members who do not wish to sign early-day motions, this figure would include the Speaker and Deputy Speakers as well as Government Ministers and Whips and members of the Opposition parties' Front-Bench teams who do not sign early-day motions as a matter of convention.
At the start of the current Parliament and following a request from the Procedure Committee, the Table Office introduced a facility for Members who did not wish to sign any early-day motions to place a general block on their names being added to an early-day motion. 12 Members have made use of this facility so far this session.
Sir Paul Beresford: To ask the Leader of the House how many early-day motions, other than motions praying against a statutory instrument, were subsequently moved by the original sponsor on the floor of the House in each session since session 2005-06. [22570]
Sir George Young: No early-day motions (EDMs), other than motions praying against a statutory instrument, have been subsequently moved by the original sponsor on the Floor of the House in any session since session 2005-06.
The text of an EDM has on occasion been adopted for use in a motion moved by a Member who was not the original sponsor. This occurred most recently in the case of the subsidiarity motion relating to draft directive to amend the Investor Compensation Schemes Directive, which was originally tabled as EDM 820 sponsored by the hon. Member for Stone (Mr Cash) on 14 October 2010 and was subsequently moved on the Floor of the House on 25 October 2010 by the Government. On 8 January 2008, the text of an EDM on higher education was used for an Opposition Day motion.
There are historical examples of EDMs being debated on rare occasions. It would be open to the Backbench Business Committee to find time for an EDM to be debated and moved on the Floor of the House by the original sponsor.
Sir Paul Beresford: To ask the Leader of the House how many early-day motions tabled attracted (a) 200 signatures or more and (b) fewer than 10 signatures in each Session since Session 2005-06. [22572]
Sir George Young: The information is shown in the following table:
| Session | Number of EDMs with 200 signatures or more | Number of EDMs with fewer than 10 signatures |
All EDMs since the start of the 1989-90 Session are available on the internet at:
which includes the full text as well as the number of signatures. EDMs before this Session are held in the parliamentary archives.
The most signatures recorded on an EDM was in the 2001-02 Session to Malcolm Savidge's motion on the need to avoid conflict between India and Pakistan, which attracted 502 signatures. Previously the record was 482 signatures for an EDM on service pensions tabled in 1964 by Sir Robert Cary. The House of Commons Library factsheet on EDMs provides a list of EDMs since 1939 which have attracted 300 or more signatures.
Deputy Prime Minister
House of Lords: Reform
Jesse Norman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what representations he has received from (a) academics and (b) other constitutional experts on his proposals for reform of the House of Lords. [21911]
Mr Harper: To date, one letter has been received from an academic. The Government's detailed proposals for reform of the House of Lords will be published in a draft Bill early next year. It is anticipated that this will generate interest from many quarters including from constitutional experts and other academics.
Voting Rights: Prisoners
Mr Cash: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the oral answer to the right hon. Member for Tooting (Sadiq Khan) of 2 November 2010, Official Report, column 771, on prisoners right to vote, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his proposals to extend to prisoners the right to vote of the lecture given by the Lord Chief Justice on 17 March 2010, on the obligations of UK courts in respect of the European Court of Human Rights. [22613]
Mr Harper: The Lord Chief Justice's lecture refers to the duty on domestic courts to take relevant judgments of the European Court of Human Rights into account. This duty is set out in section 2 of the Human Rights Act 1998.
This does not change the fact that the Government are obliged under the terms of the European Convention on Human Rights to abide by final judgments of the
Strasbourg court to which they are a party. The Government therefore accept there is a need to amend the law following the Hirst judgment in 2005. The Government are actively considering this and work is continuing.
Women and Equalities
Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women
Stephen Phillips: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what steps she is taking to ensure that the Government's undertakings in respect of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women are fulfilled. [22414]
Lynne Featherstone: The Government are strongly committed to fulfilling their international obligations under the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), which is an essential tool to progress gender equality domestically and internationally.
The Minister for Women and Equalities has recently written to her ministerial colleagues, including those in the devolved Administrations, and has asked her officials to write to the British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. She highlighted the importance of CEDAW as a means of delivering gender equality; sought their support in promoting CEDAW within their Departments; and asked them for their cooperation and agreement in the preparation of the next report.
The Government will be submitting the UK seventh CEDAW periodic report to the United Nations in May 2011, as scheduled and will fully engage in the Committee's examination process, expected in 2012.
The Government Equalities Office, which is responsible for overseeing and promoting the delivery of UK commitments to CEDAW, has put in place mechanisms to consult with non-governmental organisations and women's organisations on the UK's progress on CEDAW.
Departmental Redundancy
Ms Angela Eagle: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what estimate she has made of the number of redundancies at the Government Equalities Office arising from the spending reductions proposed in the comprehensive spending review. [21566]
Lynne Featherstone: Determining optimal workforce reforms in order to live within the Government Equalities Office spending review resource DEL settlement will be an ongoing process. Detailed decisions regarding the number of redundancies that may be required have yet to be finalised.
Ms Angela Eagle: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what estimate she has made of the cost to the Government Equalities Office of staff redundancy in each of the next four years. [21567]
Lynne Featherstone:
The Government Equality Office's (GEOs) budget covers the operations of the GEO and its surviving non-departmental public body, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC). The reduced
role for the EHRC set out in the findings of the Public Bodies Review means that the Commission's workforce will reduce considerably over the next four years. GEOs staff will also reduce. No precise estimate of the costs of redundancies is possible given that the amounts payable are still to be decided and the numbers being made redundant will depend on other factors such as natural wastage.
Discrimination
Mark Pritchard: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities if she will bring forward legislative proposals to create an offence of discrimination against those who have been physically disfigured. [21686]
Maria Miller: I have been asked to reply.
Specific provisions in the Equality Act 2010 enable a person with a severe disfigurement (other than a tattoo or piercing) to gain the protection of the Act as a disabled person. The Equality Act 2010 makes it unlawful for a disabled person to be subjected to direct discrimination, indirect discrimination, or discrimination arising from disability. In addition it is a form of unlawful discrimination to fail to make a reasonable adjustment for a disabled person.
In general, the civil courts and tribunals determine contraventions of the discrimination provisions in the Equality Act 2010. While there are certain criminal offences for particular situations, there are no plans to criminalise contraventions of the Act in general or in this particular case.
Equality Act 2010
Anne Marie Morris: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what plans she has to implement the dual discrimination provisions of the Equality Act 2010. [21850]
Lynne Featherstone: The majority of the Equality Act was commenced on 1 October. The Government are considering how best to take forward the remainder of the Act, including the dual discrimination provisions, in the best way for business and others with rights and responsibilities under the Act.
Mr Raab: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what estimate she has made of the cost to the (a) Government Equalities Office and (b) Equality and Human Rights Commission of reviewing the publications listed in sections 2 and 3 of the draft Equality Act 2010 (Statutory Duties) Regulations 2011. [22743]
Lynne Featherstone: The Equality and Human Rights Commission will continue to monitor compliance with equality legislation, in line with its statutory requirements. No separate estimate has been made of the costs of reviewing documentation under these regulations as part of that work, although any costs will be contained within the spending settlement for the Government Equalities Office budget announced on 20 October. The purpose of these regulations is to promote transparency and democratic accountability. They will ensure citizens and civil society groups have the necessary data and evidence to hold public bodies to account, and to apply public pressure to drive a faster pace of change.
Mr Raab: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what estimate has she made of the cost to the public bodies affected arising from implementation of sections 2 and 3 of the draft Equality Act 2010 (Statutory Duties) Regulations 2011. [22744]
Lynne Featherstone: The Government estimate that implementing the new regulations will save public bodies around £17 million in the first year and £25 million each year thereafter, compared to the regulations they will replace. The consultation document on the draft regulations includes a regulatory impact assessment which sets out these savings in detail. The consultation document is available on the Government Equalities Office website at:
LGBT History Month
Priti Patel: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities how much the Government Equalities Office spent under each budget heading on the LGBT History Month event in February 2010. [22063]
Lynne Featherstone: The Government Equalities Office spent a total £3,768 on the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender History Month. These costs relate to the venue only.
Treasury
AgustaWestland
Ian Lucas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received on financial assistance for AgustaWestland since his appointment. [21405]
Danny Alexander [holding answer 2 November 2010]: To the best of my knowledge, the Department has not received any representations on financial assistance for AgustaWestland since the election.
Ian Lucas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the assistance provided to AgustaWestland proposed in the spending review is a loan or a grant. [21407]
Danny Alexander [holding answer 2 November 2010]: The final form of the assistance is subject to detailed ongoing negotiations with the company.
Crown Currency Exchange
Anne Marie Morris: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to assist those affected by the entry into administration of Crown Currency Exchange. [21429]
Mr Hoban: The administrators of Crown Currency Exchange are reviewing the position of customers who were left with outstanding orders. The administrators will contact customers to confirm that the completion of currency orders has been suspended and to provide details of the next steps in the administration process.
The administrators will review Crown's trading operations, its financial position and the conduct of its directors. Once the administrators have reported, the Government will look closely at this case to see what lessons need to be learned from the failure of the company.
Departmental Early Retirement
Philip Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff of (a) his Department and (b) its agencies have been offered enhanced early retirement packages in each of the last three years. [22029]
Justine Greening: The number of staff leaving HM Treasury and its agencies receiving enhanced terms under the Civil Service Compensation Scheme in the last three complete years for which figures are available are shown in the following table. Where information relates to staff numbers fewer than five, it is the Department's policy not to disclose data if this could lead to the identification of protected personal information about individual members of staff.
| Department/agency | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 |
| (1) Fewer than five. | |||
EU Budget
Mr Davidson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer from what budgets the share of the increase in the EU budget for 2011 which is attributable to the UK will be drawn. [21764]
Justine Greening: In accordance with European Communities Act (2008), UK contributions to the EU budget are paid directly from the Consolidated Fund. Discussions on the EU budget for 2011 are now in the conciliation process and no budget has yet been agreed.
Mental Health
Jo Swinson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the recommendations relevant to his Department's policy responsibilities contained in the Foresight Report on Mental Capital and Wellbeing by the Government Office for Science; if he will ensure that his Department takes steps to promote well-being; if he will ensure that his Department's policy development process takes account of psychological research into subjective well-being; and if he will make a statement. [22205]
Justine Greening:
The spending review prioritised spending on health, with funding for the NHS growing by 0.4% in real terms over the spending review period. This will allow for new policies to improve mental health and well-being, such as further expansion of access to talking therapies, including for the young and elderly, and additional investment in veterans' mental health services, as recommended by the Murrison review. More details will be set out in a mental health strategy which will be published early in the new year, informed
by the Foresight Report on Mental Capital and Wellbeing and, as with all Government strategies, other sources of research into relevant areas.
HM Treasury's Health and Safety Policy sets out a commitment to the prevention of work-related physical and mental ill-health. The Department supports the mental well-being of staff with welfare advice and counselling through a confidential, 24/7 helpline and communications on the prevention and management of stress in order to prevent mental ill-health.
Office for Budget Responsibility
Mary Creagh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what contact (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department had with the Office for Budget Responsibility on (i) 29 June, (ii) 30 June and (iii) 1 July 2010. [9129]
Justine Greening [holding answer 19 July 2010]: The interim Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) was established on 17 May 2010 to make an independent assessment of the public finances and the economy for the emergency Budget. The Budget Responsibility Committee (BRC) had direct control over the forecasts, made all the key judgments that drive the official projections, and had discretion over what material was published.
Ministers did not meet with the BRC between 29 June and 1 July 2010. Members of the BRC met with Treasury Ministers on five occasions between May 2010 and middle of July 2010 to brief them on the OBR forecasts and provide advice on the permanent arrangements for the OBR forecasts and provide advice on the permanent arrangements for the OBR. Further details are set out in the National Audit Office report of the 22 June 2010.
Treasury officials were in contact with the OBR on an ongoing basis as part of the process of forecast production and publication.
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reasons the preparation of an environmental sustainability assessment such as that contained in previous pre-Budget reports was not included in the remit for the Office for Budget Responsibility. [22643]
Justine Greening: The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) will have a duty to examine and report on the sustainability of the public finances, as set out in the Budget Responsibility and National Audit Bill. Beyond the reporting requirements set out in the Bill, the OBR will have complete discretion in the work it undertakes insofar as these relate to its duty and expertise to examine and report on the sustainability of the public finances.
The Government will remain responsible for assessing environmental impacts of Government policy, including the requirement to consider and publish the environmental impacts of policy proposals as set out in Green Book guidance.
Public Expenditure
Mr Nicholas Brown:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the merits of the sale of (a) British Waterways, (b) the Dartford Crossing, (c) the Defence Storage and Distribution
Agency, (d) High Speed 1, (e) the Land Registry, (f) the Met Office, (g) NATS, (h) NHS Professionals, (i) the Oil and Pipelines Agency-Government Pipeline and Storage System, (j) Ordnance Survey, (k) Public Forest Estate England, (l) Public Sector Spectrum Holdings, (m) The Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, (n) The Royal Mint, (o) the Student Loans Portfolio, (p) The Tote, (q) Trust Ports, (r) URENCO, (s) the Royal Mail, (t) the 800MHz and 2.6GHz spectrum and (u) other public sector parts of the spectrum suitable for mobile communication purposes. [19879]
Danny Alexander: Following an assessment, the Government have already made announcements regarding some of the assets outlined, some at the June Budget, and others at the spending review. By way of example, we have launched a full sale of High Speed 1 and introduced enabling legislation for Royal Mail. Decisions will be taken on NATS, the Student Loan Book and the Tote by Budget 2011.
The Government assesses their holdings of assets on an ongoing basis, including all of the ones on the list. For commercial reasons we would not want to speculate on decisions the Government might reach with regards to any particular asset, as a result of our assessments.
If the Government were to decide to pursue a transaction on any of these assets, an announcement would be made at an appropriate opportunity.
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has for the future of end-year flexibility. [22041]
Danny Alexander: As set out in Spending Review 2010, the Government are abolishing the end-year flexibility scheme at the end of 2010-11, including all accumulated stocks, and replacing it with a new system from 2011-12 which will retain an incentive for Departments to avoid wasteful end-year spending and strengthen spending control. Further detail will be set out later this financial year in the Treasury's "Consolidated Budgeting Guidance".
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what he expects the monetary value of end-year flexibility to be in each Department at the end of this financial year. [22044]
Danny Alexander: Table 6 of the "Public Expenditure 2009-10: Provisional Outturn White Paper" details the carry forward of notional DEL end-year flexibility (EYF) stocks from 2009-10 into 2010-11.
Spending Review 2010 announced that the end-year flexibility (EYF) system is to be abolished at the end of 2010-11, including all accumulated stocks, and replaced with a new system from 2011-12 which will retain an incentive for Departments to avoid wasteful end-year spending and strengthen spending control. Further detail will be set out later this financial year in the "Consolidated Budgeting Guidance".
As a result of this announcement, there will be no such carry forward of notional EYF stocks from 2010-11 into 2011-12.
Jon Trickett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of job losses attributable to the comprehensive spending review measures in the (a) public and (b) private sector in each year of the spending review period. [22139]
Danny Alexander: The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) released its projections for whole economy employment to 2015-16 on 22 June 2010, as part of its Budget forecasts.
Further information on its employment forecast, including projections for general government employment, was released on 30 June 2010 in its document "OBR forecast: Employment", which can be found on the following webpage:
The OBR latest forecast reflects the degree of fiscal consolidation of the 2010 Spending Review, as announced in the Budget. The OBR will update its forecasts on 29 November.
Public Expenditure: Northern Ireland
Sammy Wilson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether there will be Barnett consequentials for Northern Ireland as a result of the Government's proposals for the future funding of higher education. [22573]
Danny Alexander: The Government's proposals for the future funding of higher education in England will be funded from within the Government's spending plans announced on 20 October, on which the Northern Ireland Executive has already received Barnett consequentials.
Redundancy: North West
Helen Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of (a) public and (b) private sector jobs held by (i) women and (ii) men in (A) Warrington and (B) the North West that will be lost as a result of the implementation of the outcomes of the comprehensive spending review. [22338]
Danny Alexander: The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) released its projections for whole economy employment to 2015-16 as part of its Budget forecasts on 22 June 2010.
Further information on its employment forecast, including its projections for general government employment, was released on 30 June 2010 in the document 'OBR forecast: Employment', which can be found on the following webpage:
The latest OBR forecast reflects the degree of fiscal consolidation announced in the Budget and consistent with the 2010 spending review. The OBR will update its forecasts on 29 November 2010.
The OBR has not published forecasts on a sub-national level or by gender.
State Retirement Pensions: Uprating
Mr Bain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has received legal advice on the use of the consumer prices index for measuring movements in the general level of prices for the purposes of (a) section 59 of the Social Security Pensions Act 1975 and (b) section 151 of the Social Security Administration Act 1992. [22324]
Steve Webb: I have been asked to reply.
Advice was taken on the legality of the use of the consumer prices index as the measure of the general level of prices in the context of the Secretary of State's statutory duty under section 150 of the Social Security Administration Act 1992. Neither section 151 of that Act nor section 59 of the Social Security Pensions Act 1975 require the Secretary of State to measure movements in the general level of prices.
Mr Bain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received on the proposed use of the consumer prices index for the indexation of (a) benefits, (b) tax credits and (c) pensions. [22325]
Justine Greening: Engagement with the public and external experts has demonstrated a strong consensus in support of action to tackle the deficit and secure economic stability. It has also revealed broad agreement that spending reductions should be balanced across public services and welfare payments, rather than just focused on the former. Regarding the switch to the consumer prices index (CPI) for the indexation of benefits, tax credits and public sector pensions, a number of economic commentators have endorsed the Government's assessment that the CPI has advantages over the retail prices index, including that it better represents the real behaviour of consumers in substituting away from goods which have become relatively more expensive towards cheaper goods.
Mr Bain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he sought advice from the UK Statistics Authority prior to his decision to propose the use of the consumer prices index for the indexation of pensions. [22326]
Steve Webb: I have been asked to reply.
The Department made use of a range of information provided by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) regarding price inflation indices. The UK Statistics Authority has oversight of the ONS.
Taxation: Private Rented Housing
Phil Wilson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many cases HM Revenue and Customs have brought against landlords for non-payment of tax on rental income since 2007. [19095]
Mr Gauke: In the period 2007-10, the vast majority of interventions (cases) undertaken by HMRC into landlords for mis-declaration of rental income originate from our National Property Project. A small number of interventions originating from other projects may also have included rental income queries.
This project began in March 2007. From that date until the end of June 2010, HMRC:
identified 44,413 such interventions; and
finalised 36,631 of these interventions.
Taxation: Wales
Guto Bebb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many single income families with a household income of between £43,875 and £50,000 remit their taxes to an HM Revenue and Customs office located in Wales. [22069]
Mr Gauke: The information requested is not available. Most of these individuals will have tax deducted via Pay As You Earn (PAYE) by their employer, who will remit tax to HMRC on their behalf. Almost all PAYE is remitted to HMRC's two main Accounts Offices in Cumbernauld and Shipley regardless of where the employer or employee are located.
VAT: Private Education
Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he plans to review the value added tax exemption for private schools. [21997]
Mr Gauke: European law exempts certain suppliers of education from VAT, meaning that private schools do not charge VAT on the services they provide and are unable to recover VAT they incur on their costs. The Government have no plans to review these VAT rules.
Welfare Tax Credits: Livingston
Graeme Morrice: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many households in Livingston constituency are in receipt of tax credits. [22072]
Mr Gauke: The latest information on the number of families benefiting from child and working tax credits, by each parliamentary constituency, local authority and region is available in the HMRC snapshot publication "Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics. Geographical Analyses. April 2010". This can be found at:
This publication shows that 12,500 families in Livingston receive tax credits.
Written Questions: Government Responses
Ian Lucas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to provide a substantive answer to question 21407, on AugustaWestland, tabled on 28 October 2010 for named day answer on 2 November 2010. [22622]
Danny Alexander: I have now replied to the hon. Member.
Transport
A1: Hatfield
Mr Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects the refurbishment work and associated lane closures at the A1 Hatfield Tunnel to end; and what the initial scheduled date was for the completion of the project. [22692]
Mike Penning: The refurbishment work and associated lane closures at the Hatfield Tunnel are scheduled to end in May 2011. The initial schedule date for completion of the project was spring 2011.
Aviation: Northern Ireland
Naomi Long: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has had discussions with the Minister for Regional Development in the Northern Ireland Executive on the merits of (a) devolution to the Northern Ireland Assembly of responsibility for aviation in Northern Ireland and (b) an aviation strategy for Northern Ireland. [21189]
Mrs Villiers: The Secretary of State has not had any discussions with the Minister for Regional Development in the Northern Ireland Executive on these matters.
Aviation: Security
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on what dates since 11 May 2010 he has met representatives of the aviation industry to discuss security matters; and what items were on the agenda on each occasion. [22482]
Mr Philip Hammond: I have frequent meetings with aviation industry representatives and the critical importance of aviation security means that this issue is almost always discussed in some form.
I met with a wide range of representatives from the aviation industry on 4 November, including UK airports, UK airlines and air freight operators, to discuss the recent air cargo security incident.
A full list of ministerial meetings with external organisations is published quarterly on my Department's website at the following address:
Bus Services: Finance
Mr Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with the Confederation of Passenger Transport on the likely effects on (a) bus fares and (b) service levels of the reduction in Bus Service Operators Grant proposed in the spending review. [22267]
Norman Baker: I spoke to the Confederation of Passenger Transport UK, who represent the bus industry, following the Chancellor's announcement on 20 October. They were hopeful that, in general, this reduction could be absorbed without fares having to rise.
Cycling
Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many staff directly employed by his Department have worked on cycling issues in (a) each of the last five years and (b) 2010; and how many such staff he expects to work on cycling issues in each of the next three years. [20198]
Norman Baker:
It is not possible to give a meaningful figure of the number of staff working on cycling issues in each of the last five years. Many different teams in the Department for Transport contribute to cycling
policy as part of their wider responsibilities, for instance in relation to road safety, communications, research or traffic management.
For the last three years, including 2010, there have been around 20 people directly employed by Department for Transport in the Sustainable Travel team. Not all these people spend 100% of their time devoted to cycling issues. Since 2008 this includes three staff members specifically employed to work on Cycling England programme delivery.
Future staffing requirements are currently being determined, following spending review announcements.
Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) children and (b) adults have received national standards cycle training in each of the last five years. [20204]
Norman Baker: The Government have been funding National Standard and Bikeability cycle training in schools since 2006-07 with detailed monitoring of delivery in place since 2007-08. Details of the training delivered are set out in the following table for the period 2006-07 to 2009-10.
| Number | ||||
| 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | |
| Note: Figures are rounded up to the nearest 1,000. | ||||
The figures are based on returns from local authorities and School Sports Partnerships.
Although we do not have an accurate figure for training places funded and delivered by local authorities in England in addition to those funded by the Government, we estimate local authorities outside of London deliver between 20,000 and 30,000 additional Level 2 National Standard or Bikeability places each year.
The Government do not fund adult cycle training and therefore have no information on the number of adults receiving national standard training in past five years whether from local authorities or independent training companies.
The Government are committed to maintaining the integrity of Bikeability.
Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) children and (b) adults he expects to receive national standards cycle training in (i) 2010 and (ii) each of the next four years. [20205]
Norman Baker: The Government have provided £11 million to fund 275,000 National Standard Level 2 Bikeability Training places in 2010-11. The Spending Review confirmed the Government's commitment to funding Bikeability training for the next four years. We will make an announcement as soon as possible on how the training will be delivered after March 2011.
In addition to those funded by the Government we estimate that between 20,000 to 30,000 additional Level 2 Bikeability places each year are delivered by local authorities in England.
The Government do not fund adult or Level 3 Bikeability cycle training and therefore has no information on the number of adults likely to receive national standard training in 2010-11 or in the future whether from local authorities or independent training companies.
Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the cost has been of (a) delivering and (b) administering national standards cycle training programmes in each of the last six years. [20206]
Norman Baker: Grants and bursaries to deliver National Standard Level 2 cycle training since the Government began funding in 2006-07 are set out in the following table:
| £ million | |||||
| 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | |
| Note: £45,000 was made available for bursaries in 2005-06 to help start building capacity in cycle training prior to the funding of training places in 2006-07. | |||||
The current estimated cost of administering and developing Bikeability training in 2010-11 by way of grants and contracts in addition to Department for Transport/Cycling England staff costs addition to Department for Transport/Cycling England staff costs is £1,220,000. This combines both ongoing running costs and development costs that will not be repeated in future years.
Cycling: Safety
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will bring forward legislative proposals to require drivers of motor vehicles to keep a minimum of three feet away from cyclists on the highway. [22677]
Mike Penning:
The Government have no plans to introduce such legislation. All drivers have a duty of care and consideration to other road users. Rules 163,
211-213 of The Highway Code advises drivers to give cyclists at least as much room as a car when overtaking and to give them plenty of room and pay attention to any sudden change in direction they may have to make.
Departmental Official Hospitality
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department spent on hospitality for events hosted by each of its Ministers in (a) September and (b) October 2010. [21790]
Norman Baker: No hospitality costs have been incurred for events hosted by Ministers at the Department for Transport within these timescales.
High Speed Trains
Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his policy is on the provision of a high-speed rail link between London and Scotland. [21033]
Mr Philip Hammond: In its Programme for Government, the coalition has set out its support for a truly national high speed rail network, while acknowledging that a project of this scale must be delivered in phases. I have recently asked High Speed Two Ltd to carry out further development work on plans for a Y-shaped network from London to Leeds and Manchester, which could cut journey times to Glasgow and Edinburgh to around three hours 30 minutes via high speed services through-running on to the conventional network.
In the longer term, the National Infrastructure Plan has set out the Government's intention to look at the options for further reducing journey times to Glasgow and Edinburgh, on which we will need to work in collaboration with the Scottish Government.
High Speed 2: North Staffordshire
Tristram Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions (a) he has had and (b) he plans to have with representatives of businesses in the West Midlands on a rail station in North Staffordshire for the High Speed 2 line. [21277]
Mr Philip Hammond: I have had no discussions of this kind to date. I have asked HS2 Ltd to develop proposals for high speed railway routes from the West Midlands to both Manchester and Leeds. As a part of this work they will be assessing forecast demand for intermediate stations. If the analysis shows demand in a particular area, such that an additional station would add to the business case for HS2, I will ask them to look for station locations in partnership with the relevant local authorities and representative bodies.
High Speed 2: West Midlands
Tristram Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what modelling (a) his Department and (b) High Speed Two (i) has undertaken and (ii) plans to undertake on possible stations on the Birmingham to Manchester section of the High Speed Two line. [21278]
Mr Philip Hammond: To date neither the Department for Transport nor High Speed 2 Ltd have undertaken any modelling on possible stops on the Birmingham to Manchester section of the proposed High Speed Two line.
I have recently asked High Speed 2 Ltd to carry out further development work on plans for a Y-shaped network from London to Leeds and Manchester and as a part of this work they will be assessing forecast demand for intermediate stations.
Local Sustainable Transport Fund
Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the Local Sustainable Transport Fund will be open to bids from voluntary sector organisations. [20194]
Norman Baker: The Department for Transport is currently preparing full guidance on the bidding process for the Local Sustainable Transport Fund which we intend to publish later in the year. This will set out among other things what bodies will be eligible to apply to the fund.
Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of the Local Sustainable Transport Fund he estimates will be spent on (a) major public transport schemes and (b) local schemes to promote (i) travel by bus, (ii) cycling and (iii) walking. [20195]
Norman Baker: It will be for local partnerships-local transport authorities working with their communities-to identify the right solutions for their areas which are affordable, deliverable and meet the high level requirements of helping the economy and cutting carbon. The proportion of different scheme types that receive funding will depend upon the nature of the bids received.
Maritime and Coastguard Agency
David Mowat: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 18 October 2010, Official Report, column 624W, on the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, what estimate he has made of the cost of responding to incidents attributed to, or believed to be caused by, sky lanterns in the last 12 months; and what the average cost of responding to such incidents was when a (a) lifeboat and (b) helicopter responded. [21895]
Mike Penning: The information is not available in the format requested and to provide it would incur disproportionate costs.
The Maritime and Coastguard (MCA) does not routinely collate information relating to the costs of individual search and rescue missions. The majority of the agency's search and rescue costs, such as its rescue co-ordination centres and its contracted helicopters, are fixed and would be incurred even if not responding to incidents.
The MCA has no visibility of the costs associated with lifeboats as this is borne by either the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) or another independent lifeboat operator.
Motor Vehicles: Exports
Mr Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many certificates of permanent export for vehicles the Driving and Vehicle Licensing Agency issued in (a) 2008, (b) 2009 and (c) 2010 to date. [22694]
Mike Penning: The number of permanent export certificates issued by the Driving and Vehicle Licensing Agency since 2008 is:
| Number | |
Motor Vehicles: Testing
Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he next plans to review MOT test fees; and if he will make a statement. [20275]
Mike Penning [holding answer 28 October 2010]: The Department for Transport does keep MOT fee levels under regular review and officials will be meeting with representatives of the MOT test trade next month where this issue will be on the agenda.
The fee maxima for the various classes of MOT test were last increased on 6 April 2010. The maximum fee for a car class test increased from £54 to £54.85. The proportion of this fee that goes to VOSA to cover its costs in administering the MOT scheme increased from £2 to £2.05.
National Aviation Security Committee
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on what dates since 11 May 2010 he has met the National Aviation Security Committee; and what items were on the agenda of each such meeting. [22481]
Mr Philip Hammond: The National Aviation Security Committee, which is a high level strategic group which meets twice yearly, last met on 26 May 2010 under the chairmanship of the Director General for International Networks and Environments.
The agenda for this meeting comprised the following items:
Introduction and Welcome;
Threat assessment;
Report from the Executive Committee to National Aviation Security Committee;
Compliance;
Future Tasking for the Executive Committee;
Any Other Business.
My right hon. Friend the Minister of State is intending to chair the next meeting of the National Aviation Security Committee, scheduled for 29 November 2010.
Since the discovery of a potentially viable explosive device on an aircraft at East Midlands Airport on 29 October I have convened an ad hoc meeting with airport operators, airlines, freight and courier firms and have attended meetings of Cobra and the National Security Council.
Pollution: Liquefied Petroleum Gas
Mr Tom Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the potential contribution of vehicles operated on liquid petroleum gas to meeting targets for air quality. [21798]
Norman Baker: Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) can be used as a transport fuel in converted petrol vehicles. The Department for Transport commissioned testing with Tickford Powertrain of the air pollutant emissions of a number of such vehicles in 2006-07, the results of which can be found online:
The results of this testing showed that air pollutant emissions when these vehicles ran on LPG were similar to, but no lower than, those when running on petrol. Tailpipe CO2 emissions from LPG were however around 11% lower than from petrol, due to the lower carbon content of the fuel. Based on this evidence, converting petrol vehicles to run on LPG is unlikely to have any air quality benefit.
Ports: Scotland
Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much of his Department's capital expenditure was allocated to the (a) development and (b) overhaul of ports in Scotland in each year since 1997. [22607]
Mike Penning: Ports policy is devolved in Scotland and ports there, as in England, generally fund their investment on a commercial basis. However, during the period in question the following grant awards were made on behalf of Scottish Ministers for freight facilities:
| Grantee | Facilities | Grant award (£) | |
|
Renovation of Portavadie Quay and upgrading of Forestry Road |
Public Transport: Franchises
Mrs Grant: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what mechanisms his Department has in place to ensure that lack of financial viability of the franchisee for a public transport route does not prevent the provision of services on that route. [21592]
Mrs Villiers: The Department for Transport lets franchises for operating rail services. Once central Government grant to Network Rail is taken into account, almost none of the individual rail franchises earn sufficient revenue to cover the total costs of service provision. The provision of rail services is therefore ensured through the Department's procurement and contract management processes, working alongside the commercial incentives of rail operators.
Value for money and affordability are key considerations in deciding the priority for providing taxpayer support for services. In circumstances where a franchisee is unable to continue operating, the Department is required to ensure the continuation of rail services under section 30 of the Railways Act 1993 (as amended).
Railways: Construction
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the environmental effects of proposed high speed rail links on the (a) environment and (b) properties in the vicinity of each route. [21685]
Mr Philip Hammond [holding answer 4 November 2010]: In assessing the environmental effects of the proposed high speed line, officials in HS2 Ltd have liaised with colleagues in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. They will continue to engage on environmental matters including the preparation of the full Appraisal of Sustainability that the Government will publish to inform the forthcoming public consultation.
Dan Byles: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many applications his Department received for compensation under the Exceptional Hardship Scheme for High Speed 2 on the most recent date for which figures are available; and how many such applications were approved. [22075]
Mr Philip Hammond: As of 2 November 2010, the High Speed 2 Exceptional Hardship Scheme had received 79 applications. Decisions have been made on 31 of these applications so far. Of these 31 applications, 11 have been accepted.
Dan Byles: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether local authorities that suffer a net loss in the monetary value of their housing assets attributable to the determined route for High Speed 2 will be compensated. [22076]
Mr Philip Hammond: In my statement to Parliament on 26 July 2010, Official Report, columns 73-75WS, announcing the High Speed 2 Exceptional Hardship Scheme, I also set out my intention to introduce further arrangements to assist property owners, following consultation on the Government's high speed rail strategy and the route of any new line. I intend to introduce additional arrangements to help people whose property would not be covered by the statutory blight regime, but may nevertheless suffer a significant diminution in value as a result of proximity of the line.
At this stage it is too early to predict what the format or terms of such arrangements might be, both generally and with regard to local authorities. I have asked my officials to provide me with further advice on options for the terms and conditions of such additional provision and how it should operate. I will report to Parliament on my proposed way forward in the light of the spending review outcome and before public consultation.
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to take a decision on the route for the High Speed 2 Rail Line. [22133]
Mr Philip Hammond: I intend to announce my preferred route for consultation later this year. The consultation period will begin early in 2011, and will last for a period significantly in excess of the minimum duration recommended in the Government's Consultation Code of Practice. Final decisions on the route of any new line will only be taken following this public consultation.
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate his Department has made of the number of properties likely to be affected by his proposals for the route of the High Speed 2 rail line. [22134]
Mr Philip Hammond: I am still considering the exact route that we will recommend for consultation. Estimates of the numbers of properties that may be affected will be included in the full Appraisal of Sustainability which will be published to inform the forthcoming consultation.
Railways: Heathrow Airport
Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what the terms of reference were for the report by Arup on the Heathrow link; [19972]
(2) if he will publish the report by Arup on the Heathrow link in a form which includes maps; [19973]
(3) for what reasons his Department has redacted the report by Arup on the Heathrow link. [19974]
Mr Philip Hammond: Arup's report on a Heathrow link and its subsequent submission to the Mawhinney Review were commissioned and prepared independently by Arup. The Department for Transport had no involvement in setting any terms of reference which the company may have followed in carrying out its work.
The submission to the Mawhinney Review was made in strict confidence and subject to the Department for Transport's agreement that it would not be published or otherwise made public other than in its redacted form (the redactions having been made by Arup). This is because the material contains detailed information on Arup's proposals for a Heathrow Hub which the company has worked up independently, on which it has expended significant resources, and which in its opinion constitutes valuable intellectual property.
Railways: West Midlands
John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate his Department has made of the public spending required in (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012 and (d) 2013 to develop the proposed HS2 high speed rail link from London to Birmingham. [18011]
Mr Philip Hammond: In respect of the current financial year, I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 14 October 2010, Official Report, column 411W, given to the hon. Member for Brighton, Pavilion (Caroline Lucas).
For subsequent years, the Government have confirmed that over £750 million in funding has been identified for high speed rail over the spending review period. This figure includes annual resource funding as follows:
| £ million | |
In addition, with regard to capital expenditure, the Department for Transport estimates that up to £50 million a year will be required to fund the purchase of properties under the current exceptional hardship scheme and any subsequent statutory and discretionary arrangements put in place to assist property owners affected by its high speed rail proposals. However, it should be noted that actual capital expenditure will depend on the number and nature of applications received.
Railways: Wiltshire
Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of dualling the railway line between Swindon and Kemble. [20969]
Mrs Villiers: The last estimate provided by Network Rail in December 2009 was £52.4 million. A more detailed estimate is expected at the end of this year. Unfortunately, the need to address the deficit means that we are not able to commit Government funding to this project in the current spending review period, but it remains our aspiration to take it forward in the future. This is the type of project that will be considered for funding in the next railway control period.
Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation
Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will assess the merits of introducing a minimum floor price for Renewable Obligation Transport Certificates. [21676]
Norman Baker: As part of the Government's measures to address climate change, the renewable transport fuel obligation (RTFO) ensures a growing proportion of UK road transport fuels are from sustainable renewable sources. The RTFO includes a certificate trading mechanism to increase the efficiency of compliance. The value of individual certificates is determined by the market. To date the RTFO has met its objective of driving a market for renewable transport fuels in the UK. Therefore the introduction of a minimum floor price is not currently considered necessary.
Roads: Accidents
Jesse Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effect on the number of accidents involving cars towing trailers of the change in the regulations on competence to drive classes of vehicles following implementation of the Driving Licences (Community Driving Licence) Regulations 1996. [21910]
Mike Penning: No assessment has been made on the effect of the Driving Licences (Community Driving Licence) Regulations 1996 on the number of accidents involving cars towing trailers.
The number of accidents involving cars towing trailers is collected and is shown in the following table.
| Reported accidents involving a car towing, by item on tow: GB 1990 to 2009( 1) | ||||
| Accidents | ||||
| Accident year | Single trailer | Double trailer | Caravan | Other |
| (1) Includes single trailers, double/multiple trailers and caravans. | ||||
Rebecca Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the potential effect on the incidence of road traffic accidents of adopting daylight saving time. [22849]
Mike Penning: I refer my hon. Friend to my answer of 2 November 2010, Official Report, column 706W.
Shipping: Isles of Scilly
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which (a) UK and (b) French aircraft were involved in the rescue of crew from the Athena fish factory ship off the Isles of Scilly; what the role of each was; and if he will make a statement. [21386]
Mike Penning: None of the people from the MV Athena were rescued by aircraft. However, the following aircraft were tasked to respond to the incident:
A Falcon 50 from the French Navy that provided a communications link;
An RAF C-130 Hercules from RAF Lyneham, which was later stood down because of the endurance available from the French aircraft;
Royal Navy Sea King positioned on the Scilly Isles from RNAS Culdrose; and
RAF Sea King from RMB Chivenor, also positioned on the Scilly Isles.
Tolls: Roads
Mr MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress he has made on the implementation of the Lorry Road User Charge Scheme; and if he will make a statement. [19825]
Mike Penning: We are working towards the introduction of a new system of HGV road user charging to ensure a fairer arrangement for UK hauliers. New legislation will be needed for a national HGV road user charging scheme. The details have not yet been finalised, but the Department for Transport is working with the Treasury to design a charging scheme and measures to offset the charges for UK hauliers.
Travel: Subsidies
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when his Department last had discussions with the representatives of the rail and coach industry on levels of support for fares paid from the public purse. [22135]
Mrs Villiers: The Department for Transport has regular meetings with train operators. These include discussions on the level of subsidy paid to or premiums paid by the train operator. Changes to fares regulation are also discussed when appropriate.
We have not had discussions with the coach industry on public support for fares since the new Government was formed.
Home Department
Antisocial Behaviour Orders: Maidstone
Mrs Grant: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many antisocial behaviour orders have been (a) made against and (b) breached by residents of Maidstone and the Weald constituency in each of the last five years. [21478]
James Brokenshire: The latest available data on the number of antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) issued and breached cover the period 1 April 1999 to 31 December 2008. Figures for Maidstone and the Weald constituency are unavailable as data collected centrally by the Ministry of Justice on ASBOs are not available below CJS area level.
The number of ASBOs issued in the Kent criminal justice system (CJS) area and the number proved in court to have been breached in the Kent CJS area, in each year between 2004-08 are shown in the following table.
| Number of antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) issued in all courts( 1) and the number proved in court to have been breached( 2) in the Kent criminal justice system (CJS) area, 1 January 2004 to 31 December 2008 | |||||
| CJS area | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 |
| (1) Includes ASBOs issued on application by magistrates courts acting in their civil capacity and county courts, which became available on 1 April 1999 and ASBOs made following conviction for a relevant criminal offence at the Crown court and at magistrates courts (acting in their criminal capacity), which became available on 2 December 2002. Prior to the creation of the Ministry of Justice on 9 May 2007, numbers of ASBOs issued were reported to Home Office by the Court Service. (2) Breach data from the magistrates court administrative systems in Kent are known to have been under-reported. ASBOs may be breached more than once and in more than one year. In this table, ASBOs are counted once only within the period when they were first breached. Many of these breaches will be as a result of an ASBO that was issued in an earlier year. ASBOs may be issued in one area and breached in another. For these reasons, breach rates cannot be computed from the figures presented in this table. Breaches are counted in this table by area of issue. Note: Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services within the Ministry of Justice. | |||||
Border Agency: Finance
Hazel Blears: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the effects on the security of UK borders of the spending settlement for the UK Border Agency announced in the 2010 spending review. [20826]
Damian Green: The UK Border Agency priorities are to secure the border and reduce migration. The UK Border Agency is committed to maintaining an effective and secure border. The Coalition commitment to a functioning e-borders programme will mean that we can improve controls, gain better intelligence and work more productively at the border.
The new National Crime Agency including the Border Police Command will also enhance security and further develop more effective policing at the border.
The UK Border Agency is using intelligence so that we can target the resources we have-people and money-and focus them on individuals who pose the greatest threat to the UK.
The UK Border Agency is making full use of technology, increasing automated passport gates and using e-Borders to check passengers against watch lists, targeting systems, biometrics and providing more services online, including applications. All of these initiatives are subject to ongoing assessment by the UK Border Agency as they progress in order to ensure that its commitment to maintaining a secure border is achieved.
I am confident that the effect will be an improved and effective impact on the security of the UK borders.
Crime: Databases
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent estimate she has made of the number and proportion of unsolved crimes for which the investigation has been closed where there has been an unmatched DNA sample collected at the crime scene. [19776]
James Brokenshire: Information is not collected centrally from police forces on the number and proportion of unsolved crimes for which the investigation has been closed.
However, since April 2002 records have been captured on the national DNA database (NDNAD) match reporting management information database (MID) on matches between crime scene sample profiles and subject sample profiles.
As at 30 September 2010, there were 366,755 crime scene sample profiles on the NDNAD that had been submitted by police forces in England and Wales. As at 4 October 2010, an estimated 147,510 of these had not been matched to a subject sample profile. This represents 40% of the total number of crime scene profiles held on the NDNAD from police forces in England and Wales.
The figures provided are estimates as it is possible that some crime scene profiles were matched before 2002 and therefore not captured on the MID. The number of unmatched crime scene profiles may therefore be lower than indicated. It is also important to note that although a crime scene sample profile on the database has not matched to a subject sample profile, the crime may have been detected through other evidence.
The data provided are management information and have not been formally assessed for compliance with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics.
Departmental Official Hospitality
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department spent on hospitality for events hosted by each of its Ministers in (a) September and (b) October 2010. [21784]
Nick Herbert: The Home Office did not incur any relevant expenditure during September or October 2010.
Departmental Public Expenditure
Dr Phillip Lee: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 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. [20695]
Nick Herbert: The Home Office does not contribute to any single regional pot of funding. Individual police force funding allocations, including specific grants, have not been decided yet. These will be announced provisionally in early December.
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether her Department has established processes to monitor any effects of proposed reductions in its expenditure. [21629]
Nick Herbert:
The Department's Structural Reform Plan sets out clear priorities and measurable milestones. We are already monitoring our progress against these, with monthly progress reports publicly available on the No. 10 website. Now that we know our spending review settlement, we will publish a Departmental Business Plan which will encompass a revised Structural Reform
Plan. This will provide the means by which the Department will monitor progress against objectives within its planned expenditure over the spending review period.
Departmental Redundancy
Ms Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how much funding to meet staff redundancy costs was identified in her Department's settlement letter in respect of the comprehensive spending review; [21535]
(2) what estimate she has made of the number of redundancies arising from the spending reductions proposed in the comprehensive spending review in respect of (a) her Department, (b) its non-departmental public bodies and (c) other public bodies which are dependent on her Department for funding; [21536]
(3) what estimate she has made of the cost to her Department of staff redundancy in each of the next four years. [21537]
Nick Herbert: All pressures on Departments' budgets were taken into account as part of the Spending Review and settlements were allocated accordingly.
The Home Office has made a provisional estimate that suggests the Home Office and its agencies (UK Border Agency, Identity and Passport Service and Criminal Records Bureau) will reduce their work force by approximately 6,500 over the four years of the settlement.
Determining the exact number and cost of voluntary early departures and redundancies will be an ongoing process and will depend on many factors, such as the recruitment freeze, pay restraint and other cost saving measures.
Departmental Visits Abroad
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department spent on overseas visits for senior officials in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [18408]
Nick Herbert: The travel and subsistence (including overseas travel) of the Permanent Secretary and Director Generals are published quarterly on the Home Office website at:
The overseas travel of Ministers is published annually by the Cabinet Office at:
Electronic Surveillance: Internet
Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations she has had on the practices of TalkTalk in monitoring internet browsing activity by its customers. [19719]
Nick Herbert [holding answer 26 October 2010]: I have had no recent representations in respect of the practices of TalkTalk in monitoring internet browsing activity by its customers.
European Data Retention Directive
Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions she has had at EU level on proposals to repeal the European Data Retention Directive. [18261]
Nick Herbert [holding answer 19 October 2010]: The European Commission is currently carrying out an evaluation of the European Data Retention Directive as it is required to do under Article 14 of that directive. The UK has responded to the request from the Commission for further information setting out the value of the directive in tackling serious crime.
European Investigation Order
Mr Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether her Department considered alternative measures in advance of the Government's decision to opt into the draft European directive on the European Investigation Order; [15883]
(2) if she will publish the advice she received in advance of the Government's decision to opt into the draft European directive on the European Investigation Order; and if she will make a statement. [15884]
Nick Herbert: In line with article 3 of the UK protocol to the treaty on the functioning of the European Union, the UK's opt-in applied to the European Investigation Order (EIO). As a result the three options open to the UK were: not to opt into the EIO; to opt into the EIO at the start of negotiations; or to apply to opt in once the EIO has been adopted. All these options were carefully considered by the Government and it was determined that it was in the UK's interests to opt in at the start of negotiations. The reasons for this were explained in my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary's oral statement to the House of Commons on 27 July 2010, Official Report, columns 881-90:
Releasing the advice we received prior to making the decision on opting in to the EIO would, at this time, be prejudicial to the development of government policy on this matter.
Mr Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consideration she gave to the Government's policy on further transfer of sovereignty or powers to the EU when determining her policy on the European Investigation Order; and if she will make a statement. [19193]
Nick Herbert: I refer my hon. Friend to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary on 27 July 2010, Official Report, columns 881-890. As the Home Secretary made clear in her statement, I am satisfied that the European Investigation Order (EIO) will not further transfer sovereignty or powers to the EU. The EIO seeks to improve the existing system for mutual legal assistance (MLA) between participating member states and the decision to opt into the EIO was made following careful consideration of this policy.
Extradition
Mr Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost to the public purse was of the extradition case The Government of the Republic of Serbia v. Dr Ejup Ganic concluded by the judgment of 27 July 2010. [14291]
Nick Herbert [holding answer 9 September 2010]: It is not possible to provide a complete or accurate breakdown of costs incurred in this or any other individual extradition case. A number of Departments and agencies are involved in extradition cases including the Home Office, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Serious Organised Crime Agency, the Crown Prosecution Service, the police and HM Courts Service; and the cost of each case (which differs) is dealt with as part of the overall and larger case load.
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the number of people extradited from the UK in the last three years who have subsequently returned to the UK. [15559]
Nick Herbert: My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary has not made any estimate of this kind.
Human Trafficking: EU Law
Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans she has for the Government's contribution to negotiations on the EU human trafficking directive; and if she will make a statement. [21745]
Damian Green [holding answer 4 November 2010]: The Government have been engaged in ongoing negotiations with EU member states and the European Commission on the EU directive on human trafficking.
The Government decided not to opt into the directive at the outset, but to review the position once the directive has been agreed. We still have the option of applying to opt in at a later stage. Ongoing negotiations enable us to influence the final text of the directive, to ensure it is in the UK's best interests.
Mr Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will bring forward proposals for the UK to opt into the EU directive on human trafficking; and if she will make a statement. [22374]
Damian Green: The Government decided not to opt into the directive at the outset, but to review the position once the directive has been agreed. We still have the option of applying to opt in at a later stage.
In reaching this decision, the Government considered whether the directive would make a practical difference to the way the UK fights trafficking and whether it contained operational co-operation measures from which the UK would benefit.
Human Trafficking: Northern Ireland
Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans she has to tackle human trafficking into Northern Ireland; and what mechanism she has put in place to ensure the effectiveness of police operations against such trafficking. [17803]
Damian Green [holding answer 18 October 2010]: The Government maintain a close working relationship with relevant authorities across the UK at policy and operational levels to ensure the UK is a hostile environment for traffickers.
We are currently developing a new strategy to combat human trafficking, as I announced in the House on 14 October 2010. This will enhance our ability to act early, and involve smarter multi-agency action at the border, a more co-ordinated policing effort at home and improved victim care arrangements.
This will be carried out in consultation with the devolved administrations to ensure a coherent UK-wide approach.
Identity and Passport Service Interview Offices
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if she will make an estimate of the (a) cost and (b) duration of travel by public transport from each of the Identity and Passport Service Interview Offices planned for closure to the nearest office proposed to remain open; [20344]
(2) if she will take steps to offer alternative employment to staff of the Identity and Passport Service Interview Office in York on the closure of that office. [20345]
Damian Green [holding answer 1 November 2010]: The Identity and Passport Service (IPS) is currently carrying out formal consultation with trade unions on the proposed restructuring of the Interview Office Network (ION). Any costs or travelling time associated with the restructure can only be assessed following completion and consideration of the outcome of the consultation process.
IPS is committed to ensuring that staff whose posts are declared surplus under restructuring plans are considered for any internal vacancy or redeployment opportunity across the civil service before considering compulsory redundancy. Support is in place to enable our staff to enhance existing skills and to enable them to apply for suitable vacancies outside the civil service.
Identity and Passport Service: Newport (Gwent)
Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the number of staff of the Identity and Passport Service working in the Newport passport office who could be redeployed from the Newport passport office to other civil service jobs in Newport. [21872]
Damian Green
[holding answer 4 November 2010]: The proposed closure of the passport application processing centre at Newport would affect around 250 staff. The Identity and Passport Office is proposing to retain a customer service centre in Newport to service south Wales and the south-west. This will redeploy up to 45 people to provide a counter service and the ability to deal with applicants in the Welsh language. There is no forecast yet available regarding the volume or type of vacancies that might arise in the wider civil service between now and the proposed closure date. However, Identity and Passport Service is committed to providing individuals with outplacement support in order to help facilitate their move to alternative employment. This
will include providing support in identifying alternative job opportunities both in the wider public sector but also in the private sector; providing practical training and development support; and making dedicated office space available to outplacement support where members of staff can go to seek help and advice and take time to carry out their job search.
Independent Police Complaints Commission
Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many (a) complaints and (b) appeals were upheld by the Independent Police Complaints Commission in (i) 2009-10 and (ii) 2010-11; [20460]
(2) how many (a) complaints and (b) appeals the Independent Police Complaints Commission processed in (i) 2009-10 and (ii) 2010-11. [20461]
Nick Herbert: This information is not held by the Home Office.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) has statutory responsibility for the police complaints system and is responsible for the collation and publication of related statistics. However, I am advised that statistics for the periods in question are not yet available. Statistics for the period 2009-10 are expected to be published in December 2010.
Police Authorities of Wales
Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she has considered the merits of merging South Wales and Gwent police authorities; and if she will make a statement. [20848]
Nick Herbert: I have received no approach to consider the merger of South Wales and Gwent police areas. The Government have rejected the compulsory merger of local forces. We will consider requests for mergers only where they are voluntary, supported by a robust business case, and have community consent.
Police Authorities: Security
Steve Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment she has made of the merits of the use of private security firms by police forces. [20369]
Nick Herbert: The Government have not carried out any assessment of the merits of the use of private security firms by the police.
Police Stations: Rugby
Mark Pawsey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if she will estimate the average number of people who visited the enquiry office of Rugby police station in each hour of the day in which that office was open to the public in the latest year in which figures are available; [22223]
(2) if she will estimate the average number of people who visited the enquiry office of Rugby police station on each day of the week in the latest year for which figures are available. [22224]
Nick Herbert: The Department does not collect information on the opening hours or the number of people attending police station inquiry offices. The opening hours of police station inquiry offices are a matter for chief constables to determine in line with local priorities.
Police: Accountability
Alan Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she plans to take to safeguard the operational independence of chief constables under her proposals for elected police commissioners. [14053]
Nick Herbert: We continue to engage with the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) and other professional partners in deciding the best division of responsibilities between commissioners and chief constables, to ensure that operational independence is protected. As set out in the "Policing in the 21st Century" document, commissioners will be subject to checks and balances.
Alan Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she has made an assessment of the responses to her Department's 2004 consultation in respect of directly-elected police commissioners. [15412]
Nick Herbert
[holding answer 14 September 2010]: Formal consultation on Police and Crime Commissioners was set out in the "Policing in the 21st Century" consultation
document published on 26 July 2010. Formal consultation ended on 20 September and responses have been submitted by a range of policing partners. These are being considered before the publication of the Government response in the autumn.
Guy Opperman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what mechanisms she plans to put in place to ensure the operational independence of the police following the introduction of elected police commissioners. [19741]
Nick Herbert: As outlined in the "Policing in the 21(st) Century" consultation document, the Government are determined to maintain the operational independence of the police which is a fundamental principle of British policing.
The Government's consultation on these proposals closed on 20 September 2010 and a detailed response will be published shortly.
Police: Disability
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many disabled people were employed by the police (a) nationally and (b) in each constabulary in the latest period for which figures are available. [20013]
Nick Herbert: The available information is shown in the following table:
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