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12 Jan 2011 : Column 364W—continued
| Scheduled staffing night 1 January 2011 | ||||
| Prison | SO | Officer | OSG | Total |
| Actual staffing night 30 December 2010 | ||||
| Prison | SO | Officer | OSG | TOTAL |
| Table 5: Actual staffing on 31 December 2010 | ||||||||||||
| Actual staffing daytime 31 December 2010 | ||||||||||||
| SO | Officer | OSG | Total | |||||||||
| Prison | AM | PM | ED | AM | PM | ED | AM | PM | ED | AM | PM | ED |
| Actual staffing night 31 December 2010 | ||||
| Prison | SO | Officer | OSG | Total |
| Table 6: Actual staffing on 1 January 2011 | ||||||||||||
| Actual staffing daytime 1 January 2011 | ||||||||||||
| SO | Officer | OSG | Total | |||||||||
| Prison | AM | PM | ED | AM | PM | ED | AM | PM | ED | AM | PM | ED |
| Actual staffing night 1 January 2001 | ||||
| Prison | SO | Officer | OSG | Total |
Reofffenders: Young Offenders
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many young offenders in custody in England and Wales are repeat offenders. [32938]
Mr Blunt: 1,473 of the 1,569 young offenders (ages 15-17) serving an immediate custodial sentence in prison establishments at 30 June 2009 had at least one previous caution or conviction. These figures are taken from table 7.31 in "Offender Management Caseload Statistics 2009" which was published on 22 July 2010.
These criminal history figures have been drawn from the police's administrative IT system, the police national computer, which, as with any large scale recording system, is subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
Tribunals Service: Waiting Lists
Mrs McGuire: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) what the average waiting time was for benefit appeals at the Tribunal Service in (a) Great Britain and (b) Scotland in (i) 2008, (ii) 2009 and (iii) 2010; [32446]
(2) what the (a) shortest and (b) longest time period was for which an appellant had to wait for a Tribunal Service hearing for a benefit appeal in Scotland in 2010. [32447]
Mr Djanogly: The average waiting time for benefit appeals in the Tribunals Service in (a) Great Britain and (b) Scotland in (i) 2008, (ii) 2009 and (iii) 2010 is shown in the following table.
| Average clearance times (weeks) | ||
| Year( 1) | National | Scotland |
| (1) Information is presented for each calendar year from January to December. Information for 2010 is given for January to June 2010. Notes: 1. The table provides average waiting times from the First-Tier Tribunal-Social Security and Child Support receiving the appeal to disposal of that appeal. 2. An appeal may be disposed of without being heard, or be heard on more than one day, for example a hearing may be adjourned for further evidence to be gathered. 3. Information is not provided for Northern Ireland. | ||
The First-Tier Tribunal-Social Security and Child Support does not hold information on the single shortest and longest period an appellant waited for a benefit appeal hearing. The information can be provided only at disproportionate cost by manually checking each individual case file. However, during the period January to June 2010, there were 24,600 appeals disposed of in Scotland. Of these, 10% were disposed of within four weeks and 0.2% were aged 52 weeks or more, when disposed of. An appeal may be disposed of without being heard, or be heard on more than one day, for example a hearing may be adjourned for further evidence to be gathered.
Mrs McGuire: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what arrangements are in place to take into account the financial circumstances of those waiting for a Tribunal Service hearing for a benefit appeal; and if he will make a statement. [32448]
Mr Djanogly: The Tribunals Service does not hold details on the financial circumstances of those appellants who are making an appeal. Nevertheless, where notified that an appellant is suffering from extreme hardship the Tribunals Service will, as a matter of urgency, take steps to arrange a hearing as soon as possible.
Business, Innovation and Skills
Cosmetics: Animal Experiments
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) if he will take steps to ensure that the 2013 target date for banning the sale of cosmetics containing ingredients tested on animals in the EU is met; and if he will make a statement; [33099]
(2) what information his Department has collected on the level of public support for a ban on the sale of cosmetics containing ingredients tested on animals; and if he will make a statement. [33103]
Mr Davey: Under the European Cosmetics Directive there is already a ban on the sale of products tested or containing ingredients tested on animals for cosmetic purposes since March 2009, with the exception that tests for repeat toxicity, reproductive toxicity and toxicokinetics are not yet covered as no alternatives are in place. The marketing ban will be extended to cover those tests in March 2013. The Department has not surveyed public views on the subject of animal testing in relation to cosmetics, although it carries out an annual survey on public attitudes to animal testing generally.
Degrees
Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many university students received third class honours degrees in (a) 1980, (b) 1990, (c) 2000, (d) 2005 and (e) 2010. [32568]
Mr Willetts: The latest available information from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) is shown in the following table. Figures covering qualifiers by classification prior to 1994/95 are not available, and figures for 2009/10 will be available mid-January 2011. More detailed information on degree classification can be found in the following publication by HESA:
| First degree qualifiers by classification, UK higher education institutions | |
| Academic years 1994/95, 2000/01, 2005/06 and 2008/09 | |
| Academic year | Third class honours/pass( 1) |
| (1) Following publication conventions of HESA, third class, fourth class and pass categories have been aggregated. Note: Figures are based on a qualifications obtained population and have been rounded to the nearest five. Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) | |
Export Credit Guarantees: Human Rights
Lisa Nandy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what due diligence criteria the Export Credits Guarantee Department uses to ensure
that no companies undertaking projects supported by the Department engage in activities which risk abusing (a) human rights and (b) the environment. [32527]
Mr Davey: It is ECGD's policy to comply with international agreements that apply to the operations of export credit agencies. ECGD considers the environmental impacts, including social and human rights impacts, of projects in accordance with the OECD Recommendation on Common Approaches on the Environment and Officially Supported Export Credits. This agreement requires projects to be benchmarked against relevant international standards, principally those of the World Bank Group, to determine the acceptability of any environmental, social and human rights impacts.
Free School Meals
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many students at each university in England were previously in receipt of free school meals in the latest year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [32600]
Mr Willetts: The information requested is shown in the table. These figures relate to pupils who were in receipt of free school meals (FSM). It is known that not all pupils who are eligible for FSM claim them. Such pupils would be excluded from the figures shown. These figures have been estimated using matched data from the National Pupil Database and the Higher Education Statistics Agency Student Record. These rounded estimates allow for a small margin of error that arises as result of the matching procedure deployed.
Hargreaves Review of Intellectual Property and Growth
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) how many people were interviewed for posts as advisers for the Hargreaves Review of Intellectual Property and Growth; [32609]
(2) if he will place in the Library a copy of the brief given to the individual responsible for interviewing candidates for posts on the advisory team of experts for the Hargreaves Review on Intellectual Property and Growth. [32610]
Mr Davey: No candidates were interviewed for posts as advisers to the independent Review of Intellectual Property and Growth. The members of the independent panel which will advise Professor Ian Hargreaves were selected in order to equip the review with a range of relevant expertise, including in business, innovation, economics and aspects of intellectual property.
Higher Education: Sunderland
Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many students from Sunderland local authority area entered each higher education institution in each academic year between 1997-98 and 2008-09. [32383]
Mr Willetts: The latest available information on the number of entrants from Sunderland local authority to higher education courses at UK higher education institutions will be placed in the Libraries of the House. Figures for the 2009/10 academic year will be available in January 2011. Comparable local authority level information for entrants to higher education courses at further education institutions is not available.
Members: Correspondence
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he plans to respond to the letter from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton of 8 November 2010 concerning Ms E Massey. [32491]
Mr Davey: I responded to this letter on 4 January 2011.
Mr MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he plans to respond to the letter of 13 April 2010 from the Member of the Scottish Parliament for Livingston to the then Minister for Postal Affairs. [32887]
Mr Davey: I regret that we can find no record of a letter from the Member of the Scottish Parliament for Livingston to the then Minister for Postal Affairs, dated 13 April 2010.
If the Member of the Scottish Parliament for Livingston would write again, or provide a copy of the original letter, I will respond as soon as possible.
Post Bank: Public Finance
Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of creating a state-backed Post Bank. [32363]
Mr Davey: We have looked carefully at the different options for providing financial services through the post office network, including the case for creating a state-backed Post Office Bank.
The cost of setting up a Post Office Bank would have three main components. First, the need for Government to capitalise Post Office Ltd. (POL) to allow it to obtain a banking license and lend off of its own balance sheet. Second, exiting existing contractual arrangements relating to the provision of financial services through the post office network. Third, operational costs associated with setting up and running a new financial services unit within POL. The level of public funding required would depend on the remit and performance of a Post Office Bank.
We have concluded that the announced £1.34 billion of funding for POL over the spending review period will be better used maintaining and modernising the network to safeguard its future, ensuring that there will be no further programme of Post Office closures.
Refugees: Higher Education
Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) if he will take steps to ensure that refugee learners are included in his Department's proposals to widen participation in and ensure equal access to further and higher education; [32512]
(2) if he will put in place mechanisms to assist refugee students who meet a university's entry requirements but who are unable to pay tuition fees; [32513]
(3) if he will take steps to ensure that the equivalent and lower qualification policy for student support enables refugees who do not have evidence of their higher education certificates from overseas to fund their undergraduate study in England; [32514]
(4) if he will take steps to ensure that refugees accepted to a bachelor honours degree course as home students are not disadvantaged by the equivalent and lower qualification policy when applying for student support for tuition fee loans. [32515]
Mr Willetts: The Government supports widening participation and improving fair access in higher education. All those who have the ability should be able to benefit from higher education irrespective of family income. The Government will provide up-front financial support for any student who is eligible and who secures a place at university.
In England, home fee status and student support are available to refugees and their family members as long as they have been ordinarily resident in the UK and Islands since being recognised as a refugee. There are no plans to change this. The previous Government introduced the equivalent and lower qualification policy and it applies equally to refugees. This Government recognises it has attracted a good deal of criticism.
We are reviewing the whole higher education system and will be publishing a White Paper later this winter.
Royal Mail: Contracts
Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had on Royal Mail's plans for the future of its contracts for services with small and medium-sized enterprises; and if he will make a statement. [33070]
Mr Davey: Royal Mail's contracts with small and medium-sized enterprises are an operational matter for the company.
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.
Scholarships
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much he plans to allocate to the National Scholarship Programme in each year to 2014-15; and if he will make a statement. [32601]
Mr Willetts: The National Scholarship Programme will be introduced in 2012. In the financial year 2012-13, the Government will make available £50 million. This will rise to £100 million in 2013-14 and £150 million in 2014-15.
We want to draw on expertise from universities and others with a proven track record in widening access, as well as students themselves. So we are working with organisations such as the Office for Fair Access, the Higher Education Funding Council for England, the National Union of Students, Universities UK, the Sutton Trust and others. They are helping to design the best model and to ensure a fair deal for less well off students. The group has been invited to look at options and suggest ideas of their own.
For those universities charging above £6,000 per annum graduate contribution, participation in the National Scholarship Programme will be a requirement. These universities will be required to make a match funding contribution.
Student Loans Company
Laura Sandys: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has for the future of the Student Loans Company. [32409]
Mr Willetts: The forthcoming Higher Education White Paper, due to be published early in 2011, will set out any proposals affecting the Student Loans Company.
Student Numbers
Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) how many students were enrolled in universities in (a) 1980, (b) 1990, (c) 2000, (d) 2005 and (e) 2010, and how many students enrolled in universities did not complete their courses in (i) 1980, (ii) 1990, (iii) 2000, (iv) 2005 and (v) 2010; [32566]
(2) how many final year university students failed to attain a pass degree in (a) 1980, (b) 1990, (c) 2000, (d) 2005 and (e) 2010. [32567]
Mr Willetts: The latest available information from the Higher Education Statistics Agency's (HESA) 'Performance Indicators in Higher Education' on non-completion rates and numbers is shown in the table. Non-completion refers to the number or proportion of UK-domiciled full-time first degree starters who are projected to neither gain an award nor transfer to another UK higher education institution.
Non-completion rates were first published for the 1996/97 academic year, therefore earlier years are not available. Figures for the 2008/09 academic year will become available from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) in April 2011. More information on non-completion in higher education is available from HESA's Performance Indicators at the following link:
| Non-completion of UK domiciled full-time first degree starters(1): UK higher education institutions academic years 1996/97, 2000/01, 2005/06 and 2007/08 | |||
| Academic year | Total number of full-time first degree starters | Number projected to neither gain an award nor transfer | Percentage projected to neither gain an award nor transfer |
| (1) Refers to UK-domiciled full-time first degree students of all ages starting a first degree who were projected to neither gain an award nor transfer to another UK higher education institution. Note: Numbers are rounded to the nearest five and percentages are rounded to one decimal place. Source: HESA 'Performance Indicators in Higher Education'. | |||
Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many UK students enrolled in universities in (a) 1980, (b) 1990, (c) 2000, (d) 2005 and (e) 2010 were (i) educated in the state sector and (ii) recipients of free school meals when in full-time education. [32577]
Mr Willetts: Two sets of figures are given. These are not comparable as they use different data sources and underlying populations.
Figures relating to students from state schools, are shown in Table 1, and use data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) Student Record. These are published as part of HESA's "Performance Indicators in Higher Education" and cover the number and proportion of young (aged under 21) full-time first degree entrants who attended state schools or college. This data was first published for the 1997/98 academic year, so earlier figures are not available. Figures for the 2009/10 academic year will be published by HESA in April 2011. More information on HESA's Performance Indicators can be found at the following link:
| Table 1: Number and proportion of young( 1) full-time first degree entrants from state schools or colleges, UK higher education institutions | ||
| Academic years 1997/98, 2000/01, 2005/06 and 2008/09 | ||
| Academic year | Number from state schools or colleges | Percentage from state schools or colleges |
| (1) Covers entrants aged under 21. Note: Figures are rounded to the nearest five and percentages are rounded to one decimal place. Source: HESA "Performance Indicators in Higher Education" | ||
Figures relating to students who were previously in receipt of free school meals (FSM) and attended English maintained schools are shown in Table 2. These have been estimated using matched data from the National Pupil Database (NPD) and the HESA Student Record and cover students from English maintained schools who were in receipt of FSM aged 15 and progressed to Higher Education by the age of 19. It is known that not all pupils who are eligible for FSM claim them. Such pupils would be excluded from the figures in Table 2. These rounded estimates allow for a small margin of error that arises as result of the matching procedure deployed.
Currently only three years worth of NPD and HESA data have been matched, so figures prior to 2005/06 are not available.
Students: Finance
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the average amount of interest which will be paid on student loans taken out by students beginning their studies in (a) 2007-08, (b) 2008-09 and (c) 2009-10. [32405]
Mr Willetts: Students beginning their studies in 2007-08, 2008-09 and 2009-10 are all on the current repayment system which means their loans will not increase in real terms but will only go up in line with retail prices index (RPI). All students on the current repayment system make payments of 9% on their income above the threshold of £15,000. Any loan outstanding after 25 years is written off. Loans are also written off due to death or permanent disability.
The actual rate of interest for loans is therefore dependent on the future rate of RPI. But not all students fully repay their loans and overall the Government provide a subsidy which is estimated to be 28% of the total loan outlay.
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of graduates he estimates will not complete repayment of their student loan within 30 years following the implementation of his proposed reform of student finance; and if he will make a statement. [32580]
Mr Willetts: Under the proposed reforms of the student finance system, we estimate that between 50% and 60% of full-time students with loans will have some of their loan written off. The reasons for the loan being written off will include death, permanent disability and having an outstanding balance after 30 years.
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the resource accounting and budgeting charge in respect of the present system of students loans is for 2010-11; what estimate he has made of the likely charge under his proposals for the reform of student finance through (a) the extension of part-time fee loans and (b) the annual uprating of the earnings repayment threshold in each year of the Spending Review period; and if he will make a statement. [32581]
Mr Willetts: The resource accounting and budgeting (RAB) charge in respect of the present system of loans for 2010-11 is expected to be 28%.
Taking the extension of part-time fee loans and the annual uprating of the earnings repayment threshold in
conjunction with all the other changes being made to the student finance system, we estimate the RAB charge will be around 30% overall. However this will be dependent on the level of fees that higher education institutions end up charging.
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the likely effect of his proposals for reform of student finance, including (a) the extension of part-time fee loans and (b) the annual uprating of the earnings repayment threshold, on the prospects of the future sale of the student loan book; and if he will make a statement. [32582]
Mr Willetts: A range of potential options for monetising the loan book is being looked at; this work will take into account all relevant factors, including the Government's response to Lord Browne's report.
An update on the work undertaken will be set out in Budget 2011.
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of funded student places under fee caps of (a) £6,000, (b) £7,500 and (c) £9,000 in each year to 2015-16; and if he will make a statement. [32602]
Mr Willetts: We expect overall entrant and student numbers to remain broadly constant over the spending review period, but actual student numbers will depend on the response of students and universities to the new higher education funding package.
Students: Greater London
Mr Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what percentage of 19 to 24-year-olds in (a) Bexley, (b) London and (c) England were in full-time education in each of the last three years. [32459]
Mr Hayes: The following table sets out the number and percentage of people aged 19 to 24-years-old in Bexley, London and England who are in full-time education, in each year between 2007 and 2009. Full-time education is taken to mean attending school, a sandwich course, or full-time at university or college.
| Number and percentage of people aged 19 to 24 in full-time education, with associated 95% confidence intervals (percentage points) | |||
| 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | |
This information is from the Annual Population Survey, which covers the period January to December of each year, with 2009 being the most recent estimate available. The Annual Population Survey is the only available source of data with a sample large enough to provide local authority estimates of the number of young people up to the age of 24 who are in full-time education.
It is important to note that estimates for some local authorities are subject to large sampling variability and should therefore be treated with caution and viewed in conjunction with their confidence intervals, which indicate how accurate an estimate is. For example, a confidence interval of +/- 11 percentage points (pp) means that the true value is between 11pp above the estimate and 11pp below the estimate.
Trade: India
David Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what his policy is on the inclusion of data exclusivity clauses in the proposed EU-India free trade area agreement; and what assessment he has made of the effect of such clauses on the production of generic medicines for use by developing and middle-income countries. [32424]
Mr Davey: The UK policy is to take a case-by-case approach to intellectual property rights within free trade agreements between the European Union and developing countries. The level of intellectual property protection should be tailored to the trading partner's level of development, with particular flexibility shown where provisions impact on public health. We would consider any proposals made regarding data exclusivity in the EU-India agreement in the light of the available evidence.
On December 13 both Indian and EU trade negotiators stated that nothing in the EU-India agreement would limit India's scope for developing and exporting life-saving medicines.
Cabinet Office
Jobseeker's Allowance: Blaenau Gwent
Nick Smith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office in how many households in Blaenau Gwent constituency has a jobseeker's allowance claimant been claiming for 12 months or more. [33059]
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 January 2011:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking in how many households in Blaenau Gwent constituency has a jobseeker's allowance claimant been claiming for 12 months or more. (33059)
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles labour market statistics relating to households from the Annual Population Survey (APS) Household dataset. Unfortunately, this dataset does not support this type of analysis for small geographic areas.
As an alternative, we are able to provide the total number of claimants of Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA), in receipt of JSA for over 12 months from the Jobcentre Plus administrative system.
There were 825 people resident in Blaenau Gwent constituency in receipt of JSA for over 12 months in November 2010.
National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
Treasury
Banks: Finance
Graeme Morrice: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will bring forward proposals to increase representation from UK Financial Investments Ltd. on the boards of banks in receipt of public funding. [33036]
Mr Hoban: The Government's shareholdings in banks are managed on a commercial and arm's length basis by UK Financial Investments Ltd (UKFI). UKFI are required to do this in a way that is consistent with the Treasury's aim not to be a permanent investor in UK financial institutions-the Government are clear that British banks are best owned and managed commercially.
UKFI believe that Government investee banks need strong boards, and work with the banks to achieve this. The appointments process to the boards of RBS and Lloyds are run by their nominations committee, and UKFI has worked with the banks' boards in line with their framework document remit to strengthen membership through the appointment of suitably qualified, independent non-executives.
Under UK company law, directors cannot represent individual shareholders' interests. Accordingly, while these directors have been appointed with the agreement of UKFI, they are not and cannot be UKFI's representatives and will not report directly to them.
Members: Correspondence
Fiona O'Donnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to respond to the letters from the hon. Member for East Lothian of 12 October and 8 December 2010 in relation to national insurance contributions for stay-at-home parents who will no longer receive child benefit. [33186]
Mr Gauke: I have replied to the hon. Member.
Tax Avoidance
Mr Bain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much revenue would accrue to the Exchequer over each of the next four financial years were (a) companies prohibited from using derivatives to reduce their tax liabilities and (b) investment companies prevented from changing the currency in which they prepare their accounts. [29828]
Mr Gauke: These measures in aggregate are estimated to increase receipts by around £50 million for each full year that they are effective. The final costings for the package of measures will be subject to scrutiny by the Office for Budget Responsibility and will be set out at the Budget. These measures are intended to prevent the future use of a range of corporation tax avoidance schemes.
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