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20 Jan 2011 : Column 943W—continued
Renewable Energy: Finance
Stephen Barclay:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate his Department has made of the level of renewable energy needed to
meet its EU 2020 target; and how much such energy it aims to generate from (a) nuclear, (b) carbon capture and storage coal, (c) onshore wind, (d) offshore wind, (e) tidal and (f) solar sources. [34837]
Charles Hendry: The UK has a target to generate 15% of its energy from renewable sources by 2020. The Government are committed to achieving this target.
Recent analysis indicates that this will require overall renewable energy generation of 234 terawatt hours (TWh) across the electricity, heat and transport sectors, based on latest central projections of energy consumption for 2020 published June 2010.
Source:
This does not include generation from nuclear or carbon capture and storage coal as these are not covered in the renewable energy directive.
Generation from specific renewable energy sources
For 2020, our modelling estimates that we may see the following levels of generation:
Onshore wind: 34TWh
Offshore wind: 44TWh
Tidal energy: around 4TWh of wave and tidal generation
Solar: up to 2TWh solar PV.
These are central estimates. The exact shares of effort between sectors and technologies will depend on how investors respond to the renewable financial incentives put in place, and the relative success in overcoming non-financial barriers to renewables deployment such as planning, supply chain and grid issues.
The Government are committed to continuing public sector investment in four CCS demonstration projects, this programme could deliver around 1.5GW of CCS generating capacity by 2020.
The draft revised National Policy Statements set out there is an urgent need for a diverse range of new energy infrastructure and for new nuclear power to be free to contribute as much as possible towards meeting the need for 18GW of new non-renewable capacity by 2025.
Renewable Energy: Wood
Mrs McGuire: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the contribution of the wood panel industry to the production of renewable heat in each of the last five years. [34761]
Gregory Barker: In 2009, the wood panel industry is estimated to have produced 1,639 GWh of renewable heat, from 395,469 tonnes of wood. Data are not available for years preceding this. Industry as a whole produced approximately 4,501 GWh of renewable heat in 2009.
Mrs McGuire: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether his Department has made an assessment of the life-cycle carbon balance of (a) processing wood and (b) electricity generation from wood; and if he will make a statement. [34762]
Charles Hendry: The Department has not made an assessment of the life cycle carbon balance of processing wood. However, I can confirm that the process itself is highly energy intensive; the wood panel industry is one of the most energy intensive industries in the UK
According to the results of the 4(th) target period assessment of the climate change agreements, the sector reported that 2,550,761,208 kWh of energy with 458,355 tonnes of CO2 was used to produce 3,257,582m3 of wood panel. Their performance during this period was therefore 783 kWhp and 0.14 tonnes CO2 per m3 of wood panel produced.
http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/What%20we%20do/Global%20climate%20change%20and%20energy/Tackling %20Climate%20Change/ccas/175-cca-4th-target.pdf
Estimates of the life-cycle carbon balance of electricity generation from wood are dependent on a number of factors; the size and efficiency of the energy generating plant, the forestry planting, rotation and harvesting cycle, and the method of collecting, transporting and processing the wood. Typical life cycle carbon balances have been estimated by the Environment Agency.
Their analysis shows that life-cycle emissions for electricity generated by clean waste wood or short rotation coppice chips can vary from 50-300 kg CO2/MWh.
Mrs McGuire: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what (a) mechanism and (b) criteria his Department plans to apply to assess the sustainability of large-scale wood biomass energy plants of 50 megawatts and over; and if he will take into account the potential effects of such plants on (i) UK wood processing industries and (ii) UK wood markets. [34766]
Charles Hendry: We are introducing sustainability criteria for the use of solid biomass, including wood fuels, to generate electricity under the renewables obligation (RO) from April this year. These criteria include a minimum greenhouse gas emissions saving of 60% compared to fossil fuel and general restrictions on the use of materials from land important on carbon or biodiversity grounds. Following a transition phase, where solid biomass plants over 50 kilowatts will be required to report on their performance against the criteria, from April 2013, solid biomass electricity plants of 1 megawatt and above will be required to meet these criteria in order to receive support under the RO. The sustainability criteria will not apply to solid biomass that is waste or wholly derived from waste.
The same set of sustainability criteria will be applied to the use of UK and imported solid biomass, and to both new and existing plants.
These changes build on the existing requirement under the RO for biomass plants over 50 kilowatts to report to the best of the operator's knowledge and belief on a range of matters relating to the biomass used. These include the type and form of the biomass, its country of origin and whether the biomass is an energy crop or waste. This will provide valuable information on the
biomass being used for large-scale electricity generation in the UK and the potential effects on the UK wood industries.
Our analysis of future UK bio-electricity supply takes into account the demand of the wood processing and other user industries for biomass feedstocks.
Mrs McGuire: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether (a) the effect on existing wood industries and (b) the sustainability of wood as a feedstock is taken into account in deciding whether to grant planning permission for large-scale biomass energy projects of 50 megawatts and over. [34767]
Charles Hendry: In respect of the effect on existing wood industries, commercial interests are not a relevant planning matter. In respect of the sustainability of wood as a feedstock, Government policy is that mechanisms beyond the planning system in the form of the renewables obligation are better placed to ensure the sustainability of fuel used in large-scale biomass electricity generating stations.
Sellafield: Plutonium
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when his Department commissioned its cost-benefit analysis of constructing a new mixed oxide plutonium fuels plant in Sellafield; who is conducting the analysis; when the contract for the analysis was put out to tender; where the tender was advertised; what the monetary value of the contract is; and when he expects to receive the analysis. [34754]
Charles Hendry: DECC intends shortly to publish a public consultation on the options for the long-term management of the UK's civil plutonium. As part of the work supporting that consultation, the Government commissioned the NDA to examine the costs of the various options, which included the reuse of the plutonium to make MOX fuel. No external work has been commissioned at this stage. We anticipate that further analysis of the costs for a number of options will be necessary to support a final decision, which will only be taken following the consultation process.
Solar Power: Housing
Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent discussions he has had with Ministers in the Department for Communities and Local Government on potential changes to building regulations to encourage the fitting of photovoltaic cells to new houses; and if he will make a statement. [34367]
Gregory Barker: There are regular discussions between DECC and the Department for Communities and Local Government on zero carbon homes policy. We remain committed to ensuring that new homes do not add to our carbon footprint but we do not want to impose new standards that dictate exactly how every home should be built. We are considering recommendations from an interim report from the zero carbon hub on what standards should be achievable onsite.
Waste Disposal: Storage
Mr Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what storage arrangements there are for high-level wastes; and what arrangements are planned for such storage prior to the construction of a geological disposal facility. [33905]
Charles Hendry: High level radioactive waste (HLW) arises as a liquid from the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel and all the UK's current HLW is located at Sellafield where reprocessing takes place. Liquid HLW is stored at Sellafield in custom designed tanks before being immobilised in a passively safe, solid glass waste-form, through a process known as vitrification. The solid HLW is safely stored and monitored in a purpose built store at Sellafield pending return to overseas customers or final disposal in the proposed geological disposal facility. The UK has a strong and effective nuclear safety regulatory regime that ensures the safe storage and management of radioactive waste including HLW.
Wind Power
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many planning approvals for wind farms in England over the last year have not been proceeded with; and if he will make a statement. [34634]
Charles Hendry: 22 wind farm applications were approved in 2010. Of these, one is already operational, one is under construction and the remaining 20 are awaiting construction. The amount of time for wind farms to be completed following planning approval depends on various factors including planning conditions, the size of the wind farm and grid availability. We estimate that on average it takes about two years for a wind farm to become operational following planning approval.
Wind Power: Energy
Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate his Department has made of the average annual amount of energy to be generated by a wind turbine built under a round 3 deep water licence. [34838]
Charles Hendry: In 2009, UK offshore wind farms typically generated 2.95 GWh per MW of installed capacity over the course of the year. This is based on an unchanged configuration load factor(1) for offshore wind in 2009 of 33.7%.
It is expected that load factors(2) for offshore wind will increase over time, leading to greater efficiencies in the form of increased generation per MW of installed capacity. DECC analysis suggests the following range of load factor estimates for round 3 sites. These are based on the expected performance of turbines at UK offshore sites (based on real wind speed data from the Meteorological Office).
(1) 2009 offshore wind load factor from table 7.4 of the Digest of UK Energy Statistics, 2010, available at:
(2) Load factor definition: the amount of actual generation as a proportion of the maximum possible generation in a given time period. Load factor on an 'unchanged configuration' is a load factor calculated using just those wind farms that have been operating continually, and with the same configuration, throughout the year. Further information on this measure can be found in Energy Trends, March 2006, pages 28 to 32 at:
| Load factor | Percentage |
| (1 )Based on the expected output of a 5MW turbine at Dogger Bank at availability of 90%. (2) Based on expected output of offshore turbines averaged from 15 UK offshore sites at 85% availability. For comparison Horns Rev wind farm in Denmark is already achieving capacity factors of 43%. | |
It is expected that round 3 projects (which will be at varying depths) will achieve load factors in the region of 37-42%. This translates into generation of between 3.2 and 3.8 GWh per MW of installed capacity over the course of the year.
The main reasons for the increase are increased availability of the turbines (due to better operation and maintenance infrastructure and/or more reliable turbines) and better wind conditions as wind farms are located further offshore.
Note:
DECC statistics can be downloaded from:
Education
Aimhigher Programme
Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the number of activities delivered under the Aimhigher programme for young people from low-income backgrounds wishing to go to university in each year since 2004 under the programme; and how many activities he expects to be delivered in the academic year 2011-12 following the end of the Aimhigher programme. [28594]
Mr Willetts: I have been asked to reply.
Aimhigher is managed by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). HEFCE have provided the following information on the number of activities undertaken by Aimhigher partnerships.
Data are not available on individual participants or before 2007-08.
The year 2007-08 was a pilot for gathering the number of activities and the information is based on 26 of the then 45 partnerships.
| Number of activities | |
| (1) Figures for 2009-10 are not comparable with previous years due to a change in the way data was collected. | |
We have made no estimate of the number of activities that will be delivered in 2011-12.
Universities, schools and colleges have learned much from Aimhigher about 'what works'. Universities already use this to inform their own outreach activities covered by existing access agreements, agreed with the Office for Fair Access, and the widening participation strategic assessments they submit to HEFCE. Helping young people find out about higher education is a normal part of what schools do and schools will receive additional support through the pupil premium from April 2011.
Child Benefit
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education with reference to the media statement by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children and Families reported on 4 October 2010, what discussions the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children and Families has had with (a) him and (b) HM Treasury Ministers on adjustment to Government proposals on child benefit for higher rate taxpayers. [30592]
Tim Loughton [holding answer 14 December 2010]: I have frequent discussions with the Secretary of State and other Ministers about all aspects of my portfolio and related issues.
Education Maintenance Allowance
Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether he undertook an equality impact assessment before making the decision to abolish the education maintenance allowance. [31275]
Mr Gibb: Discussions on distributional impacts, including impacts on equality, informed the process for spending review discussions and decisions, and this Department has worked closely with HM Treasury to assess the impact on different sections of society.
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much was paid to pupils in payments for reaching pre-agreed targets in addition to education maintenance allowance payments in each year for which figures are available; and how many pupils received such payments in each such year. [34349]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 19 January 2011]: This is a matter for the Young People's Learning Agency (YPLA) who operate the education maintenance allowance for the Department for Education and manage the Capita contract. Peter Lauener, the YPLA's chief executive, will write to the hon. Member for Witham with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in the House Libraries.
Education Maintenance Allowance: Young Offenders
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many young offenders received education maintenance allowance payments in each year for which figures are available; and how much was paid to young offenders in such payments in each such year. [34350]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 19 January 2011]: This is a matter for the Young People's Learning Agency (YPLA) who operate the education maintenance allowance for the Department for Education and manage the Capita contract. Peter Lauener, the YPLA's chief executive, will write to the hon. Member for Witham with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in the House Libraries.
Family Intervention Projects
Laura Sandys: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of family intervention projects in (a) South Thanet constituency and (b) England. [24589]
Tim Loughton: Data from official statistics for intensive family interventions, published on 15 September 2010, show reductions in a number of issues at the end of the intervention compared to at the start, including reductions in school truancy, exclusions and poor behaviour at school; workless households; family functioning (poor parenting, family breakdown, domestic violence and child protection issues); crime and antisocial behaviour; and health issues (including drug and alcohol misuse and mental health problems). A more detailed analytical report looking at factors that can lead to successful outcomes is due to be published on the 25 November. The intensive family intervention service in Kent includes the South Thanet constituency. Our records show that, to date, five families have successfully completed an intervention and the service is currently working with another 10 families.
Further Education: Student Numbers
Mr Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many 14 and 15-year-olds study at further education or sixth-form college five days a week; and how many of these students are enrolled at (a) the college and (b) a local school. [32638]
Mr Gibb: Details of all students studying at further education or sixth-form colleges, including those aged under 16, is collected and made available by the Data Service. The number of 14 and 15-year-olds studying full-time during the 2009/10 academic year is shown in the following table.
| Students aged 14 and 15 studying full time at an FE centre, including a sixth-form college, England, 2009/10 | |||
| Age 14 | Age 15 | Total | |
| Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 100. Totals may not appear to equal the sum of the component figures because of the rounding. 2. Age 14 or 15 at the start of the academic year. Source: 2009/10 Individualised Learner Record final L04 dataset. | |||
However, information on where the student is actually enrolled is not collected and therefore it is not possible to provide details of whether these 14 and 15-year-old students were enrolled at the college or a local school.
Higher Education
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on the influence of parental income on prospective higher education students' university choices; and if he will make a statement. [30461]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 15 December 2010]: The Secretary of State for Education and the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills have discussed the changes to higher education funding and student finance at Cabinet. Statements to the House of Commons on this subject reflect the Government position, as agreed at Cabinet meetings.
Pupils: Disadvantaged
Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much additional funding schools in County Durham will receive from the pupil premium in the academic year (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12. [31897]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 20 December 2010]: On 13 December, the Government announced that in 2011-12, the level of the pupil premium will be £430 per pupil and will be the same for every deprived pupil, no matter where they live. The pupil premium will be allocated to those pupils eligible for free school meals identified by the January 2011 census figures for pupils in years from Reception to Year 11. The premium will be funded by financial year not academic year. However, were the January 2010 census figures used then there would be a notional allocation for pupils in Durham of £6 million. This figure could rise or fall depending on the number of eligible pupils at January 2011, and is indicative only.
Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the number of pupils in East Staffordshire eligible for the pupil premium. [31979]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 20 December 2010]: We have made estimates of the number of pupils eligible for the pupil premium for each local authority, based on 2010 data. According to these estimates for Staffordshire, 13,250 pupils eligible for free school meals would attract the premium, as well as 485 children looked after by the local authority, and 315 children of service personnel. This totals 14,050 pupils eligible for the pupil premium in Staffordshire, attracting a pupil premium of £5.97 million in total. The actual level number of eligible pupils in Staffordshire and therefore the amount payable will be taken from the January 2011 school census.
Schools: Reading
Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will make it his policy to ensure that schools are able to exercise maximum choice in the way in which they support vulnerable primary school pupils to improve reading and numeracy skills. [23200]
Mr Gibb: We believe that schools are best placed to decide the most appropriate support for their pupils. Funding for Every Child a Reader and Every Child Counts forms part of the schools budget and it will be for local authorities, in consultation with their schools forum, to decide whether to take account of the previous level of this funding when making their 2011-12 allocations to schools.
The Pupil Premium will allocate funding for deprived pupils, which head teachers can decide how best to spend. However, the Government will be making available to schools the latest and best evidence and information on the activities, interventions and strategies that can help raise the attainment of those pupils who will benefit from the Pupil Premium.
There is evidence that the Every Child programmes have had a positive impact in raising the attainment of FSM pupils. All three programmes are currently undergoing independent evaluations, to report in late 2010-early 2011, which will give a substantive view of the impact of the programmes.
We are currently working through proposals for literacy and numeracy intervention beyond September 2011, which is subject to final decisions following the spending review.
Schools: Rural Areas
Laura Sandys: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will take steps to ensure that rural primary schools are not disadvantaged by local authority budget allocations deploying the Mosaic formula. [32576]
Mr Gibb: For 2011-12, we are continuing with the current methodology for funding local authorities and schools to allow for the clear and transparent introduction of the pupil premium. This means that local authorities will continue to be responsible, in consultation with their Schools Forums, for deciding how to allocate money between the schools they maintain. However, a minimum funding guarantee will apply so that no school will see a reduction in its budget compared with 2010-11 of more than 1.5% per pupil.
The pupil premium will be introduced from April 2011 and will be paid at the same rate-£430-per deprived child across the country. The measure of deprivation we are using for the premium in 2011-12 will be children known to be eligible for free school meals as recorded in the Schools Census in January 2011.
Schools: Sportsgrounds
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the number of all-weather sports pitches in use by (a) primary and (b) secondary schools. [32077]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 21 December 2010]: No estimate has been made by the Department for Education of the number of all-weather sports pitches in use in schools in England.
Schools: Standards
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many specialist sports (a) schools and (b) colleges the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children and Families has visited since his appointment; what assessment he made of the work of each such establishment; and if he will make a statement. [29057]
Tim Loughton [holding answer 6 December 2010]: Since May 2010, I have visited 12 schools, where I have had the chance to see high quality PE and sport. None of the 12 schools has been a school or college with a specialism in sport. The purpose of visiting any educational institution is not to assess their work-that is the role of Ofsted-but to gain a greater insight into how they operate and deal with a variety of issues.
Schools: Waltham Forest
Dr Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what funding his Department has allocated to (a) academies, (b) free schools and (c) local authority schools in the London borough of Waltham Forest for 2011-12. [32920]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 10 January 2011]: On 13 December, the Department announced the school funding settlement for 2011-12 and the methodology for funding academies.
There is no figure currently available for how much funding will be allocated to Waltham Forest for academies and free schools as this will depend on how many academies and free schools there are in Waltham Forest in 2011-12.
We have published on our website the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) Guaranteed Units of Funding (GUF) per pupil for all local authorities in England. In 2011-12, the GUF for Waltham Forest maintained schools will be £5,841.83. The final DSG allocations for local authorities will be based on the January 2011 pupil count and will be published in summer 2011.
Justice
Appeals: Social Security Benefits
Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many applicants for (a) incapacity benefit and (b) employment support allowance whose claims were rejected had their appeal heard by the Tribunals Service within (i) three, (ii) four, (iii) five, (iv) six and (v) more than six months of the original decision to disallow the claim. [34295]
Mr Djanogly: The following table shows the time taken from the date of a disputed Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) decision for incapacity benefit and employment support allowance cases to the date of clearance by the Tribunals Service.
| Number of weeks from DWP decision to TS appeal hearing | ||
| Clearance times 2009-10 | Date of DWP decision to tribunal hearing | |
| Number of weeks | Incapacity benefit | Employment support allowance |
| Notes: 1. Data are reported in four-week blocks and are not available in calendar months. Clearance refers to cases that were decided by a tribunal. Data are provided from the Tribunals Service's G2 system. 2. Includes dates of disputed decision (and appeal lodgement) provided by DWP and inputted by Tribunals Service into its processing system. | ||
The Tribunals Service's target is to issue a final decision for 75% of Social Security and Child Support appeals within 16 weeks of receipt from the DWP. Incapacity benefit appeals take on average 11.81 weeks and employment support allowance appeals 9.2 weeks from the date of the original DWP decision to arrive at the Tribunals Service. The Tribunals Service is currently clearing 62% of incapacity benefit appeals and 65% of employment support allowance appeals within 16 weeks.
Performance below target has resulted from an unexpectedly high level of appeals, particularly against employment support allowance decisions. In response, the Tribunals Service has significantly increased its capacity and, nationally, 47% more Social Security and Child Support appeals were cleared in September 2010 compared to September 2009. Further capacity increases are in hand.
Court: Closures
Mr Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the effects of proposed court closures on the level of fines and fees imposed and collected. [35034]
Mr Djanogly: The impact assessment accompanying the consultation response papers assumes that the court closure programme does not impact on service delivery. As the volume of work is not expected to rise or fall as a result of the court estate rationalisation programme and there is sufficient capacity at recipient courts to undertake work from closing courts, it is not anticipated that fines or fees imposed and collected will be significantly affected.
Mr Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the level of savings to the public purse likely to accrue as a result of the closure of courts in Wales as announced on 14 December 2010. [35035]
Mr Djanogly: Across the spending review period, the estimated gross resource saving accruing from the closure of courts in Wales announced on 14 December is £2.4 million.
This gross resource saving figure reflects the position as at 14 December and excludes any savings on staff costs, maintenance costs and non-cash costs.
Mr Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many representations he received on his proposed closure of courts in Wales; and how many such representations supported his proposals. [35036]
Mr Djanogly: Excluding responses to the consultation on a national level, there were a total of 217 responses to the consultation on the provision of court services in Wales. Of these, 12 related to the proposals across Wales, of which four were broadly supportive, five were generally opposed and three were neutral, and 205 were in respect of a particular court or courts.
Full details of the response to consultation are available in consultation paper CP HMCS 15/10, which can be found on the Ministry of Justice website at:
Mr Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what timetable he has set for closure of the courts in Wales which were the subject of his announcement of 14 December 2010. [35037]
Mr Djanogly: I cannot confirm any closure dates at this time as implementation plans for closures are currently being developed by HMCS in discussion with staff and the judiciary. HMCS aims to confirm the proposed dates for closure in February.
Mr Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the cost of the maintenance backlog was for each court in Wales included in the consultation for court closures as at 14 December 2010. [35038]
Mr Djanogly: I refer the hon. Member to my answer to him of 21 December 2010, Official Report, column 1164W.
Dartmoor Prison
Mr Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans he has for the future of HM Prison Dartmoor. [34311]
Mr Blunt: The role and functions of prisons is kept under regular review, taking into account a number of factors affecting the requirements of a fit for purpose custodial estate. Decisions on the long-term future of the estate, including Dartmoor prison, will be made in the light of the review of rehabilitation and sentencing and the need to provide a secure and modern prison estate, while improving efficiency and value for money.
Departmental Working Conditions
Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what his Department's policy is on (a) the space provided per employee, (b) home working and (c) hot desking; how many employees it has on average per desk; and how much space on average there is per employee. [34597]
Mr Blunt:
To achieve savings from its administrative estate, the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) is working towards the Government standard of eight square metres per person and 80% desking (eight desks to 10 members of staff) in those buildings where it is possible to do so. In
buildings which are not suitable for flexible working, the MOJ is working towards providing a maximum of 10 square metres per person across its administrative estate.
There is currently 14.7m(2) and 1.2 desks per full-time employee across the estate and the MOJ is working to reduce this figure and ensure more efficient use of its property.
Homeworking is an option for all MOJ staff, provided that issues, such as health and safety obligations, insurance, furniture and equipment, confidentiality, business needs of the unit and regular contact, are fully addressed.
Fines: Debts
Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent discussions he has had with enforcement agencies on the procedures and regulatory framework for the collection of (a) fines and (b) outstanding debts; and if he will make a statement. [35025]
Mr Djanogly: HMCS officials regularly have discussions with enforcement agencies about improving HMCS enforcement procedures and will continue to do so.
Ford Prison
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners at HM Prison Ford have had all privileges withdrawn as a consequence of participation in the recent disturbances. [33432]
Mr Blunt: All the prisoners thought to have been involved in the recent disturbance have since been transferred out of HMP Ford, and therefore no prisoners currently there have had privileges withdrawn as a result.
A number of the prisoners identified as possible perpetrators were placed on report in accordance with prison rules and regulations. These adjudications have been opened but remanded for the police investigation to be concluded.
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners involved in the recent disturbances at HM Prison Ford have been transferred to other prisons (a) temporarily and (b) for the remainder of their sentence; and to which prisons. [33433]
Mr Blunt: 86 prisoners have been transferred out of Ford as a result of the disturbance. This group of prisoners contains those identified as possibly involved and those moved because of damage to the accommodation. Where each of these prisoners completes their sentence will depend on individual risk assessments, and the outcome of the police and NOMS investigations.
The prisoners were moved to the following establishments:
Bedford
Peterborough
Winchester
Bullingdon
Hewell
Belmarsh
Wandsworth
Lewes
Camp Hill
Springhill.
Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether there was any change in the level of resources provided to HM Prison Ford as a result of the £325 million reduction in his Department's budget for 2009-10 announced in June 2010. [35030]
Mr Blunt: The £325 million reduction to the Department's budget announced in May 2010, resulted in a resource reduction of £130,203 to HM Prison Ford.
Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he took on receiving the last Annual Report of the Independent Monitoring Board on HM Prison Ford. [35031]
Mr Blunt: As has been the practice for a number of years Ministers do not directly receive draft Independent Monitoring Board reports when the IMBs submit them. The reports are firstly submitted to the IMB Secretariat. Then NOMS officials prepare a draft response to all the points on which the individual IMBs have requested a response both directed to Ministers and NOMS. I then consider the reply and, having also examined the issues raised directly for Ministers, write to the Chair. At the time of the disturbance the Board had submitted its report and the draft response was being prepared. The report was available in Gold Command directing the incident at Ford, where I first saw it. It was confirmed to me that the report would form part of the documentation of the investigation into the incident. I will respond to the Chair of the IMB in February after I have been informed of the findings of the NOMS investigation report.
Legal Aid
Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people in (a) England and (b) Leeds North West constituency applied for legal aid in each of the last five years. [34519]
Mr Djanogly: Applications for civil legal aid advice are made to individual providers, and we record the number of instances of advice provided, rather than the number of applications made. All applications are based on the Solicitor's location, which may not reflect where the client is based. Applications for civil legal aid representation are made to the Legal Services Commission. Not all applications are granted. The applications received for representation for the last five years in the requested areas is as follows:
| Applications in Civil Rep | |||||
| 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | |
Legal Aid : Employment
Mr Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much funding the Legal Services Commission provided from the legal aid budget for legal help and representation on employment matters in 2008-09; and if he will make a statement. [34303]
Mr Djanogly: Legal aid expenditure on employment matters was £6.4 million in 2008-09. Of this, £6 million was spent on legal help and £0.4 million was spent on legal aid under a legal aid certificate which includes representation.
Members: Correspondence
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he intends to answer the letter sent to him by the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton on 29 November 2010 with regard to Ms O Osei. [34753]
Mr Kenneth Clarke: I replied to the right hon. Member on 11 January. I apologise for the delay in doing so.
Prisons: Drugs
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners were charged for possession of (a) Class A and (b) Class B drugs in 2009-10. [34748]
Mr Blunt: Data on the number of prisoners charged for possession of drugs are not recorded centrally. To provide it would require a detailed investigation into each local prison record and so would incur disproportionate cost.
Recorded instead is the number of charges under the Prison Rules for possession of controlled drugs that are proved at adjudication, and the punishments then given. The data are collated and published on a calendar year basis in the Offender Management Caseload Statistics. Data for 2009 is available at:
Data for 2010 will not be available until mid-2011. Data are not differentiated between offences involving Class A and Class B drugs.
More serious offences such as possession with intent to supply will be referred to the police for investigation and prosecution and so are not included in the Offender Management Caseload Statistics.
Prisons: Employment
Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) what the average hourly wage is for those who undertake work in prison; [34906]
(2) how many paid work schemes are operating on the prison estate. [34907]
Mr Blunt: The information requested is not held centrally and could only be obtained by contacting individual prison establishments at disproportionate cost.
Prison Service Order 4460 (Prisoners' Pay), a copy of which has been placed in the House Library, sets out minimum rates of pay and requires Governors (and Directors of contracted prisons) to devise local pay
schemes that reflect regime priorities of their establishment. A snapshot survey of prisoner pay undertaken in 2007 indicated that the average weekly rate of pay for prisoners undertaking work and other activities was £9.60.
There is no recognised definition of the term "paid work schemes" for prisoners. Prisoners have access to a range of work depending on the local regime. These include cleaning, catering and laundry work, workshops producing goods for internal and external markets, and workshops run by contractors. Around 450 low risk prisoners in open prisons work outside in individual work placements.
Prisons: Security
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what discussions Ministers in his Department have had with (a) the Prison Officers' Association and (b) the Prison Governors' Association on security at HM Prison Ford in the last six months. [32943]
Mr Blunt: Ministers have had no formal discussions with either union about security issues at HMP Ford in the last six months. I spoke to representatives of the POA when I visited HMP Ford on 2 January.
Zahid Mubarek Inquiry
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many recommendations from the Zahid Mubarek Inquiry related to enforced cell sharing have been implemented; what targets have been set for the implementation of the remainder of those recommendations accepted by the Government; and if he will make a statement. [34571]
Mr Blunt: There are 15 recommendations from the Zahid Mubarek inquiry related to enforced cell sharing. Eight of these recommendations have been met in full. The work done on a further six of these recommendations has revealed that further action is either unnecessary or impractical. The remaining recommendation is that enforced cell sharing should be eliminated. The National Offender Management Service remains committed to this as a high priority, and it has been considered as part of each new capacity building programme and project. There is no target for the implementation of this recommendation. We are not in a position to create enough places to be able to address the problem of overcrowding, but remain committed to providing safe, decent and secure places for those in custody.
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will assess the effect of (a) the closure of (i) Ashwell and (ii) Lancaster Castle prisons and (b) the re-rolling of Morton Hall prison on the Government's timetable for implementation of recommendation 1 of the Zahid Mubarek Inquiry. [34572]
Mr Blunt: In line with recommendation one of the Zahid Mubarek inquiry, the elimination of enforced cell sharing remains a high priority for the National Offender Management Service.
Current headroom means that the closure of HMPs Lancaster Castle, Ashwell and Morton Hall, announced on 13 January, are not expected to impact on overall prison crowding levels.
Health
Arthritis
Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many follow-up consultations for rheumatology services took place in the last 12 months. [33100]
Paul Burstow: Data on follow up appointments are not available specifically for rheumatology services.
Data published by the Department of Health looking on an all speciality basis show that the ratio of subsequent attendance (follow-up) to first out-patient appointment has remained broadly stable over the last three years at around two (subsequent attendances) to one (first out-patient appointment).
Source:
Department of Health Monthly Activity Return (MAR) and Quarterly Activity Return
Blood: Contamination
Mr Kennedy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with the (a) Scottish Government, (b) Welsh Assembly Government and (c) Northern Ireland Executive on the outcome of the review of support for those affected by contaminated blood products in England; and if he will make a statement. [34991]
Anne Milton: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave the right hon. Member for Wythenshawe and Sale East (Paul Goggins) on 17 January 2011, Official Report, column 543W.
Mr Kennedy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what factors he took into consideration in the determination of the annual payment at £12,800 for people infected by contaminated blood products who have gone on to develop serious liver disease. [34992]
Anne Milton: The factors taken into account are explained in paragraphs 5.7-5.11 of the report of the "Review of the support available to individuals infected with hepatitis C and/or HIV by NHS-supplied blood transfusions or blood products and their dependants", a copy of which has already been placed in the Library.
Bone Marrow Disorders: Donors
Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has made an assessment of the optimum size of the British Bone Marrow Registry that is required to meet the needs of the NHS. [34480]
Anne Milton: The Department has not made an assessment of the optimum size of the British Bone Marrow Registry. However, as part of its work, the UK Stem Cell Strategic Forum, led by NHS Blood and Transplant, found that increasing the number of donors registered would not significantly increase the chances of United Kingdom patients identifying a matched unrelated adult donor.
Details of the Forum's findings on this issue can be found in Annex 4 of 'The Future of Unrelated Donor Stem Cell Transplantation in the UK' (a copy of the report has already been placed in the Library).
Cancer: Health Services
Paul Uppal: To ask the Secretary of State for Health by what mechanism the review of the Cancer Reform Strategy will seek to improve men's cancer outcomes. [34772]
Paul Burstow: "Improving Outcomes: A Strategy for Cancer" sets out a range of actions to improve outcomes for all cancer patients, including men. A copy has already been placed in the Library.
We know that early diagnosis of cancer is crucial to improving outcomes. To tackle late diagnosis, the strategy sets out plans to improve general practitioner (GP) access to diagnostic tests, to support cancer awareness initiatives, to extend our cancer screening programmes and to introduce new screening technologies. The strategy also covers other outcomes, such as improving patient experience.
With specific reference to improving outcomes in men, the strategy provides an update on the work the Department has commissioned from the Men's Health Forum on improving uptake of bowel cancer screening, noting that a conference is to be held later this month to discuss the findings and to make recommendations to the screening service.
The strategy also notes that, following a public and stakeholder consultation, the United Kingdom National Screening Committee (UK NSC) has recommended that additional modelling work be undertaken for prostate specific antigen (PSA) screening of men in high risk groups, and that further education of GPs through the Prostate Cancer Risk Management Programme (PCRMP) should also be taken forward. To ensure that men are well informed about the signs and symptoms of prostate cancer and empowered to request a PSA test if they want one, the UK NSC has asked the Prostate Cancer Advisory Group to explore options for making the PCRMP information more accessible to men.
I also refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to him on 22 November 2010, Official Report, columns 157-58W.
Care Quality Commission: Standards
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the performance of the (a) Care Quality Commission and (b) General Dental Council. [34313]
Mr Simon Burns: The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and adult social care, established by the Health and Social Care Act 2008. The Commission is accountable to the Secretary of State for discharging its functions, duties and powers effectively and economically.
The Department monitors CQC's financial and operational performance and risks at a strategic level through regular formal accountability meetings. It does not assess CQC's inspection or monitoring of individual providers. Regular meetings are also held between Ministers, the Permanent Secretary, the chief executive of the national health service and the chair and chief executive of CQC, as well as meetings at official level.
The General Dental Council is an independent, statutory body and the Secretary of State for Health has no formal role in assessing its performance. However, the Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence (CHRE) makes an annual report to Parliament on the performance of health regulatory bodies, including the General Dental Council. CHRE's most recent report was laid before Parliament on 1 July 2010, and is available in the Library.
Carers: Bromsgrove
Sajid Javid: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will assess the level of support provided by carers' centres in Bromsgrove constituency. [34554]
Paul Burstow: It is for councils to decide how they support carers' centres in their area.
In addition, central Government recognise the importance of carers and are keen to ensure that we focus on the key activities that will make the greatest impact on improving carers' lives. 'Recognised, valued and supported: Next steps for the Carers Strategy', published on 25 November 2010, sets out the priorities for action over the next four years. The four key priorities are:
Supporting those with caring responsibilities to identify themselves as carers at an early stage, recognising the value of their contribution and involving them from the outset both in designing local care provision and in planning individual care packages;
Enabling those with caring responsibilities to fulfil their educational and employment potential;
Personalised support for carers and those they support, enabling them to have a family and community life;
Supporting carers to remain mentally and physically well.
The Department will provide additional funding of £400 million to the national health service over the next four years to enable more carers to take breaks from their caring responsibilities.
The Operating Framework for the NHS in England 2011-12 says that:
"It has not always been apparent how funding to support carers has been used in each PCT. The Spending Review has made available additional funding in PCT baselines to support the provision of breaks for carers. PCTs should pool budgets with local authorities to provide carers' breaks, as far as possible, via direct payments or personal health budgets. For 2011/12, PCTs should agree policies, plans and budgets to support carers with local authorities and local carers' organisations, and make them available to local people."
The Department have also made up to £6 million available for general practitioner (GP) training, to increase their awareness and understanding of carers' health needs so that they can receive appropriate support.
The Department for Education announced earlier in December that they are providing £800 million over the next four years for short breaks for parent carers of disabled children as part of the new Early Intervention Grant. The Government will be providing £198 million, £202 million, £206 million and £210 million for short breaks over the next four years. This figure includes the previously announced recycled Child Trust Fund money of at least £20 million each year. The Early Intervention Grant is not ring-fenced and it will be for local authorities to determine how they use that resource to best effect, including what services would be funded for families with disabled children.
Cataracts: Surgery
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department is taking steps to ensure that visual acuity tests are not used to control access to cataract operations for patients. [34317]
Mr Simon Burns: Primary care trusts are responsible for service commissioning, taking into account the available evidence and the needs of the local population. The NHS Constitution gives patients a right to expect local funding decisions to be made rationally after a proper consideration of the available evidence.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Brighton
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in the city of Brighton and Hove were diagnosed with myalgic encephalomyelitis in each year since 2007. [34312]
Paul Burstow: This information is not collected centrally. However, the hon. Member may wish to contact Brighton and Hove Primary Care Trust directly for local information on the number of people diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis.
Cord Blood
Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps he is taking to increase the collection of blood stem cells from umbilical cords; [34452]
(2) what recent steps his Department has taken on the collection of umbilical cord stem cells; [34455]
(3) what recent representations he has received on increasing the provision of blood stem cells for transplants; [34484]
Anne Milton: The Department has agreed business plans with NHS Blood and Transplant (NHS BT), who manage the NHS Cord Blood Banking service to increase the size of the bank to 20,000 stored units by 2013. The units are available to all NHS patients.
In 2010, the Department commissioned a review of unrelated donor stem cell transplantation in the United Kingdom, including cost and health economic analysis. The UK Stem Cell Strategic Forum, led by NHSBT produced a report, "The Future of Unrelated Donor Stem Cell Transplantation in the UK" (copies of which have already been placed in the Library) on 1 December 2010.
The Government are currently considering the report and will be producing a formal response in due course.
Departmental Redundancy
Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of redundancy payments to staff of primary care trusts under his proposals for reform of the NHS. [34892]
Mr Simon Burns:
The costs of the proposals for reform to the national health service are contained in pages 11-14 of the co-ordinating document for the
impact assessments and equality impact assessments, published alongside the Health and Social Care Bill on 19 January. The documents have been placed in the Library.
Departmental Working Conditions
Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his Department's policy is on (a) the space provided per employee, (b) home working and (c) hot desking; how many employees it has on average per desk; and how much space on average there is per employee. [34594]
Mr Simon Burns: The Government Property Unit mandates space standards for all Government Departments. The current space standard is eight square metres per employee.
All Department staff are eligible to apply for home working. However, staff cannot be compelled to work from home. Nor do they have an automatic right to home working which for existing and new staff is at management discretion based on guidance with Human Resources involvement.
All work desks in the Department's buildings can be used as hot-desks subject to directorate and other local needs. The Department has also made a number of designated corporate hot-desks available across its estate. These are used on a first come, first served basis.
Information on the Department's employees per desk and space per employee is published annually in the State of the Estate Annual Report. The last report was published in March 2010 and can be accessed at:
Diabetes: Children
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of obese children aged under 10 years who had type 2 diabetes in (a) England, (b) Leicestershire and (c) Leicester in the latest period for which figures are available. [34388]
Paul Burstow: The information requested for Leicestershire and Leicester is not available.
In 2009 the national prevalence figure for obesity among children aged 2-10 years was 14.4 per cent%. In the same year there were 328 children in England aged 0-17 years with a recorded diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. An analysis combining the three elements requested at a national level is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Drugs: Care Homes
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to reduce the misuse of neuroleptic drugs in residential homes. [34931]
Paul Burstow:
The Department is committed to taking action in support of a reduction in the overall use of antipsychotic drugs (including neuroleptics) for those with dementia in care homes and other settings by two thirds by November 2011. A reduction in the use of antipsychotics is included as one of four key priority areas for improving the quality of care for people with
dementia and their carers in our new outcomes focused implementation plan for the National Dementia Strategy. The National Director for Dementia, Professor Alistair Burns is providing clinical leadership for the National Dementia Strategy and he is supporting the national health service and social care to safely reduce antipsychotic use and to drive up the quality of care provided overall. He is also leading work to ensure the development of focused training for all health and social care staff involved in dementia care.
Data collected as part of the national audit of dementia services commissioned by the Department will be used to drive progress in reducing prescribing rates for antipsychotic drugs. The audit is being undertaken by the NHS Information Centre and the first results are expected in spring 2011.
Healthcare Science
Mike Wood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the timetable is for conducting the evidence-based, cost-benefit risk analysis which his Department plans to undertake to inform the appropriate model of regulation for the healthcare science work force. [34678]
Anne Milton: The cost-benefit risk analysis is expected to be carried out during spring 2011.
NHS Blood and Transplant Strategic Forum
Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps he plans to take in response to the recommendations of the NHS Blood and Transplant Strategic Forum on stem cell transplantation published in December 2010; [34499]
(2) what assessment he has made of the NHS Blood and Transplant Strategic Forum report on stem cell transplantation published in December 2010; and if he will make a statement. [34500]
Anne Milton: The Department welcomes the report of the UK Stem Cell Strategic Forum. We are now working in collaboration with the national health service, NHS Blood and Transplant and the Anthony Nolan Trust, to develop improved partnership working and consider how the findings and recommendations in the report can be best translated into real service improvements. The Government will produce a response in due course.
NHS: Official Hospitality
Chris Skidmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much strategic health authorities spent on hospitality in each year since 2006. [34558]
Mr Simon Burns: The information requested is not held centrally.
NHS: Training
Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many days' mandatory training those working in the NHS are required to undertake each year; and for what purpose in each case. [33261]
Anne Milton: National health service employees are not required to undertake a set amount of mandatory training time every year. Information on this issue is not collected centrally or by strategic health authorities.
Responsibility to provide good outcomes for patients and staff in the areas of mandatory training such as fire safety, health awareness and manual handling, best resides with the individual employer.
For those NHS employees subject to statutory professional regulation, there may be specific continuing professional development requirements that they need to meet in order to maintain their registration. These requirements are set by the independent professional regulators and differ across the professions.
NHS: Visits Abroad
Chris Skidmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much strategic health authorities spent on overseas travel since 2006. [34559]
Mr Simon Burns: The information requested is not held centrally.
Prescriptions: Fees and Charges
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what mechanisms he has put in place to ensure that those claiming free prescriptions are in possession of valid medical exemption certificates where required. [34316]
Mr Simon Burns: Free prescriptions may be claimed for a number of reasons.
Patients who want a medical exemption certificate are required to apply to the NHS Business Services Authority. Applications must be countersigned by the general practitioner (GP), hospital or service doctor, or at the GPs discretion a member of the practice staff who has access to the relevant patient records. Medical exemption certificates are valid for five years, after which they must be renewed.
When a prescription is dispensed, pharmacists are required to carry out a "point of dispensing" check of whether the patient has a valid exemption from prescription charges. If the patient does not present the required evidence, a prescription can still be dispensed free of charge, but the pharmacist is required to cross the "evidence not seen" box on the prescription form, in order that checks can be made at a later stage. If a patient does not provide evidence of exemption when the prescription is dispensed, he or she may subsequently be randomly selected for verification checks (by the primary care trust, local counter fraud section). At this point the patient would need to provide the relevant evidence or possibly face a penalty charge.
Social Services: Learning Disability
Paul Uppal: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to improve the provision of support services for children and adults with learning difficulties in (a) the West Midlands and (b) nationally. [34771]
Paul Burstow: The Government remain committed to driving change for adults and children with learning disabilities. Valuing People Now has set priorities until March 2011 of improving outcomes for adults with learning disabilities and their family carers around health, housing and employment. The Government will continue for the future to drive greater personalisation and improved choice and control to improve outcomes for people with learning disabilities and will work with people with learning disabilities and their family carers to ensure that their views are included in the future transformation of the national health service and the new social care vision and across other policies like employment and housing.
The Department is collaborating with the Department for Education ahead of the publication of the Green Paper on Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. The Green Paper will explore how we can achieve public services which are centred on the needs of families and children, joining up support from education, health and social care, particularly for those with the most severe and complex needs and at key transitions.
NHS West Midlands undertook a review of Child and Young People Disability Services last year, including learning disabilities. Following these reviews each primary care trust developed an action plan with the local authority. Progress is currently being reviewed.
Stem Cells: Medical Treatments
Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what the average length of time after submission of a donor search request was for a blood stem cell transplant to be undertaken by the NHS in respect of each ethnic group in the latest period for which figures are available; [34445]
(2) what estimate he has made of the average time from submission of a blood stem cell transplant donor search request and a transplant taking place with respect to (a) the British Bone Marrow Registry, (b) the Anthony Nolan register and (c) imported sources in the latest period for which figures are available. [34483]
Anne Milton: As part of its work, the UK Stem Cell Strategic Forum, led by NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) examined in detail donor search to transplant times. The Government are currently considering the Forum's report and recommendations and will produce a response in due course.
Data from the British Bone Marrow Registry, run by NHSBT, show an average (mean) time of 160 days (median time of 135 days) between a donor search request and a stem cell transplant being carried out. It is important to note that this period of time can be affected by a wide range of factors, including changes in the health of patients. The data are not broken down by ethnic group.
Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many NHS patients waiting for a blood stem cell transplant died in each of the last five years; [34477]
(2) how many blood stem cell transplants were conducted by the NHS in each of the last two years; [34479]
(3) how many blood stem cell transplants were conducted by the NHS using donors (a) on the British Bone Marrow Registry, (b) on the Anthony Nolan register and (c) from abroad in each of the last five years. [34482]
Anne Milton: Data on the number of blood stem cell transplants conducted by the national health service and the number of NHS patients that die waiting for a blood stem cell transplant are not collated centrally.
The following table shows the number of initial stem cell transplants (although in some cases further transplants are needed) conducted in the United Kingdom in 2008 and 2009. Data are not yet available for 2010.
| Stem Cell Source | 2008( 1) | 2009( 1) |
| (1) Figures collated by British Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (BSBMT). It is important to note that submission of the data by member transplant centres is voluntary, and therefore may not be completely comprehensive. | ||
The following table shows the total number of stem cell donors (including cord blood) provided by registry.
| Imported( 1) | BBMR( 2) | AN( 3) | |
| (1) Data provided by Anthony Nolan. (2) Data provided by NHS Blood and Transplant, which is responsible for the British Bone Marrow Registry. (3) Data provided by Anthony Nolan. Note: Figures given for donors provided include 2(nd) transplants, and donations not transplanted due to factors such as deterioration in the health of the patient. | |||
Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what estimate he has made of the average cost to the NHS of importing blood stem cells for transplantation; [34478]
(2) how many blood stem cell transplant donations were imported from each country in the last year for which figures are available. [34485]
Anne Milton: In 2010, the Department commissioned a review of unrelated donor stem cell transplantation in the United Kingdom, including cost and health economic analysis. The UK Stem Cell Strategic Forum, led by NHS Blood and Transplant produced a report, 'The Future of Unrelated Donor Stem Cell Transplantation in the UK' (copies of which have already been placed in the Library) on 1 December 2010.
Annex 4 of the report states that in 2009, the following adult stem cell donations, as shown in the table, were imported to the UK.
| Country | Number imported | Cost per donation (£) |
Annex 4 of the report states that in 2009, the following umbilical cord blood units, as shown in the following table, were imported to the UK.
| Country | Number imported | Cost per donation (£) |
Swine Flu: Death
Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the difference is in the number of projected deaths from swine flu between the Government's vaccination policy and a policy to vaccinate all those aged under five. [34940]
Anne Milton: The Government's policy on influenza vaccination is informed by the expert advice of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). The policy focuses on offering the vaccine to those at greatest risk from the effects of influenza. JCVI does not recommend that children under the age of five outside the at-risk groups should be vaccinated.
On 30 December, JCVI met to review its advice on seasonal influenza vaccination. It issued the following statement:
"JCVI was presented with data on the current seasonal influenza epidemiology, seroepidemological data collected during the 2009-10 pandemic, modelling of the impact of vaccination strategies during the pandemic, data on the effectiveness of influenza vaccines in the young and vaccine uptake and safety data.
JCVI noted that a large proportion of those individuals with severe disease are in recognised risk groups for influenza but were not vaccinated. JVCI re-iterated its previous advice that all individuals in risk groups should be vaccinated as soon as possible, particularly those aged less than 65 years.
The committee considered the issue of offering vaccination to healthy children either 0-4 years and/or 5-15 years of age. However, although there is a high incidence of influenza-like illness currently in these age groups, a significant proportion of this is due to other viruses such Respiratory Syncytial Virus. In addition, only a very small proportion of those with severe disease are in these age groups. Based on previous seasonal influenza epidemiology it would be hoped that influenza circulation will have subsided within a month. We do not believe that seasonal or pandemic vaccine should be used for these or other healthy person groups. The greatest gain will be achieved in increasing vaccine uptake in the clinical risk groups."
No projections have been made of the number of deaths from swine influenza infection that may be prevented during the current influenza season by the current vaccination policy or an extension of that policy to include children under five years of age or other healthy age groups. Such projections, if conducted, would be highly uncertain as they would depend on a number of factors that are unknown or uncertain including, the existing immunity to swine influenza infection in different age groups of the population, the vaccination coverage in different groups of the population and how quickly immunity would accrue in these groups, and the effectiveness of vaccination.
As with all vaccination programmes, JCVI will keep this matter under review.
Home Department
Asylum
Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will take steps to ensure that increasing the speed of decision-making on family asylum cases will not affect the fairness and effectiveness of such decisions. [34875]
Damian Green: The Asylum Improvement Project, which was established by the Government in the summer, is exploring new ways to improve the asylum system to speed up the processing of all applications, including family applications, while improving the quality of decision making, achieving greater productivity and efficiency in the asylum process and better, more sustainable, decisions.
We are also reviewing the decision making process for family cases as part of the review into ending the detention of children for immigration purposes and we are working with corporate partners to improve the process.
Asylum: Children
Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers who arrived in the country as unaccompanied minors and have been removed or detained with a view to removal in the last 12 months had been living in the UK for more than (a) three, (b) five and (c) 10 years. [34162]
Damian Green: A breakdown of the requested information is listed as follows:
| Time resident in United Kingdom | UASC and former UASC removed( 1, 2) | Former UASC detained( 1, 2, 3, 4) |
| (1) UASC stands for unaccompanied asylum seeking children. (2) Time period covered, 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2010. (3) Data exclude detained individuals subsequently removed. (4) Of the 198 individuals detained, none were under 18-years-old. Notes: 1. All figures quoted are internal management information only and are subject to change. 2. This information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols. | ||
Borders: Personal Records
Paul Uppal: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent progress she has made on the e-Borders programme. [34777]
Damian Green: Since the e-Borders contract with Raytheon Systems was terminated in July 2010, the e-Borders programme has been pursuing a strategy to secure existing live systems and assets and to procure services to replace those due under the original contract. The contract with IBM for the Semaphore system was novated to UKBA on 25 November 2010 and the Programme is on course to meet the Home Office Business plan target to transition remaining services from Raytheon Systems Ltd by April 2011.
We have engaged with a number of alternative providers to deliver the key benefits that the contract with Raytheon did not deliver. Work in designing the system capability to provide that benefit is now under way.
E-Borders is currently covering around 55% of passenger and crew movements into and out of the UK.
Detainees
Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) men and (b) women entered the detained fast track procedure in each year since 2005; and what proportion of (i) men and (ii) women entering the detained fast track procedure were granted leave to remain in each such year. [34912]
Damian Green: The information requested is provided in the following table.
Detainees :Sexuality
Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consideration she has given to adding complex sexuality-related persecution claims to the list of claims unlikely to be accepted in the suitability guidance note for routing into the detained fast track procedure. [34911]
Damian Green: Entry to the detained fast track procedure is determined by reference to published policy available on the UKBA website. There are no plans to exclude applicants from the detained fast track process because their claims appear to relate to complex sexuality-related persecution.
However, there is an existing condition in published policy that cases may enter the process only if they are amenable to a quick, fair and sustainable decision. If, at the time of application, it is apparent that this condition cannot be fulfilled the applicant will not be entered into the process.
Entry Clearances: Appeals
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her most recent estimate is of the average cost of an appeal against refusal of entry clearance. [33734]
Damian Green: The cost of immigration appeals is split between the Tribunals Service and UKBA. The majority of the cost falls to the Tribunals Service.
Most recent UKBA estimates (2009-10) suggest the cost of an appeal against refusal of entry clearance ranges typically between £200 and £500 per case. This unit will vary depending on the complexity of the case, with family visit visa appeals generally falling towards the lower end of this estimate.
The most recent estimate (2008-09) from the Tribunals Service indicate that a family visit visa appeal costs, on average, £504 and an appeal against other entry clearance decisions costs, on average, £577. These unit costs are based upon a broad estimate for the average cost and as such will vary depending upon the complexity of individual cases.
Entry Clearances: Families
Mr Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for family visitor visas there were in each year since 1997; how many of those were granted in each such year; how many times appeals were raised against refusals of such applications in each year; how many of those appeals were upheld in each year; and what her most recent estimate is of the average cost to her Department of such an appeal in the latest period for which figures are available. [33805]
Damian Green: With regard to family visit visas, the number of (a) applications received; (b) visas issued; (c) appeals received; and (d) appeals allowed, in each calendar year since 2004, is shown in the following table. This information is not available for previous years.
The cost of immigration appeals are split between the Tribunals Service and UKBA. The majority of the cost falls to the Tribunals Service.
The cost of immigration appeals are split between the Tribunals Service and UKBA. The majority of the cost falls to the Tribunals Service.
Most recent UKBA estimates (2009-10) suggest the cost of an appeal against refusal of entry clearance
ranges typically between £200 and £500 per case. This unit will vary depending on the complexity of the case, with family visit visa appeals generally falling towards the lower end of this estimate.
The most recent estimate (2008-09) from the Tribunals Service indicate that a family visit visa appeal costs, on average, £504 and an appeal against other entry clearance decisions costs, on average, £577. These unit costs are based upon a broad estimate for the average cost and as such will vary depending upon the complexity of individual cases.
| Family visit visas | ||||
| Applications received | Visas issued | Appeals received | Appeals allowed | |
| Notes: 1. These data are based on management information. They are provisional and subject to change. 2. Data prior to 2007 may not be complete. | ||||
Entry Clearances: Overseas Students
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many appeals against refusal of entry clearance were lodged by those who had applied for student visas in each year since 2000; and how many of those appeals were upheld in each year. [33735]
Damian Green: The number of appeals against the refusal of student visas that were (a) lodged and (b) allowed, in each calendar year since 2004, is shown in the following table. This information is not available for previous years.
| Appeals lodged | Appeals allowed | |
| (1) Since March 2009, long-term student applications have been considered under tier four of the points-based system and do not attract a full right of appeal. However, an unsuccessful applicant is able to lodge an appeal on residual grounds, namely under provisions of the Human Rights Act 1998 and Race Relations Act 1976. (2) The figures show that in 2009, a total of 9,645 appeals in this category were allowed. Many of the decisions to which these appeals relate are likely to have been made in 2008 when there was a significant increase in long-term student applications prior to the introduction of the points-based system. Notes: 1. This data is based on Management Information. It has not been published and should be treated as provisional. 2. The data before 2007 may not be complete. | ||
Fixed Penalties
Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many fixed penalty notice categories have replaced comparable criminal offence categories in the last five years. [34362]
James Brokenshire: No fixed penalty notices (FPN) for motoring offences categories have replaced comparable offence categories in the last five years. There are around 200 fixed penalty traffic offences and for every one of these the police have the option of prosecuting rather than issuing a FPN.
Statistics on fixed penalty notices issued, broken down by offence category are published in the Home Office Statistical Bulletin "Police Powers and Procedures, 2008/09" and statistics on prosecutions for motoring offences are published in the supplementary volumes of Justice Publication "Criminal Statistics-2008/09". Copies of both publications are available in the Library of the House.
The only offence that has been added to the penalty notice for disorder (PND) scheme for non-motoring offences in the last five years is the offence of cannabis possession which was added on 28 January 2009. Currently there are 25 other offences available under the scheme. A full list of PND offences can be found at:
All offences available under the scheme can still attract all existing disposals. PNDs are just one of a number of options available to the police which range from an informal warning, to a formal out-of-court disposal, to charging a suspect and prosecuting them at court. The nature and the seriousness of the offence, the harm caused and the offender's circumstances and previous criminal history will all be relevant to the police officer's decision on the most appropriate criminal justice response.
Statistics on PNDs issued, broken down by offence category are published in the Ministry of Justice Criminal Statistics: England and Wales 2009 and can be found at:
Members: Correspondence
Sir Gerald Kaufman:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to answer the letter sent to her by the right hon. Member for Manchester,
Gorton on 2 December 2010 with regard to Mrs B H Hamah-Ahmeen. [34752]
Damian Green: I wrote to the right hon. Member on behalf of my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary on 18 January 2011.
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