Written Answers to Questions
Wednesday 10 November 2010
Wales
Institute of Fiscal Studies
Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much her Department spent on services provided by the Institute for Fiscal Studies in each of the last 10 years. [23397]
Women and Equalities
Sexual Harassment
Jo Swinson: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what recent research the Government Equalities Office has evaluated on the incidence of sexual harassment of 16 to 18-year-olds; and if she will make a statement. [23018]
Lynne Featherstone [holding answer 9 November 2010]: The Government Equalities Office has not undertaken any recent research on the incidence of sexual harassment of 16 to 18-year-olds.
Violence against women and girls ruins lives, destroys families, and has an impact across many generations. The gendered pattern and the dynamic of violence against women and girls needs to be understood and acknowledged and a cross-government strategy is the best way to address this. We are also developing a cross-government communications strategy which will challenge attitudes and behaviours towards women and girls which are unacceptable. Our work will also consider the effects of such violence on men and boys.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Agriculture: Subsidies
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she plans to take to simplify the processes for making single farm payments as part of Common Agricultural Policy reform by 2013. [21870]
Mr Paice
[holding answer 4 November 2010]: Reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) must deliver better value for farmers, taxpayers, consumers and the environment. Part of this must also be about developing a CAP that is simpler, and reducing the administrative burden on farmers from unnecessary regulation. Negotiations on CAP will begin formally in the context of a communication which we expect to be published by
the European Commission later this month. I look forward to working with my counterparts in the EU and devolved Administrations in order to further the simplification agenda as part of these negotiations.
Arpley Landfill Site
David Mowat: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many (a) air quality and (b) water quality tests the Environment Agency has carried out within a one mile radius of the Arpley landfill site in the last five years. [21679]
Richard Benyon: The Environment Agency has carried out one air quality test within a one mile radius of the Arpley landfill site in the last five years. This monitored flammable gases close to the surface of the landfill. The Environment Agency has also monitored ground gases in boreholes adjacent to the landfill.
The Environment Agency has sampled water quality on 522 occasions in this area over the last five years. Each test is sampled for a number of different contaminants that may be present in the river.
The site operator is also required to carry out air and water quality monitoring as part of its permit conditions. The operator is required to submit the results of this monitoring to the Environment Agency on a periodic basis.
David Mowat: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many complaints in respect of the handling of (a) hazardous waste and (b) radioactive waste at the Arpley landfill site the Environment Agency has received in each of the last five years. [21680]
Richard Benyon: The Environment Agency has not received complaints in respect of the handling of hazardous waste or radioactive waste at the Arpley landfill site in the last five years.
The Arpley landfill site is only permitted to accept non-hazardous and inert wastes under the terms of the current environmental permit.
Bottles: Recycling
Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the oral answer from the Prime Minister of 15 September 2010, Official Report, column 878, on bottle deposit and refund schemes, what consideration her Department has given to the Campaign to Protect Rural England's report 'Have we got the bottle? Implementing a Deposit Refund Scheme in the UK'; and if she will make a statement. [22689]
Richard Benyon [holding answer 8 November 2010]: We are currently analysing all contributions received as part of the review of waste policy, including the Campaign to Protect Rural England's report, 'Have we got the bottle?'.
As part of this review, the option of bottle deposit refund systems has been raised by a number of contributors, with divergent views. We will review all evidence submitted before making any formal decisions.
Cotton: EU Action
Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is on EU cotton subsidies; and if she will seek their abolition as part of post-2013 Common Agricultural Policy reform negotiations. [22225]
Mr Paice: I believe that the time has come for the last remaining direct support to the EU cotton sector to be de-coupled and the UK will be pursuing this end as part of our negotiating position in the forthcoming Common Agricultural Policy Reform round.
Dairy Farming
Stephen Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will take steps to ensure that future proposals for intensive dairy farming are examined by her Department; and if she will make a statement. [21683]
Mr Paice: Planning proposals for intensive dairy farming units are for relevant planning authorities to examine.
DEFRA's interest is in ensuring that our comprehensive animal welfare and environment legislation which applies to all livestock farming, whatever the system and regardless of size is applied correctly.
As long as these standards are met, the Government recognise that the UK market has a place for sustainable intensification as well as more traditional production and added-value production, to enable the industry to be competitive in the UK, EU and global markets.
English Forestry Forum
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects the next meeting of the English Forestry Forum to take place. [22979]
Mr Paice: I have no plans to hold further meetings of this group. There will be stakeholder workshops as part of the public consultation on proposals for the public forest estate in England, and I encourage any former member of the English Forestry Forum to participate in these workshops.
Environment Protection: British Overseas Territories
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans her Department has for future (a) co-ordination of and (b) funding for the (i) Overseas Territories Environment Programme, (ii) Darwin Initiative and (iii) Overseas Territories Challenge Fund. [23096]
Richard Benyon:
The Overseas Territories Environment Programme is jointly administered and funded by the Department for International Development and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. On the Darwin Initiative, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs announced at the recent meeting of the Convention on Biological Diversity in Nagoya, Japan, that the UK will not only sustain the existing level of funding, but now plans to
increase it over the next four years. The details for the next round of the Darwin Initiative, including the plans for the Overseas Territories Challenge Fund, are being elaborated, and we are aiming to launch the next round as soon as possible.
Forestry Commission
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) which (a) duties and (b) functions of the Forestry Commissioners she plans to delegate to other bodies; [22975]
(2) to whom she plans to delegate the duties and functions of the Forestry Commissioners of Great Britain. [22976]
Mr Paice: The Government are seeking legislative changes in the Public Bodies Bill to enable Ministers and the Forestry Commission in England to operate more flexibly. DEFRA and the Forestry Commission will consult shortly on proposals for the management and ownership of the public forest estate in England.
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the role of Forestry Commission Great Britain is in respect of setting minimum standards for sustainable forest management for forests and woodlands. [22977]
Mr Paice: The Forestry Commission is responsible for developing the standards for sustainable forestry management in the UK. The UK Forestry Standard sets minimum standards and is accompanied by a series of guidelines providing advice on its implementation. Following a comprehensive review exercise over the last two years, a revised standard and guidelines are expected to be available in the new year. These have been developed in close consultation with the forest industry and other stakeholders.
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the role of Forestry Commission Great Britain is in respect of research and knowledge transfer for sustainable forest management across the UK. [22978]
Mr Paice: Forest Research, an agency of the Forestry Commission, develops the evidence base to support sustainable forest management in the UK. This informs policy development, and provides practical guidance and support for operational forestry on the public and private forest estate.
Forestry Commission: Land
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the use of funds arising from the sale of Forestry Commission land in England; and if she will make a statement. [22971]
Mr Paice: DEFRA continues to hold discussions with HM Treasury about the future of the public forest estate in England. We will be consulting on proposals shortly.
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects the Forestry Commission's portfolio analysis of the public forest estate to be published. [22974]
Mr Paice: The portfolio analysis is a geographical computer tool that enables the Forestry Commission to aid decision-making and assist with the management of the public forest estate. We shall be publishing and consulting on proposals for the public forest estate in England shortly.
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what financial provisions she plans to make for additional woodland areas that become eligible for land management grants as a result of future sales of public forest estate land. [22980]
Mr Paice: We are committed to maintaining the existing levels of support for private woodland owners for the remainder of the Rural Development Programme for England, which runs until 2013. This includes the English Woodland Grant Scheme administered by the Forestry Commission.
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the likely change in the area of woodland certified against the UK Woodland Assurance Standard as a result of sales of public forest estate land. [22981]
Mr Paice: Certification under the UK Woodland Assurance Standard is voluntary. The entire public forest estate is certified, as well as 144,000 hectares of other woods in England. An assessment of any potential change will be explored following the consultation exercise on the future of the public forest estate which we plan to hold early next year.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Electronic Equipment
Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what information her Department holds on the quantity of (a) chlorofluorocarbon, (b) hydrofluorocarbon and (c) hydrochlorofluorocarbon gases which were (i) emitted to the atmosphere and (ii) recovered and recycled in the UK from refrigeration and air conditioning equipment in each of the last five years. [22449]
Richard Benyon [holding answer 8 November 2010]: The Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) currently reports annual emissions of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) in the UK Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventory, which is available from the National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory website at:
In addition to this, DECC funds the measurement of atmospheric gas concentrations of HFCs, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) at the Mace Head observation site. These data are available from the Advanced Global Atmospheric Gases Experiment website:
The HFCs observation data are used to verify the UK GHG Inventory and are available from the Air Quality website at:
Under the European Pollutant Release and Transfer Register, available at:
the UK estimates its emissions of CFCs, HFCs and HCFCs, however the data are only available for 2007 and 2008.
The following information is held on quantities of CFCs recovered (and destroyed) in the UK:
| Kilograms | |||||
| Recovered | |||||
| Ozone-depleting substance | 2005( 1) | 2006( 1) | 2007( 2) | 2008( 2) | 2009( 2) |
| (1) UK figures. (2) England and Wales only. | |||||
No information is held on quantities of HFCs and HCFCs recovered and recycled in the UK.
Landfill: Refrigerators
David Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what information her Department holds on the average annual number of retail refrigerated display cabinets disposed of in landfill sites in the last five years; [21224]
(2) what information her Department holds on the average annual number of retail refrigerated display cabinets which were (a) re-manufactured and (b) recycled in the last five years. [21225]
Richard Benyon: DEFRA does not hold complete information on the number of retail refrigerated display cabinets reused, recycled or disposed of in landfill sites.
The EC regulations on substances that deplete the ozone layer require ozone-depleting substances to be removed from commercial refrigeration equipment before it is disposed of. In 2009, seven treatment sites in England and Wales processed 1,594,962 refrigeration units (both household and non-household) for ozone-depleting substances. This does not include data for commercial refrigeration units which do not contain ozone-depleting substances, nor are these data specific to refrigerated display cabinets.
The UK waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) regulations encourage the separate collection of WEEE, establish minimum treatment standards, and set recovery and recycling targets. DEFRA does not hold data on the number of retail refrigerated display cabinets processed under these regulations as non-household WEEE is currently non-obligated.
National Parks: Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what guidance she has issued to Ofgem on its duty to have regard to the purposes of National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. [21988]
Richard Benyon: In 2005 DEFRA produced a guidance note about the duties to have regard to the purposes of National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. This was sent to all those considered to be bound by them, including Ofgem.
In April of this year DEFRA also wrote to Ofgem (as a body it considered to be covered by the 'have regard' duty) to draw its attention to the new National Parks Circular.
Nitrogen Dioxide: Pollution Control
Sheryll Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she plans to announce the outcomes of her Department's review of options in respect of measures to help achieve nitrogen dioxide limit values by 2015. [22345]
Richard Benyon: The Government are preparing air quality plans to achieve EU limit values for nitrogen dioxide (NO2). These plans will set out measures to achieve the NO2 limit value by 2015, and will be included in the UK's time extension notification under the Ambient Air Quality Directive (2008/50/EC). The Government expect to submit their NO2 time extension notification to the European Commission by the required deadline of September 2011.
Pollution: Liquefied Petroleum Gas
Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the contribution of the use of liquid petroleum gas as a (a) road and (b) domestic fuel to meeting air quality requirements. [21722]
Richard Benyon: With regards to what assessment has been made on the use of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) as a road fuel, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given in response to the hon. Member for Glasgow South (Mr Harris) by the Under-Secretary of State for Transport, my hon. Friend the Member for Lewes (Norman Baker) on 8 November 2010, Official Report, column 108W.
No specific assessments have been undertaken to estimate the contribution of the use of LPG as a domestic fuel to meeting air quality requirements.
Indicatively, LPG is used domestically as a cost-effective alternative to coal or gasoil predominately in rural areas, which are not connected to the gas grid. Emission calculations using the 2008 UK inventory for domestic sector emissions, found switching from LPG to either gasoil or burning oil has a negligible effect across all pollutants, with very small increases in emissions of sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide and oxides of nitrogen. These calculations also showed that switching to coal from LPG would increase emissions for the majority of pollutants. If all the domestic energy produced using LPG was completely substituted by coal, increases in UK emissions would be observed; 4% for PM10, 3% for PM2.5, 3% for CO, 2% for SO2 and 1% for volatile organic compounds with a negligible effect on other pollutants.
The majority of domestic LPG use takes place in rural areas where areas of exceedences of the limit values stipulated in legislation do not occur. The pollutants which are monitored as part of the Gothenburg Protocol and the National Emissions Ceiling Directive which the UK needs to reduce in order to meet its emissions
ceiling are much lower when LPG is used compared to coal. However, the domestic sector is a small contributor.
Recycling
Mr Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will take steps to increase the proportion of commercial waste which is recycled; and if she will make a statement. [22903]
Richard Benyon [holding answer 9 November 2010]: The recycling rate of the commercial and industrial sector in England was 42% in 2002-03, when the last statistical survey of the sector was undertaken. We are currently undertaking a comparable survey, with the interim results to be published on 10 November 2010, and the final results scheduled for release in December 2010. This will give us an up-to-date picture of how much commercial waste is recycled. The review of waste policy, announced by the Secretary of State on 15 June, will consider how we can remove some of the barriers to recycling, particularly for small and medium-sized businesses, and how we can make it easier for businesses to recycle. This will help in our commitment to work towards a zero waste economy.
Rodents: Henderson Island
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) if she will respond to the recent judgment by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee on the need for Government support for a rat eradication scheme for Henderson Island; [23097]
(2) if she will take steps to support the conservation of endangered wildlife on (a) Henderson Island (Pitcairn) and (b) Gough Island. [23098]
Richard Benyon: At its 34th meeting in July this year, UNESCO's World Heritage Committee commended the considerable progress made in planning the invasive rat eradication scheme for Henderson Island, and noted that further funding was needed to implement the scheme. To this end my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs announced, at the recent meeting of the Convention on Biological Diversity in Nagoya, Japan, that the UK will be contributing £200,000 towards this initiative during the current year. This is in addition to funding for the project already provided by the Overseas Territories Environment Programme, administered by the Department for International Development and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The Government will consider plans for carrying out similar activities on Gough Island as and when they are received.
Water Supply: Leaks
Mr MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she plans to take in respect of water companies identified by Ofwat as failing to reduce excessive water leakage. [22578]
Richard Benyon: Ofwat has detailed the steps it is taking to reverse recent rises in leakage at some companies in its 2009-10 service and delivery report. The document is available on its website.
An explanation of the actions Ofwat has taken in the past against companies that have failed their leakage targets is included in the report.
Northern Ireland
Dealing with the Past
12. Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what factors he plans to take into account in taking further steps to secure progress in dealing with the past in Northern Ireland. [22159]
Mr Paterson: The Government are committed to playing their full role in dealing with the past in Northern Ireland, working with the Northern Ireland Assembly. The current absence of consensus on the issue of the past, and the views of victims and others who experienced the troubles, are among the factors which are being taken into account.
Community Policing
13. Mr Tom Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the likely effects of the outcomes of the comprehensive spending review on the capacity of community policing in Northern Ireland to reduce the threat to security from dissident activity. [22160]
Mr Paterson: Following the outcome of the 2010 spending review, the Northern Ireland Executive are now aware of their funding allocation for the next four years. It is for the Executive to decide what proportion of this funding is allocated to the Police Service of Northern Ireland.
The Government are committed to ensuring the security of the people of Northern Ireland and it is essential that the Chief Constable has the appropriate resources to allow him to ensure that he can continue to tackle the threat. But we all acknowledge that that these resources would be better invested in dealing with community policing and issues such as antisocial behaviour and drugs, rather than on those who impose their views through intimidation and violence.
Public Sector Employment
Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the likely effects of the recommendations of his paper on rebalancing the Northern Ireland economy on the number of people employed in the public sector in Northern Ireland. [22158]
Mr Swire: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I have regular discussions with Treasury and Northern Ireland Ministers on these matters.
The paper will be published for consultation before the end of the year.
Police Service of Northern Ireland
Paul Goggins: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Justice Minister on the resources required by the Police Service of Northern Ireland in 2011-12 to counter security threats. [22155]
Mr Paterson: I meet regularly with both the Justice Minister and the Chief Constable to discuss a range of issues, including PSNI resources. It is for the Justice Minister and the Chief Constable to negotiate and agree the policing budget with the Northern Ireland Executive. But my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister and I have made it clear that we will protect the people of our country from the terrorist threat with every means at our disposal.
Culture, Media and Sport
BBC: Commonwealth Games 2014
Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Perth and North Perthshire (Pete Wishart) on 25 October 2010, Official Report, column 10, on the Commonwealth Games 2014, what representations he has made to the BBC Trust on the BBC's decision to withdraw as host broadcaster of the 2014 Commonwealth Games; and if he will make a statement. [22619]
Mr Vaizey [holding answer 8 November 2010]: The Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport has not made any representations to the BBC Trust on this matter.
Departmental Travel
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport 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. [21858]
John Penrose: The total amount spent by the Department during September and October 2010 on all domestic and foreign travel by Ministers in their official capacity is set out in the table.
| Minister | Month | Estimated spend (£) |
This is an estimated cost from records currently held by the Department. Some invoices for travel have not yet been received by the Department and could not therefore be included.
Horse Racing: Betting
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what representations on the horserace betting levy he has received from the Racing United campaign; and if he will take steps to ensure that all areas of the betting industry contribute to that levy. [22492]
John Penrose: I have received a number of representations, on behalf of racing, about the Horserace Betting Levy, including those setting out the position of Racing United.
The Government recently announced their intention to remove the Secretary of State's role of determining the levy scheme when the parties are unable to reach agreement. This will require changes to primary legislation and will not have effect until Parliament has approved such changes.
We will be discussing the options with the Levy Board and the racing and betting industries, to ensure that funding for racing is fair and is collected from as broad a base as possible.
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will include in the scope of any future review of remote gambling the potential contribution of all gambling operators to the horserace betting levy. [22493]
John Penrose: A consultation on the Regulatory Future of Remote Gambling in Great Britain closed on 18 June 2010. Since then, I have been examining the issues and identifying possible solutions.
I have also received advice from the Levy Board about securing fair contributions from overseas betting operators towards the Horserace Betting Levy. I hope to be able to make an announcement in due course.
Local Broadcasting: Television
Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent progress his Department has made on encouraging commercially-sustainable local television. [23005]
Mr Vaizey: Nicholas Shott, head of UK investment banking at Lazard, will shortly conclude his independent review on the conditions necessary for commercially sustainable local television to emerge in the UK.
This will be published on the Department's website in due course, followed by a local media action plan due to be published in the new year.
The recent BBC funding settlement has secured a total of £25 million to help fund the capital costs in 2013-14 for up to 20 local TV services, subject to any necessary regulatory approval. The BBC will also commit to ongoing funding of up to £5 million per annum from 2014-15 to acquire content from local services.
In addition, the Government will shortly lay an order to remove the local cross-media ownership rules to promote a strong and secure local media industry.
National Lottery: Armed Forces
Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 1 November 2010, Official Report, column 555W, on the National Lottery: armed forces, which countries in which personnel are serving are affected by the restrictions on buying lottery tickets. [22206]
John Penrose
[holding answer 8 November 2010]: We do not currently hold a list of jurisdictions where it is illegal to buy UK national lottery tickets, although I understand that many countries outlaw participation in foreign lotteries and some prohibit any form of gambling. Given that other countries' laws are subject to change, the National Lottery Commission had decided that the
best way to protect players from buying invalid tickets, or inadvertently putting themselves at risk of prosecution in foreign jurisdictions, was to introduce a new rule preventing anyone from buying a UK lottery ticket abroad.
However, I have now written to the NLC to ask them to reconsider how we can allow armed forces personnel (and others) to participate from those countries where purchasing UK lottery tickets is lawful.
International Development
Developing Countries: Education
Mr Russell Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking in conflict-affected countries to (a) reduce the drop-out rate from and (b) increase access to education for girls. [22815]
Mr O'Brien: As laid out in "The Coalition: our programme for government", the UK Government will prioritise increasing access to basic services, such as health and education, for the world's poorest people; including a particular focus on the rights of women and girls. Girls who progress to secondary education have better maternal health, fewer and healthier children and greater economic opportunities.
The Department for International Development (DFID) is currently reviewing its aid programmes to determine how we can achieve better value for money for the taxpayer, accelerate growth and achieve the millennium development goals. This includes a review of our emergency response programme, which will look at the provision of education in the immediate aftermath of conflict or natural disaster.
With over half of primary aged children not enrolled in school living in fragile and conflict-affected states-a total of 39 million children out of an estimated 69 million worldwide-we recognise the need to promote education, particularly for girls, in fragile and conflict-affected states. As such, the Government have committed to spend 30% of UK overseas development aid on supporting conflict affected and fragile states and tackling the drivers of instability by 2014-15.
Developing Countries: Tuberculosis
Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much funding his Department has allocated to international tuberculosis control in each of the last five years. [23027]
Mr O'Brien:
The Department for International Development (DFID) supports tuberculosis (TB) control through a variety of bilateral channels, including funding for infectious diseases at country level, strengthening health systems in our partner countries to deliver TB programmes and funding research. Our direct bilateral spend on infectious diseases, including TB, increased from £101 million in 2005-06 to £117 million in 2009-10. We also support TB control through multilateral channels, including the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria. The UK has contributed £465 million to the Global Fund since 2005. Over the last five years
approximately 33% of proposals approved by the Global Fund were TB-related and 15% of Global Fund funding has been disbursed on TB programmes. We are unable to accurately disaggregate DFID expenditure for TB control from these wider interventions.
Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much funding he plans to allocate to international tuberculosis control in each year from 2011 to 2015. [23028]
Mr O'Brien: The UK remains strongly committed to reducing death and suffering from tuberculosis. The Department for International Development is currently reviewing its aid programmes to determine how to achieve better value for money for the taxpayer and accelerate progress towards achieving all the millennium development goals. We will review our forward approach to tuberculosis once the bilateral and multilateral aid reviews are complete.
Institute for Fiscal Studies
Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department spent on services provided by the Institute for Fiscal Studies in each year from 2000-01 to 2007-08. [23500]
Mr Duncan: Payments made by the Department for International Development (DFID) to the Institute for Fiscal Studies since 2002-03 is as follows. Information prior to 2002-03 is not captured in DFID's central accounting system and, therefore, cannot be provided without incurring disproportionate cost.
| Amount (£) | |
Education
Children in Care
John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many children (a) were taken into care (excluding respite care), (b) left care and (c) were adopted in each of the last five years; how many were in care on 31 March 2010; and what proportion of children left care through adoption in each of the last five years. [18226]
Tim Loughton: The requested information is available as part of the Statistical First Release, Children Looked After by Local Authorities in England (including adoption and care leavers)-year ending 31 March 2010. This can be found at:
Information on the number of children taken into care can be found in table C4, information on the number of children who have left care is found in table
D1 and information on the total number of children looked-after as at 31 March is found in table A1. Information on the number of children adopted and the proportion of children who left care through adoption is found in table D1. These tables can be found in the Excel link titled 'England Summary tables'.
Children In Care
Paul Goggins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many looked-after children (a) were taken into care in each of the last five years, (b) were in care on the latest period for which figures are available and (c) had been in care for more than (i) three months, (ii) six months and (iii) a year in the latest period for which figures are available. [22737]
Tim Loughton: The number of looked-after children taken into care in each of the last five years is available in table C4 in the Statistical First Release, Children Looked After by Local Authorities in England (including adoption and care leavers)-year ending 31 March 2010. This can be found at:
The number of looked-after children at 31 March 2010 can be found in table A1 of the same publication. Both tables can be found in the Excel link titled 'England Summary tables'. These tables contain the latest available information.
The requested information regarding the duration of time spent in care is shown in the following table:
| Children looked-after at 31 March for (a) over three months, (b) over six months, and (c) over one year, at 31 March 2010( 1, 2, 3) , year ending 31 March 2010, coverage: England | |
| Duration of time in care | Number |
| (1) England figures have been rounded to the nearest 100. (2) Figures exclude children looked-after under an agreed series of short-term placements. (3) These figures are presented on a cumulative basis e.g. a child that is included in the 'over one year' category has also been included in the 'over six months' category. Source: SSDA 903. | |
Departmental Reviews
Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 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. [21886]
Tim Loughton:
The Department for Education is leading six policy reviews, all announced since 6 May 2010. All are still under way. Details on publication
dates, costs and staffing levels for each review follow (please note that secondees are defined as staff seconded to the reviews from outside of Whitehall).
The review was announced on 10 June 2010 and is intended to report in April 2011, with an interim report in January 2011. A first report was published on 1 October 2010 and can be found at:
Our current estimate of the cost of the review is £100,000.
Professor Eileen Munro of the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) is leading the review. She is supported by Dr David Lane, an expert in systems theory. Professor Munro and Dr Lane are paid by the LSE, and the Department is reimbursing the LSE for 80% of Professor Munro's salary for the duration of the review and 100% of Dr Lane's for one term, and they are also both entitled to claim reasonable travel expenses. There are 16.15 full-time equivalent civil servants working on the review, which is focused on improving frontline practice in child protection. Two people have been seconded from outside Whitehall-one full-time and one part-time-from Staffordshire county council and the National Children's Bureau. The National Children's Bureau secondee continues to be paid by them at no cost to the Department. The local authority employee is a Grade 16 (spinal column point 71-73) which corresponds to a current salary scale of £77,682 to £81,567. The local authority is continuing to pay their salary and the Department for Education is reimbursing them.
2. Review of vocational education
The review was announced on 9 September 2010 and is expected to report in spring 2011. The cost of the review is yet to be estimated.
The review is being led by Professor Alison Wolf, and her employer (King's College, London) is being reimbursed for her time. Professor Wolf is entitled to claim expenses. There are three full-time equivalent civil servants working on the review, including analysts, and no individuals have been seconded from outside Whitehall to assist with the review.
The review was announced on 5 July 2010 and will be completed by the end of the calendar year. The cost of the review is estimated to be up to £100,000.
The review is being led by Sebastian James, Group Operations Director of DSG International, who is not being paid by the Department but is entitled to claim essential expenses. There are 11 civil servants working on the review. No individuals have been seconded from outside Whitehall to assist with the review.
4. Early years foundation stage review
The review was announced on 6 July 2010 and is expected to report in spring 2011. The cost of the review is estimated to be around £100,000, with an additional amount of up to £250,000 covering associated research.
The review is being led by Dame Clare Tickell. Dame Clare is chief executive of Action for Children, so DFE is paying a salary reimbursement to them for her time between July 2010 and March 2011 (up to an estimated £21,520 plus VAT). There are seven full-time equivalent
civil servants working on the review, and no individuals have been seconded from outside Whitehall to assist with the review.
5. Review of the Children's Commissioner
The review was announced on 12 July 2010. The expected date of report is end of November 2010. The cost of the review is estimated to be around £50,000.
The review is being led by John Dunford, who is being remunerated at a rate of £500 per day for carrying out the review, and is entitled to claim expenses. Our expectation is that the role will take approximately 40 days. His remuneration is included in the overall budget of £50,000. There are three full-time equivalent civil servants working on the review, and no individuals have been seconded from outside Whitehall to assist with the review.
6. Children in Need census review
The review was announced on 3 August 2010 and is expected to report in March 2011. The cost of the review is estimated to be around £7,000.
The review is being led by Nigel Nicholds from Norfolk local authority, who is not being paid but is entitled to expenses. There are 0.1 full-time equivalent civil servants working on the review and secondments from outside Whitehall are yet to be confirmed.
Education: Young People
Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will issue guidance to local authorities on the staffing levels necessary to deliver their statutory responsibilities for (a) safeguarding, (b) well-being and (c) education of children and young people. [21354]
Tim Loughton: We have no plans to issue such guidance. Local authorities themselves are best placed to make decisions about the staffing levels required to deliver their responsibilities, in the light of local needs and circumstances and the available resources.
Foster Care: Per Capita Costs
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the annual average cost to social services of placing a child in foster care was in the last five years. [22355]
Tim Loughton [holding answer 8 November 2010]: The information is not held in the format requested.
The following table shows expenditure on fostering services in England in the financial years 2004-05 to 2008-09.
GCSE
Chris Skidmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) how many and what proportion of maintained mainstream schools did not enter a single pupil for a chemistry GCSE examination in the latest period for which figures are available; [20080]
(2) how many and what proportion of maintained mainstream schools did not enter a single pupil for a modern language GCSE examination in the latest period for which figures are available; [20081]
(3) how many and what proportion of maintained mainstream schools did not enter a single pupil for a physics GCSE examination in the latest period for which figures are available. [20082]
Mr Gibb: Of the 3,083 maintained mainstream schools that had more than 10 pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 and were published in the 2009 Secondary Schools Achievement and Attainment Tables, 1,461 (47%) did not have any entries in GCSE chemistry, 25 (1%) did not have any entries in a modern foreign language GCSE and 1,467 (48%) did not have any entries in GCSE physics.
Home Education
Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what (a) A level and (b) GCSE grades were awarded to home schooled children in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [18841]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 21 October 2010]: The information requested is not held centrally by the Department. We have no plans to collect this information.
Private Education: Tax Relief
Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what his policy is on tax relief for private schools. [22311]
Mr Gauke: I have been asked to reply.
Schools set up as charitable bodies that meet the definition of a charity for tax purposes are eligible for charitable tax reliefs in the same way as other charities. Non-charitable private schools are eligible for tax reliefs as for any other business.
Pupil Exclusions
Chris Skidmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education in how many mainstream maintained schools more than 25 per cent. of pupils have received a fixed-period exclusion in the latest period for which figures are available. [20237]
Mr Gibb: In 2008/09 there were six mainstream schools, all state-funded secondary schools (1) where more than 25% of solely registered pupils (2) received a fixed period exclusion.
(1) Includes local authority maintained schools and academies.
(2) Headcount of solely registered pupils has been taken from January 2009 census. Schools which were not open at the January census have been excluded from the analysis.
Schools: Violence
Chris Skidmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many (a) pupils and (b) teachers have been admitted to hospital as a result of violent attacks within schools in each year for which figures are available. [20238]
Mr Gibb: The Department for Education does not collect or hold any data on injuries in school.
The Health and Safety Executive holds data on injuries reported under RIDDOR (the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995). These include school-related injuries affecting employees and members of the public, including pupils.
RIDDOR also requires the reporting of injuries resulting from acts of violence. However, only physical injuries resulting from acts of violence suffered by people at work are reportable. For the purposes of accident recording, school pupils are categorised as members of the public, ie not 'at work'. Therefore, acts of violence to school pupils are not reportable under RIDDOR as a discrete category within the overall figures on injuries to pupils.
The coding of injury notifications under RIDDOR does not record whether the injured person was admitted to hospital.
The following table details the number of reported injuries to teachers involving acts of violence since 2001. These include injuries to support staff.
Written Questions: Government Responses
John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he plans to respond to question 18226, on children taken into care or adopted, tabled on 14 October 2010. [20343]
Tim Loughton [holding answer 1 November 2010]: A response has been issued to the hon. Member today.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Chinese: Falun Gong
Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the policy of the Chinese Government towards practitioners of Falun Gong. [22913]
Mr Jeremy Browne: We raised this issue at the UK/China Human Rights Dialogue, held in Beijing in March 2010. We asked for numbers of Falun Gong practitioners currently serving in Re-education Through Labour (RTL) camps. The Chinese side reported that they were currently implementing a pilot of a community correction scheme with a view to replacing Re-education Through Labour camps. They stressed that the scheme was only being piloted at present.
We continue to have serious concerns about the mistreatment of Falun Gong adherents and regularly raise this issue with the Chinese Government. We have regularly urged the Chinese Government to reform the RTL system on the grounds that it lacks judicial oversight and contravenes international human rights standards.
Diplomatic Service
Jon Trickett:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of (a) ambassadors and high commissioners and (b) members
of the Diplomatic Service were educated at (i) Oxford or Cambridge universities and (ii) independent schools. [22142]
Alistair Burt: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not hold this data centrally on its employees. The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office aims to recruit a talented and diverse work force that reflects the society we serve and our recruitment policies are designed to encourage applications from the widest possible range of backgrounds. All external recruitment into the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is based on merit, and all campaigns must be fair and open.
In addition, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's internal promotion and progression schemes are firmly meritocratic, based on objective and consistent criteria against which all candidates are assessed.
European Parliament
Dan Byles: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of holding 12 plenary sessions of the European Parliament in Strasbourg. [21896]
Mr Lidington: Estimates suggest that having two seats for the European Parliament currently costs the British taxpayer at least an additional £28 million per year. However the full cost to the EU budget of the European Parliament sessions in Strasbourg is not publicly available, since this is not itemised separately in the European Parliament's budget.
Gibraltar: Spain
Caroline Dinenage: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his Spanish counterpart on (a) the actions of the Spanish authorities at the La Linea border crossing and (b) delays to UK- and Gibraltar-registered vehicles at that crossing. [22232]
Mr Lidington: We have raised our concerns about the Mayor of La Linea's earlier proposed plans to impose a charge on traffic entering/leaving Gibraltar with Spanish Ministers, making it clear that this is an issue for them to resolve. Our priority is to keep the traffic flowing at the border. We believe that the Spanish Government share this goal. They have reassured us that EU and Spanish law will be fully respected and that they do not consider that the Mayor of La Linea's earlier proposed actions would be legal. The Mayor has not implemented his proposals. However we continue to keep in close contact with the Government of Gibraltar and to monitor the situation at the border.
Iran: Baha'i Faith
Meg Munn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Government of Iran on the detention of members of the Baha'i community in that country; and if he will make a statement. [20079]
Alistair Burt: We remain concerned for the Baha'i community in Iran. I met the Iranian ambassador on 20 September to discuss this and a range of other human rights issues. I made it clear that the UK remains extremely concerned by the sentencing of the seven Baha'i leaders to 20 years imprisonment, which we understand has now been reduced to 10 years. As my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary said in his statement of 11 August 2010, these sentences are unacceptable. Both the UK and the international community deplore the victimisation of the Baha'i faith by the Iranian state. We will continue to remind Iran of the international commitments it has freely signed up to, and urge the Iranian Government to cease their harassment of the Baha'i minority, and to respect the rights of all minority groups.
Middle East: Peace Negotiations
Simon Danczuk: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his (a) Israeli and (b) Palestinian counterparts on the Israeli Government's proposal for a compulsory oath of loyalty; and if he will make a statement. [23034]
Alistair Burt: We attach importance to the values set out in Israel's Declaration of Independence and basic laws. We are concerned by anything that detracts from these and will be watching this debate carefully. We do not want to see steps to prejudice Israel's non-Jewish citizens or to discriminate against people on the basis of their religion.
Mordechai Vanunu
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will ask the Government of Israel to release Mordechai Vanunu. [22507]
Alistair Burt
[holding answer of 8 November 2010]: While we are concerned by the developments in this case and monitor the situation, Mr Vanunu is not a UK
national and we are therefore constrained in the attention we can give to this. The UK has a strong record of lobbying the Israeli Government hard on issues regarding human rights and those directly related to our foreign policy objectives. Therefore, our capacity to lobby on specific cases, especially on behalf of non-British Nationals, is extremely limited.
Taiwan: International Civil Aviation Organisation
Mr Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on Taiwan joining the International Civil Aviation Authority. [22513]
Mr Jeremy Browne: The Government support Taiwan's practical participation in international organisations where this does not require statehood.
Energy and Climate Change
Electricity Generation
Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the electricity production technologies which would (a) enable affordable domestic and industrial prices and (b) enable the UK to meet its emissions reduction targets. [22001]
Gregory Barker: The following table 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 both fossil fuel and low carbon plant, at current engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract prices.
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.
| Case 1: 10% discount rate, 2009 project start at today's EPC prices, with mixed FOAK/NOAK | ||||||||||
| Levelised cost | Gas CCGT | Gas CCGT with CCS (FOAK) | ASC Coal | ASC Coal with CCS (FOAK) | Coal IGCC (FOAK) | Coal IGCC with CCS (FOAK) | Onshore wind | Offshore wind (FOAK) | Offshore wind R3 (FOAK) | Nuclear PWR (FOAK) |
| Source: Mott Macdonald (2010), UK Electricity Generation Costs Update, available at: http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/statistics/projections/71-uk-electricity-generation-costs-update-.pdf | ||||||||||
As new technologies are deployed it is likely that costs will fall due to learning. The following table sets out the estimated levelised costs for projects started in
2017 with the assumption that all technologies have reached 'nth of a kind' status.
| Case 5: 10% discount rate, 2017 start at projected EPC prices, all NOAK | ||||||||||
| Levelised cost | Gas CCGT | Gas CCGT with CCS | ASC Coal | ASC Coal with CCS | Coal IGCC | Coal IGCC with CCS | Onshore wind | Offshore wind | Offshore wind R3 | Nuclear PWR |
| Source: Mott Macdonald (2010), UK Electricity Generation Costs Update, available at: http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/statistics/projections/71-uk-electricity-generation-costs-update-.pdf | ||||||||||
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 emissions trading scheme allowance prices, operating costs, load factor, and other drivers, meaning that there is significant uncertainty around these estimates.
Housing: Insulation
Damian Hinds: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he has made an estimate of the number of (a) homes and (b) businesses in (i) England, (ii) Hampshire and (iii) East Hampshire constituency which would be eligible for support for (A) loft insulation top-up, (B) cavity wall insulation, (C) internal solid wall insulation and (D) external solid wall insulation under the proposed Green Deal. [22272]
Gregory Barker: The Green Deal has the potential to improve the energy efficiency of up to 22 million homes in England and will generate new business opportunities. It is estimated that the Green Deal could drive 14 million individual installations in homes by 2020. Many of the 4.2 million businesses in England could also benefit from the Green Deal.
The Department for Energy and Climate Change does not have a detailed assessment of the potential in East Hampshire at this stage, however it is anticipated that householders and businesses across all tenures will be able to benefit from the new framework.
Wind Power: Cost-effectiveness
David T. C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the cost-efficiency of producing carbon-free electricity from onshore wind farms compared with (a) nuclear power and (b) other methods; and if he will make a statement. [22802]
Charles Hendry: The following table 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.
| Table 1: Mott Macdonald (2010) levelised costs (Case 1: 10% discount rate, 2009 project start at today's EPC prices, with mixed FOAK/NOAK) | ||||||||||
| Levelised c ost | Gas CCGT | Gas CCGT with CCS-FOAK | ASC coal | ASC coal with CCS-FOAK | Coal IGCC- FOAK | Coal IGCC with CCS-FOAK | Onshore wind | Offshore wind-FOAK | Offshore wind R3-FOAK | Nuclear PWR-FOAK |
| Source: Mott Macdonald (2010), UK Electricity Generation Costs Update, available at: http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/Statistics/Projections/71-uk-electricity-generation-costs-update.pdf | ||||||||||
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. On offshore wind, for example, it shows offshore wind 'FOAK' prices, whereas the round 2 technology may be considered to have progressed towards 'NOAK' prices. Mott Macdonald estimate 'NOAK' offshore wind costs at £125/MWh (10% discount rate, 2009 project start at today's EPC prices).
Transport
Airports: Thames Estuary
Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent representations he has received on the development of an international airport on the Hoo Peninsula, Medway. [20347]
Mrs Villiers [holding answer 1 November 2010]: None directly, although we have received several letters about possible airport development in and around the Thames Estuary. The Department has no plans for a new airport in the Thames Estuary, nor any other part of Medway or Kent.
Our priority is to get the most out of existing airport infrastructure in the South East, which is why I am chairing the taskforce announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State in his written ministerial statement on 15 June 2010, Official Report, column 48WS, to improve operations at the major South East airports.
Blue Badge Scheme
Caroline Dinenage: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he plans to review the operation of the Blue Badge scheme for parking concessions. [22233]
Norman Baker: The Department for Transport is currently reviewing the Blue Badge scheme. An announcement on how we plan to take the scheme forward will be made shortly.
Crossrail: Abbey Wood
Teresa Pearce: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport in which year he expects the Crossrail station at Abbey Wood to be operational. [22612]
Mrs Villiers [ h olding answer 8 November 2010] : Under the revised programme for the construction of the central tunnels, we expect that phased introduction of Crossrail services will commence from 2018.
Teresa Pearce: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions his Department has had with Southeastern Railway on interchange facilities with Crossrail services at Abbey Wood station; and what step-free interchange facilities he expects to be available in that station when it is rebuilt. [21772]
Mrs Villiers [holding answer 4 November 2010]: Crossrail Ltd is working with Network Rail, which is responsible for the construction of the Crossrail. On network works, including Abbey Wood station, network Rail is leading the discussions with Southeastern on the impacts on and improvements to the railway as a result of these works.
The Crossrail station at Abbey Wood is expected to include full provision for people with restricted mobility, with lifts from ground level and road over-bridge access to ticket halls and the Crossrail platforms.
Crossrail: Finance
Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how much funding he plans to allocate to Crossrail in each year of the spending review period; [22821]
(2) what proportion of his Department's budget he plans to allocate to Crossrail in each year of the spending review period; and what proportion of that budget has been allocated to Crossrail in each year since the inception of that project. [22822]
Mrs Villiers: As set out in the 'Spending Review 2010: Transport for London funding agreement' letter from the Secretary of State to the Mayor of London of 20 October 2010, published on the Department for Transport's website, the funding allocated by the Secretary of State will be as follows:
| 2011-12 | 2012-13 | 2013-14 | 2014-15 | |
Crossrail funding represented 2% of the Department's budget in 2010-11, 1% in 2009-10 and below 1% in earlier years.
Ferries: Highlands and Islands
Mr MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he plans to take to ensure adequate marine emergency coverage for the Highlands and Islands following the removal of the Anglian Prince tug boat in 2011. [21773]
Mike Penning [holding answer 4 November 2010]: The current contract for the provision of emergency towing vessels at public expense will not be renewed when it expires in September 2011. Between now and the end of the contract, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency intends to work with the shipping and wider maritime industries, and also with local interested parties, local authorities and the Scottish Government, to explore options for ensuring the effective operation of commercial arrangements in the future.
Highways Agency: Finance
Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of schemes in the supported (a) development and (b) pre-qualification pool for major schemes; and what his Department's budget is for major schemes for (i) 2010-11 and (ii) each of the three subsequent years. [22823]
Norman Baker: The total of the most recently requested or approved Department for Transport contribution for all the schemes in the three pools, and the maximum amount that would be expected to fall within the spending review period is as follows:
| £ million | ||
| DFT contribution requested or previously approved | Of which maximum falling within the spending review period | |
However, we will be inviting revised funding bids from the local authorities concerned with a view to reducing the overall call on Department for Transport funding, and before deciding by the end of 2011 which of these schemes should be taken forward for funding.
The Department is not able to make a reliable and up to date estimate of the total public sector cost including local authorities' own contributions, but will be seeking this information as part of the invitation to authorities to submit Best and Final Funding Bids (for schemes in the Supported Pool) and Expressions of Interest (for other schemes) by the end of December.
The Department's budget for local authority major schemes in 2010-11 and the spending review years is as follows. This includes provision for existing committed schemes, not mentioned above.
| £ million | |
Railways: Electrification
Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what timetable has been set for the electrification of the (a) Manchester to Liverpool and (b) Manchester-Preston-Blackpool line. [19796]
Mrs Villiers [holding answer 26 October 2010]: On 20 October 2010, the Chancellor announced that electrification of the lines between Manchester, Liverpool, Preston and Blackpool would go ahead. We are working with Network Rail to determine the timetable for the completion of these schemes, and will make an announcement in due course.
Railways: Fares
Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has made a recent estimate of the likely effect on his Department's progress on carbon dioxide emission targets of proposed increases in rail fares. [20358]
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment has been made of the likely effects on the environment of his proposals to increase the cap on regulated rail fares to 3% above the retail price index for three years from 2012. [20576]
Mrs Villiers: The Government are committed to ensuring that transport plays a full role in delivering the UK's climate change targets. We will continue to monitor the carbon impact of policy and investment decisions to ensure we remain on course to deliver those targets.
Emissions of greenhouse gases from the transport sector are projected to fall significantly over the coming decade, in large part as a result of improvements to the fuel efficiency of new vehicles and the uptake of low carbon fuels.
The Department for Transport has not made a detailed estimate of the likely effects of increases in rail fares on transport emissions. Although the announced fare increases may encourage some modal shift away from rail, the overall impact on carbon emissions is likely to be small. The fare increase was one element of the spending review announcement. Other measures such as the local sustainable transport fund and the package of support for ultra low carbon vehicles are expected to lead to reductions in carbon emissions.
Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) whether he has made an estimate of the likely effect on the number of car journeys of proposed increases in rail fares; [20359]
(2) whether he has made an estimate of the likely effect on the number of passenger coach journeys of the proposed increases in rail fares. [20360]
Mrs Villiers: The Department for Transport has not made a detailed estimate of the likely effects of increases in rail fares on other modes.
Although the announced fare increases may encourage some modal shift away from rail, the overall impact on other modes is likely to be small.
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate his Department has made of the likely effect on rail passenger numbers of the proposed increase in the cap on regulated rail fares to 3% above the retail price index for three years from 2012. [20577]
Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what estimate his Department has made of the likely effect on the level of passenger rail use of an RPI+3 formula for fares; [20356]
(2) what estimate he has made of the likely effect on the number of passengers using rail services of the proposed increases in rail fares. [20361]
Mrs Villiers: The Department for Transport expects that passenger journeys will continue to increase during the period from 2012 to 2014 when fares are due to rise by 3% above the retail price index (RPI) of inflation. It is estimated that the level of patronage will be up to 4% lower than it would have been had the cap remained at RPI+1%.
Railways: North West
Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent estimate he has made of the cost to the economy of rail congestion in principal cities in the Northern Hub. [22298]
Mrs Villiers: The aim of the Northern Hub study was to identify a preferred value for money option which would deliver economic benefits to the north of England through improving rail connectivity across the north and increasing the capacity of the rail network to accommodate long-term growth.
Rail congestion was not considered an issue in the Northern Hub study or in the subsequent draft northern route utilisation strategy (RUS) so no estimate has been made to the cost of the economy arising from it.
Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the economic effect on (a) the North West and (b) Yorkshire and the Humber region of the Northern Hub. [22442]
Mrs Villiers [holding answer 8 November 2010]: Network Rail's study into the strategic options available calculated that the preferred Northern Hub option would add £4.23 billion benefits to the north of England over a 60 year period. This figure was not disaggregated between regions of the north of England.
Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what capital allocations his Department has made for the implementation of the Northern Hub for each year of the spending review. [22443]
Mrs Villiers [holding answer 8 November 2010]: As part of the preparation for the next high level output specification, we will consider whether a Northern Hub scheme can be funded and what progress can be made on the project during the next Network Rail control period (2014-15 to 2019-20).
Since the spending review only covers the period up to 2015, no capital funding has been specifically allocated to the Northern Hub as yet. However, officials at the Department for Transport continue to work with Network Rail along with GMPTE on developing the case for the Northern Hub. I have visited Manchester for discussions on this proposal.
Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what timetable he has set for the implementation of the Northern Hub initiative. [22485]
Mrs Villiers [holding answer 8 November 2010]: As part of the preparation for the next high level output specification, we will consider whether a Northern Hub scheme can be funded and what progress can be made on the project during the next Network Rail control period (2014-15 to 2019-20). It would be premature to set a formal timetable for the project at this stage. However, officials at the Department for Transport continue to work with Network Rail, train operators and GMPTE on developing the case for the Northern Hub. I have visited Manchester for discussions on this proposal.
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