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22 Nov 2010 : Column 60W—continued
Income Support: Mortgages
Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he has made an estimate of the likely effect on the number of home repossessions of the implementation of the proposed reduction in the level of support for mortgage interest paid to recipients of income support, jobseeker's allowance and pension credit. [24795]
Chris Grayling: 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 plans of the previous Government would have meant that the standard interest rate would have reverted to the formula of Bank of England base rate plus 1.58% from January 2011, which at present would produce a rate of 2.08%.
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 a thorough analysis of 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.
The Department is in the process of developing a model to estimate the impact of changes to support for mortgage interest on the number of repossessions. However any estimates will always be limited since detailed case-by-case information, such as arrears at the start of a claim, is not collected by the Department. The Department will consider whether the results can be used publicly once this is work is complete.
The Council of Mortgage Lenders has told the Department that it expects lenders to continue to exercise forbearance where it is fair to do so for the borrower, and the borrower has a chance of paying off any arrears in the future. The Council of Mortgage Lenders thinks that where arrears levels increase for some borrowers as a result of the change in the standard interest rate this does not translate into an immediate possession risk.
At the comprehensive spending review 2010, the Chancellor announced funding for a one year extension to the temporary package of support for mortgage interest changes that had been due to expire in January 2011. This extension maintains the waiting period for new working age claimants at 13 weeks and the limit on eligible mortgage capital at £200,000, and provides additional support to homeowners facing difficulties.
Occupational Pensions
Richard Graham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the likely effect of the introduction of compulsory workplace pensions on the level of private sector job creation from 2012. [21957]
Steve Webb: While no analysis has been conducted on job creation directly, chapter two of the Workplace Pension Reform Regulations Impact Assessment published in January 2010:
sets out our estimate of the impact of workplace pension reforms on employment.
This impact assessment builds on responses to the Department for Work and Pensions' employer attitudes surveys to estimate that, as a result of the reforms, private and not-for-profit employment will fall by between 10,000 and 80,000. The lower number is based on the number of employers expecting to reduce or restructure their work force. The higher number is based on the responses of a very small proportion of employers who reported that their most likely response would be to close their firms. This is consistent with departmental estimates of the impact on employment levels, based on the elasticity of labour demand to changes in non-labour costs.
Employers who remain in business but do not reduce or restructure their work force report that they expect to meet administrative and contribution costs associated with the reforms by reducing employee remuneration, increasing prices or reducing profits.
Poverty: Redcar
Ian Swales: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent steps he has taken to reduce pensioner poverty in (a) Redcar constituency and (b) the North East. [16537]
Steve Webb: We have restored the earnings link for the basic state pension with a triple guarantee so that from April 2011 the basic state pension will increase by the highest of earnings, prices or 2.5%. Someone retiring today on a full basic state pension will receive £15,000 more over their retirement than they would have done under the old prices link. This commitment will benefit both existing and future pensioners by providing a more generous state pension giving a solid financial foundation from the state which is essential as part of the pensions system.
The Government's intention is that the majority of pension credit recipients will benefit from the full cash value of this increase.
We want to ensure that older people receive the help that they are entitled to. We are conducting a research study into the feasibility of using existing data to help to improve the take-up of pension credit.
We will help prevent people from falling into poverty in later life by simplifying the rules and regulations relating to pensions to help reinvigorate occupational pensions. We will encourage companies to offer high-quality pensions to all employees and will work with businesses and the industry to support auto enrolment.
Public Expenditure
Dr Francis:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what arrangements he plans to make to monitor the effects of the outcomes of the Comprehensive Spending Review on the human rights of (a) disabled
people, (b) children, (c) the unemployed and (d) carers in respect of benefits administered by his Department; and if he will make a statement. [20064]
Maria Miller: Policy changes are monitored through equality impact assessments and, in line with the Department's commitment on transparency, will be published when detailed policies and plans are finalised.
Social Security Benefits Agency: Pensions
Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what entitlement Benefits Agency staff have to a non-contributory pension. [22566]
Steve Webb: The Benefits Agency merged with the Employment Service in 2001 and the merged organisation was rebranded as Jobcentre Plus in April 2002. Jobcentre Plus is now an executive agency of the Department for Work and Pensions.
Staff in the Department for Work and Pensions only have access to one non-contributory pension scheme, the Partnership pension account. No employee contribution is required, but if the employee prefers to contribute the employer will match employee contributions up to 3% of pay, as well as paying an employer contribution based on employee age.
New staff are automatically enrolled in the Nuvos pension scheme. The Nuvos pension scheme is a defined benefit pension scheme and has an employee contribution rate of 3.5% of pensionable earnings.
Social Security Benefits: Uprating
Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his most recent estimate is of the number of individuals in households in which at least one member works for at least 16 hours per week who will (a) have their income reduced and (b) fall below the equivalised poverty threshold of 60 per cent. of median household income as a result of adopting the consumer price index for uprating of those benefits for which his Department is responsible; and what the average amount is by which the income of affected households will be reduced as a result of that measure. [21914]
Chris Grayling: This change is very difficult to model for 2011-12 due to the previous Administration's policy of clawing back 1.5% for benefits uprated by the retail prices index in April 2011.
The rates of inflation to be used to uprate benefits in April 2011, were set in September 2010, and were 4.6% for RPI and 3.1 % for CPI.
Therefore, due to the 1.5% clawback on RPI, the outcome for uprating benefits would be the same for RPI as for CPI.
Further, the difference between Rossi and CPI in September 2010 was 1.4%.
Modelling the effect of all this on total benefit income for households with a mix of benefits previously uprated by either RPI or Rossi is complex, depending on the composition of those households and the complicated interactions of the various measures that have been announced at the Emergency Budget, June 2010 and since.
Given the small amounts involved, the estimated impact on poverty is not expected to be significant.
State Retirement Pensions
Mr Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent representations he has received on the payment of basic state pensions to higher rate taxpayers. [18086]
Steve Webb: We have not received any representations on the payment of the basic state pension to higher rate taxpayers.
State Retirement Pensions: Dartford
Gareth Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners resident in Dartford constituency are in receipt of (a) the basic state pension and (b) pension credit. [23722]
Steve Webb: The document "Caseloads for selected benefits by 2010 Parliamentary Constituencies, February 2010" is available in the Library or via the following link and includes figures for pension credit and state pension. The state pension figures are for the total state pension caseload. Around 1% of state pension recipients are not in receipt of the basic state pension, but are receiving additional state pension only or graduated retirement benefit only.
Unemployment Benefits
Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of recipients of out-of-work benefits who actively choose to receive such benefits; and what mechanism his Department uses to identify such persons. [17222]
Chris Grayling: The benefits system provides practical help and financial support for people who are unemployed and looking for work. It also provides people with additional income when their earnings are low, if they are bringing up children, care for someone, are ill or have a disability.
To qualify for a particular benefit an individual must meet the conditions that the Government specifies. For example, the conditions for receiving jobseeker's allowance are that an individual must be available for, and actively seeking, work. The entitlement conditions for receipt of benefit are set out in the relevant social security regulations for the benefit(s) concerned.
Welfare State: Reform
Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for what reason the contents of the proposed Welfare Reform White Paper were disclosed to press outlets prior to any announcement to hon. Members. [23368]
Chris Grayling: Ministers announced the content of the Welfare Reform White Paper to hon. Members in the Chamber before disclosing the full details to the media.
Welfare to Work
Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what evidence he is gathering on the ability of private and third sector providers to administer welfare-to-work programmes for the proposed Work programme. [24439]
Chris Grayling: The Department is currently assessing tenders for the Framework for Employment Related Services against five principal qualification criteria:
supply chain management;
implementation;
stakeholder engagement;
contract performance; and
delivery challenges.
Bidders will be evaluated both on their demonstration of how they will meet the requirements of the framework and their demonstration of past achievements in delivering against these criteria, either for the Department or other contracting organisations.
Once the Work programme goes live we will establish a tough performance management regime to ensure providers deliver to the required standards.
Work Capability Assessment: Autism
Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what training health care professionals carrying out work capability assessments receive on autism; and whether such training forms part of their continuing professional development. [24554]
Chris Grayling: All health care professionals working for Atos Healthcare who carry out assessments for employment and support allowance are issued with evidence-based protocols on mental health conditions, including information on Autistic Spectrum Disorders, as part of their induction training.
In addition, all health care professionals are required to engage in a programme of continuing medical education. Atos, in conjunction with DWP, have developed a number of training modules in Autistic Spectrum Disorders to support this programme. These include a "learning set" on ADHD and Asperger Syndrome for employed health care professionals, a distance learning module with accompanying DVD on Asperger Syndrome for sessional doctors, and a presentation on Autism at a medical conference attended by all employed health care professionals in 2008. Atos have also developed and issued a further distance learning module for sessional doctors called "Life with Autism-seeing the individual" this year (2010).
Home Department
Antisocial Behaviour Orders
Alan Johnson:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of persons subject to an anti-social behaviour order ceased the antisocial
behaviour after the (a) first, (b) second and (c) third interventions under such an order in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [14079]
Mrs May: Data collected centrally by the Ministry of Justice do not identify the circumstances that led to the issuing of an antisocial behaviour order (ASBO) or whether behaviour has ceased. After an ASBO has been issued, the only information that is centrally collected is where a breach of an ASBO was proven in court to have occurred.
Mrs Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people in (a) North Tyneside, (b) the North East and (c) England are subject to an antisocial behaviour order. [24969]
James Brokenshire: The latest available data on the number of antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) issued, cover the period 1 April 1999 to 31 December 2008. Data collected centrally by the Ministry of Justice on the number of ASBOs issued are collated at Criminal Justice System (CJS) area level, rather than county area level. North Tyneside is in the Northumbria CJS area.
The number of ASBOs issued at all courts in the Northumbria Criminal Justice System (CJS) area between 1 April 1999 and 31 December 2008 is 463. The corresponding figures for the north-east Government office region (GOR) and England are 957 and 16,091 respectively. These figures include ASBOs made on application which became available from 1 April 1999 and ASBOs made following conviction for a relevant criminal offence, which became available for offences committed on or after 2 December 2002.
ASBOs can be of a fixed duration (for a minimum of two years) or made until further order. Furthermore, courts have the power to vary ASBOs, including their durations and the details of any such variations are not centrally collected by the Ministry of Justice. It is therefore not possible to determine from centrally collected data how many ASBOs are in force at a particular point in time.
Mrs Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects her Department to complete its review of antisocial behaviour orders. [24973]
James Brokenshire: We are reviewing the tools and powers that are available to police forces and other agencies to deal with antisocial behaviour including the antisocial behaviour order. The review will ensure that in future, the police and their partners have an effective toolkit that is quick, practical and easy to use.
We will be consulting on the findings of the review from January 2011, as set out in the Home Office business plan.
Antisocial Behaviour Orders: Rossendale and Darwen
Jake Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many antisocial behaviour orders were (a) made and (b) breached in Rossendale and Darwen constituency in the latest year for which figures are available. [25363]
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 area level. Rossendale and Darwen is in the Lancashire CJS area.
The latest figures cover the period from 1 April 1999 to 31 December 2008. These figures show that in 2008, 53 ASBOs were issued in the Lancashire CJS area and 54 ASBOs issued in Lancashire were proved in court to have been breached for the first time.
An ASBO can be issued in one CJS area and breached in another. ASBOs may also be breached more than once, and in more than one year. As a result, while the latter figure represents instances when an ASBO was breached for the first time in 2008, some of these will be breaches of ASBOs issued in previous years.
Arrests: Drugs
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many arrests for drug-related offences occurred in (a) England and Wales, (b) Sussex and (c) Brighton and Hove in (i) 2005, (ii) 2006, (iii) 2007, (iv) 2008 and (v) 2009. [25104]
James Brokenshire: Arrests data are collected at police force level only and no data are available for Brighton and Hove. Data for Sussex police and England and Wales are shown in the table. These data cover arrests only for offences which are classed under "drug offences". Drugs may have been involved in other arrests but it is not possible to separately identify these.
The data provided in response are within the public domain and published annually in chapter 1 of the 'Home Office Statistical Bulletin: Police Powers and Procedures', copies of which are available online and in the Library of the House.
| Persons arrested for drug offences, 2004-05 to 2008-09 | ||
| Number | ||
| Sussex police | England and Wales | |
Arrests: Stop and Search
Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many arrests were made following section 60 stop and searches in each (a) police authority in England and Wales and (b) local authority in London in each of the last five years; and what proportion of such arrests was of a person from a (i) white, (ii) black, (iii) Asian and (iv) other minority ethnic group; [25086]
(2) how many stop and searches were carried out under section 60 powers in each (a) police authority in England and Wales and (b) local authority in London in each of the last five years; [25097]
(3) what proportion of all section 60 stop and searches in each (a) police authority in England and Wales and (b) local authority in London was of people from a (i) white, (ii) black, (iii) Asian and (iv) other minority ethnic group in each of the last five years. [25098]
Nick Herbert: The information requested on stops and searches for each of the last five years (most recent data) is provided in the tables placed in the House Library.
Figures on ethnicity of those stopped and searched use self-defined ethnicity for 2006-07 onwards. Figures on this basis for 2004-05 and 2005-06 are incomplete and therefore figures have been provided on ethnic appearance instead, which means that the categories do not match directly. Any comparisons before and after 2006-07 should therefore be made with caution.
Asylum: Finance
Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 15 November 2010, Official Report, column 546W, on asylum: finance, if she will obtain and place in the Library a copy of the guidance issued by Sodexo on the operation of the Section 4 payment card. [25354]
Damian Green: The UK Border Agency is not in possession of the guidance issued to retailers on the operation of the section 4 payment card. Sodexo have discussed with each individual retailer the technical specification of the card, as well as their legislative and social responsibilities. The outcome of these discussions were incorporated into the legally binding agreements between Sodexo and the retailers. These agreements are considered commercially confidential and as such are not disclosable.
Asylum: Public Finance
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what assessment she has made of the likely effects on the (a) cost to the public purse and (b) quality of services provided to asylum seekers of the proposed amendment to the asylum seekers dispersal programme which would relocate asylum seekers away from Glasgow; and if she will make a statement; [25331]
(2) what provision will be made for asylum seekers in Glasgow whose applications have been fully determined under contractual arrangements with new housing and social care service providers. [25334]
Damian Green [holding answer 19 November 2010]: The termination of the contract with Glasgow city council will lead to savings for the public purse as Glasgow city council are the most expensive housing provider outside London. There are no plans to move asylum seekers away from Glasgow and the alternative providers operating within Glasgow are contractually bound to provide the same quality of services as Glasgow city council. The Secretary of State has no plans to make a statement.
Community Development: Finance
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans she has for the future level of funding to be made available under her Department's Community Fund in the comprehensive spending review period. [24285]
Nick Herbert [holding answer 16 November 2010]: While we do now know the overall spending review settlement for the Department, it will take time for us to determine what the overall settlement means for individual programmes, including the Community Fund. We will notify grant recipients on the future of these funding streams as soon as we are able.
Crime
Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans her Department has for implementation of the cross-Government hate crime action plan; and whether there will be changes to the plan's timetable. [25063]
James Brokenshire: The Government are committed to tackling hate crime and we are currently implementing the programme for government commitment on the improved collection of hate crime data. The Hate Crime Action Plan was the previous Administration's response to tackling hate crime and included 70 actions for Government and local areas. A number of these have been completed and, while work on some of the others will continue, we think that a new approach to tackling hate crime, that reduces burdens while empowering local areas, is needed. Work on this is under way and we will make an announcement in due course.
Departmental Postal Services
Brandon Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the monetary value was of contracts between her Department and (a) Post Office Ltd and (b) Royal Mail in (i) 1997-98 and (ii) each year since 2004-05. [24932]
Nick Herbert: The Home Department's spend with Royal Mail since 2004-05 is detailed in the following table:
| Financial year | Spend (£) |
| Note: FY 2010-11 is YTD figure as of October 2010 | |
Due to changes to the Home Department's accounting system, spend with Royal Mail for the period 1997-98 is not readily available.
There is no contract spend for the Post Office Ltd and no current demand for the services provided by them.
Brandon Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what services provided by her Department were the subject of a contract with Post Office Ltd in 1997-98 and have subsequently become the subject of a contract with another supplier; and what the monetary value was of each such contract in (a) 1997-98 and (b) the latest period for which figures are available in each case. [24933]
Nick Herbert: The Home Department has no service contract spend for the Post Office Ltd or any which has become the subject of a contract with another supplier. Information relating to the Post Office Ltd for the period 1997-98 is not readily available due to changes to the Home Department's accounting system.
There is no current demand for the services offered by Post Office Ltd.
Brandon Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which services of her Department have been the subject of a contract awarded in a tender process in which Post Office Ltd submitted a bid since 1997-98. [24934]
Nick Herbert: The Home Department has no service contracts that have been the subject of a tender process in which Post Office Ltd have submitted a bid, and for which spend records are available. This is due to changes to the Home Department's accounting system. There is no current demand for the services offered by Post Office Ltd.
Brandon Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department has taken to identify those of its services that could be provided through the Post Office network. [24935]
Nick Herbert: Mail services are reviewed to ensure that adequate contracts are in place to meet the needs of the business while driving down costs to the public purse. The Home Department already use the services of the Post Office network through various Royal Mail services, including collection, onsite franking machines, and delivery. Home Office procurement also conducts regular meetings with Royal Mail to ensure both business and supplier needs are met, while continuing to improve services and drive down the cost.
Departmental Public Expenditure
Alan Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will undertake an equalities impact assessment of any proposed budgetary reductions in her Department, with particular reference to their effect on injured police officers on restricted duties. [13912]
Mrs May: An initial equality screening of the Home Office comprehensive spending review 2010 was published on 20 October. The spending review settlement is the start of a longer process of detailed budget allocations, and equality impact assessments will be conducted as part of that process as appropriate. This will involve looking at the impact that funding changes may have on a range of diverse groups, and will pick up any potential impact on police officers on restricted duties.
Dorset Police: Finance
Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much funding was allocated to Dorset Police Service in 2009-10; and how much funding will be allocated in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12. [25651]
Nick Herbert: The information requested for years 2009-10 and 2010-11 is set out in the following table.
Detail on 2011-12 funding allocations for individual forces, including Dorset, will be announced in early December when the provisional police settlements will be placed before the House of Commons.
| Dorset Government Grants | £ million |
| (1,)( )(2 )Government Grants comprise: Home Office Police Grant; Department for Communities and Local Government Revenue Support Grant and National Non-Domestic Rates; Crime Fighting Fund; Basic Command Unit Fund; Neighbourhood Policing Fund; Rule two Grant; Capital Grant. Excludes Counter Terrorism Funding. (3)( )Takes account of in-year reductions in July 2010. | |
Driving Offences
Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent steps her Department has taken to increase the level of (a) detection and (b) enforcement of motoring offences committed by individuals without UK licences. [24834]
James Brokenshire [holding answer 18 November 2010]: Detection and enforcement of offences are operational matters for the police. Apart from driving without a licence being an offence in itself, those who commit the offence may also be guilty of other motoring offences and more likely to be involved in road traffic collisions. The police fully recognise the seriousness of such behaviour and its consequences and enforce the relevant offences vigorously. To help in this enforcement they are able at any time to access at the roadside accurate and up to date driver licensing information (including a photograph where appropriate). There are also good IT links between the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency and the courts to assist in effective prosecution of offenders. Where an offence carries licence penalty points, there are provisions for endorsement to be made on the driver record, rather than the licence itself, for future reference.
Where the person without a licence is a foreign national or does not have a satisfactory UK address there are provisions to require an immediate roadside deposit against payment of any fixed penalty or court-imposed fine for specified offences.
Drugs: Misuse
Mr Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she sought submissions from the Advisory Council for the Misuse of Drugs during her Department's 2010 drugs strategy consultation. [24862]
James Brokenshire: Yes. The Advisory Council for the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) published its response to the Drug Strategy Consultation (2010) on its website. It is available at:
We are continuing to work closely with the ACMD to reduce the harms caused by drugs.
Entry Clearances: Business
Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what limits she plans to set on the numbers of entrepreneur visas available each year; [23597]
(2) what estimate she has made of the annual cost to the public purse of administering the proposed entrepreneur visa. [23598]
Damian Green: We will announce full details of our proposals for the entrepreneur category in the coming weeks.
Entry Clearances: Overseas Students
Conor Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many bogus language schools have been closed in Bournemouth West constituency in each year since 1997. [23709]
Damian Green: The UK Border Agency's Register of Tier 4 Sponsors currently contains 2,287 education providers that are licensed to bring overseas students to the UK. Since the introduction of the register, 55 sponsors have had their licences revoked, one of these is a language school located in Bournemouth.
Global Peace and Unity Conference
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether any speakers wishing to enter the UK to speak at the Global Peace and Unity Conference on 23-24 October 2010 were prevented from doing so by her Department. [22866]
Damian Green: It is not Home Office policy to comment on individual cases.
Immigrants: Detention
Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people who were (a) detained for immigration purposes and then deported and (b) detained for immigration purposes and then released were detained for more than (i) three months, (ii) six months, (iii) one year and (iv) two years. [25398]
Damian Green [holding answer 19 November 2010]: The information requested is recorded in the following table:
From these data it is clear that, in approximately 90% of cases, those individuals held under Immigration Act powers within the immigration detention estate, were either removed or released within three months of entering the estate.
Khat
Ms Gisela Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 25 October, Official Report, columns 70-71W, on khat, when she expects to have sufficient data to provide a robust breakdown of estimates of khat use by ethnic origin. [25148]
James Brokenshire: Estimates of khat use broken down by ethnic origin are expected to be published in the Home Office Statistical Bulletin Drugs Misuse Declared: Findings from the 2010-11 British Crime Survey which is due for release in July 2011.
Metropolitan Police Status Dog Unit
Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many dogs have been collected by the Metropolitan police status dog unit in the last 12 months; how many such dogs were returned to their owners; and what the cost to the Metropolitan police was of that work in that period. [25790]
Nick Herbert: The information is not collected centrally.
Neighbourhood Policing Fund
Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much funding was allocated to the Neighbourhood Policing Fund in (a) 2009-10 and (b) 2010-11; and what proportion of funding from that Fund was allocated to police community support officers in each of those years. [25044]
Nick Herbert: The amounts allocated to forces through the Neighbourhood Policing Fund were £332 million in 2009-10 and £341 million in 2010-11. Approximately 90% is ring fenced for police community support officers (PCSOs)-contributing up to 75% of the salary costs of PCSOs engaged in neighbourhood policing.
Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 Code of Practice A
Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) when she plans to publish her Department's response to the consultation on the proposed changes to the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 Code of Practice A; [25464]
(2) which organisations her Department informed about the consultation on the proposed changes to the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 Code of Practice A; and on what basis these organisations were selected. [25465]
Nick Herbert: All consultations on changes to the Codes of Practice are carried out in accordance with section 67(4) of PACE. This sets out that the statutory consultees are the Association of Police Authorities, the Association of Chief Police Officers for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the General Council of the Bar, the Law Society of England and Wales, and the Institute of Legal Executives.
In addition to the statutory bodies we have also consulted with other relevant organisations, i.e. Liberty, Justice, the Police Federation, the National Police Improvement Agency, the Criminal Prosecution Service, the Criminal Bar Association, the Criminal Law Solicitors Association, the Independent Police Complaints Commission, and the Police Superintendents Association.
There are no plans to publish the responses to the consultation.
Police: Buildings
Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many buildings owned by Kent police are not in use for operational purposes; and what the (a) location and (b) market value is of each such building. [25224]
Nick Herbert: The information requested is not held centrally. Buildings owned by Kent police are a matter for the relevant police authority, and questions about them are therefore best addressed by the chief constable.
Police: Computers
Ed Balls: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who will be responsible for the National Police Computer following the implementation of her proposal to establish the National Crime Agency. [24646]
Mrs May [holding answer 17 November 2010]: The Home Office is currently working with the National Police Improvement Agency (NPIA), and the wider police service, to determine appropriate arrangements for running those functions that will continue after the NPIA is phased out.
Stop and Search: Complaints
Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many complaints were made against each police authority on the use of stop and search powers in each of the last five years; and what proportion of such complaints was upheld in each such year. [25087]
Nick Herbert: The Home Office does not hold this information.
Statistics relating to the police complaints system are matters for the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) and they will write to the hon. Member directly.
Stop and Search: Ethnic Groups
Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what proportion of stops and searches of individuals from each ethnic background were conducted in (a) each police authority area and (b) England in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [25791]
Nick Herbert: The information requested on stops and searches in 2008-09 (latest available) is provided in the tables placed in the House Library.
Summertime: Crime
Rebecca Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidents of (a) street crime, (b) burglary and (c) criminal damage were recorded during the week (i) prior to and (ii) after the end of Daylight Saving Time in each of the last five years. [26109]
James Brokenshire: The information requested is not available. The Home Office publish crime statistics on a quarterly basis only and weekly data are not available centrally.
UK Border Agency: Finance
Ed Balls: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the (a) resource and (b) capital budget of the UK Border Agency will be in (i) 2011-12, (ii) 2012-13, (iii) 2013-14 and (iv) 2014-15; and what the real terms change compared to 2010-11 will be to each such budget in each of those years. [24004]
Mrs May [holding answer 15 November 2010]: Final detailed budgets have not yet been agreed. The priority of the Agency remains to secure the border and to control migration while we play our part in reducing the public deficit. We are committed to programmes such as e-Borders and the Immigration Case Working system that will help to reduce the threat of terrorism, crime and immigration abuse and replace costly and outmoded paper work, respectively. These programmes will help improve our productivity and efficiency and will mean that we can target our resources on those people likely to cause most harm to the UK. As a result the UK Border Agency will be able to deliver its objectives while reducing the budget by up to 20% in real terms over the next four years.
Visas
Paul Uppal: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her most recent estimate is of the number of people who have overstayed the leave granted on short term visas. [25497]
Damian Green: We do not currently hold the information to answer this question. However provision of this information will be enabled by the e-Borders system when it becomes fully operational, planned for March 2015.
We are therefore unable to answer the question as tabled.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Departmental Official Hospitality
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department spent on hospitality for events hosted by each of its Ministers in (a) September and (b) October 2010. [21782]
Alistair Burt: The total spend for Ministers on Government hospitality was as follows:
(a) September 2010: £885
(b) October 2010: £1,155.
These figures are based on services used and paid for in the months of September and October 2010.
Departmental Public Expenditure
Mr Frank Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of his Department's budget was spent on administrative costs in respect of foreign transactions in the latest period for which figures are available. [24069]
Alistair Burt: Foreign transactions are carried out at all our posts overseas and in the UK. Administrative costs for these transactions are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Institute for Fiscal Studies
Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department spent on services provided by the Institute for Fiscal Studies in each of the last 10 years. [23393]
Alistair Burt: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has not made any payments for services provided by the Institute for Fiscal Studies.
Middle East
Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, who he met during his recent visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories, if he will place in the Library copies of material supplied to him by the Government of Israel and the Palestinian Authority during the visit; and if he will make a statement. [24946]
Alistair Burt: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary met a range of key players during his recent visit including the Israeli President, Prime Minister, Foreign Minister and Defence Minister and the Palestinian Prime Minister and Foreign Minister. He also visited the parents of Gilad Shalit and met Palestinians involved in non-violent resistance.
He did not receive any written material from either the Government of Israel or the Palestinian Authority during his visit to the region.
Middle East: Armed Conflict
Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he (a) is taking and (b) plans to take in the next 12 months with his international counterparts to ensure that Hamas accepts the Quartet Principles and joins peace negotiations; and if he will make a statement. [24869]
Alistair Burt: Hamas' ideology of violence directly undermines prospects for peace in the region. We will continue to call on Hamas, with international partners, to take immediate and concrete steps towards the Quartet principles and to release Gilad Shalit unconditionally.
Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he (a) is taking and (b) plans to take to promote (i) Palestinian reconciliation and (ii) full acceptance of the Quartet Principles by all parties in the region; and if he will make a statement. [24870]
Alistair Burt: The UK supports President Abbas' efforts on Palestinian reconciliation which is the key component in reuniting the Gaza strip and West Bank under one authority. But this needs to be a Palestinian-led process and in accordance with Palestinian law.
We have made it consistently clear that we will engage with any Palestinian Government that shows through their words and actions that they are committed to the Quartet Principles. President Abbas and Prime Minister Fayyad's government clearly meets this commitment and has made huge progress in reforming and building the institutions of state.
Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Government of Israel on security threats from Gaza; and if he will make a statement. [24871]
Alistair Burt: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary met Prime Minister Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Lieberman during his visit to Israel. They discussed a number of Middle East Peace Process related issues including security concerns.
We recognise Israel's concerns regarding Hamas, who continue to pursue an ideology of violence which directly undermines prospects for peace in the region.
We call on Hamas to take immediate and concrete steps towards the Quartet principles and to release Gilad Shalit unconditionally.
Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his Israeli counterpart during his recent visit to Israel on Israel's security concerns; and if he will make a statement. [24872]
Alistair Burt: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary discussed both the Middle East Peace Process and the UK's cooperation with Israel on Iran with Prime Minister Netanyahu during his recent visit to the region. He underlined the UK's view that direct talks offer the best opportunity for progress on the Middle East Peace Process and that this is important to Israel's long term security.
Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent progress has been made in the Middle East peace process; and if he will make a statement. [R] [24947]
Alistair Burt: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary discussed the situation with Secretary Clinton and Senator Mitchell during his recent visit to Washington. We believe that direct talks offer the best opportunity to achieve a sovereign, viable and contiguous Palestinian State living in peace and security alongside a safe and secure Israel and their other neighbours in the region.
Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of the acquisition of anti-aircraft missiles by Hamas since September 2010; what discussions he has had with the Government of Israel on this issue; and if he will make a statement. [25052]
Alistair Burt: We are aware of reports that Hamas have acquired anti-aircraft missiles. We have long made it clear that the arming and funding of Hamas, and other Palestinian Rejectionist Groups, is unacceptable.
We recognise Israel's legitimate security needs. We have underlined the need for Hamas to end rocket attacks on Israel. We call on them to take immediate and concrete steps towards the Quartet principles.
Middle East: Politics and Government
Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the political situation in the West Bank since September 2010; and if he will make a statement. [24881]
Alistair Burt: The impact of the occupation in the West Bank remains an important concern. We welcome the improvements in movement and access that have taken place over the last year. This shows that access restrictions can be reduced without compromising Israel's security. We look to Israel to work with the Palestinian Authority to further ease restrictions.
The EU continues to follow closely the cases of human rights defenders arrested in the West Bank. We look to Israel to ensure that those detained have access to a fair trial in accordance with international law.
We recognise that the Palestinian Authority security forces are making West Bank towns safer for ordinary Palestinians and combating terrorism. However, we remain concerned about allegations of ill treatment of Palestinian detainees and call for an end to this.
Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the political situation in Gaza since September 2010; and if he will make a statement. [24883]
Alistair Burt: The UK is concerned by the humanitarian, economic and political situation in Gaza.
Gaza's aid dependency will continue until the economy recovers. There needs to be progress on exports, and improved access to land and fishing areas. The best way to safeguard Israel's security is through empowering Gaza's business fraternity.
During his recent visit, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary welcomed the steps that the Government of Israel have taken to improve access but underlined the need for further measures to secure change on the ground.
At the same time it is important to remember that Hamas continues to pursue an ideology of violence which directly undermines prospects for peace in the region. We call on Hamas to take immediate and concrete steps towards the Quartet principles and to release Gilad Shalit unconditionally.
Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the economic situation in the Palestinian territories since September 2010; and if he will make a statement. [R] [24999]
Alistair Burt: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary discussed Gaza with the Israeli Prime Minister, Foreign Minister and Defence Minister during his visit to the region. He welcomed the steps Israel has taken to improve access but underlined the need for further steps to secure change on the ground. I also made clear to the House on 8 November the need to support economic revitalisation in Gaza.
To help support the Gazan economy the Government have recently announced a further £2 million in new funding to support the recovery of Gaza's private sector. We are also supporting the United Nations and Palestinian Authority teams working to facilitate access to imports in Gaza.
The West Bank economy is clearly benefiting from stability and good governance under the leadership of Prime Minister Fayyad. Israel has also played its part by relaxing many movement and access restrictions, making it easier for businesses to operate and grow. Prime Minister Fayyad is aware of the challenges that lie ahead and is trying to address these through his reform agenda, which we support.
Muslim Brotherhood
Mr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received of potential links between the UK offices of the Muslim Brotherhood and (a) Hamas, (b) Islamic Jihad and (c) other organisations. [24575]
Alistair Burt: We are aware of reports which suggest that there are significant historic linkages between the Muslim Brotherhood, its overseas affiliates and Hamas. Historically the Brotherhood has presented Hamas as a legitimate resistance movement for the Palestinian people.
The Muslim Association of Britain (MAB) are the Brotherhood's representative in the UK. MAB in the UK publically rejects violence and state that they work for wider Muslim integration into British society.
Occupied Territories: Housing
Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has made representations to the Israeli Government on the (a) Al Araqib and other unrecognised villages and (b) UN Human Rights Committee's recommendations of July 2010 on access to health structures, education, water and electricity for residents of those villages. [24793]
Alistair Burt: We are concerned that Israel's minority Arab population, including Bedouin Arab minorities, are suffering institutional, legal and societal inequality and discrimination. We remain concerned that the Israeli Government's Goldberg Commission's 2008 recommendations, which included a recommendation to recognise most of the remaining unrecognised Bedouin villages, has not brought about an end to the demolition of Bedouin houses and villages.
During the recent UN Human Rights Committee hearing in Geneva on 13 and 14 July along with UN colleagues, we raised these concerns with the Government of Israel. Israel told the Committee that it was in ongoing discussions with Bedouin leaders about housing access and housing rights. We continue to support calls made by the EU and the UN for a genuine and satisfactory solution to these problems that the Bedouin communities face. We have made it clear that Israel should take the steps necessary to ensure that the rights of these minorities are protected.
Attorney-General
Coroners: Conflict of Interests
Mark Pritchard: To ask the Attorney-General if he will review the provisions governing the relationship between coroners and police forces to ensure that there is no possibility of a conflict of interests arising. [24808]
Mr Djanogly: I have been asked to reply.
The Ministry of Justice has responsibility for coroner law and policy, but no operational role in the service delivered by coroners. Consequently, my Department has no locus to direct or manage the relationship between coroners and the police and there are no provisions specifically on this issue. However, Ministry of Justice officials have been working with the UK Missing Persons Bureau, part of the National Policing Improvement Agency, and the Coroners' Society of England and Wales to ensure that conflicts of interest between the police service and Coroners are minimised.
Women and Equalities
Departmental Publications
Jo Swinson: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what assessment she has made of the recommendations relevant to her Office's policy responsibilities contained in the Foresight report on Mental Capacity and Well-Being by the Government Office for Science; if her Office will ensure that her Office takes steps to promote well-being; if she will ensure that her Office's policy development process takes account of psychological research into subjective well-being; and if she will make a statement. [22908]
Lynne Featherstone [holding answer 9 November 2010]: My right hon. Friend the Minister for Women and Equalities and I welcome the conclusions of the Foresight Project on Mental Capital and Wellbeing and will ensure that the Department acts on these as appropriate for the benefit of its staff. The Government Equalities Office is aware of the ways in which it can promote wellbeing and positive mental health for both its own staff and in its policy making.
Ethnic Minorities
Priti Patel: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities how much the Government Equalities Office spent under each budget heading on holding events relating to the roll-out of the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Women Councillors' Taskforce; and how many staff were involved in organising these events. [22068]
Lynne Featherstone: The Government Equalities Office spent a total of £139,681 on hosting 16 events across Britain under the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Women Councillors Taskforce programme. This was established in May 2008 to find practical ways to increase the numbers of ethnic minority women councillors.
Events were held to raise awareness and understanding of the role of a councillor, three GEO staff members were involved in supporting the work of the taskforce.
The breakdown of the expenditure was as follows:
Government Equalities Office: Finance
Priti Patel: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities how many Equality Act 2010 training events held or sponsored by the (a) Government Equalities Office and (b) Equality and Human Rights Commission there have been; how many attendees there were at each such event; how many future such events the Government Equalities Office plans to hold; and what estimate she has made of the cost under each budget heading of each such event. [24205]
Lynne Featherstone: The 2010 Equality Act was an important streamlining of equality legislation. The Impact Assessment, published in April 2010 shows a total benefit figure (private and public sector) for the Equality Act 2010 of £75 million over 10 years, which includes a £66.5 million benefit for the private sector. In order that these benefits are realised, both the Government Equalities Office and Equality and the Human Rights Commission have provided a range of support and guidance on their websites as well as speaking at externally organised events. We intend to continue this approach.
The Government Equalities Office sponsored Citizens Advice to develop a training programme for its national advice session supervisors and to cascade training to its network of advisors. The cost of the development of this package was £15,000. 11 training sessions have been held so far across England and Wales, taking place between 22 September and 22 October 2010. A total of 146 Citizen's Advice Bureau supervisors attended these sessions. A further 10 sessions are planned.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission is an arm's length body; the following is based on information it has provided.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission held 14 training events for a number of organisations on the Equality Act 2010, at a total cost of £1,480. These events were held between 24 September 2009 and 11 November 2010. The total number of attendees at these events was recorded as 228.
Sexuality: Housing
Bob Stewart: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities for what reasons housing associations require applicants to provide information on their sexual identity, religious belief and gender identity under the Equality Act 2010. [25147]
Lynne Featherstone: Housing associations are not required to collect this information under the Equality Act 2010.
Housing associations and others may choose to collect such data, to assist their compliance with the provisions in the Act (e.g. to ensure that their policies do not discriminate against people with those protected characteristics or in order to establish whether their policies and practices meet the particular needs of the people who access their services).
Women's National Commission
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what the (a) membership and (b) functions of the organisations to be established to take over the work of the Women's National Commission (WNC) will be; and which organisation will undertake the WNC's international work. [26093]
Lynne Featherstone: We announced on 14 October 2010 that the core functions of the Women's National Commission (WNC) will be brought into the Government Equalities Office (GEO). This means that the work traditionally carried out by the WNC-ensuring that women's voices are heard at the centre of Government-will be carried out by the GEO.
We will be consulting on the new approach in the new year; this will include how we engage with former WNC partners and the most appropriate way to deliver international work.
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities who was consulted on the equality impact assessment on the proposed closure of the Women's National Commission; and on what date (a) that consultation and (b) the equality impact assessment was completed. [26094]
Lynne Featherstone: The review of public bodies was a commitment set out in the coalition agreement, and was announced in the Queen's Speech on 25 May 2010.
As part of the review process:
the Women's National Commission was asked to respond to the three tests set by the Cabinet Office as part of the review of public bodies - a response was received on 29 June
The Minister for Equalities met with the chair of the Commission on 20 July to seek her views
Over 70 women's organisations wrote to the Minister for Women and Equality about the WNC's inclusion in the review of public bodies and provided information
The GEO held regular meetings with WNC staff during the period of the review and met with trade union officials
This information was used to inform the Equalities Impact Assessment (EIA). The EIA was completed once the decision to abolish the WNC had been confirmed and published on 14 October, when the outcome of the review was announced.
The GEO will be consulting on the new approach to engaging and listening to women in the new year.
Treasury
Air Passenger Duty
Dr Poulter: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will take into account whether destinations for flights have low carbon economies, in his proposals for changes to levels of air passenger duty; [24770]
(2) what assessment he has made of the likely effects of changes to air passenger duty on people with family links to the Caribbean; [24771]
(3) what assessment he has made of the likely effects of increases in the level of air passenger duty on (a) the number of airline routes operating from the UK
and (b) the level of carbon dioxide emissions from such flights; [24772]
(4) if he will bring forward proposals for higher rates of air passenger duty for short haul flights within Europe. [24773]
Justine Greening: The existing rates of APD were set and legislated for by the previous Government. An impact assessment was published at:
The June Budget stated that the Government will explore changes to the aviation tax system, including switching from a per-passenger to a per-plane duty. Major changes will be subject to consultation.
Banks: Finance
Mr Bain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the levels of sovereign debt held by banks based in the UK in respect of (a) the Republic of Ireland and (b) Portugal. [25233]
Mr Hoban: As part of the stress tests carried out earlier this year by the Committee of European Banking Supervisors (CEBS), all major EU banks including those in the UK published data on their European sovereign debt holdings, including for the Republic of Ireland and Portugal.
The report from CEBS was published at the end of July and can be found online at:
In addition, the Financial Services Authority monitors the financial positions of UK banks and their holdings of different asset classes for supervisory purposes. This information is not released publicly.
Copyright: Music
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the effect on the revenue received by the Exchequer of raising to 75 years the period in which musicians' works receive copyright protection. [25162]
Mr Gauke: Royalties are not recorded separately in self-assessment, and so it is not possible to estimate the associated tax yields, nor the impact of extending copyright protection.
Crown Currency Exchange
Helen Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate UK Financial Investments has made of the liabilities of financial limitation in public ownership arising from the entry into administration of Crown Currency Exchange Ltd. [24026]
Mr Hoban: Crown Currency Exchange Ltd has not entered into public ownership as a result of going into administration.
Therefore there is no requirement on UK Financial Investments (UKFI) to make any estimates of the financial liability arising from the entry into administration of Crown Currency Exchange Ltd.
Economic Governance Task Force
Mr Cash: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his letter to other EU member states of 9 July 2010, on the European Taskforce on EU Economic Governance, by what mechanisms he proposes to make Ministers accountable to other member states. [24822]
Mr Hoban [holding answer 18 November 2010]: In the same way that our economy is subject to scrutiny from organisations such as the IMF and OECD, the Government report annually on our economic policies to ECOFIN and benefit from reports on the policies of other member states, as set out in article 126 of the treaty on the functioning of the European Union (the stability and growth pact). We believe that it is right that we should co-operate with this process because of its contribution to macro-economic stability in the EU, but that co-operation should in no way undermine the fiscal sovereignty of the UK.
Although we do submit information to the EU under the stability and growth pact as required in section 5 of the European Communities (Amendment) Act 1993, this is presented to Parliament first. This was reinforced when discussions on the EU semester took place earlier this year and the Chancellor secured a clear provision in the stability and growth pact code of conduct to ensure that the UK will continue to send its Budget to the EU only once it has been presented to Parliament. All other member states are now required to send draft budgetary plans to the EU under the EU semester.
Furthermore, while the EU can make recommendations on our fiscal position, by virtue of protocol 15 of the treaty, we are under no obligation to act on such recommendations. While we believe it is important to be transparent to other member states through the processes outlined above, we ensured that agreement reached at the European Taskforce on Economic Governance preserves the UK's fiscal sovereignty.
European Financial Stability Mechanism
Mr Cash: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) whether the European Financial Stability Mechanism procedure can only be activated by a member state in line with the procedure prescribed by Article 3 of the regulation establishing that mechanism and not by qualified majority voting; [25686]
(2) whether under the regulation establishing the European Financial Stability Mechanism the final decision on the provision of financial assistance may only be taken by the ECOFIN Council acting on a qualified majority vote. [25688]
Mr Hoban: The terms of operation of the European Financial Stability Mechanism are set out in EU Council Regulation No. 407/2010. Article 3 of this Regulation states that a member state seeking assistance should discuss its requirements with the Commission (in liaison with the European Central Bank) and submit an adjustment programme to the Commission and the Economic and Financial Committee. Assistance is granted by a qualified majority decision of ECOFIN, acting on a proposal from the Commission.
Excise Duties: Fuels
Nicky Morgan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has for the introduction of a fair fuel stabiliser. [25187]
Justine Greening: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Richmond Park (Zac Goldsmith) on 1 November 2010, Official Report, column 665W.
Institute for Fiscal Studies
Robert Halfon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department spent on services provided by the Institute for Fiscal Studies in each year from 2000-01 to 2007-08. [23499]
Justine Greening: The following table shows the amounts spent with the Institute for Fiscal Studies by HM Treasury since 2002-03.
| £000 | |
Information on spending prior to 2002-03 is no longer available due to the introduction of a new accounting system in that year.
Members: Correspondence
Mr Baron: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to reply to the letter of 1 September 2010 from the hon. Member for Basildon and Billericay regarding Keith Brown. [25476]
Mr Gauke [holding answer 19 November 2010]: I have replied to my hon. Friend.
National Insurance Contributions: Southern England
Mr Hanson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the cost to the Exchequer of extending the proposed national insurance holiday for new firms of 10 or fewer employees to companies in (a) Greater London, (b) the South East and (c) the East of England. [25658]
Mr Gauke: The Government published details of how the regional employer national insurance contributions holiday for new businesses was costed as part of the Budget 2010 policy costings document. Had the holiday been extended to other regions, the estimated total cost on the same basis over three years would have been, for extension to (a) Greater London, £250 million; (b) the South East, £250 million; (c) the East of England, £160 million. The Government's policy is, however, to target support on those countries and regions most reliant on public sector employment.
PAYE
Lorely Burt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what target date HM Revenue and Customs has set to clear the backlog of outstanding Pay As You Earn customer reviews. [15371]
Mr Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many staff HM Revenue and Customs has deployed to work on the recovery of PAYE tax underpaid between the tax years starting (a) 2000 to 2007 and (b) 2008-09; [15918]
(2) whether deadlines will be set for HM Revenue and Customs to recover tax underpaid in previous years under PAYE. [15920]
Mr Gauke: The National Insurance and PAYE Service (NPS) introduced in 2009 automates the end of year reconciliation process. This automated process is being used to reconcile the 2008-09 and 2009-10 tax years. The exercise commenced in September 2010 and the bulk of the exercise is planned to be completed by Christmas 2010.
HMRC is also setting in place a programme to complete the clearance of PAYE 'legacy' open cases that arise from earlier years (prior to 2008-09) and the previous PAYE computer system, with a view for their clearance by the end of 2012 and by reference to the normal statutory time limits for their undertaking.
HMRC has approximately 10,300 people who are employed on all aspects of PAYE and self-assessment processing. This includes identifying where customers have underpaid or overpaid tax whether they are self employed or employed. Separate information on the number of staff on the recovery of underpaid tax from PAYE is not available.
Mr Wallace: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department has allocated for reform of the PAYE system to enable the collection of information about tax and other calculations in real time. [24864]
Mr Gauke: The Government announced their intention to consult on the next stage of improving PAYE through the use of real time information as part of the spending review announcement on 20 October 2010.
HMRC is currently in the process of negotiating contracts in this area and therefore, for reasons of commercial sensitivity, this information cannot be made available.
Revenue and Customs
Gregg McClymont: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he last met representatives of staff at HM Revenue and Customs; and what topics were discussed at the meeting. [24818]
Mr Gauke: On 29 September, as Minister responsible for HMRC, I met with representatives of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) and Association of Revenue and Customs (ARC), the two unions recognised by HMRC. This meeting followed an invitation from PCS. The topics discussed at the meeting were the potential impact of spending cuts on HMRC and its ability to narrow the tax gap and the impact on the civil service of the Government agenda, including possible changes on pensions, compensation and pay.
Social Security Benefits: Uprating
Mr Douglas Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which (a) benefits, (b) tax credits and (c) pensions paid from the public purse (i) are uprated by the Consumer Prices Index (CPI), (ii) are uprated by the Retail Prices Index but will move to the CPI following the implementation of the proposals in the June 2010 Budget and (iii) are uprated by another index but will move to the CPI following the implementation of the proposals in the June 2010 Budget. [24776]
Mr Gauke: Information on past uprating practices for social security benefits can be found in the previous uprating statements to the House prepared by the Department for Work and Pensions; in the case of tax credits, this information can be found in past Budgets and pre-Budget reports published by the previous administration.
As announced in the June 2010 Budget, the switch to the Consumer Prices Index will apply to all benefits and tax credits that were previously uprated by either the Retail Prices Index or the Rossi index. This change will also apply to public service pensions through the statutory link to the indexation of the state second pension.
The Government are reintroducing the earnings link to the basic state pension with a triple guarantee that the basic state pension is raised by the higher of earnings, prices or 2.5%.
Tax Avoidance
Graeme Morrice: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to reduce the level of tax avoidance in respect of (a) inheritance tax, (b) capital gains tax, (c) income tax, (d) stamp duty and (e) value added tax; and if he will make a statement. [24996]
Mr Gauke: This Government are committed to tackling avoidance and intend to build in sustainable defences against avoidance opportunities when undertaking policy reform and to review areas of the tax system in which repeated changes have been necessary to close loopholes. We are also considering whether there is a case for developing a General Anti-Avoidance Rule (GAAR) for the UK.
Alongside this we will continue to use intelligence obtained from the Disclosure of Tax Avoidance Schemes regime and other sources to detect avoidance schemes early and we will challenge avoidance robustly where we find it.
The Government have also confirmed their commitment to tackling tax avoidance when they announced that £900 million would be made available over the spending review period to fund HM Revenue and Customs' compliance activities against tax evasion, fraud and avoidance.
Tax Evasion
Mrs Glindon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the proposed reduction to HM Revenue and Customs' budget does not allow a rise in the incidence of tax evasion. [24968]
Mr Gauke: The Government confirmed their commitment to tackling tax evasion when they announced £900 million would be made available over the spending review period to fund HM Revenue and Customs' compliance activities against tax evasion, fraud and avoidance. This will include an increase in the number of criminal prosecutions and deployment of dedicated tax experts to extend HMRC's coverage of large business, focusing on tackling high-risk areas. This should bring in around £7 billion per annum by 2014-15 in additional revenues.
Taxation: War Widows
Bob Russell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate has he made of the amount of income tax paid by war widows in receipt of payments from the armed forces compensation scheme in each of the last five years. [25625]
Mr Gauke: Information on income tax paid on Survivor's Guaranteed Income Payments (SGIP) from the armed forces compensation scheme is not available, nor is the total income tax recipients pay.
Written Questions: Government Responses
Teresa Pearce: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to respond to Question 21342, on independent tax regulations, tabled on 28 October 2010 for named day answer on 2 November 2010. [25338]
Mr Gauke: I have replied to the hon. Member.
Education
Academies: VAT
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on (a) the grant to be awarded by his Department to academy schools to cover the cost of value added tax payments and (b) the treatment of value added tax receipts from academy schools; and if he will make a statement. [21620]
Mr Gibb: The Government are committed to funding academy schools on a similar basis to maintained schools. The spending review agreed that in future, and subject to the necessary legislation, academies' non-business VAT costs will be reimbursed through a refund scheme similar to the scheme that already applies to local authority maintained schools. My officials will work with their counterparts in HM Treasury on how this scheme will operate in practice and further details will be set out in due course.
Apprentices
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Wigan (Lisa Nandy) of 17 June 2010, Official Report, column 531W, on apprentices, if he will estimate the number of (a) level 2, (b) level 3 and (c) level 4 apprenticeships in each subject which are available in educational institutions in each constituency for the academic year 2010-11. [17075]
Mr Hayes: Days after taking office we announced an additional 50,000 apprenticeship places over this financial year, taking the total to be delivered to well over 300,000 places, a record for the apprenticeship programme. We have also introduced new freedoms for colleges and training providers to shift other provision into apprenticeships, so the exact number delivered will be dependent on employer demand for high-quality apprenticeships.
There are almost 200 job roles at levels 2, 3 and 4 in which someone may be an apprentice. Take-up across subject areas and by constituency follows employer demand. For these reasons, we are not able to provide estimates of the number, level, subject and geographical distribution of apprenticeships as these would be either too broad to be of use or would be potentially misleading.
Children In Care
Paul Goggins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many of the children taken into care (a) in the latest period for which figures are available and (b) in each of the last five years had previously been in care on one or more occasions. [22912]
Tim Loughton [holding answer 10 November 2010]: The information requested is shown in the following table:
| Children who were taken into care during the year ending 31 March who had previously been in care on one or more occasions( 1,2,3) -Coverage: England | |
| Years ending 31 March 2006 to 2010: | Number |
| 1. England figures have been rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Figures exclude children looked after under an agreed series of short term placements. 3. Children who were taken into care are children who started to be looked after under a care order, police protection, an emergency protection order or a child assessment order. Source: SSDA 903 | |
Curriculum
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 18 October 2010, Official Report, column 463W, on the curriculum, if he will issue guidance to (a) maintained schools and (b) academies on what constitutes a broad and balanced curriculum. [23104]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 9 November 2010]: This Government have committed to freeing all schools from unnecessary bureaucracy and to giving schools greater freedom over the curriculum. We will be announcing detailed plans for a review of the national curriculum before the end of the year. We will consider in light of the outcomes of that review what guidance, if necessary, is produced.
Departmental Manpower
Mr Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many (a) officials and (b) external advisers are working on Professor Alison Wolf's review of vocational education. [16959]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 13 October 2010]: Officials from both the Department for Education and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills are providing support to Professor Wolf. The support they are offering is, in total, equivalent to around three full-time posts at the present time but this will fall to the equivalent of around 1.5 full-time posts when work to manage and analyse the evidence which is currently being offered to Professor Wolf for the review has been completed in mid-November.
No external advisers, apart from Professor Wolf herself, are working on this review.
Education Maintenance Allowance
Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what timetable has been set for ending the education maintenance allowance and replacing it with targeted support. [19448]
Mr Gibb: The education maintenance allowance scheme will close at the end of the 2010/11 academic year and no new applications will be processed from 1 January 2011. It will be replaced by an enhanced Discretionary Learner Support Fund. Decisions about which young people should receive financial support from the Discretionary Learner Support Fund will be made by schools, colleges and training providers, who are in a better position than Government to determine the needs of individual students. They will target support to those young people who most need it to continue in education.
Examinations
Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the examination system in measuring attainment. [22277]
Mr Gibb:
It is for Ofqual as the independent regulator to ensure that examinations measure an individual's attainment accurately. Ofqual makes regular reports on
qualifications and assessments which explore aspects of how they do this in greater depth. These reports can be found at:
Ofqual reports on a number of different aspects of standards in qualifications and assessments and its work is based on five common criteria against which it judges qualifications and assessment: validity, reliability, comparability, manageability and minimisation of bias.
In terms of giving accurate information on how attainment is improving overall, my Department will reform the league tables so that schools are able to focus on, and demonstrate, the progress of children of all abilities. We will also make more data available to the public. In addition to the headline indicators in the tables, parents will be able to access a wealth of information about their schools. Our plans will be announced in a forthcoming White Paper.
Free School Meals
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and what proportion of pupils are eligible for free school meals in each constituency. [21589]
Mr Gibb: The requested information has been placed in the House Libraries.
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many children are eligible for free school meals in each ward in Warrington North constituency; and what proportion of those eligible are claiming free meals. [21981]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 4 November 2010]: The Department collects information on the number of pupils who meet the free school meals eligibility criteria and make a claim. Information is not available on the number of pupils who may be eligible but do not make a claim.
The number of pupils who were known to be eligible and make a claim for free school meals is shown in the following table.
| Maintained nursery, maintained primary( 1) , state-funded secondary( 1,2) and special( 3) schools: school meal arrangements( 4,5) | |||
| As at January 2010-by each ward within Warrington North parliamentary constituency | |||
| Ward name | Number on roll( 4,5) | Number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals( 4,5) | Percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals |
| (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) Includes city technology colleges and academies. There are no city technology colleges or academies in Warrington North parliamentary constituency. (3) Includes maintained and non-maintained special schools. Excludes general hospital schools. (4) Includes sole and dual (main) registrations. (5) Pupils who have full time attendance and are aged 15 and under, or pupils who have part time attendance and are aged between five and 15. Source: School Census | |||
Free School Meals: Pendle
Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many children in Pendle were eligible for free school meals on the latest date for which figures are available. [22856]
Mr Gibb: The requested information has been placed in the House Libraries.
GCSEs
Chris Skidmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) how many pupils were entered for a modern language GCSE in (a) comprehensive schools, (b) maintained selective schools and (c) independent schools in each year since 1997; and what proportion this represented of the total number of pupils entered for GCSEs in each such case; [20229]
(2) how many pupils were entered for a psychology GCSE in (a) comprehensive schools, (b) maintained selective schools and (c) independent schools in each year since 1997; and what proportion this represented of the total number of pupils entered for GCSEs in each such case; [20234]
(3) how many pupils were entered for a physics GCSE in (a) comprehensive schools, (b) maintained selective schools and (c) independent schools in each year since 1997; and what proportion this represented of the total number of pupils entered for GCSEs in each such case; [20235]
(4) how many pupils were entered for a chemistry GCSE in (a) comprehensive schools (b) maintained selective schools and (c) independent schools in each year since 1997; and what proportion this represented of the total number of pupils entered for GCSEs in each such case; [20240]
(5) how many pupils were entered for an English literature GCSE in (a) comprehensive schools, (b) maintained selective schools and (c) independent schools in each year since 1997; and what proportion this represented of the total number of pupils entered for GCSEs in each such case; [20242]
(6) how many and what proportion of pupils were entered for a physical education GCSE in (a) comprehensive schools, (b) selective maintained schools and (c) independent schools in each year since 1997; [20499]
(7) how many and what proportion of pupils were entered for a religious education GCSE in (a) comprehensive schools, (b) selective maintained schools and (c) independent schools in each year since 1997. [20500]
Mr Gibb: The information requested is given in the following tables. Figures from 1997-2004 have been based on pupils aged 15 at the start of the academic year. Figures from 2005-10 have been based on pupils reaching the end of key stage 4.
Figures for 2010 are provisional.
| Number of pupils entering GCSE | ||||||||
| School type | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | |
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