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10 Nov 2010 : Column 336W—continued
Road Traffic: Morecambe
David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will assess the potential effects on traffic levels on trunk roads in Lancaster and Morecambe constituency of Lancashire County Council's Faber Maunsell plan. [22624]
Norman Baker: The Department for Transport has no plans to assess the potential effects of Lancashire county council's Faber Maunsell plan on traffic levels on trunk roads in Lancaster and Morecambe. The Secretary of State announced on 26 October 2010, Official Report, columns 177-79, that it will fund the Heysham-M6 Link Road scheme, subject to a revised funding bid from Lancashire county council and the satisfactory completion of all remaining statutory procedures.
Roads: Safety
Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many staff in his Department were in posts with responsibility for road safety issues in October 2010; and how many such posts he expects there to be in October 2011. [22593]
Norman Baker: It is impossible to identify precisely the number of staff within the central Department with responsibility for road safety issues. While we have dedicated teams with road safety responsibility-principally the road user safety team, agency policy and sponsorship functions, and the team responsible for negotiating vehicle safety standards-road safety is also an important goal for many other parts of the Department (including but not exclusively the marketing team, the traffic management team, and the walking and cycling team).
The central Department and its Executive Agencies recorded the following full-time equivalent (FTE) posts who are responsible exclusively or mainly for working on road safety issues:
The Department is in the process of reviewing its structure in light of the Government's spending review. Future staff numbers will be determined as part of that process.
Transport for London: Grants
Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department allocated in grant to Transport for London (TfL) for 2010-11 (a) prior to and (b) after his Department's in-year spending reductions; and what such funding his Department plans to allocate (i) in general grant, (ii) to Crossrail, (iii) to Metronet and (iv) under each other grant flow to TfL in each of the next three years. [22824]
Mrs Villiers: Prior to in-year savings, funding for Transport for London in 2010-11 consisted of:
Greater London Authority transport grant of £2,871,589,000
Two capital grants towards costs associated with the former Metronet public-private partnership, totalling £392,500,000
London overground grant of £24,932,347
A small number of other smaller payments
As a result of in-year savings, total funding for TfL in 2010-11 was reduced by £108,000,000.
The Secretary of State set out his intentions in relation to funding for Transport for London, including Crossrail and the companies into which the former Metronet PPP contracts have been transferred, for the years 2011-12 to 2014-15 in a letter to the Mayor of London dated 20 October. This letter has been published on the Department's website at:
Transport: Finance
John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the oral statement of 26 October 2010, Official Report, columns 177-79, on transport (investment), what guidance he has issued to local authorities submitting revised bids on local authority major schemes in the supported pool. [21043]
Norman Baker [holding answer 3 November 2010]: In addition to the oral statement the Department for Transport provided Members with a document entitled 'Investment in Local Major Transport Schemes' which sets out our proposals in more detail, including the submission of revised bids. This document has been sent to local authorities with schemes involved in the process including those in the supported pool. We are already in discussion with these authorities and will provide them with further detailed guidance very shortly.
John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the oral statement of 26 October 2010, Official Report, columns 177-79, on transport (investment), what estimate he has made of the cost of the local authority major schemes in the development pool. [21045]
Norman Baker [holding answer 3 November 2010]: The total of the most recently requested or approved Department for Transport contribution for all the schemes in the Development Pool is around £930 million, of which we estimate that no more than £700 million would fall in 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.
Cabinet Office
Civil Servants: Recruitment
Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many (a) applicants and (b) acceptances of each (i) gender, (ii) ethnicity and (iii) socio-economic group there were to the Civil Service Fast Stream in each year since 2000. [22144]
Mr Maude: Data on the social class of applicants and appointees to the Fast Stream are not available. Monitoring of the socio-economic background of applicants and appointees will begin with effect from the 2011 entry competition.
Data on the gender and ethnicity of applicants and appointees are available in the annual Fast Stream reports, published on the Cabinet Office website at:
Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what proportion of successful applicants to the Civil Service Fast Stream in each year since 2001 were educated at (a) Oxford and (b) Cambridge University. [22145]
Mr Maude: The proportion of successful applicants to the Fast Stream since 2001 who were educated at Oxford and Cambridge universities is as follows.
| Oxford | Cambridge | Total appointees | |
Departmental Redundancy
Ms Angela Eagle: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate he has made of the number of redundancies arising from the spending reductions proposed in the comprehensive spending review in respect of (a) his Department, (b) its non-departmental public bodies and (c) other public bodies which are dependent on his Department for funding. [21512]
Mr Maude: In respect of (a) we expect the size of the Cabinet Office to reduce by about 20% given its current functions over the spending review period. Natural turnover will deliver some of the reductions, however the Department is planning a voluntary departure programme in 2010-11 to support the reductions needed to achieve this target.
In respect of (b) and (c), the recent review of public bodies recommended that seven of the Cabinet Office's 14 public bodies should no longer remain NDPBs:
Civil Service Appeals Board;
Government Strategic Marketing Advisory Board;
Main Honours Advisory Committee;
Security Commission;
Office for Civil Society Advisory Board;
Capacitybuilders;
Commission for the Compact.
The first five are small advisory bodies supported by Cabinet Office staff who will be absorbed back into the Cabinet Office and/or redeployed to other work.
There are no plans for redundancies in respect of staff supporting the work of the remaining advisory bodies-Advisory Committee on Business Appointments, House of Lords Appointments Commission, Security Vetting Appeals Panel, and the Committee for Standards in Public Life. The remaining Cabinet Office public body, the Boundary Commission for England, has staff seconded from the Cabinet Office. The staffing of the Commission is projected to increase over the 2011-12 period to meet the requirements of the next parliamentary boundary review and to revert to a staffing level comparable to that used for past reviews.
Alternative arrangements for the work of Capacitybuilders and the Commission for the Compact are currently under review.
The Central Office of Information has recently completed a redundancy exercise which was not part of the comprehensive spending review. 287 staff exits were made through a compulsory exercise, mitigated with some voluntary redundancies.
Any further changes to the status of the Central Office of Information are under consideration as part of a review which will report at the end of November.
The status of the National School of Government remains under consideration and will be announced in due course.
There are currently no plans for redundancies at the National School of Government following the spending review settlement. Any decisions about the National School of Government are expected to be made as part of the arm's length bodies review.
Government Departments: Photography
Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many photographers are employed by Government Departments. [22666]
Mr Maude [holding answer 8 November 2010]: This information is not collected centrally.
Government Departments: Procurement
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether the 25 per cent. aspiration set for Government contracts to be awarded to small and medium-sized enterprises is to be measured as a proportion of (a) the monetary value of the contract, (b) the total number of contracts awarded by each Department or (c) committee measure. [22306]
Mr Maude [holding answer 8 November 2010]: As set out in the coalition programme, the aspiration is for 25% of the total number of Government contracts to go to SMEs.
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether the 25% aspiration for the award of Government contracts to small and medium-sized enterprises applies to each Government Department or to the total number of such contracts awarded. [22307]
Mr Maude [holding answer 8 November 2010]: The aspiration is for 25% of the total number of Government contracts to go to SMEs. It is not our intention that each Department should award 25% of its contracts to SMEs.
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate he has made of the average cost to a supplier of completing a pre-qualification questionnaire for contracts with Government Departments. [22501]
Mr Maude: This information is not held centrally, but, as announced on 1 November, we are mandating that Government Departments use a simplified standard pre-qualification questionnaire to reduce the burden on suppliers.
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what timetable he has set for Government departments to agree plans of action to increase the number of contracts awarded to small and medium-sized enterprises. [22503]
Mr Maude: We intend to agree actions with individual Departments once baseline figures for SMEs in procurement are published later this month.
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what proportion of potential suppliers of Government Departments who completed pre-qualification questionnaires in the last five years received no contracts from any Department in (a) that financial year and (b) the three financial years following submission of the questionnaire. [22505]
Mr Maude: This information is not held centrally, but, as announced on 1 November, we are mandating that Government Departments use a simplified standard pre-qualification questionnaire to reduce the burden on suppliers.
Members: Correspondence
Kevin Brennan: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office when he expects the Cabinet Secretary to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Cardiff West of 20 September 2010 in relation to a Civil Service appointment. [22684]
Mr Maude [holding answer 8 November 2010]: A reply was sent to the hon. Member on 4 November 2010.
Public Bodies Bill 2010-2011: Wales
Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) what recent discussions he has had with Welsh Assembly Government (a) Ministers and (b) officials on the likely effects on public bodies in Wales of the implementation of the provisions of the Public Bodies Bill; [21590]
(2) what recent discussions he has had with Welsh Assembly Government (a) Ministers and (b) officials on the likely effects of the provisions of the Public Bodies Bill on legislative competences in Wales (i) prior to and (ii) after a referendum on Part 4 of the Government of Wales Act 2006. [21591]
Mr Maude: There has been an extensive process of communication and dialogue with the devolved Administrations in the development of proposals for public bodies reform. Cabinet Office officials have been in regular contact with counterparts in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. I have also corresponded with colleagues in the devolved Administrations on a number of occasions prior to publication of the Public Bodies Bill.
Public Bodies Bill
Mr Marsden: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what consideration he gave to making provision in the Public Bodies Bill [Lords] for changes to the Skills Funding Agency. [22825]
Mr Maude [holding answer 9 November 2010]: The scope of the Public Bodies Bill is restricted to non-departmental public bodies, non-ministerial departments and public corporations. The Skills Funding Agency is an Executive Agency of the Department for Business Innovation and Skills and therefore out of scope of the review process and the Bill.
Public Expenditure
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether his Department has established processes to monitor any effects of proposed reductions in its expenditure. [21637]
Mr Maude: My Department is assessing the effects of its spending review settlement.
Voluntary Organisations: Local Government
Anas Sarwar: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether he plans to review the guidelines on commissioning between local government and the voluntary sector. [19873]
Mr Hurd: The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government has responsibility for local government. The coalition's programme for government includes a commitment to promote the radical devolution of power and greater financial autonomy to local government and community groups. The Government also run a national training programme for public sector commissioners which includes those from local authorities. The Government will also be building on the work of the Partnership Improvement Programme (PIP), and the new package will develop support to statutory partners and civil society organisations in working together on issues including commissioning practice.
Work and Pensions
Access to Work Programme
Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will extend the Access to Work programme to cover the costs associated with (a) attendance at interviews and (b) participation in work experience placements and internships. [19994]
Maria Miller: The Access to Work programme can fund the costs of an interpreter or advocate assisting a disabled person to communicate at an interview. There are no plans at present to extend the support available from the programme to cover the costs of travelling to an interview.
The Jobcentre Plus Fares to Interview scheme is available to help disabled people with other costs associated with job interviews including reimbursement of travel expenses, subsistence allowance for longer periods away from home and compensation for loss of earnings.
The Access to Work programme can fund the additional costs of support required to allow a disabled person to take part in a work trial arranged by Jobcentre Plus. Access to Work support is only available to people in paid employment and so does not support work placements or internships where the individual works on a voluntary basis or receives benefits or training allowances.
Bereavement Benefits
Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has for the future of bereavement benefits; and if he will make a statement. [21995]
Steve Webb: As is the case for all benefits, bereavement benefits are kept under constant review. Any potential change to bereavement benefits in the future would be considered within the context of wider welfare reform and our commitment to create and deliver a 21(st) century welfare system.
Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission: Correspondence
David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what consideration the Child Support Agency has given to using double-sided printing for its correspondence. [22625]
Maria Miller: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to the hon. Member with the information requested and I have seen the response.
In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner as the Child Support Agency is now the responsibility of the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission.
You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what consideration the Child Support Agency has given to using double-sided print for its correspondence. [22625]
The vast majority of printed correspondence from the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission's IT systems is produced in bulk by our IT suppliers in their own print centres. Much smaller volumes of correspondence are created by caseworkers in local offices.
Bulk printed correspondence is almost all printed single-sided. However, bilingual letters in English and Welsh are produced double-sided. The Child Support Agency is currently looking for money saving opportunities associated with printed correspondence, including greater use of duplex printing.
The Commission's caseworkers are strongly encouraged to print all correspondence double-sided. We are currently deploying new printers into all local offices that will be set up to print double-sided by default. Installation of these new devices will be completed by April 2011.
I hope you find this answer helpful.
Disability Living Allowance
Grahame M. Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what consultation he undertook with (a) charities, (b) third sector organisations and (c) other disability organisations prior to his decision to remove the mobility component of disability living allowance for those who live in residential care homes. [20982]
Maria Miller: Local authority contracts with care homes should cover services to meet all a resident's assessed needs, including any assessed mobility needs, so an individual's care support and mobility needs should be met by residential care providers from social care funding. This measure will remove an overlap of public funds while ensuring that resources continue to be targeted at disabled people with the greatest needs.
As part of the spending review all organisations are given the opportunity to contribute to the priorities of the spending review. Across Government, consultation on specific spending review measures was not undertaken. All measures are subject to the parliamentary process, and we are committed to the involvement of charities, third sector organisations and other disability organisations in the ongoing development of policy in these areas.
Employment: Disability
Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what impact assessment his Department has undertaken of the (a) duty to make reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act 2010, (b) disability equality duty under the Equality Act 2010 and (c) implementation of Article 27 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; and what mechanisms are in place to ensure his Department's programmes to assist disabled people in employment are compliant with that legislation. [22467]
Maria Miller: The coalition agreement made clear this Government's commitment to equality for disabled people. We believe that disabled people should have the same opportunities as non-disabled people to fully participate in society.
In general, the provisions in the Equality Act 2010 which require reasonable adjustments to be made for disabled people have been carried forward from the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. The Equality Act 2010 introduced a single threshold at which the duty to make reasonable adjustments arises and this change is dealt with in the impact assessment(1) and equality impact assessment(2) of the Equality Act. These assessments also assess the introduction of a new public sector duty, which will replace the existing disability equality duty in April 2011.
The Government Equalities Office is currently consulting on the public sector equality duty. Details of the impact assessment and equality impact assessment are included in the published consultation document(3).
The Government take their obligations under the United Nations convention on the rights of disabled people into account as they develop policies and programmes. The report that Government will make to the United Nations next year will demonstrate how across Departments we have taken forward implementation in respect of article 27 and the convention as a whole.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) undertakes equality impact assessment on any new policies or changes to existing policies and practice. A well established process helps policy makers develop equality impact assessments based on a strong evidence base. This includes guidance on including information gathered from consultation and involvement with organisations.
Currently, equality impact assessments are being developed for both Work Choice implementation and Access to Work and will appear on the DWP website in due course.
(2)( )http://www.official-documents.gov.uk/document/other/97801085 08714/9780108508714.pdf
(3) Equality Act 2010: The public sector Equality Duty: Promoting equality through transparency:
Housing Benefit
Dr Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of housing benefit claimants in (a) Scotland and (b) the UK received housing benefit payments of over £20,000 in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [21799]
Steve Webb: Information on annual awards for each housing benefit recipient is not available. At July 2010, our records show that:
(a) In Scotland, there were 840 households receiving housing benefit over £384.62 per week;
(b) In Great Britain, there were 11,230 households receiving housing benefit over £384.62 per week.
Note:
All figures have been rounded to the nearest 10 recipients.
Source:
Single Housing Benefit Extract for July 2010
Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what estimate he has made of the proportion of local housing allowance claimants in (a) single rooms, (b) one bedroom properties, (c) two bedroom properties, (d) three bedroom properties and (e) four bedroom properties and above whose monthly allowance does not cover the cost of their rental payments; [22090]
(2) what estimate he has made of the average shortfall in cases where local housing allowance does not cover the full rent payable in each region in the latest period for which figures are available; [22091]
(3) what estimate he has made of the average difference between local housing allowance claimed and rent payable by persons whose allowance does not cover the cost of their rental payments in (a) all properties and (b) properties with (i) a single room, (ii) one bedroom, (iii) two bedrooms, (iv) three bedrooms and (v) four bedrooms or more in the latest period in which figures are available. [22092]
Steve Webb: In August 2009, 48% of those receiving housing benefit under the local housing allowance arrangements had a shortfall in their rent caused by the customer's contractual rent being higher than the appropriate local housing allowance rate.
Work is under way to update this information and we aim to include this in the publication on a "two-year review of the local housing allowance" due out later this year.
Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has for the future of the discretionary housing payments budget; and if he will make a statement. [22120]
Steve Webb: We are increasing the Government's contribution to local authorities' discretionary housing payments funds from £20 million to £30 million in 2011-12 and to £60 million a year thereafter. We are currently discussing the allocation of the funding with the local authority associations.
Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent assessment his Department has made of the merits of rent controls as a method of reducing expenditure on housing benefit. [22323]
Steve Webb: Policy on rent controls is a matter for the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. However, the Department for Work and Pensions has outlined a range of measures in the June 2010 Budget that are designed to exert a downward pressure on rents and will save around £2 billion per year by 2015-16.
Housing Benefit: Brighton and Lewes
Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the likely change in the discretionary housing payment for (a) Brighton and Hove City Council and (b) Lewes District council in each year of the spending review period. [22121]
Steve Webb: We are reviewing the way in which we allocate the Department's contribution to local authorities' expenditure on discretionary housing payments. In the meantime, we cannot estimate the likely change in contributions to individual local authorities.
Housing Benefit: Down's Syndrome
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to make discretionary housing payments to (a) people with Down's syndrome and (b) their families to meet housing rental costs. [23078]
Steve Webb: Discretionary housing payments are intended to make up shortfalls in entitlement to benefit where the local authority considers that the person concerned is in need of further help with their housing costs.
Decisions on who should receive these payments are entirely at the local authority's discretion, and It is for the authority to decide what should be awarded in any particular case and how long the award should last. We would expect local authorities to take into account the health and any special support needs of the household.
Housing Benefit: Shared Housing
Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether benefit recipients sharing accommodation with unrelated non-benefit recipients will be able to access local housing allowance under his proposed reforms. [21305]
Steve Webb: Those who live in shared accommodation and who are liable for their rent on a commercial basis can continue to receive help from housing benefit, unless their landlord is a close relative who also lives in the property.
Housing Benefit: Wales
Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many rooms in houses defined as shared for the purposes of the shared room rate of local housing allowance were available to rent in each broad rental market area in Wales in the latest period for which figures are available. [22321]
Steve Webb: Information on the number of rooms available in shared accommodation in the private rented sector is not available.
Industrial Health and Safety
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent assessment he has made of the contribution of trade union safety representatives to the maintenance of health and safety standards in the workplace. [22349]
Chris Grayling: The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) strategy document "The health and safety of Great Britain-Be part of the solution" recognises that involving employees has a positive effect on health and safety performance.
Research indicates that the benefits of effective employee involvement in health and safety come about because it helps employers to manage health and safety in a practical way by:
helping spot risks;
making sure health and safety controls are practical; and
increasing the level of commitment to working in a safe and healthy way.
In organisations where it is not practical to consult individuals directly, having a health and safety representative is beneficial.
Recent HSE analysis of previous survey data indicates that, whether the workplace is unionised or not, employee satisfaction with consultation arrangements has a positive impact on health and safety performance. It also shows that unionised workplaces generally have higher levels of satisfaction with consultation on health and safety matters.
Mortgages: Government Assistance
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) if he will estimate the number of people in receipt of support for mortgage interest who have mortgages with interest rates higher than 3.63% if he will estimate the proportion of such people who have mortgages with interest rates higher than 3.63% due to having (a) low income and (b) poor credit history; [22642]
(2) how many people were in receipt of support for mortgage interest payments; and how many such people were also receiving (a) pension credit, (b) jobseeker's allowance and (c) income support on the latest date for which figures are available; [22655]
(3) with reference to his Department's Equality Impact Assessment: Support for Mortgage Interest; page 6, paragraph 1, what the evidential basis is for the estimate that just over half of all support for mortgage interest customers will continue to have their eligible mortgage interest outgoings fully met by their benefit awards; [22720]
(4) with reference to his Department's Equality Impact Assessment: Support for Mortgage Interest; page 7, paragraph 4, if he will give numerical estimates for the references to (a) lion's share and (b) a relatively small level of arrears. [22721]
Steve Webb: The latest available figures on the number of people claiming support for mortgage interest through income-based jobseeker's allowance, income support and pension credit are from February 2010, and are given as follows.
| Caseload (February 2010) | Number |
| Source: Department for Work and Pensions, Information Directorate, 5% samples. | |
Support for mortgage interest is also payable through awards of income-based employment and support allowance, although the Department does not collect administrative data on how many of these customers would be receiving support for their eligible mortgage interest costs.
The Department does not collect administrative data on the actual mortgage rates paid by support for mortgage interest customers, or data on the proportion of customers with interest rates higher than 3.63% due to having low income or poor credit history.
In November 2009, we received a sample of data on almost 6,000 support for mortgage interest claimants (around 3% of the total caseload) from 16 different mortgage lenders, collected on our behalf by Council of Mortgage Lenders and HM Treasury. While the data are not a statistically robust sample and any results should be considered illustrative, and it is likely that the distribution of mortgage rates will have changed since the data were collected, they can provide a useful insight into the mortgages of support for mortgage interest customers.
This sample indicates that around 115,000 of the current 227,000 support for mortgage interest customers would have mortgage interest rates higher than 3.63%.
Using the same sample, we estimate that just over 50% of support for mortgage interest customers would have mortgage interest liabilities of lower than 3.67% (the April 2010 estimate of the average mortgage rate published by the Bank of England), and therefore continue to have their eligible mortgage interest outgoings fully met by their benefit awards.
Numerical estimates on the proportion of eligible mortgage interest that we would be covered under a standard interest rate of 3.67% are given in table 3 of the equality impact assessment published on the departmental website.
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what cost-benefit analysis his Department has undertaken of the likely effects of the implementation of his proposals to lower the rate of interest used to calculate support for mortgage interest. [22653]
Steve Webb: The standard interest rate used to calculate support for mortgage interest was fixed at 6.08% by the last Administration. That rate was too generous and resulted in the vast majority of people getting more than their eligible mortgage interest liability, which was unfair to taxpayers.
The Chancellor announced in the June 2010 Budget that the standard interest rate would be based on the Bank of England's published monthly average mortgage interest rate. Legislation to introduce this change came into effect from 1 October 2010 and the standard interest rate is currently 3.63%.
The Department conducted thorough analysis on the likely impacts of this change, and we have included as much information as possible in the equality impact assessment published on the Department's website.
Pensioners: Housing Benefit
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many persons in receipt of housing benefit in each (a) region and (b) constituency are above retirement age. [22413]
Steve Webb: The information is not available at constituency level. A copy of the available information has been placed in the Library.
Social Security Benefits: Disability
Ian Swales: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people were in receipt of (a) disability living allowance and (b) incapacity benefit in Redcar constituency on the latest date for which figures are available. [16534]
Maria Miller: "Caseloads for selected benefits by Parliamentary Constituencies, February 2010" is available in the House of Commons Library and includes figures for incapacity benefit and disability living allowance. The information is reproduced in the following table.
Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Livingston constituency receive (a) disability living allowance, (b) incapacity benefit and (c) employment and support allowance. [22070]
Maria Miller: The information requested is in the following table:
Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he has assessed the merits of drafting a single form for the application of all medical condition-related benefits. [22465]
Maria Miller: The policy rationale, entitlement conditions and information required for each benefit is different and to cover them all in one form would increase complexity and be unhelpful for the recipient.
Gareth Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Dartford constituency receive (a) incapacity benefit and (b) employment and support allowance. [22805]
Maria Miller: At February 2010 there were 2,380 people receiving incapacity benefits, and 660 people receiving employment and support allowance in Dartford constituency.
Notes:
1. The incapacity benefits figure includes incapacity benefit, income support paid on the grounds of incapacity, and severe disablement allowance.
2. Incapacity benefit was replaced by employment support allowance (ESA) from October 2008.
3. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10, some additional disclosure has been applied.
4. Constituencies used are for the Westminster Parliament of May 2010.
5. These data are published at:
Social Security Benefits: Fraud
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 20 October 2010, Official Report, column 766W, on social security benefits: fraud, how many people were involved in the 550 warrant cases; and how many people were involved in more than one of those cases. [19820]
Chris Grayling: The Department seeks an arrest warrant in all circumstances in which a defendant fails to attend a hearing or trial without an explanation acceptable to the court.
The 550 warrants refer to 550 individual defendants.
Of the 550 defendants, none have more than one warrant outstanding for benefit fraud offences.
Statutory Sick Pay
Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he plans to extend entitlement to statutory sick pay to employees who are on a phased return to work. [22464]
Chris Grayling: There are no plans to extend entitlement to statutory sick pay to employees who are on a phased return to work.
Statutory sick pay is payable to employees who are unable to work under the terms of their contract. It is not payable for days when an employee does any work under this contract. An employee, who is undertaking a phased return to work, may nonetheless receive statutory sick pay for days that they do not work, provided the qualifying conditions are met.
Unemployment
Miss Begg: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on what occasions since his appointment his Department has released to the media figures from each source on the number of people who have never been in employment. [17873]
Chris Grayling: The Department is routinely asked by the media for figures regarding employment, unemployment and economic inactivity and endeavour to provide as much information as possible. We use a variety of sources including:
The DWP national benefits database
Nomis Web:
Family Resource Survey
DWP Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study
Work Programme
Mr Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to ensure that prisoners and ex-offenders are supported into employment through the Work Programme; and whether this objective will be included in contracts with prime contractors. [22659]
Chris Grayling: The Work Programme will provide more personalised back to work support for long-term unemployed individuals, and for those with more significant barriers to employment. We are currently working through the full implications of the spending review for the Work Programme and further announcements, including about support for ex-offenders, will be made in due course.
DWP is also working closely with the Ministry of Justice in developing options for improving cross-departmental co-operation to increase employment and reduce re-offending for individuals leaving prison and those serving community sentences.
Communities and Local Government
Anti-Semitism
Mr MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what (a) research and (b) programmes he plans to commission for the purposes of tackling anti-Semitism; and if he will make a statement. [22577]
Andrew Stunell: The cross-Government working group to tackle anti-Semitism is currently preparing to publish a three-year on response to the recommendations made by the All Party Inquiry into Anti-Semitism. Once this report has been published we will reassess what still needs to be done and commission research and develop a programme of action accordingly.
Departmental Early Retirement
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 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. [22021]
Robert Neill: The numbers of staff who left DCLG and its agencies with enhanced early retirement packages in each of the last three years is shown in the following table.
| DCLG | Agencies | |
The data for the agencies, Planning Inspectorate, QEII Conference Centre, and the Fire Service College, have been combined owing to the very small numbers involved.
European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company: Contracts
Bob Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the oral evidence taken by the Communities and Local Government Committee on 13 September 2010, HC 453-i, Q109, what progress has been made in rectification of failures in the mapping data and directions provided by EADS to the fire service under contract. [21414]
Robert Neill [holding answer 2 November 2010]: A significant number of issues still remain with the mapping and routing products provided by EADS under the FiReControl contract.
The Fire and Rescue Services (FRS) using the interim version of the software supplied by EADS for on-board computers in fire appliances are still waiting for updated mapping data formatted for these devices. EADS has now supplied the Department for Communities and Local Government with a further draft plan which would allow roll-out to start early in the new year.
My officials received an updated proposal from EADS regarding the solution for routing fire appliances to incidents. Many of the problems highlighted by the Secretary of State would not be satisfactorily resolved
under this proposal, including, for example, reliable and consistent use of the dimensions of the fire appliance in setting a suitable route and easy adjustment of the recommended route if the crew on board find an unexpected blockage.
The issue with the gazetteer information showing West Yorkshire addresses as located in Wakefield appears to have been resolved by an EADS software maintenance release. However there is now a significant problem with this product in the way it handles FRS changes.
Fire Services: Emergency Calls
Mr Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps his Department is taking to improve fire service emergency response times; and whether he plans to bring forward proposals for new national standards for fire service response times. [22789]
Robert Neill: The onus is on individual fire and rescue authorities to consider strategies to mitigate the effect of increased levels of traffic, which research has shown to be the main factor accounting for increased response times. That will include liaising with partners such as local authorities and the Highways Agency, and applying locally appropriate measures such as green wave traffic light systems, GPS and improved local knowledge of fire crews, and use of secondary fire vehicles and reduced response to low risk incidents.
Response target-setting is a matter for individual fire and rescue authorities under Integrated Risk Management Planning (IRMP), according to local requirements and circumstances, and is not something that central government should direct or determine. The government has no plans to reintroduce national standards for fire and rescue service response times. Decisions made by local politicians and practitioners according to local circumstances will be more effective than blanket requirements across the country.
However, if the service chose to place consistent standards upon itself, then equally that is not something that central Government would seek to intervene in.
Mr Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the average fire service emergency response times were for each fire service in the latest period for which figures are available. [22790]
Robert Neill: Average response times for fires in buildings for each fire and rescue service are shown in the table for the latest period for which fire and rescue incident data are available.
Fire Services: Redundancy
Mr Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether he has made an assessment of the number of fire service jobs that would be lost as a result of the implementation of the proposals contained within the comprehensive spending review. [22788]
Robert Neill:
As fire service jobs are a local matter, determined by individual fire and rescue authorities, no formal assessment has been undertaken by the Department
for Communities and Local Government. I also refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland (Tom Blenkinsop) on 25 October 2010, Official Report, columns 88-89W.
Local Development Frameworks: Greater London
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he plans to take to enable London councils to revise their local development frameworks. [23025]
Robert Neill: All local planning authorities have a duty to keep their development plans under review and have the power to revise them when they feel this is appropriate and beneficial for their area, taking account of local circumstances.
Public Expenditure
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether his Department has established processes to monitor any effects of proposed reductions in its expenditure. [21639]
Robert Neill: The Department is following guidance issued by the Government Equalities Office on publishing its Equality Impact Assessments as part of the spending review. The results of the assessments will be published in due course.
The Chancellor announced as part of the spending review in October that each Government Department will publish a business plan setting out the details of its reform plans. As required, the DCLG business plan will include key indicators against which we will publish data to show the cost and impact of departmental activities. The indicators will be published for consultation to ensure that we have the most relevant and robust indicators in time for the beginning of the spending review period in April 2011.
Regeneration: Newcastle upon Tyne
Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what discussions his Department has had with Newcastle city council on the refurbishment of the Byker estate; and what consideration he has given to the recommendations of the report by Professor Peter Roberts. [22962]
Andrew Stunell: My Department together with the Homes and Communities Agency has held a number of recent meetings with representatives from Newcastle city council, its ALMO Your Homes Newcastle, and the Byker Steering Group. The aim of the meetings is to deliver, as Professor Peter Roberts's report recommends, a sustainable long term future for the Byker estate. The primary focus of the discussions is to ensure that the proposed scheme is both deliverable and achieves value for money for Government.
Social Rented Housing
Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of new social housing tenants are in employment. [22096]
Andrew Stunell: Information on the number of households receiving social housing is collected through the continuous recording of lettings form (CORE). Historically CORE has only collected information from registered social landlords, though a number of local authorities are now also providing information through this process.
In 2008-09, 26% of new social housing tenants were in employment.
This figure relates to the main householder and is based on the total number of new tenants in LA/RSL general needs and supported housing in full-time or part-time work expressed as a proportion of the total who provided their economic status.
Further information on social lettings is published in the live tables at the following link:
Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the average income of households in social housing in each region in the latest period for which figures are available. [22100]
Andrew Stunell [holding answer 4 November 2010]: The following table shows the most recent estimates of median and mean net (disposable) household income for social renters.
Disposable income is gross income less income tax, national insurance contributions, local government taxes and certain other deductions. The estimates have also been "equivalised" for household size and composition.
| Income of households by region for the social rented sector, 2006-07 to 2008-09 | ||
| £ per week, 2008-09 prices | ||
| Region | Median | Mean |
| Notes: 1. The original source for these estimates is the Family Resources Survey. The income measures used to derive the estimates employ the same methodology as the Department for Work and Pensions publication 'Households Below Average Income' (HBAI) series, which uses disposable household income, adjusted (or "equivalised") for household size and composition, as an income measure as a proxy for standard of living. 2. Small differences should be treated with caution as these will be affected by sampling error and variability in non-response. 3. Three sample years have been combined as regional single year estimates are subject to volatility. 4. The figures are based on OECD equivalisation factors. 5. Median household incomes are more commonly used in analysis as these are less affected by outliers. 6. Incomes are presented in 2008-09 prices and have been rounded to the nearest pound sterling. | ||
Social Rented Housing: Eltham
Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many homes in Eltham constituency identified as eligible for improvements under the Decent Homes programme have not yet had such improvements made; and if he will take steps to ensure that funding for such improvements is made available to the London borough of Greenwich. [23093]
Andrew Stunell: The available data apply to the London borough of Greenwich and there is no breakdown by constituency. At April 2010, 4,947 council homes in the London borough of Greenwich did not meet the decent homes standard. This is forecast to fall to 392 by April 2011.
In the spending review, the Government announced that they will spend £1.6 billion on tackling non-decent council housing. My Department and the Homes and Communities Agency will be consulting local authorities on the process for allocating capital funding shortly.
UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps his Department is taking to implement obligations under Articles 9, 11 and 19 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in relation to his Department's policy responsibilities. [21128]
Grant Shapps: The Department for Communities and Local Government is committed to the UN convention on rights of persons with disabilities and to improving outcomes for disabled people. The Department is currently further considering its responsibilities against the expectations of the convention, and the UK report to the UN next year will describe how implementation is being achieved.
A number of measures exist or are being taken forward by DCLG which support various convention articles, for example:
Part M (Access to and use of buildings) of the Building Regulations sets out a series of requirements to ensure that reasonable provision is made to meet the needs of disabled people where building work is undertaken in both commercial and residential buildings. In order to support delivery of more accessible and adaptable housing the Lifetime Home Standard will remain an important element of the Code for Sustainable Homes.
The allocation legislation provides that people who need to move house on medical and welfare grounds, including grounds relating to a disability, must be given 'reasonable preference' (i.e. priority) for social housing.
Home Ownership for people with Long-term Disabilities (HOLD) is a shared ownership scheme, to help those whose needs are not met elsewhere.
The Disabled Facilities Grant provides the funding to help disabled and older people to make adaptations so they can carry on living in their own homes.
The spending review 2010 announced that the reform of the council housing finance system will build in the resources needed to carry out future disabled housing adaptations required in the council housing stock.
Treasury
Child Benefit
Stephen Twigg: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of households in (a) Liverpool, West Derby constituency, (b) Liverpool and (c) the UK to be affected by his proposed changes to the administration of child benefit. [22857]
Mr Gauke: Information on household income for child benefit claimants is not available at parliamentary constituency or city level.
Child Benefit: Durham
Pat Glass: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the number of households in North West Durham constituency which will be affected by the proposed withdrawal of child benefit from families with a higher rate taxpayer. [22595]
Mr Gauke: Information on household income for child benefit claimants is not available at parliamentary constituency level.
Departmental Public Expenditure
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his Department has established processes to monitor any effects of proposed reductions in its expenditure. [21632]
Justine Greening: "Spending Review 2010" (Cm 7942) sets out details of the spending settlement for HM Treasury which will achieve overall resource savings of 33% in real terms by 2014-15. In line with all Departments, Treasury has published a business plan and will report publicly against the plan.
Directors: Fraud
Helen Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what mechanism he has put in place to prevent individuals setting up new businesses when their previous business has collapsed because of fraudulent activity. [23074]
Mr Davey: I have been asked to reply.
Our enforcement regime provides for the disqualification of directors of a limited company which has entered an insolvency procedure, if misconduct or reckless or fraudulent behaviour has been proved. A disqualification order prevents a person from acting in the management of a limited company for a period of between two and 15 years, depending on the seriousness of the misconduct. In 2009-10 more than five directors a day were disqualified. In addition, section 216 of the Insolvency Act 1986 places restrictions on the re-use of a company name by the same directors. Breach of the section is a criminal offence.
If an individual wishes to set him or herself up in business in their own name (i.e. not under the guises of a limited company) then there are no restrictions in place, unless the individual is bankrupt or a debt relief order moratorium is in force.
National Insurance Contributions: New Businesses
Caroline Dinenage: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his policy is on extending National Insurance exemptions on new jobs to areas of the South East which have low levels of employment and high levels of social deprivation. [23108]
Mr Gauke: The regional employer national insurance contributions holiday for new businesses is targeted on countries and regions within the UK where reliance on public sector employment is highest. For practical reasons the Government have no plans to introduce national insurance contribution exemptions for smaller geographical units.
Official Cars: Expenditure
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department has spent on the Government Car Service since the Government took office. [7955]
Justine Greening: The Treasury spent £70,696 (including spending in fulfilment of pre existing contractual commitments) with the Government Car Service for all car services for both Ministers and officials between 12 May 2010 and 12 July 2010. In 2009-10, the Department spent £98,145 with the Government Car Service for both Ministers and officials in an average two month period.
Public Expenditure
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the scale is on the vertical axis on the graph on page 13 of the spending review 2010 document. [21842]
Justine Greening [holding answer 4 November 2010]: The vertical axis on chart 1.1 on page 13 of the spending review 2010 document starts at 33% of GDP and goes up to 49% of GDP. Each line on the vertical axis represents an additional 1% of GDP.
Public Expenditure: Scotland
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has had discussions with the Scottish Executive on the future of end-year flexibility. [22042]
Danny Alexander: In the context of the Respect agenda, Treasury Ministers meet with Ministers from the Scottish Government from time to time to discuss issues of common interest. The issue of EYF was discussed at the most recent Finance Ministers Quadrilateral in September.
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Scottish Executive will retain access to end-year flexibility throughout the comprehensive spending review period. [22043]
Danny Alexander:
The spending review announced that the EYF scheme is being abolished at the end of 2010-11, including all accumulated stocks, and replaced by a new system from 2011-12. In the context of developing the new system the Government recognises the special
status of the Scottish Executive and the other devolved Administrations. Further detail will be set out later this financial year.
Public Sector: Females
Valerie Vaz: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will undertake an assessment of the likely effects on women of anticipated reductions in the number of jobs in the public sector in the next four years; and if he will make a statement. [21768]
Danny Alexander: On 20 October 2010 the Treasury published an overview of the impact of the spending review on men and women, people from ethnic minorities and people with disabilities.
It will be for individual employers to determine the exact work force implications of their settlements. It is the responsibility of Departments to ensure that equality issues are considered when assessing options for spending reductions.
Tax Allowances: Breweries
Dr Thérèse Coffey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has for future duty relief arrangements for small breweries. [22265]
Justine Greening: Breweries producing less than 60,000 hectolitres per annum continue to benefit from a reduced rate of duty under the small breweries relief that was introduced in 2002.
Decisions about tax policy are a matter for the Chancellor as part of the Budget process.
Home Department
Antisocial Behaviour Orders: Northumberland
Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many antisocial behaviour orders have been (a) made and (b) breached in (i) Wansbeck constituency and (ii) Northumberland in the latest period for which figures are available. [22928]
James Brokenshire: Data collected centrally by the Ministry of Justice on the number of antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) issued and breached are collated at criminal justice system (CJS) area level, rather than constituency or county area level. Northumberland which includes Wansbeck is in the Northumbria CJS area.
The latest figures cover the period to 31 December 2008, and show that for the Northumbria CJS area 37 ASBOs were issued and 29 were proved in court to have been breached for the first time in 2008.
Antisocial Behaviour Orders: Peterborough
Mr Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many antisocial behaviour orders were (a) made and (b) breached in the Criminal Justice System area covering the Peterborough city council area in each year since 2005; and if she will make a statement. [22914]
James Brokenshire: Data collected centrally by the Ministry of Justice on the number of antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) issued and breached are collated at Criminal Justice System (CJS) area level.
The latest figures cover the period to 31 December 2008, and show that for the Cambridgeshire CJS area, which includes Peterborough city council area:
in 2005, 50 ASBOs were issued, and 13 were proved in court to have been breached for the first time;
in 2006, 31 ASBOs were issued, and 14 were proved in court to have been breached for the first time;
in 2007, 20 ASBOs were issued, and 13 were proved in court to have been breached for the first time; and
in 2008, 34 ASBOs were issued, and 13 were proved in court to have been breached for the first time.
Antisocial Behaviour: Crime Prevention
Mr Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether her Department has made an assessment of the effectiveness of Mosquito devices in reducing antisocial behaviour. [22784]
James Brokenshire: The Mosquito device is a commercial product and is not endorsed by the Home Office or the Association of Chief Police Officers.
This Government believe that it is for local agencies dealing with antisocial behaviour to decide whether or not to use the Mosquito device in their area and to undertake any appropriate assessments. The Home Office has not undertaken its own assessment.
Crime: Summertime
Rebecca Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the potential effects on the incidence of crime of adopting daylight saving time. [22764]
James Brokenshire: My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary has not made any assessment of the potential effects of adopting daylight saving time on the incidence of crime.
Entry Clearances: Taiwan
Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will bring forward proposals for a Working Holiday Scheme with Taiwan to increase cultural understanding between the UK and Taiwan; and if she will make a statement. [22196]
Damian Green: We operate a Youth Mobility Scheme for the purpose of cultural exchanges between young people. To qualify, a country needs to meet certain eligibility criteria. It is open to any country which believes it meets the criteria for acceptance on the scheme to enter into discussions with us about reciprocal arrangements.
The eligibility criteria relate to:
(a) a low level of immigration risk and not being a country subject to a mandatory UK visa regime;
(b) satisfactory returns arrangements; and
(c) reciprocal opportunities for UK nationals.
Illegal Immigrants: East Ayrshire
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many illegal immigrants to the UK have (a) been identified in and (b) deported from Kilmarnock and Loudoun constituency in the latest period for which figures are available. [22959]
Damian Green: The UK Border Agency is unable to specify where an individual was encountered when they were served papers as an illegal immigrant. It is only possible to report on their last known address and their current immigration status.
Between 1 October 2009 and 30 September 2010, 10 individuals were identified as illegal immigrants residing in the Kilmarnock and Loudoun constituency. During this period, nine illegal immigrants resident in Kilmarnock and Loudoun were removed from the United Kingdom.
All figures quoted are internal management information only and are subject to change. This information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols.
Immigration Controls: English Language
Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) when her Department notified accreditation boards of proposals to change English for Speakers of Other Languages requirements for (a) indefinite leave to remain and (b) application for regularisations and nationalisation as British citizens; [22775]
(2) which (a) accreditation boards and (b) other organisations she consulted on the English for Speakers of Other Languages requirements for (i) indefinite leave to remain and (ii) application for regularisations and nationalisation as British citizens prior to laying the statement of Changes in Immigration Rules before the House on 18 March 2010. [22776]
Damian Green: There was not a formal consultation on the changes introduced by the previous Government. The accreditation bodies were sent copies of the revised guidance on 13 April and the UK Border Agency continues to work with them to ensure the policy is implemented.
Intercept Modernisation Programme
Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements she plans to make to safeguard the privacy of individuals under the continued intercept modernisation programme. [20754]
Nick Herbert [holding answer 1 November 2010]: Access to communications data is primarily regulated by the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA), which places strict rules on when, and by whom, the data can be accessed. The use of communications data is also regulated by the Data Protection Act and the Human Rights Act. Data are disclosed only on a case-by-case basis to designated public authorities under strict safeguards which require that the disclosure is necessary and proportionate to the lawful purpose of an investigation. We will legislate to ensure that the programme accords with the Government's approach to civil liberties.
Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she plans to bring forward legislative proposals to provide that data stored by service providers under the intercept modernisation programme will be accessible only on presentation of a warrant; and if she will make a statement. [20755]
Nick Herbert [holding answer 1 November 2010]: As made clear in the strategic defence and security review, the Government will continue to build on an existing programme of work to preserve the ability of the law enforcement, security and intelligence agencies to obtain communications data and to intercept communications within the appropriate legal framework. We will legislate to ensure this is compatible with the Government's approach to civil liberties and use of communications capabilities. Details of this legislation will be announced in Parliament in due course.
Khat
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether her Department is considering the classification of khat under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971; and if she will make a statement; [22817]
(2) what recent discussions she has had with the Association of Chief Police Officers on the implications for public order of the use of khat. [22820]
James Brokenshire: In line with the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs' (ACMD) statutory duty under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, I have written to the ACMD asking for it to review the available evidence relating to the harms of khat and provide advice, in relation to both control, under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, and a wider response.
I have had a number of meetings and discussions with representatives of the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO). These discussions have not, to date, covered the issue of khat.
Proceeds of Crime
Guy Opperman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans she has to increase the proportion of criminal assets which are recovered. [19736]
James Brokenshire: The Government are committed to improving overall performance on recovering assets from criminals. We are already encouraging the full and efficient use of the existing powers, in particular under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, and will provide more detail of our plans to further disrupt criminal finances in due course.
Mr Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who is responsible for meeting expenses incurred through operations to recover money under the provisions of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. [23012]
James Brokenshire: Law enforcement agencies meet costs of recovering criminal assets from within their budgets. However they also receive a share of the money they recover under the Proceeds of Crime Act as part of the Asset Recovery Incentivisation Scheme.
Receivers who manage and realise assets to satisfy orders made under the Proceeds of Crime Act meet their remuneration and expenses from the assets that they manage and sell.
The Home Office also directly funds nine multi-agency Regional Asset Recovery Teams at a cost of £10.5 million per annum, which assist agencies to recover money under the provisions of the Proceeds of Crime Act.
Mr Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on average what proportion of the money recovered through the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 which was allocated to the police force that carried out the recovery in the latest period for which figures are available. [23013]
James Brokenshire: Under the current Asset Recovery Incentivisation Scheme 50% of all money recovered under the Proceeds of Crime Act is returned to front-line partners. How these funds are distributed will depend on the relevant part of the Act that is used.
For confiscation orders, the relevant police force receives 18.75% of money recovered with 18.75% being returned to the relevant prosecutor and 12.5% being returned to Her Majesty's Courts Service.
For money recovered through the cash forfeiture route, the relevant police force receives the full 50% of the total collected.
Strategic Defence and Security Review
Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consultation she undertook prior to the announcement on the continued use of the intercept modernisation programme as part of the Strategic Defence and Security Review. [20753]
Nick Herbert [holding answer 1 November 2010]: As made clear in the strategic defence and security review, the Government will continue to build on an existing programme of work to preserve the ability of the law enforcement, security and intelligence agencies to obtain communications data and to intercept communications within the appropriate legal framework. We will legislate to ensure this is compatible with the Government's approach to civil liberties and use of communications capabilities. As part of this, the results of the 2009 consultation on Communication Data were reviewed, advice from the law enforcement agencies and the security and intelligence agencies were considered and discussions with the Information Commissioner's Office have been ongoing throughout this process.
UK Border Agency: Passports
Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many passports the UK Borders Agency declared lost through its own actions in 2009; and what the cost to the public purse was of replacing such documents. [21361]
Damian Green:
Information relating to the number of passports the UK Border Agency (UKBA) declared lost through its own actions in 2009 and the cost of replacing such documents is not currently recorded centrally. UKBA is currently considering the most
appropriate way in which to improve the system it uses currently to record such information and to minimise the loss of documents in general and passports in particular.
Vetting: Complaints
Amber Rudd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) on how many occasions a dispute against the outcome of (a) a standard and (b) an enhanced Criminal Records Bureau check was upheld in the latest period for which figures are available; [22695]
(2) on how many occasions the outcome of (a) a standard and (b) an enhanced Criminal Records
Bureau check was disputed by the subject of the check in the latest period for which figures are available; [22696]
Lynne Featherstone: The following tables detail a breakdown of how many times disputes against the outcomes of a Standard and Enhanced Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) were upheld since March 2010 to August 2010 (Table A) and how many times the outcomes of standard and enhanced checks were disputed by the subject of the check from 2009-10 to present (Table B).
An upheld dispute does not mean an individual has been incorrectly associated with a criminal record. The outcome of an upheld dispute can involve the amendment of a single word such as an individual's name.
| T able A-Upheld disputes | |||||||
| Certificate type | March 2010 | April 2010 | May 2010 | June 2010 | July 2010 | August 2010 | Total |
| T able B-Dispute applications | |||
| Certificate type | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | Total |
Vetting: Standards
Amber Rudd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) standard and (b) enhanced Criminal Records Bureau checks took longer than the respective guideline times in the latest period for which figures are available. [22697]
Lynne Featherstone: The Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) published service standards (PSS) are that 90% of enhanced CRB checks are issued within 28 days. The CRB received 326,401 in the month of September 2010. Of these 238,402 (87% against the 90% PSS) were processed within the PSS and 88,359 were issued outside the PSS by one day or more.
The length of time a CRB check can take to process can include "time out with customer". This occurs when the CRB has to contact the registered body (RB) for additional information about the applicant, when the application form has not been completed correctly or where the police require additional clarification about the applicant's identity. The CRB cannot continue to process the application until the RB provides this information; or the applicant resolves any question of identity to the satisfaction of the police force.
There are a number of other factors that can affect the timely completion of CRB checks, including but not restricted to the length of time it can take for an employer to deal with the initial application; the accurate completion of the application form; the clarity of the information provided; the existence of conviction or non-conviction information; any ongoing or outstanding criminal investigations or proceedings; where more than one force holds relevant information and the operational effectiveness of the disclosure units of the police forces involved in the CRB checking process.
The CRB have been working with police forces through joint operational performance reviews, to address the problems associated with delays and the impact that exceptional demand for CRB checks can have on police forces. The CRB has set up improvement plans with those forces that have been having problems meeting the demand for certificates. This is aimed at maintaining a steady output of applications on the system while also reducing the number of outstanding cases that have been with police forces for more than 25 days.
Health
Blood: Contamination
Dr Phillip Lee: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 1 November 2010, Official Report, column 630W, on blood: contamination, (1) for what reasons his Department answered the 13 requests made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 in part; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the responses his Department gave to those who submitted the requests; [22656]
(2) for what reasons his Department rejected or withheld information in response to each of the eight requests made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the responses his Department gave to those who submitted the requests. [22657]
Anne Milton: The Department will place a copy of each of the responses in the Library to the requests in which it either answered in part or withheld information. All enclosures accompanying the requests as answered in part will be placed on the Department's website at the following address:
Of the 12 requests(1) made under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 2000 answered in part, information was withheld as exempt under the provisions of the FOIA from disclosure as follows(2):
four instances withheld as exempt from disclosure under Section 12;
two instances withheld as exempt from disclosure under Section 21;
one instance withheld as exempt from disclosure under Section 22;
one instance withheld as exempt from disclosure under Section 28;
one instance withheld as exempt from disclosure under Section 32;
one instance withheld as exempt from disclosure under Section 34;
one instance withheld as exempt from disclosure under Section 35;
one instance withheld as exempt from disclosure under Section 36;
seven instances withheld as exempt from disclosure under Section 40; and
one instance withheld as exempt from disclosure under Section 42.
Of the eight requests made under FOIA rejected or withheld, information was withheld as exempt under the provisions of the FOIA from disclosure as follows:
six instances withheld as exempt from disclosure under Section 12;
one instance withheld as exempt from disclosure under Section 22; and
one instance withheld as exempt from disclosure under Section 36.
Since 2007, over 5,500 documents relating to contaminated blood and blood products have been placed on the Department's website. Only five have been withheld because they contain personal information. If further documents from this period are identified, they will similarly be published.
(1) Pursuant to my previous answer, 1 November 2010, Official Report, column 630W, a further examination of the information held by the Department has identified that one request previously identified as being "answered in part" does not relate to the contamination of blood products during the 1970s and 1980s.
(2) In some instances more than one exemption applied to the requested information.
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