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15 Dec 2010 : Column 799W—continued
Overseas Students
Mr Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many non-EU students progressed from studying at general further education colleges to higher education institutes in the UK in (a) 2007-08, (b) 2008-09 and (c) 2009-10. [29870]
Mr Willetts [holding answer 9 December 2010]: Information on the previous school type of non-EU domiciled higher education students is not currently available.
Postgraduate Education: Fees and Charges
Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the effect of the higher fees for undergraduates on the take-up of postgraduate studies. [30537]
Mr Willetts: Lord Browne did not recommend any changes to the funding of postgraduate education but did recommend that participation in postgraduate study should be monitored to identify whether changes to the undergraduate funding and finance system have any effect on entry to postgraduate courses. We have committed to do so.
Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what arrangements he intends to put in place to monitor the effects of higher undergraduate fees on the take-up of postgraduate studies. [30538]
Mr Willetts: The Government will monitor participation in postgraduate study to identify whether changes to the undergraduate funding and finance system have any effect on entry to postgraduate courses.
The Government are committed to Britain being a world leading place to do research. The science and research budget will be maintained in cash terms over the spending review period with resource spending of £4.6 billion a year by 2014-15. We will ring-fence that budget to ensure continuity of investment in science and research.
Postgraduate Education: Finance
Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he expects to introduce reductions in spending on the funding of postgraduate provision. [30539]
Mr Willetts: We will publish the "Higher Education Funding Council for England's (HEFCE)" grant letter for 2011-12 shortly. It is for the council to determine how that resource should be allocated. The new system of higher education funding whereby funding will flow through the choices made by students rather than direct grants will be phased in from 2012-13. We will set our priorities for residual grant, including for taught postgraduate provision and our response to the postgraduate review in the forthcoming higher education white paper. Research postgraduate provision is not directly affected by our proposed reforms.
Regional Growth Fund
Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many times the independent group chaired by Lord Heseltine to consider bids for funding from the regional growth fund has met. [30003]
Mr Prisk: The independent Advisory Panel chaired by my noble friend Lord Heseltine has not yet met. The first round of bids are required to be received by 21 January 2011.
Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what budget has been allocated for the Regional Growth Fund in 2011-12. [30626]
Mr Prisk: The Regional Growth Fund budget for 2011-12 is £495 million.
Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether funding for the Regional Growth Fund will be drawn from the budget allocated for regional development agencies. [30628]
Mr Prisk: Funding for the Regional Growth Fund has come from the Department for Communities and Local Government, Department for Transport and the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. No funding has come from the RDAs.
Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much of the funding from the Regional Growth Fund he expects to be available for each region in each year of the spending review period. [30630]
Mr Prisk: The Regional Growth Fund (RGF) will not be distributed by region. The RGF is a challenge fund that is open to bids from all parts of England, the amount an area receives will depend on the strength of its bids in addressing the Fund's core objectives:
To encourage private sector enterprise by providing support for projects with significant potential for economic growth and create additional sustainable private sector employment; and
To support in particular those areas and communities that are currently dependent on the public sector make the transition to sustainable private sector led growth and prosperity.
Royal Mail: Belfast
Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will request Royal Mail not to close the mail sorting office in Belfast. [30572]
Mr Davey: Decisions relating to the Belfast mail centre are an operational matter for Royal Mail's senior management team. Government do not play a role in such decisions.
Royal Mail has informed me that it currently has no plans to close the mail centre in Belfast.
Royal Mail: Weather
Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when Royal Mail plans to restore its guarantee to deliver special delivery items by 1.00 pm the next day (a) nationwide and (b) in parts of the UK which are presently free of snow; and if he will make a statement. [30899]
Mr Davey [ holding answer 14 December 2010]: The operation of Royal Mail's special delivery service is matter for its senior management team and Government do not play a role in decisions regarding the service.
I understand from Royal Mail that the restoration of the guarantee is under daily review and that it will restore the guarantee as soon as it can be sure that it can
honour the service promise in full. The company recognises that this product carries a guarantee, which it takes seriously, but currently it cannot guarantee the service promise for all items in every part of the UK. However, it continues to accept, prioritise and in most cases, deliver special delivery items to specification.
Regular service updates can be found on Royal Mail's website:
Student Loans Company
Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) what the borrowing limit is for the Student Loans Company; and whether he has plans to review that limit; [28836]
(2) what recent discussions he has had with the (a) Chancellor of the Exchequer and (b) Student Loans Company (SLC) on the effect on the financing requirements of the SLC of raising the cap on tuition fees; [28837]
(3) what estimate he has made of the net borrowing requirement of the Student Loans Company in each year from 2011-12 to 2024-25. [28838]
Mr Willetts: The costs to Government of student loans are borne by the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), rather than the Student Loans Company (SLC), and so the borrowing capacity of SLC is not significant.
Raising the cap on graduate contributions will increase the value of loans that Government makes to students and thereby increase Government's initial cash outlay. In the spending review period the full-time student tuition fee loan outlay is estimated to be £3.5 billion in 2012-13, £5 billion in 2013-14 and £6 billion in 2014-15.
The cash outlay does not represent a cost to Government as it is provided to students in the form of loans which will be repaid, therefore the long term costs of student loans are shared between high-earning graduates who can afford to repay them and the Exchequer.
The effect of the proposed Higher Education reforms are included in an interim Impact Assessment, which has been published and is available on BIS's website:
The costs are indicative and will be met by the Department as part of the spending review settlement as agreed with the Treasury. No estimates have been made beyond 2015.
Students: Fees and Charges
Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment his Department has made of the likely effects of the implementation of his proposals on tuition fees on colleges of music and conservatoires. [30066]
Mr Willetts
[holding answer 13 December 2010]: Our proposals for a fairer and more progressive higher education funding system will mean that the most successful and popular institutions should be able to flourish in the new environment. Colleges of music and conservatoires
offer courses which are very popular with students and so we expect them to be in a strong position to be able to attract the fee income to offset any reductions in grants from the Funding Council. Many of these institutions receive additional funding from the Funding Council to account for their small size or specialist nature, which are not recognised through the mainstream funding formula. While it is for the Funding Council to make decisions on grant allocations the Government will set out their priorities for continuing grant in the forthcoming grant letter to HEFCE and the higher education White Paper. It will be our priority that in putting the new funding system in place we do not weaken those institutions with a world class reputation for the arts and music.
Students: Grants
Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many young people in each London borough received the full means-tested university maintenance grant in each of the last four years. [30212]
Mr Willetts: The number of eligible applicants who were awarded the full higher education maintenance grant in each London borough in the last four years is shown in the following table.
Mr Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of applications for higher education maintenance grants were successful in the last three years. [30427]
Mr Willetts: The proportion of eligible applicants for a higher education maintenance grant who were awarded a full or partial maintenance grant in the last three years is shown in the following table.
| Distribution of maintenance grants( 1) to applicants domiciled in England | ||||
| Percentage of applicants in each academic year | ||||
| Entry cohort | 2007/08 | 2008/09 | 2009/10 | |
| n/a = not applicable (1) Includes special support grant, excludes those who received an NHS bursary. (2) Not awarded a grant because their household residual income is greater than the threshold to receive a grant, or they have not supplied income information. Eligible applicants may receive other forms of support. Source: Student Loans Company | ||||
Figures are shown by entry cohort because there have been changes to earnings thresholds which have affected the distribution.
Students: Loans
Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the average time taken by the Student Loans Company to process loan applications was in the last year for which figures are available. [30465]
Mr Willetts: The Student Loans Company took an average of 9.9 weeks in academic year 2010/11 to process student finance applications that it manages for new and continuing students who started their course in or after September 2010. This is an improvement of 2.2 weeks on academic year 2009/10. The processing time includes time when the application is with the applicant and, therefore, cannot be progressed by the company, for example, when the company is awaiting missing evidence or when it is awaiting from the student a declaration form accepting the terms of the loan. Student finance applications include request for both loans and grants.
Teachers: Training
Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what effects he expects the new funding arrangements to have on initial school teacher training provision currently funded by the Training and Development Agency for Schools; and what effects he expects these arrangements to have on the initial teacher training for further education teachers currently funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England. [30536]
Mr Willetts: The schools White Paper, "The Importance of Teaching", makes clear the Government's commitment to continuing improvement in the quality of teachers in schools, including attracting more high quality graduates into teaching. Arrangements for funding schools initial teacher training (ITT) will further this ambition. The Department for Education will publish detail of funding for ITT for the 2012/13 academic year early in 2011. With regard to ITT for further education, discussions are currently taking place with the Association of Colleges and other stakeholders. The Government's plans for initial teaching training for FE teachers and lecturers currently funded through the Higher Education Funding Council, will be set out in the forthcoming higher education White Paper.
Technology
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what responsibilities his Department has for the development of technical standards for industry; and in which fora of technical standards development his Department participates. [30337]
Mr Willetts [holding answer 13 December 2010]: The Department appoints and sponsors, BSI British Standards as the UK's National Standards Body. Through BSI, the Department funds the development of standards in new and emerging technological areas including nanotechnology, regenerative medicine and biometrics. BSI also play an important role as the UK member of the International Standards Organisation and of the European standardisation bodies working to agree standards which significantly contribute to enhancing the UK's economic performance.
My officials also participate in the development of standards as members of technical committees across a broad range of industrial sectors.
Technology Strategy Board: Local Enterprise Partnerships
Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills by what means the Technology Strategy Board plans to liaise with local enterprise partnerships to facilitate innovation support. [30005]
Mr Willetts: Local enterprise partnerships will not have a formal role in providing direct incentives to enable technology innovation by business. This will simplify the way in which companies seek and receive support for technology based innovation, as they will deal directly with the Technology Strategy Board.
The Technology Strategy Board will work with those local enterprise partnerships that can demonstrably help the Technology Strategy Board extend its reach and engage with innovative businesses.
Work Experience: Social Security Benefits
Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on the extension of eligibility for jobseeker benefits to graduates on unpaid work placements. [29845]
Mr Willetts: I met the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, my right hon. Friend the Member for Chingford and Woodford Green (Mr Duncan Smith), on 23 September when we discussed a range of cross-cutting issues, including graduate unemployment.
As part of the coalition Government's Get Britain Working programme, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is amending jobseeker's allowance (JSA) regulations to allow claimants to participate in work experience for up to eight weeks. This will be available to 18 to 21-year-olds from January 2011 and in April DWP will consider initial take up of this option with a view to extending to all JSA customers from June 2011.
Cabinet Office
British Overseas Territories
Mrs Moon: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what duties there are on the Government to carry out impact assessments of legislation on British Overseas Territories; and if he will make a statement. [29951]
Mr Bellingham: I have been asked to reply.
Where the Government are legislating for one or more Overseas Territory by UK primary legislation or by Order in Council, the same rules relating to impact assessments apply as apply when the Government are legislating for the United Kingdom. However, as legislation applicable in the Overseas Territories rarely, if ever, has any effect on the UK public, private or voluntary sector, an impact assessment is not usually required to be prepared for such legislation. Where an Overseas Territory legislature passes legislation for that territory, there is no requirement for the Government to carry out an impact assessment.
Charities
Richard Fuller: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will bring forward proposals to repeal the requirement for charities to provide a public notice for street collections as required by the Police, Factories etc (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1916 as amended by section 251 and section 29 of the Local Government Act 1972. [29783]
Mr Hurd: There will be a review of charity legislation next year, which will include looking at the way charity collections are regulated with a view to making it easier for charities whilst protecting public confidence and deterring bogus collections and nuisance. This review will look at the red tape which we're keen to remove in order to enable charities to get on with their vital work without bureaucratic, time-consuming and unnecessary interference.
Third Sector: Finance
Alex Cunningham: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will extend the duration of his Department's transition fund for charities, groups and social enterprises. [28415]
Mr Hurd: The transition fund is a short-term fund intended to provide charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises with the breathing space they need to adjust to the new spending environment. It is a chance to review the ways they are working and prepare for a future where there will be more opportunities to engage with public service. The transition fund application window is from 30 November 2010 to 21 January 2011 and grants must be spent by 31 March 2012. We have no plans to extend the duration of the fund.
Third Sector: Local Government
Mr Offord: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether his Department plans to provide guidance to local authorities on the potential of working with (a) charities, (b) voluntary groups and (c) social enterprises to reduce the adverse effects of the outcome of the Comprehensive Spending Review on the provision of local authority services. [30361]
Mr Hurd: Guidance to local authorities is a matter for the Department for Communities and Local Government.
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, or their representative organisations, 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.
The Cabinet Office works to support charities, voluntary groups and social enterprises engage with government at all levels, and to help them participate in building the Big Society. To this end, Cabinet Office has published 'Better Together', a series of case studies in conjunction
with NAVCA, accompanied by analysis of the exposure of the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector to reductions in local expenditure.
Communities and Local Government
Cala Homes
Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether he has taken external legal advice in respect of the cases which Cala Homes have brought against him. [30332]
Greg Clark: I refer the hon. Member to my answer to her on 29 November, Official Report, column 474W.
The legal action has necessarily required expenditure on legal services on the Cala Homes cases and the many legal cases that the Government have inherited from the last Administration.
Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department has spent to date on (a) legal advice, (b) court costs and (c) other related costs regarding the judicial review sought by Cala Homes. [30532]
Greg Clark: The issue of costs is currently before the Court.
Community Development: Business
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he expects to announce his plans for the future of the Local Enterprise Growth Initiative. [30760]
Robert Neill: The spending review announced that the Local Enterprise Growth Initiative would end in March 2011. Given the overriding need to reduce the deficit we could not extend the fund. We are providing local authorities with new powers, tools and incentives to drive forward regeneration and local growth as outlined in the Government's Local Growth White Paper.
I would note that the March 2010 Budget announced plans for cuts to the Local Enterprise Growth Initiative.
Council Tax
Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans he has to allocate funding to local authorities for the purpose of a council tax freeze; and how much of the equivalent of a 2.5 per cent. increase in council tax he plans to allocate to local authorities for that purpose in each year of the spending review period. [30634]
Robert Neill:
The Government announced in the spending review that it is making an extra £650 million available to deliver on its promise to help local authorities, including police and fire authorities, deliver a council tax freeze in England in 2011-12. The spending review also commits to providing authorities with additional funding in future years to 'lock in' the benefits of the freeze. Full details of the scheme were set out in a
written ministerial statement by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on 21 October, Official Report, column 58-59WS.
Departmental Billing
Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many invoices his Department processed in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [30746]
Robert Neill: The number of invoices processed by DCLG in the last 12 months for which figures are available (December 2009 to November 2010) is 42,158.
I would also direct my hon. Friend to the Department's website which published our spending over £500 from 2008-09 onwards.
Departmental Legal Opinion
Mr Raynsford: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department has spent on external legal advice since 12 May 2010. [30561]
Robert Neill: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for West Bromwich East (Mr Watson), on 22 November 2010, Official Report, column 52W.
According to departmental records in the month of November £430,804 was spent on external legal services giving a total for the period between 12 May and 30 November 2010 of £1,485,166. As I indicated in the previous answer, this compares to a comparable spend of £4.8 million in 2009-10, and the new Government inherited significant ongoing legal issues from the last administration.
East London Mosque
Brandon Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much funding from the public purse his Department and its agencies provided to the East London Mosque and its associated bodies in (a) 2007-08, (b) 2008-09 and (c) 2009-10; and for what purpose the funding was provided in each case. [29385]
Andrew Stunell: Development support to the value of £3,600 was given to the East London Mosque Trust Ltd in 2009-10 from the Department for Communities and Local Government's Communitybuilders Programme. This was used to review the financial management, business model, organisational development and social return of their multi-purpose community hub. This programme is administered by the national partner, the Adventure Capital Fund.
DCLG also provided the East London Mosque and London Muslim Centre with £47,000 through the Faith Communities Capacity building Fund between January 2006 and March 2007. This funding helped the East London Mosque and London Muslim Centre improve its internal processes, enabling it to become more efficient, transparent and accountable.
Electrical Safety
Nicky Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will take steps to (a) encourage installation of residual current devices in domestic properties and (b) promote the contribution to safety of such devices. [30442]
Andrew Stunell: The Department recognises the benefits that residual current devices can provide in preventing electrocutions and electrical fires. Whenever electrical installation work is carried out in new and existing dwellings, Part P of the Building Regulations (Electrical safety in dwellings) already calls for residual current devices to be fitted in accordance with the rules in British Standard BS 7671, 'Requirements for electrical installations', or an equivalent standard. All electricians registered with Building Regulations Competent Person Schemes must comply with BS 7671.
The Department has started a review of the Building Regulations which began by identifying the changes that will ensure the regulations, including Part P, are proportionate and remain fit-for-purpose. We will be making a statement shortly on plans to consult fully on a set of detailed proposals for implementation in 2013.
The Department's Fire Kills campaign works in partnership with the Electrical Safety Council to promote key electrical fire safety messages. As part of this year's media and awareness activity, the Fire Kills campaign will be arranging and co-ordinating the inaugural Electrical Fire Safety Week, which will run from 24 to 30 January. A key element of the week will be to promote the potential life safety benefits of residual current devices to householders.
Empty Property: Demolition
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) how many empty or unfit properties were demolished with funding from his Department in each year between 1997-98 and 2009-10; [30778]
(2) what funding his Department has provided for demolition of empty or unfit properties in each year between 1997-98 and 2009-10. [30779]
Grant Shapps: This information is not collected in the form requested.
First Time Buyers: Mortgages
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many first-time buyers purchased a home with a mortgage in each month from January to December 2010. [30665]
Andrew Stunell: According to data from the Council of Mortgage Lenders, on average, 16,750 mortgages were advanced to first time buyers each month between January and October 2010. Figures for November and December 2010 are not currently available. The total number of mortgages taken out in 2010 by first time buyers (FTBs) is expected to be close to the 2009 total of 199,000.
Greater London Authority: Finance
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he expects to announce his plans for the future of the GLA (a) Capital and (b) Revenue Grant. [30769]
Robert Neill: Following the Local Government Finance Settlement announced on 13 December, the Secretary of State is now consulting the Mayor of London on a determination figure for the General GLA Grant of £54.969 million in 2011-12. This figure includes £9.5 million revenue funding for the London Waste and Recycling Board from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which will be incorporated in the grant.
Green Belt
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many housing developments were permitted on green belt land in (a) 2006-07, (b) 2007-08, (c) 2008-09 and (d) 2009-10; and how many hectares of green belt land were affected by such developments in each such year. [30696]
Robert Neill: Information is not held centrally on the number of housing developments permitted on the green belt. The regional spatial strategies published by the last Government also put the Green Belt at risk in over 30 towns and areas across England.
The Department's Land Use Change Statistics provide estimates for England of the proportion of new dwellings built within the green belt and the associated area of land developed.
The following table shows the estimates for dwellings and areas of land for each calendar year from 2006 to 2009.
| Permanent dwellings completed within designated green belt, England | ||
| New dwellings built within the green belt (percentage) | Land changing to residential use within green belt (hectares) | |
| (1) Provisional Source: Land Use Change Statistics | ||
Estimates for land area changing to residential use within green belt are available only up to 2006.
Homelessness: Rochdale
Simon Danczuk: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) what estimate he has made of the (a) short-term and (b) long-term effects on levels of homelessness in Rochdale of his Department's spending reductions; [30419]
(2) what assessment he has made of the effects on the incidence of antisocial behaviour in Rochdale of his Department's spending plans for homelessness services. [30420]
Grant Shapps: This Government are committed to preventing homelessness, and to tackling antisocial behaviour in all its forms.
We have protected Homelessness Grant funding, with £400 million over the spending review period. This will be made available to local authorities and the voluntary sector to support their work to tackle homelessness. We have made an additional £190 million available for discretionary housing payments and other forms of practical support alongside the Government's package of welfare reform measures. We have also minimised reductions to the Supporting People programme with £6.5 billion investment secured over the next four years.
Detailed allocations for local authorities were published on 13 December as part of the provisional local government settlement. It will be for local authorities to determine their spending priorities taking account of local circumstances. The Department for Communities and Local Government has not produced any estimates of the potential impacts of these decisions in Rochdale.
I also refer the hon. Member to my letter of 20 October 2010 on the spending review's settlement for housing, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.
I am committed to looking again at how we can make it easier for both landlords and tenants to tackle antisocial behaviour more effectively and ensure that we get the correct balance between the rights of someone faced with losing their home and victims of unacceptable behaviour.
Housing: Construction
Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of the New Homes Bonus will be retained by district authorities in two-tier areas. [30457]
Grant Shapps: We are currently consulting on our proposals to implement the New Homes Bonus. Under the proposals district authorities in two tier areas will receive 80% of the bonus, with 20% going to the county. The intention is to provide a powerful fiscal incentive that will ensure that those areas which go for housing growth receive the economic benefits of growth.
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate his Department has made of the number of proposed (a) housing developments and (b) domestic dwellings with planning permission which have been cancelled since 6 May 2010. [30695]
Robert Neill: The Department has not made any estimates of the number of proposed housing developments or domestic dwellings with planning permission which have been cancelled since 6 May 2010. Once granted, planning permission is a given unless the time limits for its implementation expire; it is possible for permission to be revoked in certain circumstances, but this is exceptionally rare, and is not something that the Department maintains statistics on.
Housing: Repairs and Maintenance
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many private dwellings received Government grants towards improving their (a) condition and (b) thermal properties between 1997-98 and 2009-10. [30781]
Grant Shapps: This information is not collected in the form requested.
Housing: Standards
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 5 July 2010, Official Report, column 90W, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness in raising standards of housing of legislation passed in the period between 1997 and 2010; and what steps he has taken to improve housing standards and protect the rights of tenants. [29282]
Andrew Stunell: This Government are satisfied that the current legislation achieves the right balance between the rights and obligations of landlords and tenants. The previous Administration had extensive plans for the further regulation of private sector landlords, including a proposal to introduce a national register for landlords. The Government have no plans to implement those proposals as imposing new regulatory requirements on private landlords would be likely to lead to a reduction in the numbers of properties to rent, which would not help tenants or landlords. Of course, local authorities already have access to a comprehensive package of powers to deal with houses in multiple occupation and tackle the minority of rogue landlords that provide a poor service to tenants.
The new Government have also made it easier for landlords letting larger properties by removing the blanket requirement introduced by the previous Administration for planning permission to change use from a family house to a small house in multiple occupation. Such changes of use can now take place freely without the need for planning applications unless there are local concerns about such development. In such cases, local planning authorities can use existing powers to remove this freedom of movement and require planning applications for such changes of use should they consider this appropriate for their areas.
The Government do, however, believe that more can be done to raise the energy efficiency of the existing stock and recently announced measures through the Green Deal which will help raise housing standards in this respect. Further information with regard to this announcement can be viewed on the Department for Climate Change website.
Local Enterprise Partnerships
Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government from which local authorities he has received expressions of concern regarding the distribution and composition of local enterprise partnerships; and if he will make a statement. [30530]
Robert Neill:
We received sixty two proposals for local enterprise partnerships. We have asked twenty seven local enterprise partnerships to proceed towards the establishment of their board. Together, these partnerships cover about 67% of England's population. Separately, the department is also in communication with those partnerships that were not asked to proceed with their proposal. We will continue to work with them as they seek to further develop their proposals and will
endeavour to address any issues of concern which are raised. We will welcome revised proposals from such places as they become ready.
Local Government Finance
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will estimate the likely change in numbers of (a) personal injuries and (b) personal injury claims attributable to reductions in local authority budgets for (i) road and pavement maintenance and (ii) building repairs over the spending review period. [30217]
Robert Neill: Local authorities are independent bodies who are directly accountable to their electorates. It is for them to decide how to spend their budgets, taking account of their responsibilities and duties. This Government have given them more freedom to do so, by ending ring-fencing of all revenue grants from 2011-12, except simplified school grants, and a new Public Health Grant from 2013. We have also significantly streamlined grant funding, by rolling around £4 billion of grants in 2010-11 into the unhypothecated formula grant and reducing grants for local government from over 90 to fewer than 10.
No assessment has been made about the effect on road accidents that may result from changes to funding related to local transport including for road maintenance The Government continues to provide substantial funding for local transport, including for road safety.
Local Government: Cooperation
Harriett Baldwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether he plans to relax the requirements for councils to report separately on trading standards, licensing and environmental health issues in respect of councils operating shared services. [29555]
Robert Neill: The Government have removed the top down local performance framework, and we are working with local government to develop a single comprehensive list of all data returns required by central Government Departments, arms length bodies and national regulators. The list will highlight areas where there may be possibilities for further rationalisation of reporting requirements.
The Department of Communities and Local Government is working with other Government Departments and the Local Better Regulation Organisation to review, reduce and rationalise the data requests from central Government and national regulators to local government. The requirement to report on environmental health issues and trading standards licensing will be included in these reviews.
The Government are also working with the Local Government Group on its Place Based Productivity programme. This programme is exploring, amongst other things, a wide range of potential shared service models, identifying the conditions for success as well as the barriers to the expansion of shared services. Further details can be found on the Local Government Group website:
Local Government: Information Officers
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will estimate the number of press officers employed by local authorities in areas where two tiers of local government operate. [30424]
Robert Neill: It is for each council to decide the composition of its workforce, and we have no plans to make such estimates. However, as outlined in my Department's press notice of 4 June 2010, we want to see greater transparency on job descriptions and job vacancies in local government.
Mayors: Referendums
Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) what estimate he has made of the cost in respect of each constituency of holding a mayoral referendum on a day other than an election day; [30636]
(2) whether he plans to apply a minimum turnout percentage for the result of a mayoral referendum to be valid. [30640]
Robert Neill: My Department estimates that the cost to each local authority of holding a mayoral referendum on a day other than an election day would be around £1.50 per local government elector in the authority's area. As outlined in the Department's business plan, we intend to hold mayoral referendums in England's 12 largest cities in May 2012.
We have no plans to introduce a minimum turnout percentage for the result of such a referendum to be upheld.
Planning
Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when Ministers in his Department last met representatives of Planning Aid. [30314]
Greg Clark [holding answer 14 December 2010]: Ministers and officials regularly meet members and officers of the Royal Town Planning Institute, which Planning Aid is a part of, and will be having further meetings shortly.
Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) when he expects to announce the funding arrangements to support implementation of his proposals on neighbourhood planning; [30415]
(2) if he will provide funding to local authority planning departments to ensure they have sufficient staff with the appropriate range of skills to manage implementation and administration of the Government's proposals on neighbourhood planning. [30529]
Greg Clark:
Funding for local authorities on Neighbourhood Planning is subject to the final outcome of the spending review process. I expect to make further announcements in due course. We have however announced
details of funding for neighbourhood planning vanguards, and I am placing the associated departmental web page in the Library of the House.
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether local authorities will be entitled to assist with (a) consultations and (b) other preparations for the formulation of neighbourhood plans. [30692]
Greg Clark: The local planning authority will be entitled to assist bodies preparing neighbourhood plans.
Local authorities will also, where appropriate, arrange for the independent examination and referendum in relation to proposed plans and orders.
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) with what powers he proposes to enable local communities to determine applications for new wind farms; [30772]
(2) what powers he proposes to give to communities to determine permission for the construction of new roads through a neighbourhood; [30783]
(3) what powers he plans to grant to communities to determine permission for operation of incinerators. [30786]
Greg Clark: The Localism Bill provides for decisions to be taken as closely as possible to the people they affect and will deliver a radical transfer of power to local communities and their councils. Our proposals for neighbourhood planning will enable local communities to permit developments without the need for planning applications subject to a limited number of conditions and exceptions. These are set out respectively in Schedules 4B and 9 of the Localism Bill. The effect of these is that neighbourhood planning will not be able to permit certain developments, including wind farms with a generating capacity more than 50 megawatts, nationally significant highways within the meaning of the Planning Act 2008 and incinerators.
Planning: Referendums
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether his proposals for referendums on neighbourhood planning will provide for postal and proxy voting. [30785]
Greg Clark: The detail of the process for undertaking a referendum for the purposes of neighbourhood planning will be set out in regulations, following the passage of the Localism Bill. We will consider the issues of postal and proxy voting in drawing up those regulations.
Religious Buildings: Planning Permission
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what powers he plans to grant communities to determine permission for the construction or extension of a place of worship in a neighbourhood. [30784]
Greg Clark:
The neighbourhood planning system being introduced by the Localism Bill will give communities the ability to produce neighbourhood development plans
and neighbourhood development orders. Plans will set out policies for the development and use of land in a specified neighbourhood area and orders will grant planning permission for certain types or classes of development in that neighbourhood area.
The basic conditions that draft plans and orders must meet will be that they are appropriate having regard to national policy, are in general conformity with the local authority's strategic policies in the development plan (excluding neighbourhood plans), and are compatible with EU obligations and human rights requirements.
Where no orders exist, an application for planning permission can be made to the local planning authority to be determined in the conventional manner.
Right to Buy Scheme
Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what his Department's policy is on the right of council tenants to buy their homes. [30321]
Andrew Stunell: The Government support the Right to Buy scheme, which has helped nearly two million council tenants to realise their aspiration to own their homes, and are committed to helping social tenants and other first time buyers to own or part-own their home.
Social Rented Housing: Empty Property
Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the number of under-occupied properties of each type in the social rented sector; and how many families under-occupying properties in that sector are resident in properties on the fifth floor or above of tower blocks. [30014]
Andrew Stunell: There were an estimated 400,000 under-occupied houses and 20,000 under-occupied flats in the social rented sector in 2008, as measured by the bedroom standard. These estimates are based on data from the 2008 English Housing Survey.
The number of families under-occupying properties on the fifth floor or above of tower blocks is not available due to the very small number of such cases in the survey samples. It is estimated that less than 1% of the total number of under-occupying social rented sector households live in such accommodation.
Supporting People Programme
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment his Department has made of the effects of reductions in the Supporting People programme budget. [29744]
Andrew Stunell:
The spending review has secured £6.5 billion of funding for Supporting People over the next four years, as part of our commitment to protect services for vulnerable people. As part of the spending review an equality impact assessment on supporting people has now been published. However, all decisions and the impact of them on services to be provided with the funding available is a matter for the local authority.
In making changes local authorities must ensure they comply with any legal requirements including carrying out equality impact assessments.
Voluntary Organisations: Finance
Simon Danczuk: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent discussions he has had with local authorities on their likely level of funding for (a) the voluntary sector and (b) implementation of the Big Society policy in 2011-12. [30421]
Greg Clark: I refer the hon. Member to my speech to the SOLACE conference of 14 October 2010. I have placed a copy of the associated departmental press notice in the Library of the House. Ministers have had, and will have, a series of discussions with local councils on the Local Government Funding Settlement.
Defence
Departmental Manpower
Naomi Long: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many of his Department's staff based in (a) the UK and (b) Northern Ireland were in the civil service redeployment pool on the latest date for which figures are available; [30324]
(2) how many of his Department's staff based in (a) the UK and (b) Northern Ireland have been redeployed from the civil service redeployment pool in the last month; [30326]
(3) how many of his Department's staff based in (a) the UK and (b) Northern Ireland who were in the civil service redeployment pool on the latest date for which figures are available had been in that pool for more than six months. [30327]
Mr Robathan: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) manages its surplus staff by using the redeployment pool (RDP). This service enables those who are or who will become surplus to be given priority consideration for vacancies. Staff in the RDP usually continue working in their last directorate or are redeployed to cover short-term tasks. On average, staff spend six months in the RDP before finding a post or leaving the Department. The RDP is also used by staff returning from overseas postings, including civilians supporting the armed forces in operational theatres. The MOD is currently subject to a freeze on external recruitment and the RDP helps us to fill vacancies from within existing staff resources.
Data on the RDP is collected on a quarterly basis, the latest available data is as at 1 October 2010 and shows that on that date the numbers of staff in the RDP were:
| Government office region | October 2010 headcount |
| Source: DASA (Quad-Service) | |
As at 1 October 2010, the numbers of civil servants who had been in the RDP for more than six months were:
| Government office region | October 2010 headcount |
| Source: DASA (Quad-Service) | |
The following table shows the number of staff who left the RDP in the month prior to October 2010 broken down into Northern Ireland and remaining areas of the UK and whether they exited the RDP to another post within the MOD, or left the MOD as a whole.
| Government office region | October 2010 headcount |
| (1 )Less than 5. Notes: 1. Totals exclude 10 personnel based in overseas posts or whose location is unknown. 2. Totals have been individually rounded to the nearest 5, and may not sum precisely to overall totals. 3. Data are based on redeployment pool strengths as taken from the MOD human resources management system (HRMS) on the first working day of the month. Source: DASA (Quad: Service) | |
Departmental Public Expenditure
Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence by what means he plans to meet the proposed £4.3 billion target for non-frontline savings announced in the strategic defence and security review; and if he will make a statement. [30604]
Dr Fox: The strategic defence and security review identified new non-front line savings of at least £4.3 billion over the spending review period, to remedy the financial position inherited from the previous Government. The key areas are:
reductions in the civilian work force and non-front line service personnel
rationalisation of the Defence Estate including the sale of surplus land and buildings and associated running cost reductions and running cost savings across the estate of up to £350 million per year including a revised approach to the way in which we manage and deliver infrastructure services across the estate
sales of assets such as the Defence Support Group and the Marchwood Sea Mounting Centre and the Defence stake in the telecommunications spectrum should generate in excess of £500 million over the spending review period
efficiencies and improvements in military training including the increased use of simulators for air-crew and Army live firing
saving significant amounts from contract re-negotiations with Defence industry
cutting over £300 million per year by 2014-15 of service and civilian personnel allowances
reductions in our spend on commodities including substantial savings on food, energy and professional services
reductions in spend on media and communications.
Overall, this represents a 25% reduction in non-frontline organisations such as headquarters, support roles, and organisations such as Defence Equipment and Support saving at least £2 billion per year by 2014-15.
Final options and savings figures will depend on detailed implementation, which will generally be subject to full consultation with all relevant parties, including the trade unions and the devolved Administrations, as well as the results of mandatory assessments on the impact that the measures will have on sustainability, equality and diversity and health and safety. The Ministry of Defence is therefore not prepared to release more detailed information at this time.
EU Law
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many EU directives are pending transposition into domestic legislation by his Department; and what estimate he has made of the cost of each such transposition. [27498]
Mr Gerald Howarth: The Ministry of Defence has one EU directive pending transposition into domestic legislation, namely the Defence and Security Directive (2009/81/EC) which sets out new procurement rules for contracting authorities/entities which purchase military equipment, sensitive equipment, and related goods, works or services. It also provides rules where contracting authorities/entities purchase works and services for specifically military purposes or works or services for security purposes which involve, require or contain classified information. The purpose of the rules is to meet the concerns of member states about the sensitive nature of procurements in the defence and security sectors. Currently, all public sector procurements (civil and defence), unless they are exempt, are governed by the rules set out in the Public Procurement Directive (2004/18/EC) or the Utilities Directive (2004/17/EC). The standard rules in the 2004 directives do not always permit the acquisition of military or security capability as effectively as they could, or deal explicitly with key requirements for acquisition such as security of information.
The directive was agreed by the British Government when it was adopted by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union on 13 July 2009.
We estimate that the direct cost to the Department of transposing this directive has so far amounted to £325,000.
Iraq Committee of Inquiry
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what measures his Department has put in place to protect US interests during the Iraq inquiry. [29344]
Dr Fox:
The protocol agreed between Government and the Iraq inquiry regarding documents and other written and electronic information provides for certain
categories of sensitive information to be protected if release would cause harm or damage to the UK public interest. The protocol can be viewed on the Cabinet Office website at the following address:
A copy has been placed in the Library of the House.
There are no additional measures-and none specifically related to the United States-in place.
Military Bases
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which defence establishments had a complement of 1,000 or more service personnel on the latest date for which figures are available. [26363]
Mr Robathan [holding answer 25 November 2010]: Details of service personnel employed in each region of the UK are shown in the DASA publication TSP 10, a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House.
A breakdown of service personnel employed at individual establishments is not held centrally and could be provided at only disproportionate cost.
Navy
Sir Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he consulted NATO on the proposed closure of RAF bases as part of the Strategic Defence and Security Review. [29264]
Mr Gerald Howarth: The Ministry of Defence consulted NATO allies on a range of issues, but this did not include consultation on RAF basing options.
Trident
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish in full the Trident replacement value-for-money review. [29989]
Dr Fox [holding answer 13 December 2010]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 8 December 2010, Official Report, column 283W, to the hon. Members for Harwich and North Essex (Mr Jenkin), Islington North (Jeremy Corbyn) and Wells (Tessa Munt).
Deputy Prime Minister
Drugs
John Mann: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister on what dates he has attended meetings of Ministerial committees on drugs issues since his appointment. [30410]
The Deputy Prime Minister: I have regular meetings with the Home Secretary, Ministers, Cabinet and Cabinet Committees.
Kazakhstan
Mr Blunkett: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether he received representations on (a) asylum in or immigration to the UK and (b) UK residents from Kazakhstan from (i) politicians and (ii) officials on his recent visit to Kazakhstan; and if he will make a statement. [30888]
The Deputy Prime Minister: During my visit for the Astana OSCE summit on 1-2 December, no representations were made to me by Kazakhstani politicians or officials on either asylum in or immigration to the UK or UK residents from Kazakhstan.
School: Sports
John Mann: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister which schools sports partnerships he has visited in an official capacity since his appointment. [30411]
The Deputy Prime Minister: Since May 2010 I have visited four schools in England. However none of my visits have had school sports as their primary purpose.
West Lothian
Simon Kirby: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he plans to establish a commission to consider the West Lothian question; and if he will make a statement. [30358]
Mr Harper: We are continuing to give careful consideration to the timing, composition, scope and remit of the Commission. Its work will need to take account of our proposals to reform the House of Lords to create a wholly or mainly elected second chamber, the changes being made to the way this House does business and amendments to the devolution regimes, for example in the Scotland Bill presently before the House. We will make an announcement in the new year.
Education
Children: Communication Skills
Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will meet representatives of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists to discuss communication disorder in children; and if he will make a statement. [23618]
Sarah Teather: The Secretary of State has already met representatives of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists along with other organisations concerned with speech, language and communication needs. The Government's forthcoming Green Paper on special educational needs and disabilities will look at how support for children and young people, including those with speech, language and communication needs and their families, can be improved.
Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent estimate he has made of the number of children of each (a) age group and (b) sex in each local education authority area who have been diagnosed with a communication disorder; and if he will make a statement. [23619]
Sarah Teather: Information on the diagnosis of communication disorders is not available.
A table showing the number of pupils with statements of special educational needs, or at School Action Plus whose primary need has been identified as speech, language and communication needs has been placed in the House Libraries.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Biofuels
Neil Parish: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether her Department plans to take steps to encourage the recycling of (a) used cooking oil and (b) other waste streams into biodiesel. [27796]
Norman Baker: I have been asked to reply.
Used cooking oil (UCO) is already eligible to receive certificates under the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation, which sets annual targets for biofuel use in the UK. In addition the supply of UCO is currently encouraged by a 20p lower rate on fuel duty.
The European Renewable Energy Directive (RED) requires the UK to source 10% of transport energy from renewable sources by 2020.
We are currently working to amend the RTFO to fulfil the requirements of the RED and will be consulting on measures to implement the RED shortly. The RED provides support for biofuels made from waste, including UCO, by double counting the contribution they make towards national targets.
Dairy Farming
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assistance her Department provides for the promotion of sustainable dairy farms; and if she will make a statement. [29952]
Mr Paice: DEFRA is spending £3.7 billion over a seven year period through the Rural Development Programme for England. This supports farmers and foresters to deliver environmentally beneficial land management practices, to modernise, and to adapt to changing circumstances.
DEFRA has worked closely with The High Level Group for Dairy which was launched in October 2009 following significant market difficulties in Europe. The European Commission made legislative proposals which aim to prepare the sector for a more market oriented and sustainable future on 9 December 2010 following the High Level Group's recommendations.
I chair the Dairy Supply Chain Forum which brings together major industry figures to discuss and resolve common challenges. The Forum has led to the Milk Roadmap, the first stage of a comprehensive action plan to help the sector address its environmental impacts.
Electric Shock Collars
Naomi Long: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is on the introduction of a ban on the use of electric shock training devices for dogs. [29349]
Mr Paice: There are no current plans to ban the use of electronic training aids for animals. The Animal Welfare Act 2006 already makes it an offence to cause unnecessary suffering to any animal or to treat an animal in a way that fails to meet its welfare needs. It also provides additional powers to prohibit the use of any such equipment through secondary legislation if considered necessary.
However, we recognise the need for further research into this issue. DEFRA is currently carrying out a study into whether electronic training collars cause unnecessary suffering, and this will be completed next year.
Slaughterhouses
Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what (a) departmental circulars and (b) other documents her Department has published consequent on the provisions of legislation regulating slaughterhouses in each of the last 10 years; what assessment she has made of the adequacy of enforcement of such legislation; how many persons of each (i) age, (ii) sex and (iii) police force area have been (A) prosecuted and (B) convicted of an offence under the provisions of such legislation in each of the last three years for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement. [29837]
Mr Paice: Guidance on the welfare of poultry at slaughter was issued in December 2007 and DEFRA guidance on licensing and training of slaughtermen was last updated in May 2010.
Enforcement of welfare in slaughterhouses is the responsibility of the Food Standards Agency (FSA). The FSA conducted a survey of all approved slaughterhouses in May 2010 to establish whether food business operators are taking active steps to comply with legal requirements and achieve the necessary animal welfare standards. The survey also looked at whether Official Veterinarians and frontline teams are carrying out their roles effectively, with appropriate monitoring and relevant enforcement being taken in the event of food business operator non-compliance. This survey indicated standards of animal welfare met or exceeded legislative requirements in 94% of premises surveyed.
Details of prosecutions and convictions for offences under the Welfare of Animals (Slaughter or Killing) Regulations 1995 (as amended) are as follows:
| Case | Result | Sex | Age | Court area |
| (1) Company. | ||||
Transport
Aviation: Pilots
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will assess the merits of introducing equivalent security arrangements for airline pilots at airports to those in place for hon. Members on the parliamentary estate. [29689]
Mrs Villiers: Aviation security search measures apply equally to all (passengers, airport staff and aircrew including pilots) regardless of gender, race, age and occupation, with only a very limited number of exemptions, for example in respect of Heads of State. The more people we exempt from search, the greater the risk this creates.
We would be wary of creating a two tier screening system that may increase the likelihood of people becoming targets for coercion. Even professional pilots with the highest levels of integrity and honesty can find themselves the subject of coercion or blackmail from those who might seek to force them to carry prohibited items into a critical part of an airport.
All screening measures are kept under review. The Department for Transport has regular dialogue with industry partners, including representatives of airline pilots, to ensure that security measures are commensurate with the existing threat.
It is not appropriate for me to comment on the threat to or security procedures in place across the parliamentary estate.
Aviation: Security
Mr Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to introduce body scanners in the crew search channels at UK airports. [28615]
Mrs Villiers: The Department for Transport is currently considering responses to a public consultation on the 'Code of Practice for the Acceptable Use of Security Scanners' in the UK. A decision on the future use of security scanners will be made in due course.
Mr Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had on the introduction of a pilot scheme to increase the speed of the security clearance process at airports for UK airline pilots. [28617]
Mrs Villiers: The Department for Transport specifies the standards that must be met, and the methods that may be used by industry in respect of the screening of passengers and staff, including pilots. But the efficiency and speed at which people are processed through security screening is a matter for airport operators.
Gareth Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on revisions of EU security rules on the searching of religious headwear at airports; and if he will make a statement. [28640]
Mrs Villiers: My officials are in close contact with the Commission about this sensitive issue and are making progress towards a solution. They wrote to the Commission on 3 December 2010 requesting agreement to an 18 month trial at all UK airports for the screening, on entry to a Security Restricted Area, of the headwear of passengers and all other persons who are not readily able to remove it for religious, cultural or practical reasons, and for whom the touching of the headgear by hand is considered unacceptable.
Consultants
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how much his Department has spent on consultants since May 2010; [30802]
(2) what assessment he has made of the potential to reduce the costs of consultants to his Department. [30803]
Norman Baker: The Department introduced strict controls on consultancy and contractors in May 2010, including an approvals process for any proposed new or renewed contracts. These must be approved by the directors of HR and finance and estates. Final approval for contracts over £20,000 is required from the Secretary of State. The latest available figures for October 2010 show that the central Department has reduced year to date expenditure on consultants in 2010-11 by some £18 million or 46% when compared with the same period in the previous year.
The Department has spent £24,710,000 on consultants since the beginning of May 2010.
Cruise Liner Port: Liverpool
Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what recent representations his Department has received on cruise liner port facilities in Liverpool; [30036]
(2) what recent discussions his Department has had with (a) representatives of the European Commission, (b) European trade associations and (c) UK companies on cruise liner port facilities in Liverpool. [30037]
Mike Penning: The Department for Transport has not recently had any discussions with representatives of the European Commission or any European trade associations about cruise liner facilities in Liverpool.
However, I am considering a proposal recently received from Liverpool city c council requesting that the grant condition which allows only port of call use at the Liverpool Cruise terminal should be relaxed so that the facility is able to operate turnaround cruise.
I have also had correspondence on this topic from the right hon. Members for Blackburn (Mr Straw), Southampton Itchen (Mr Denham) and Eastleigh (Chris Huhne); from the hon. Members for Wirral West (Esther McVey) and St Helens North (Mr Watts); and from Jacqueline Foster MEP and Brian Simpson MEP. Questions have also been answered to the hon. Member for Liverpool Riverside (Mrs Ellman) on 3 November 2010, Official Report, column 801W, as well as questions from hon. Members for Liverpool Walton (Steve Rotheram) and Wirral South on 28 October 2010, Official Report, columns 455-56.
Dartford-Thurrock Crossing: Tolls
John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will ring-fence a proportion of the additional income attributable to increased tolls on the Dartford Crossing for future capital expenditure on the crossing. [27375]
Mike Penning [holding answer 29 November 2010]: Income from road user charges at the Dartford Crossing are already ring-fenced for investment in transport, including improvements to the crossing. We have no intention to further ring-fence such income.
We have made clear that investment at Dartford is an absolute priority, and increasing the charges as proposed, allows for future investment at the crossing, including the implementation of free-flow charging technology, and to help fund proposals for a new, additional crossing.
Departmental Contracts
Nicola Blackwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department plans to take to encourage and support small and medium-sized enterprises and third sector organisations to compete for departmental contracts, in line with value-for-money policy, UK regulations and EU procurement directives. [28107]
Norman Baker: The Department for Transport plans to comply fully with the range of measures being put in place across Government to make procurement easier for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This includes the introduction of a simpler standardised pre-qualification questionnaire and use of Contracts Finder to advertise opportunities from March 2011.
Departmental Equality
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brighton Pavilion of 22 November 2010, Official Report, column 21W, on departmental equality, (1) on what date he plans to publish the equality impact assessments referred to; [26885]
(2) for what reasons the publication of the equality impact assessments will take place after the publication of his proposals. [26956]
Mr Philip Hammond [holding answer 29 November 2010]: The spending review has set out the policies the Department intends to take forward. Equality impact assessments are being used where appropriate to inform the development of detailed measures and will be published when these detailed measures have been agreed.
Departmental Manpower
Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many fixed-term appointments his Department has made since May 2010. [30942]
Norman Baker: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 22 November 2010, Official Report, column 22W.
Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many staff have been employed in his Department in each month since April 2010. [30944]
Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many staff were employed by his Department in each month since April 2010. [30796]
Norman Baker: The central Department and its agencies identified the following number of staff employed by the Department in each month between May 2010 and 30 November 2010. The totals include both permanent and non-permanent employees and the figures represent full-time equivalents (FTEs).
| 2010 | Total number of staff |
Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the change in the number of staff in his Department was between (a) 1 May 2010 and (b) the latest date for which figures are available. [30797]
Norman Baker: The central Department and its agencies identified the following change in the number of staff between 1 May 2010 and 30 November 2010. This includes both permanent and non-permanent staff.
| Number | |
Departmental Public Expenditure
David Mowat: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his Department's capital expenditure per head was in (a) London and (b) the North West in each of the last five years. [28831]
Norman Baker: Details of the Department for Transport's regional expenditure is published by HM Treasury in its Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses which is available online at:
Those tables show the following levels of capital expenditure by the Department for Transport per head for London and the North West in each of the last five financial years.
These figures use residential population as the denominator for the calculation of expenditure per head. This means that they will not reflect the level of net non-resident in-commuters using the transport network, which in the 2001 census were estimated as 1.1 million people for London, and 0.2 million for the North West.
| £ per head | ||
| London | North West | |
These figures exclude grant to local authorities, as this information is collated separately the Department for Communities and Local Government, Department for Children, Schools and Families, Department for Work and Pensions and devolved Administrations.
The expenditure per head has been calculated using the latest ONS residential population estimates for the relevant year and region. The PESA analysis on the HM Treasury website was produced using an earlier set of population estimates and so the figures presented here will be slightly different.
Departmental Written Questions
Sir Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many and what proportion of questions tabled to the Secretary of State for written answer on a named day were answered substantively before or on the day named for answer (a) in Session 2009-10 and (b) since May 2010; how many such questions tabled between May 2010 and 12 November 2010 had not received a substantive answer by 18 November 2010; and what estimate he has made of the average cost to his Department of answering a question for written answer on a named day on the day named for answer in the latest period for which figures are available. [25971]
Norman Baker: The information requested is as follows:
(a) The Government have committed to providing the Procedure Committee with sessional statistics in a standard format on the time take to respond to written parliamentary questions for the 2009-10 Session. This information will be submitted to the Procedure Committee shortly.
(b) The Department for Transport received 317 questions for written answer on a named day between May 2010 and 15 November 2010 (this includes questions tabled up to the 12 November), of which 180 (56%) were answered on time. Of the remainder, nine had not received a substantive answer by 18 November 2010.
HM Treasury conducts an annual indexation exercise of the cost of written and oral parliamentary questions. The estimated costs that have applied from 20 January 2010 are:
Written questions: £154
Oral questions: £425
The Treasury, in making its assessment of the cost of answering questions, does not differentiate between the types of written questions.
Sir Paul Beresford:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many and what proportion of questions tabled to the Secretary of State for ordinary written answer (a) in Session 2009-10 and (b) since May 2010 were answered within (i) seven days and (ii) 14 days of tabling; how many such questions tabled between May 2010 and 12 November 2010 remained unanswered by 18 November 2010; and what estimate he has made of
the average cost to his Department of answering a question for ordinary written answer within seven days of tabling in the latest period for which figures are available. [25972]
Norman Baker: The information requested is as follows:
(a) The Government has committed to providing the Procedure Committee with sessional statistics in a standard format on the time take to respond to written parliamentary questions for the 2009-10 Session. This information will be submitted to the Procedure Committee shortly.
(b) Between May 2010 and 15 November 2010 the Department for Transport received 1,035 ordinary written PQs (this includes questions tabled up to the 12 November), of which 479 (46%) were answered within five sitting days. Of the remainder, 90 PQs remained unanswered by 18 November 2010. The Department does not routinely record whether PQs are answered within either seven or 14 days and this information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
HM Treasury conducts an annual indexation exercise of the cost of written and oral parliamentary questions. The estimated costs that have applied from 20 January 2010 are:
Written questions: £154
Oral questions: £425
The Treasury, in making its assessment of the cost of answering questions, does not differentiate between the types of written questions.
Employment: Finance
Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the total cost of employment of staff in his Department was in 2009-10; and what estimate has been made of such costs in each year from 2010-11 to 2014-15. [30798]
Norman Baker: The 2009-10 wages and salaries figure for the Department for Transport, which was published in the departmental resource accounts, was £546,266,100.
Following the spending review settlement for the Department for Transport, detailed work force plans and pay bill allocations, on which such estimates for costs in each year from 2010-11 to 2014-15 would be based, are being developed and finalised. We are therefore currently unable to provide estimates of these costs.
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