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22 Nov 2010 : Column 130W—continued
Squatting
Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether his Department plans to bring forward legislative proposals on squatting. [25068]
Mr Blunt: I refer the hon. Member to my previous answer of 3 November to the hon. Member for Hove (Mike Weatherley) Official Report, column 835W.
'We are considering whether the law in relation to squatting, or the way it is enforced, should be strengthened, but we have not yet reached any firm conclusions.'
Terrorism: Victim Support Schemes
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice on what date the Victims of Overseas Terrorism Compensation Scheme will begin to operate; and on what date it is likely to make its first payments to victims of overseas terrorism. [24760]
Mr Blunt: Decisions have not yet been taken on this scheme.
Youth Justice Board
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will put in place arrangements to ensure all areas of the UK have the same access to youth justice services after the abolition of the Youth Justice Board. [25998]
Mr Blunt: The decision to abolish the Youth Justice Board will not impact on the delivery of youth justice services in England and Wales. The main functions of the Youth Justice Board will remain in place. This includes the oversight of local authority youth offending teams, disseminating effective practice, commissioning a distinct secure estate and placing young people in custody. These functions will take place within a distinct delivery framework within the Ministry of Justice.
The Youth Justice Board's responsibilities cover England and Wales only. The responsibility for the delivery of youth justice services in Scotland and Northern Ireland is devolved to those administrations.
Culture, Media and Sport
Arts
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether his Department plans to reformulate its definition of creative industries to take into account recent (a) cultural and (b) commercial developments in the digital media sector. [25370]
Mr Vaizey: The Department has no current plans to reformulate its definition of the creative industries. However we have recently produced an updated Standard Industrial Codes framework. This will enable greater accuracy in our forthcoming 2010 economic estimates for the creative industries, which has by the nature of the exercise entailed a slight revision of the areas included.
Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport (1) if he will make it his policy to collect data on the number of jobs in the digital arts industry; and if he will make a statement; [25423]
(2) what recent assessment he has made of the contribution of the digital arts sector to the economy. [25424]
Mr Vaizey: The Department does not collect data specifically for the digital arts industry. However, it does produce annual estimates of the contribution of the creative industries to the economy in terms of gross value added (GVA) and the number of people employed in the creative industries. The latest version of this publication was released in February 2010, and can be accessed at:
Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport when he last visited a digital arts enterprise. [25425]
Mr Vaizey: The Secretary of State visited iBurbia studios in Chiswick on 11 November.
Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what plans he has to encourage (a) new starts and (b) relocations from overseas in the digital arts sector; and if he will make a statement. [25426]
Mr Vaizey: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is working closely with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to ensure that the creative industries, including the Digital Arts, are able to take full advantage of appropriate measures to encourage the development of start-up businesses and entrepreneurship.
UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) assists UK based companies in the creative industries sector to succeed in international markets and assists overseas creative companies to invest in the UK. UKTI will be announcing a new four-year strategy, for the lifetime of this Parliament, early in the new year.
BBC
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent meetings (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have had with the Director-General of the BBC; and whether the matter of pensions was discussed. [24711]
Mr Vaizey: The permanent secretary, Jonathan Stephens, had a meeting with Mark Thompson on 10 November, during which the BBC pension scheme was not discussed. There have been no other meetings with the director-general of the BBC since the terms of the licence fee agreement were settled on 18 and 19 October. The cost of BBC pensions was referred to in discussing the settlement.
Broadcasting: Scotland
Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether his Department has undertaken an impact assessment in respect of the economic effects on the Scottish broadcasting sector of the Government's decision not to accept the recommendation by Ofcom that Scottish Television should be classified as a qualified independent producer. [25011]
Mr Vaizey: An impact assessment was undertaken as part of the consultation exercise on the potential reclassification of production companies owned by Channel 3 licence holders.
The impact assessment analysed the problem, the case for government intervention, the policy objectives and the costs and benefits of the recommendation in the Digital Britain White Paper. The assessment included an estimate from STV of how it would benefit if the recommendation were implemented. The assessment was published as part of the consultation:
Departmental Grants
Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much funding his Department has allocated in grants for (a) 2009-10 and (b) 2010-11; and how much such funding he plans to allocate for 2011-12. [25815]
John Penrose: The first table shows grants (both capital and resource) that have been awarded by the Department in 2009-10 and 2010-11, and those announced for 2011-12. The second table includes grants in 2009-10 and 2010-11 for those organisations where announcements for 2011-12 have yet to be made.
Digital Broadcasting: Radio
Andrew Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether his Department has assessed the merits of providing support for the switchover to digital radio to people who (a) are blind or partially sighted, (b) have low incomes, (c) are aged over 65 years and (d) have learning disabilities or cognitive difficulties. [25183]
Mr Vaizey: As part of the ongoing work of the Digital Radio Action Plan the Government will be looking closely at which listeners, if any, would be disproportionately disadvantaged by a digital radio switchover. These considerations, along with the cost benefit analysis and impact assessment will determine whether provisions need to be made to support some listeners in switching to digital radio.
To ensure future policy takes account of the wide range of listeners' needs, the Consumer Expert Group (which originally formed to inform the digital TV switchover process) has agreed to extend its scope to cover radio.
Andrew Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether he has plans for a public information campaign prior to the digital radio switchover. [25185]
Mr Vaizey: If a decision is made to set a digital radio switchover date, we expect it will be supported by a comprehensive public information campaign.
Olympic Games 2012: North-East
Grahame M. Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent assessment he has made of the legacy for the North East of the London 2012 Olympics. [25071]
Hugh Robertson: The Government and the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) established the Nations and Regions Group to ensure UK-wide engagement and to maximise the legacy from London 2012. This group works directly with representatives from each of the nations and English regions to realise the sporting, economic, and cultural benefits of the 2012 Games.
The north-east stands to gain from the wide range of opportunities created by the 2012 Games, through businesses winning Games-related work, increased tourism and cultural celebrations. Some examples of how the north-east will benefit from the Games are as follows.
Across the UK over 124,000 companies have registered on Competefor (the website where London 2012 contract opportunities are advertised) and over 1,200 contracts have been awarded to Competefor suppliers. Information on businesses in the north-east that have directly supplied the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) is available on the London 2012 website at the following link:
St James Park is a 2012 venue for the preliminary rounds of the football competition and will be one of the key non-London venues. Along with Pre-Games Training Camps it will provide an opportunity to create further economic benefits, including inward investment,
through the international attention that will follow. In the north-east there are 20 facilities, that met the criteria to be world-class training venues for Olympic and Paralympic sport, which are included in the official London 2012 Pre- Games Training Camp Guide. The guide is accessible at the following link:
Agreements have been signed with the Olympic Committee of Colombia and the National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka to hold training camps in the region before the start of the Games.
Over 890 cultural and sporting programmes across the UK have been awarded Inspire Marks, including 50 in the north-east. Over 15,000 schools and colleges across the UK have registered for LOCOG's education programme 'Get Set'; 693 of those are in the north-east-53.6% of the total number in the region.
The north-east has secured £1.53 million from the Legacy Trust for the region's 'Generation 2012' project. This initiative provides opportunities for regional cultural organisations and young people to work together to develop up to 10 high quality, aspirational 2012 projects in the region, bringing people together for community activities of all kinds.
In addition, I recently announced the 'Places People Play' programme, which will bring sporting legacy to life in communities across the country. This will be achieved by transforming the places where people play sport, inspiring people to make sport happen at a local level and creating sporting opportunities that give everyone the chance to become part of the mass participation legacy. Further detail can be found at the following link:
Olympic Games 2012: Yorkshire and the Humber
Andrew Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will assess the potential legacy for Yorkshire and the Humber of the London 2012 Olympics. [25184]
Hugh Robertson: The Government and the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) established the Nations and Regions Group to ensure UK-wide engagement and to maximise the legacy from London 2012. This group works directly with representatives from each of the nations and English regions to realise the sporting, economic, and cultural benefits of the 2012 Games.
Yorkshire and Humberside stands to gain from the wide range of opportunities created by the 2012 games, through businesses winning games-related work, increased tourism and cultural celebrations. Some examples of how Yorkshire and Humberside will benefit from the Games are as follows.
Across the UK over 124,000 companies have registered on Competefor (the website where London 2012 contract opportunities are advertised) and over 1,200 contracts have been awarded to Competefor suppliers. Information on businesses in Yorkshire and Humberside that have directly supplied the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) is available on the London 2012 website at the following link:
Locations across the UK, particularly those that are hosting international teams in pre-games training camps (PGTCs), have additional opportunities to realise the economic benefits of the games. Agreements have been signed with five teams to hold training camps in the region, including agreements with the USA diving team and the Netherlands swim team.
Across the UK over 850 cultural and sporting programmes have been awarded Inspire Marks, 66 being in the Yorkshire and Humberside region. Over 15,000 schools and colleges have registered for LOCOG's education programme Get Set; 1,273 are registered in Yorkshire and Humberside.
Through the Legacy Trust UK Yorkshire has created "imove", the region's signature programme for the Cultural Olympiad. It aims to transform the relationship between people in Yorkshire and their moving bodies through unique crossovers between culture, sport and physical education.
In addition, I have recently announced the "Places People Play" programme, which will bring sporting legacy to life in communities across the country. This will be achieved by transforming the places where people play sport, inspiring people to make sport happen at a local level and creating sporting opportunities that give everyone the chance to become part of the mass participation legacy. Further details can be found at the following link:
UK Film Council
Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport (1) which organisations will be responsible for the functions carried out by the UK Film Council after its abolition; [25766]
(2) which body will be responsible for securing inward investment into the British film industry following the abolition of the UK Film Council. [25767]
Mr Vaizey: An announcement on where key UKFC functions will be transferred will be made by the end of November.
Deputy Prime Minister
Constituencies
Mr Reid: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what constitutes the area of a constituency as referred to in Part 2 of the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill; and what consideration is given to inland water and tidal changes when defining such an area. [25683]
Mr Harper: The Bill does not define the area of a constituency but the Government understand that the Boundary Commissions will use data provided by the Ordnance Survey in calculating the area of constituencies. The National Statistics dataset called standard area measurements measures area to "Extent of the realm"-which includes the foreshore, areas of inland water, and statutory seaward extensions to local authority areas and excludes any other areas of sea.
Electoral Register
Rehman Chishti: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether he is taking steps to monitor the performance of returning officers. [24465]
Mr Harper: The Government do not plan to take any specific steps to monitor the performance of returning officers. Under the Electoral Administration Act 2006, the Electoral Commission may determine and publish performance standards for returning officers, counting officers and electoral registration officers. To date, the Commission has published performance standards for both returning officers for the conduct of elections, and electoral registration officers for their registration duties. We will closely monitor the impact of performance standards on driving up the overall quality of electoral administration. The Commission has also published reports drawing together its findings on the performance of regional returning officers and local returning officers at the 2009 European parliamentary and local elections.
The Electoral Commission has informed me that it will be monitoring the performance of the deputy chief counting officer and counting officers for the referendum on the law-making powers of the National Assembly for Wales to be held on 3 March 2011, and of the regional counting officers and counting officers across the United Kingdom in running the proposed referendum on the voting system on 5 May 2011. The Commission will also be monitoring the performance of returning officers who will be running combined events in Great Britain, such as the Scottish Parliament, National Assembly for Wales and English local elections.
Cabinet Office
BBC
John McDonnell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent meetings Ministers in his Department have had with the director-general of the BBC; and whether the matter of pensions was discussed at those meetings. [24717]
Mr Hurd: Details of Cabinet Office Ministers' meetings with external organisations are published on a quarterly basis. Information for the period 13 May- 31 July can be accessed on the Cabinet Office website at
Information for 1 August to 30 September will be published shortly.
Austin Mitchell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent meetings (a) officials and (b) special advisers in his Department have had with the Director-General of the BBC; and whether pensions were discussed at those meetings. [25015]
Mr Maude: Civil servants, including special advisers, have meetings with many organisations and individuals on a range of subjects. A record of such meetings is not held centrally.
Charities
Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office when he expects to bring forward secondary legislation to enable charitable incorporated organisations to be incorporated under the provisions of the Charities Act 2006. [25340]
Mr Hurd: Our aim is to get the necessary supporting legislation before Parliament for debate early next year with a view to the first charitable incorporated organisations being established from spring 2011. I have yet to agree the implementation timetable, but the availability of the charitable incorporated organisation model for existing charities will have to be phased in over time to help manage the expected demand.
Charity Commission: Finance
Jim Dobbin: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to his answer of 28 October 2010, Official Report, columns 414-15W, if he will take steps to ensure that the Charity Commission's funding settlement for the period to 2015 does not adversely affect the Commission's ability to (a) investigate allegations of fraud, (b) investigate allegations of diverting charitable funds to international terrorist organisations and (c) enforce charity law. [25629]
Mr Hurd: The Charity Commission, like other Government Departments, is facing tough decisions about its future priorities. It is undertaking a strategic review to focus on the key priorities for its future work, including seeking the views of the public and other stakeholders. In addition, the statutory review of the Charities Act 2006 which is due to take place in 2011 will consider potential changes to the legislative framework for charities and the commission.
I will discuss the points raised by the hon. Member when I next meet the commission's chair and chief executive. I do not want to pre-empt the outcome of the commission's strategic review, but I am confident that the commission can continue to be an effective regulator of charities in England and Wales.
Departmental Services: Post Office
Brandon Lewis: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the monetary value was of contracts between his Department and (a) Post Office Ltd and (b) Royal Mail in each year since 2004-05. [24905]
Mr Maude: The amounts the Cabinet Office has paid to (a) Post Office Ltd and (b) Royal Mail in each year since 2004-05 are shown in the following table:
| £ | ||
| Post Office Ltd | Royal Mail | |
Brandon Lewis: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps his Department has taken to identify those of its services that could be provided through the Post Office network. [24906]
Mr Maude: The vast majority of mail services for the Cabinet Office and the Emergency Planning College (EPC) in York are provided by Royal Mail.
Directgov is working with the Post Office on a pilot to identify how Government Departments can deliver the services that are available on Directgov to a wider audience via the Post Office network.
Departmental Regulation
Mr Redwood: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what regulations sponsored by his Department have been revoked in the last six months. [24388]
Mr Maude: In the last six months, my Department has not revoked any regulatory measures.
However, the Cabinet Office has the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 and its associated regulations under review, with a view to rationalising regulatory burdens. The Charities Act 2006 contains a requirement that it is reviewed in 2011.
We have also launched a Civil Society Red Tape Taskforce, chaired by Lord Hodgson, with the intention of making it easier to run a charity, voluntary organisation or social enterprise by identifying areas where bureaucracy can be reduced or simplified. The taskforce will be reporting early in 2011.
We will also be continuing to scrutinise our stock of regulation and pipeline measures inherited from the previous administration with a view to finding OUTs, for the One-in, One-out regulatory management system.
Mr Redwood: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what new regulations sponsored by his Department have been introduced through (a) primary legislation and (b) statutory instrument in the last six months. [24502]
Mr Hurd: My Department has not introduced any regulatory measures to Parliament in the last six months.
Employment
Jake Berry: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what proportion of the working population of Rossendale and Darwen constituency is employed in the (a) public and (b) private sector. [25362]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated November 2010:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what proportion of the working population of Rossendale and Darwen constituency is employed in the (a) public and (b) private sector. (025362)
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) preferred source of statistics for public sector employment is the Quarterly Public Sector Employment Survey (QPSES) and external sources, however figures from this source are not available for parliamentary constituencies.
Alternatively public sector employment statistics for local areas can be calculated from the Annual Population Survey (APS). Individuals in the APS are classified to the public or private sector according to their responses to the survey. Consequently, the classification of an individual's sector may differ from how they would be classified in QPSES statistics.
According to APS figures, in the 12 month period April 2009 to March 2010, 68 per cent of the working population of the Rossendale and Darwen constituency were employed by the private sector with the remaining 32 per cent employed in the public sector.
As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at
Government Departments: Pay
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will estimate the number of (a) directly-employed and (b) contracted staff of Government Departments who are being paid at a rate under £7.85 per hour. [24811]
Mr Maude: For staff outside the senior civil service (SCS), pay and grading is delegated to Departments and agencies, enabling management to set pay levels that meet their own particular business, operational and work force needs. Under the delegated arrangements, Cabinet Office does not collect the information requested.
The Office for National Statistics collects and publishes earnings information covering the home civil service as part of its Annual Civil Service Employment Survey. The latest available data, as at 31 March 2009, are available at:
The Cabinet Office does not collect the information requested on staff employed by private contractors working in Government Departments.
Government Departments: Procurement
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps he plans to take in circumstances where Government departments have not (a) initiated plans to increase the number of contracts awarded to small and medium-sized enterprises and (b) met the aspiration for 25 per cent. of contracts to be awarded to such enterprises. [22502]
Mr Maude: We fully expect that Departments will take the actions needed to fulfil the 25% aspiration, supported by the measures we announced on 1 November.
A number of the actions will be mandated for central Departments, with non-compliance made transparent.
Inquiries: Public Appointments
Mr Llwyd: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) what the usual criteria are which are applied to the suitability of a candidate for engagement as Secretary to a Government inquiry; and if he will make a statement; [24314]
(2) pursuant to the letter to the hon. Member for Dwyfor Meirionnydd, what the internal Cabinet Office human resource processes are which come into play when a press secretary to the secretariat of a Government inquiry is appointed; and if he will make a statement. [24315]
Mr Maude: When the Government decide to establish an independent inquiry, decisions about the appointment of the Inquiry Secretary are taken by the relevant Department in consultation with the inquiry chairman.
An Inquiry Secretariat including press office staff is usually staffed by civil servants seconded from Government Departments which will follow departmental HR procedures. In considering the suitability of individuals for the roles, a number of factors will be taken into account including the individual's availability, their skills and experience that may be relevant for the role, and the potential for any conflict of interest.
Jobseeker's Allowance
Mr Bone: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what his most recent estimate is of the number of people claiming jobseeker's allowance in (a) Wellingborough and (b) the UK. [25171]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated November 2010:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what the most recent estimate is of the number of people claiming jobseeker's allowance in (a) Wellingborough and (b) the UK (21571).
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles the number of claimants of Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) from the Jobcentre Plus administrative system.
The most recent number of claimants of Jobseeker's Allowance in Wellingborough and UK are available from the latest Labour Market Statistics Bulletin for the East Midlands at:
MI5: Finance
Mr Laws: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the budget was of the Security Service in (a) 2005-06, (b) 2008-09 and (c) 2009-10; and what his latest estimate is of the budget for 2010-11. [25166]
Mr Maude: The budget for the Security Service forms an element of the security and intelligence agencies' budget which is voted by Parliament as a consolidated allocation. It has been the policy of successive Governments not to reveal details of the security and intelligence agencies' budgets and spending, beyond that which is already published.
Parliamentary Private Secretaries
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office which hon. Members are Parliamentary Private Secretaries in each Department. [24668]
Mr Maude: A list of Parliamentary Private Secretaries was published on 17 November 2010 and is available at:
Public Sector: Procurement
Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) which public bodies have adopted the 2009 guidance of the Office of Government Commerce, Promoting skills through public procurement; [24477]
(2) what estimate he has made of the number of apprenticeships which have been created as a result of application of the 2009 guidance of the Office of Government Commerce, Promoting skills through public procurement. [24478]
Mr Hurd: This information is not held centrally.
Serco
Gregg McClymont: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent discussions he has had with Serco on its provision of services to his Department; and if he will make a statement. [24817]
Mr Maude: I have been leading a programme of negotiation with the Government's top suppliers. This work was identified as a key element of the package of measures designed to deliver £6.2 billion of savings during 2010-11, and involves discussions across the portfolio of contracts each supplier holds with central Government.
I have not had any discussions with Serco specifically in relation to the provision of services to the Cabinet Office.
Third Sector: Finance
Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether his Department plans to ring-fence funding allocated to local authorities for use by voluntary and community groups. [24169]
Robert Neill: I have been asked to reply.
Spending decisions are, and will continue to be, a matter for local authorities, and we do not intend to place restrictions on any decisions they might make on funding, including grants to the voluntary sector. We and local authorities recognise the rich diversity of voluntary and community groups and their potential for delivering what people want. We do not expect authorities to respond to reductions in their budgets by passing on disproportionate cuts to other service providers, especially the voluntary sector.
I also refer my hon. Friend to my answer of 17 November 2010, Official Report, column 805W, to the hon. Member for Sefton Central (Bill Esterson).
Julian Sturdy: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what assessment he has made of the likely effects on the level of financial support for local voluntary and community groups of the outcomes of the comprehensive spending review. [25007]
Mr Hurd: It is currently too early to evaluate the impact of the comprehensive spending review on voluntary and community groups; however the Cabinet Office is working closely with partners in the sector, across Government and the Third Sector Research Centre to examine the exposure of the sector to public spending reductions and mitigate potential impacts.
The big society presents a great opportunity for voluntary and community groups, as we open up public services and devolve power; and the Government are therefore committed to supporting the sector through this transitional period. This includes: a £100 million transition fund to help organisations with shortfalls in the short-term; publishing evidence and best practice to support government at all levels to make cuts wisely and in partnership with the sector; and, setting out policy measures to open up new sources of funding and help the sector maximise new opportunities in the strategy document "Building a Stronger Civil Society".
Business, Innovation and Skills
Adult Education: Finance
Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has for the future real terms level of Government grant to (a) the Workers' Educational Association and (b) other specialist designated institutions providing adult education in the current Parliament. [24067]
Mr Hayes: "Investing in Skills for Sustainable Growth" (16 November 2010) sets out the funding strategy for post-19 further education (FE) and skills. In 2011-12 financial year we will invest £3.9 billion to support an expansion of Adult (19+) Apprenticeships, fully subsidise basic literacy and numeracy and first full level 2 and level 3 qualifications for young adults. We will also support individuals who are unemployed and on active benefits, and protect and reform spending on adult and community learning.
The allocation of funding for the 2011/12 academic year will be carried out by the Skills Funding Agency, over the coming months, in line with the overall post-19 FE and Skills funding envelope. This will include making funding allocations for the Workers' Educational Association and other specialist designated institutions.
Cement: EU Emissions Trading Scheme
Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what information his Department holds for benchmarking purposes on the likely financial costs to the cement industry in each EU member state of compliance with the EU Commission's proposal for a hybrid clinker benchmark for phase III of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme. [25727]
Mr Prisk: The Minister has met with representatives from the UK cement industry, to discuss the free allocation rules for phase III of the EU ETS (the benchmarking proposals).
The cement industry has provided information to the Minister and to BIS officials on the impact of the current benchmarking proposals within the UK. This
information includes estimates of the financial costs of the proposals within the UK. These estimates vary depending on the level of the carbon price and how the proposals are implemented.
BIS does not hold data on the likely financial costs to the cement industry in other EU members states.
The information provided by the cement industry indicates that the UK's particular supply chain structure is significantly different to that of other members states. The benchmarking proposals do not currently take this difference into account.
BIS officials are working closely with DECC officials to analyse the proposals in detail in order to assess the impact on industry. They will also be having discussions with the European Commission on this issue and further discussions with industry before any conclusions are reached.
Company Reports
Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will make it his policy to ensure that company reports contain accurate, balanced and reliable information on social and environmental issues; and if he will make a statement. [25339]
Mr Davey: To meet a coalition commitment, the Department has recently consulted on the future of narrative reporting with the objective to drive up the quality of narrative reporting to the standard of the best including on social and environmental issues. The Department is now considering the responses and will publish a summary in December.
Departmental Internet
Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what his Department's budget is for websites for 2011-12. [25435]
Mr Davey: The BIS website budget for 2011-12 has not yet been finalised, but I am able to provide an outline of planned spend for the corporate website,
£180,000 is contractually committed for the annual web hosting and service charge.
Between £80,000 and £100,000 will be spent on website maintenance and development.
Around £20,000 will be required for standards compliance and performance management activities, as mandated by Central Office of Information.
Staff requirements for 2011-12 have yet to be determined.
As a result of web convergence, there will also be cost associated with migrating BIS partner organisation websites on to the BIS web platform. For 2011-12 this is estimated to be £150,000 in total, based on an assumption of nine partners joining the platform. This cost will be paid by those partners.
It should be noted that the new BIS web platform, launched in March 2010, will cost £2.5 million less over four years compared to the cost of the previous contract. And by offering that platform as a shared service for our partner organisations, the BIS family stands to save up to £2 million more.
Departmental Services: Post Office
Brandon Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department has taken to identify those of its services that could be provided through the Post Office network. [24904]
Mr Davey: On 9 November the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills published the policy statement 'Securing the Post Office Network in the Digital Age'. This document provides detail on Government's ambition for the Post Office to function as a front office for local and central Government.
As the Department that is responsible for Government's 100% shareholding in Post Office Ltd, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has worked alongside the Cabinet Office and Post Office Ltd to identify opportunities where the Post Office will be able to compete for future Government services across government and its agencies.
The Department continues to take a constructive approach to explore opportunities where the Post Office can offer and compete for the provision of services.
Electric Cables: Compensation
Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions his Department has had on the future of wayleave payments. [25418]
Mr Vaizey: Wayleave discussions have taken place in connection with the discussion paper 'Broadband deployment and sharing other utilities infrastructure', published on 15 July. In the paper, wayleave payments were identified as one of the problems associated with sharing non-telecommunications utilities infrastructure. Wayleaves have also featured in preliminary discussions about whether it would be appropriate to carry out a review of the Electronic Communications Code.
Higher Education
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what modelling his Department has undertaken on the elasticity of demand for higher education; and if he will make a statement. [24122]
Mr Willetts [holding answer 15 November 2010]: To support the Browne Review and the Government's response to it, we commissioned research by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) to explore how changes in fees, grants and loans impact on young participation.
This research exploited variation in grants, fees and loans over the period 1992-2007, and the results indicate that a £1,000 increase in fees, without any compensating increase in loans or grants, results in a 4.4ppt decrease in university participation, while a £1,000 increase in loans results in a 3.2ppt increase in participation, and a £1,000 increase in grants results in a 2.1 ppt increase in participation. So students do respond to changes in the price of HE.
However, this research also concludes that the package of reforms introduced in 2006 had no impact on participation, largely because tuition fees were accompanied by large increases in loans and grants.
Source:
Brandon Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many people were in higher education in (a) England, (b) Norfolk and (c) Great Yarmouth constituency in each year from January 2005 to January 2010. [24683]
Mr Willetts: The latest available information on the numbers of enrolments from England, Norfolk local authority area, and Great Yarmouth constituency to higher education courses at UK higher education institutions is shown in the table. Figures for the 2009/10 academic year will become available from the Higher Education Statistics Agency in January 2011. Comparable figures for students enrolled on higher education courses at further education colleges are not available.
| Enrolments( 1) from England( 2) , Norfolk local authority area( 3) and Great Yarmouth constituency( 3) -UK higher education institutions( 4) , academic years 2004/05 to 2008/09 | |||
| Academic year | England | Norfolk | Great Yarmouth |
| (1) Covers postgraduate and undergraduate enrolments to full-time and part-time courses. (2) Covers English-domiciled students. (3) Figures in the table do not include enrolments where the local authority or the constituency of the student cannot be established due to missing or invalid postcode information. (4) Excludes the Open University due to inconsistencies in their coding of students across the time series. Note: Figures are based on a HESA standard registration population and are rounded to the nearest five. Source: The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) Student Record | |||
Higher Education: Cumbria
Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he plans to take to support potential students from West Cumbria who wish to access higher education opportunities. [24803]
Mr Willetts: The Government have set out plans to reform higher education student finance which will offer a more generous package of financial support for students wishing to attend university in 2012/13, including those from West Cumbria. No full-time student will need to contribute to their tuition costs up-front and students from families with incomes of £25,000 or less will be entitled to a more generous full maintenance grant of £3,250 a year. Those from families with incomes up to around £42,000 will be entitled to a partial grant. For the first time, students starting part-time courses in 2012/13 will be entitled to an up-front loan towards their tuition costs so long as they are studying at an intensity of at least 33% of a full time course.
Universities or colleges wishing to charge students more than £6,000 a year, up to a ceiling of £9,000, will be required to draw up an access agreement with the Office for Fair Access in order to widen participation in higher education. In addition, a new £150 million National
Scholarships programme will guarantee bright potential students from poor backgrounds extra grant to help them meet the costs of going to university.
Higher Education: Finance
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much funding the Higher Education Funding Council for England has allocated for undergraduate courses in price groups C and D (a) in total and (b) for each higher education institution for 2010-11. [23674]
Mr Willetts [holding answer 12 November 2010]: The information requested is in a table produced by the Higher Education Funding Council for England. I will place a copy of it in the House Library. It should be noted that the data cover the 2010-11 academic year and may be subject to change. In addition, the figures give no indication of income to universities in future years. The Government have made clear that from 2012-13, funding for teaching will be rebalanced away from the HEFCE teaching grant and towards graduate contributions so that the sector is more responsive to the choices of students.
Brandon Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much money from the public purse was spent on higher education in (a) England, (b) Norfolk and (c) Great Yarmouth constituency in each year from January 2005 to January 2010. [24679]
Mr Willetts: The Department does not hold a consistent data set on which to give a global answer for the whole of higher education (HE) spend. We do have information covering the three main elements of Government funding to HE.
Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) g rants
| Total HEFCE Grant | |
| Financial year | £000 |
| Source: HEFCE Annual Reports | |
The two HEFCE-funded institutions in Norfolk received the following grant allocations:
| University of East Anglia | |
| Financial year | £ |
| Norwich University College of the Arts | |
| Financial year | £ |
There are no directly HEFCE-funded institutions in Great Yarmouth constituency. HEFCE cannot identify funding for indirectly-funded further education colleges separately. The amount of funding they receive will depend on locally-negotiated agreements with partner higher education institutions (HEIs).
The following table gives spend on science and research spend through research councils to HEIs. One HEI in Norfolk is eligible for this funding. It does not include research spend by other Government Departments or research funding awarded by HEFCE which is included in the above figures. No expenditure can be identified as spent in Great Yarmouth constituency.
| £000 | ||
| Financial year | University of East Anglia | UK |
Student Support Paid( 1) England and Norfolk
| £m | ||
| Academic year | England | Norfolk |
| Source: Student Loans Company. | ||
Student support spend figures include the cash value of loans paid. This does not represent the long-term cost to public funds as the majority of loans will be repaid. Complete figures are not yet available after academic year 2008/09. Robust student support figures are not available at constituency level.
(1) Loans, grants and allowances paid to students domiciled in England and studying in the UK. Excludes the tuition fee grants phased out after 2005/06 and part-time fee grants. Includes part-time course grants.
Met Office
John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he has assessed the merits of the Met Office competing with the private sector for commercial contracts. [25283]
Mr Robathan: I have been asked to reply.
The Met Office competes with the private sector for commercial contracts outside of the core National Meteorological Services.
This has been considered in previous reviews and will be reassessed as part of a review of the Met Office. This will report on its findings by the end of March 2011.
Overseas Students: Scholarships
Mr Kennedy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans the Government has for the funding of the Fulbright Scholarship Programme. [24769]
Mr Willetts: We are still working our way through the detail of the spending review and are not yet in a position to confirm the level of funding for the Fulbright Scholarship Programme from 2011 onwards.
We are very committed to our relationship with the United States and recognise the importance of the Fulbright Scholarship Programme. We will communicate the outcome of the funding settlement as soon as we are able.
Post Offices
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent representations he has received on the payment of (a) rent for council housing and (b) council tax through the Post Office network. [25297]
Mr Davey: On 9 November this Government published the policy statement 'Securing the Post Office Network in the Digital Age'. This sets out the Government's future plans for the Post Office, and was clear that we view the Post Office network as ideally suited to act as a front office for government for both local and central Government.
Post Office Ltd provides bill payment facilities for around 370 local authorities, with the overwhelming majority covering council tax or rent payments.
A pilot bringing together Sheffield city council, Post Office Ltd and the National Federation of SubPostmasters, will look at making better use of the Post Office network in the delivery of public sector services.
Postal Services: Leeds
Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he expects Royal Mail to have delivered the backlog of undelivered mail in the Leeds area. [25779]
Mr Davey: Delivery of mail is an operational matter for the Royal Mail.
I have therefore asked the chief executive of Royal Mail, Moya Greene, to respond directly to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
Science and Technology Facilities Council: Finance
Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills which overseas facilities are part-funded by the Science and Technology Facilities Council; and how much funding was allocated to each of those facilities in each of the last five financial years. [25252]
Mr Willetts: The following table shows how much the Science and Technology Facilities Council has contributed to funding overseas facilities through international collaboration agreements:
| £ million | |||||
| 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | |
| Note: The 2009-10 figures are provisional and the final position will be contained in the STFC audited accounts which will be published shortly. | |||||
UK Trade and Investment: Manpower
Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many staff are employed by UK Trade and Investment in each location in each English region. [25414]
Mr Davey: UKTI is not an employer in its own right; for the majority of its human resource requirements it draws on civil service staff employed by one or other of its two parent Departments-the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).
In UKTI's trade delivery network in nine English regions, there are 364 people deployed to deliver UKTI services. Those people are mainly employed by private sector organisations and are employed for their business knowledge and experience. There are also some Government staff on placement with those organisations. In addition, UKTI has 54 people, comprising BIS and Government office staff, leading UKTI's trade delivery activity in the English regions.
The breakdown of the total number of 418 people working on UKTI activity in each English region is as follows:
| Number | |
Health
Abortion
Mr Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health's contribution on 2 November 2010, Official Report, column 902, on termination of pregnancy, what steps his Department is undertaking to put in place informed consent, appropriate counselling and support for women before an abortion takes place. [25176]
Anne Milton: In accordance with Government policy and good practice guidelines, women requesting an abortion should already be fully informed of the pregnancy choices available to them, including alternatives to abortion such as keeping the pregnancy or adoption.
Abortion service providers should adopt the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists recommendations contained in 'The Care of Women Requesting Induced Abortion' (2004). This guidance states that all women considering abortion, after discussion with a clinician, should be given written information on procedures, including risks and complications, to ensure that they are able to give informed consent. Counselling should be offered to women who request or who need additional support in the decision-making process, as well as to young women under 16 years of age.
Blood: Contamination
Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when his Department's review of the recommendations of the Archer inquiry into the supply of contaminated blood in NHS facilities will be concluded; and when he plans to announce its findings. [25604]
Anne Milton: I refer the hon. Member to my written ministerial statement given on 14 October 2010, Official Report, column 30WS.
Dementia
Hazel Blears: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding his Department disbursed from the central programme budget on dementia in (a) 2009-10 and (b) 2010-11. [24434]
Paul Burstow: A total of £8,377,947.32 was spent from the Department's programme budget on dementia related work in 2009-10, and £5,380,094 has so far been spent from the budget in 2010-11.
Departmental Services: Post Office
Brandon Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the monetary value was of contracts between his Department and (a) Post Office Ltd and (b) Royal Mail in (i) 1997-98 and (ii) each year since 2004-05. [24928]
Mr Simon Burns: The Department does not have a contract with Post Office Ltd. or Royal Mail but has a trading agreement in place with Royal Mail to deliver a number of postal services. The amount of expenditure against this agreement is as follows:
| £ | |
We do not hold the information for 1997-98 as during this period accounting information was not held centrally.
Brandon Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what services of his Department have been the subject of a contract awarded in a tender process in which Post Office Ltd submitted a bid since 1997-98. [24930]
Mr Simon Burns: From July 2008 to the present, the Department's financial database, Business Management System (BMS), shows that no contracts were let to Post Office Ltd. Prior to the introduction of BMS in July 2008, information about contracts held by the Department was not gathered centrally.
Diabetes: Counselling
Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what funding he expects each primary care trust to allocate for counselling and psychological treatment for people with Type 1 diabetes in 2011-12; [25367]
(2) how many patients under the age of 18 years with Type 1 diabetes received counselling or psychological treatment in relation to their Type 1 diabetes in the latest period for which figures are available. [25368]
Paul Burstow: The Department does not hold information on the number of patients under the age of 18 who have received counselling or psychological treatment in relation to their Type 1 diabetes. The Department also does not hold information on the future funding we expect each primary care trusts to allocate for diabetes services.
It is for national health service organisations to determine the needs of their local population and to commission emotional and psychological support services to meet these needs using their resources appropriately.
Diabetes: Health Services
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the National Diabetes Audit, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the (a) level of glucose control problems and (b) risk of stroke and heart disease amongst people with diabetes. [25082]
Paul Burstow:
Diabetes is in the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF), part of the general practitioner (GP) contract, which provides additional reward to GP practices for how well they care for patients based on performance against a number of agreed indicators.
There are a range of indicators for diabetes which are key in the risk management for complications of the condition.
In order to qualify for these incentives, GPs are required to record all patients aged 17 years and over with diabetes on a practice register and to undertake a series of tests on an annual basis to help assess and manage the risk of complications of diabetes including stroke and heart disease.
The QOF indicators for diabetes are in line with recommendations from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) which lists a series of nine key tests and measures that are helpful in monitoring and managing the condition of a person with diabetes. The tests include measuring blood pressure, blood glucose, cholesterol and making feet checks, and are important in helping to reduce the risk of complications such as stroke and heart disease. We would expect GPs to use the NICE guidance on diabetes to assist them in safely managing individualised blood glucose level in people with diabetes.
Drugs: Misuse
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospital admissions relating to overdoses of illegal drugs there were in (a) England, (b) Sussex and (c) Brighton and Hove in (i) 2005, (ii) 2006, (iii) 2007, (iv) 2008 and (v) 2009. [25105]
Anne Milton: Data on the number of hospital admissions relating to overdoses of illegal drugs are not collected centrally. Such data as are available are finished admission episodes where the primary diagnosis code indicates poisoning by an illegal substance and are shown in the following table.
Drugs: Rehabilitation
Mr Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding he has allocated for drug treatment services in (a) England, (b) the West Midlands and (c) Coventry in each of the next five years. [24861]
Anne Milton: A range of different funding streams funds drug treatment services. The main component is central Government funding known as the pooled treatment budget (PTB) which is held by the Department. This includes both the adult pooled treatment budget (£381.3 million) and the young peoples pooled treatment budget for substance misuse treatment (£25.4 million). £45.4 million is also allocated by the Department for prison drug treatment.
In 2010-11 the pooled treatment budget was £406.7 million. This is in addition to an estimated £200 million spent by local partners, including the primary care trusts. Coventry was allocated £2,471,950 central funding for the adult pooled treatment budget and £158,233 for young peoples' substance misuse treatment.
Central Government funding allocations for drug treatment in the next five years are yet to be agreed.
Mr Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people commenced, but did not complete successfully a treatment programme for drug addiction in each of the last five years. [24863]
Anne Milton: The report 'Statistics from the National Drug Treatment Monitoring System (NDTMS) 1 April 2009-31 March 2010', published by the National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse (NTA), contains data on the number of people recorded as 'treatment incomplete' for the last five years.
A study published by the NTA in September 2010 ('A Long term study of outcomes of drug users leaving treatment-NTA 2010') showed that, over a four-year period, 43% of cases which were originally categorised as 'treatment incomplete' did not return either to treatment or to drug interventions in the criminal justice system. Copies of both reports have been placed in the Library.
General Practitioners
Mr Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure that more patients can see their own doctors out of hours. [24652]
Mr Simon Burns:
As set out in the White Paper Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS, we are committed to developing a coherent 24 hours a day, seven days a week urgent care service in every area of
England, which will incorporate general practitioner (GP) out-of-hours services. The Government are committed to putting GPs in charge of commissioning urgent care services including out-of-hours care and we believe that empowering GPs and other health professionals in this way will achieve better and more patient-focused services.
Mr Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information his Department collects on the duration of patient waiting times for out-of-hours services. [24653]
Mr Simon Burns: The Department does not collect information centrally on the duration of patient waiting times for out-of-hours services. Out-of-hours providers are required to provide clinical assessments and, where necessary, face-to-face consultations within certain time limits in line with the National Quality Requirements in the Delivery of Out-of-Hours Services, primary care trusts will hold data on compliance with these, although this may not include average waiting times data. My hon. Friend may wish to contact each primary care trust for this information.
Mr Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many GP practices in each primary care trust area offer their patients out-of-hours care from doctors within the practice. [24655]
Mr Simon Burns: This information is not collected centrally. My hon. Friend may wish to contact each primary care trust for this information.
Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of his Department contacting all GP practices (a) by letter and (b) by email (i) on the last occasion on which it did so and (ii) in the latest year for which figures are available. [24828]
Mr Simon Burns: There is no standard way to cost the drafting, clearance and issue of communications.
It would be in exceptional circumstances only that the Department would contact practices direct by email or by letter. Communications to any given staff group would be issued in the most efficient and cost-effective way possible. For general practitioner (GP) practices, the Department's usual policy is to disseminate information by regular electronic communications, such as the monthly GP Bulletin, which are placed on the Department's website.
General Practitioners: Suffolk
Mr Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients were seen by out-of-hours services in (a) Suffolk and (b) South Suffolk constituency in each of the last five years. [24654]
Mr Simon Burns: The information requested is not collected centrally. However, my hon. Friend may wish to contact the Suffolk Primary Care Trust direct for more information.
Health Services: Carers
Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will bring forward legislative proposals to require primary care trusts to (a) promote and safeguard the health and welfare of carers and (b) ensure that effective procedures exist to identify patients who are carers; and if he will make a statement. [24873]
Paul Burstow: We are making available over £400 million additional money over the next four years to enable primary care trusts (PCTs) in partnership with local government to support carers with breaks.
We do not believe that a legislative approach is the way to proceed as this would place additional burdens on PCTs, on general practitioners (GPs) and on practice staff who should in any case be supporting carers in the light of existing good practice.
We do believe that GPs have a vital role to play in the early identification and support of carers. This is why we are investing in face-to-face training and e-learning for GPs and their staff to make them more aware of the needs carers may have.
Health Services: Children
Stephen Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether primary care trust baseline funding will include an allocation for disabled children's services in 2011-12. [24963]
Mr Simon Burns: The Department currently makes revenue allocations direct to primary care trusts (PCTs) on the basis of a national weighted capitation formula which is used to determine each PCT's target share of available resources. The components of the formula are used to weight each PCT's population according to their relative need (age and additional need) for healthcare and the unavoidable geographical differences in the cost of providing healthcare (the market forces factor).
PCT revenue allocations are not broken down by policy or service area. Once allocated, it is for PCTs to commission the services they require to meet the healthcare needs of their local populations, taking account of both local and national priorities.
Further details about PCT revenue allocations post 2010-11 will be announced in December 2010.
Health: Males
Paul Uppal: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he plans to take to reduce the incidence of and mortality rate from cancer among men. [25249]
Paul Burstow: Lifestyle behaviours such as smoking, the harmful use of alcohol, drug misuse, poor diet and nutrition, being overweight and physical inactivity are acknowledged risk factors for a number of diseases in men, including cancer. Later this year, we will publish a Public Health White Paper setting out details of our strategy for improving public health and reducing the risk factors associated with developing conditions such as cancer.
We know that the earlier a cancer is detected, the sooner treatment can begin and the better the outcome is likely to be. Screening programmes and cancer awareness
initiatives are key to achieving this. The NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme (NHSBCSP) is currently being extended to men and women aged 70 to 75, and those over the age of 75 will be able to self-refer every two years. Last month, we announced the introduction of a new screening technology for the NHSBCSP: flexible sigmoidoscopy. This can detect abnormalities before they become cancer, as well has helping to detect cancer early. Experts estimate this technology will save around 3,000 lives a year. £60 million has been provided for a four-year roll out and, subject to the approval of the UK National Screening Committee, pilots will begin next spring.
In September, we announced that £9 million would be provided through the National Awareness and Early Diagnosis Initiative to support 59 local campaigns that will work to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of bowel, lung and breast cancers and to encourage early presentation at a general practitioner (GP) surgery. A further £1.75 million will be provided to pilot activity in two regions to test the viability of a possible national signs and symptoms campaign on bowel cancer. In preparing these campaigns, we are considering how to impact on different groups in society, including how to influence men to present earlier at a GP surgery.
We are also undertaking a review of the Cancer Reform Strategy to ensure that we have the right strategy to deliver improved cancer outcomes, including reducing incidence and mortality. This review is examining how to achieve equality of access, experience and outcomes in different groups of society. We plan to publish the review in winter.
Herbal Medicine
Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on how many occasions natural or herbal remedies have been found to contain (a) heavy metals and (b) undeclared pharmaceutical substances in the last 10 years. [25008]
Mr Simon Burns: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has arrangements in place through the Medicines Testing Scheme (MTS) for the analytical testing of medicines on the UK market.
MTS has reliable data in relation to this issue from 2005. From records held, the total numbers of products tested found to contain heavy metals or undeclared active pharmaceutical ingredients are four and 282 respectively. Testing of products in this sector is generally carried out where there is reason to believe there may be a problem, rather than on a random basis.
Examples of undeclared ingredients include cortico-steroids, slimming agents and banned herbs. These figures combine products specifically marketed as herbal, natural or traditional as well as products which are typically marketed as such. MHRA does not keep records of which of these products made specific claims to be herbal or natural.
The MHRA will not necessarily arrange for testing of further samples in cases where specific unlicensed products have tested positive for adulterants and additional examples remain on the market unless such testing would advance public health protection or the appropriate regulatory action.
Hospital Beds
Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he made of the proportion of available NHS beds which were in single room accommodation in (a) 1997, (b) 2002-03 and (c) 2009-10. [25351]
Mr Simon Burns: The information is not available in the precise format requested.
Since 2002-03, the Department has collected annual data from national health service trusts on the percentage of available beds provided for patient use that are single bedrooms. These data show that in 2002-03, the proportion of single bedrooms was 22.6% of all available beds for patient use, and in 2009-10 it was 32.7 %.
The information provided has been supplied by the NHS and has not been amended centrally. The accuracy and completeness of the information is the responsibility of the provider organisation.
Hospitals: Admissions
Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 1 July 2010, Official Report, column 638W, on hospitals: admissions, who will decide whether a hospital re-admissions within 30 days of discharge is avoidable; and who will bear the cost of such an assessment. [25220]
Mr Simon Burns: The Department will implement the proposed policy that from 1 April 2011 hospital trusts will not receive further payment for avoidable readmissions within 30 days of discharge in a way that minimises the burden to the national health service. Further details of the policy will be announced later in the year.
Maternity Services
Steve Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many babies were born at the roadside during journeys in excess of 20 minutes from the mother's home to the relevant maternity unit in 2009-10. [25345]
Anne Milton: This information is not collected by the Department.
Medical Records: Data Protection
Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will assess the merits of creating a unique identification key code for control of and access to patients health care records. [25726]
Mr Simon Burns: Our consultation 'Liberating the NHS: An Information Revolution' sets out the Government's ambitions for information to improve health and adult social care. Among a wide range of issues, the consultation covers proposals for giving people greater control of their care records so as to enable them to take greater control of their care. We will consider the merits of all ideas and practical proposals that may contribute to that aim.
Existing national information technology systems and services are protected by the requirement that all users must have a smartcard. Smartcards are secure tokens that, together with a password, confirm the identity of staff and determine access rights to information.
Mental Health Services: Manpower
Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many of the 3,600 extra therapists planned to be in place by 2010-11 under the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme are in place; and if he will make a statement; [25684]
(2) how many patients were treated under the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme in (a) 2008-09, (b) 2009-10 and (c) 2010-11. [25685]
Paul Burstow: By April 2011, 3,650 new therapy workers will be in place in the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme. In addition, more than 1,000 existing therapists have been given some additional training. The programme has brought more than 72,500 people to recovery so far and more than 13,000 people treated have come off sick pay and benefits.
In the last two quarters of 2008-09, 43,792 patients entered treatment, with 181,947 in 2009-10 and 183,131 in the first two quarters of 2010-11. The programme is on track to see 900,000 people in its first three years, which have been in line with the academic years of the universities providing the training.
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