Written Answers to Questions
Friday 21 January 2011
Business, Innovation and Skills
Green Investment Bank
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) for what reason new nuclear power plants were included in the target subsectors in his Department's invitation to tender for the specification for the Green Investment Bank product research published in late 2010; [34580]
(2) what assessment he has made of the extent to which the support for new nuclear power provided by the Green Investment Bank is compatible with the Government's policy on public subsidy for new nuclear power. [35352]
Mr Prisk: Officials are continuing work on the Green Investment Bank's (GIB) form, remit and function, and our conclusions will be published in May. Decisions will be informed by current work to model and test possible products which the GIB could offer over the longer term.
Decisions have not yet been taken on the GIB's remit and whether or not to include nuclear within it. Any GIB products for nuclear will be consistent with the Government's policy that there will be no levy, direct payment or market support for electricity supplied or capacity provided by a private sector new nuclear operator, unless similar support is also made available more widely to other types of generation.
Higher Education Innovation Fund
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much Higher Education Innovation Fund funding (a) has been allocated to each higher education institution in each of the last five years and (b) he expects to allocate to each higher education institution in each of the next three years; and if he will make a statement. [35488]
Mr Willetts: Allocations to individual institutions are a matter for the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). The following documents give the allocations for each institution in the last five years:
The allocation of science and research funding 2011/12 to 2014/15 published on 20 December 2010, confirmed that total Higher Education Innovation Funding (HEIF) will be maintained in cash terms at £150 million per annum over the spending review period. HEFCE will
rapidly reform HEIF to increase incentives for performance. Funding for individual institutions will be determined by HEFCE.
Higher Education: Liverpool
Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many students in higher education are normally resident in Liverpool, West Derby constituency. [35281]
Mr Willetts: The latest available information from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) shows 2,730 students enrolled at UK Higher Education Institutions were from Liverpool West Derby constituency in the 2009/10 academic year. This covers students on both full-time and part-time undergraduate and postgraduate courses. The equivalent information for students studying higher education courses at further education colleges is not available.
Office for Fair Access
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he plans to give new powers to the Office of Fair Access to monitor university access agreements. [34946]
Mr Willetts [holding answer 20 January 2011]: The Director of Fair Access at the Office for Fair Access (OFFA) is responsible for approving universities' and colleges' access agreements to safeguard access to higher education.
On 7 December I published draft guidance to the Director of Fair Access setting out my expectations and suggestions as to how the Director might approach the approval and monitoring of institutions' access agreements. Final guidance will be published shortly.
The basic and higher levels of graduate contribution are changing from 1 September 2012. Much more public funding will be reaching universities via students, supported by up-front loans from the public purse. These changes are significant, and we want to monitor their effects carefully. The draft guidance to the Director of Fair Access therefore asks him to review access agreements annually, rather than every five years as at present.
We will be publishing a White Paper on higher education reforms during the early part of this year. As part of that we will consider if changes are needed to strengthen the role of the Director of Fair Access further.
Office for Fair Access: Manpower
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many staff are employed by the Office of Fair Access; how many were so employed in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement. [34945]
Mr Willetts [holding answer 20 January 2011]: In each of the last three years the Office for Fair Access has employed four staff, including the Director.
Overseas Trade: Middle East
Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the monetary value of (a) exports and (b) imports, including the monetary value of tourism, between the UK and (i) Lebanon, (ii) Syria, (iii) Jordan, (iv) Egypt and (v) Israel in the last year for which figures are available. [35164]
Mr Prisk: Overseas Trade Statistics data for UK trade in goods with the named countries are shown in the following table:
| £ million | ||
| UK exports of goods 2009 | UK imports of goods 2009 | |
Table 9.13 of the UK Balance of Payments "Pink Book" gives the following figures for UK trade in services with the named countries:
| £ million | ||
| UK exports of services 2009 | UK imports of services 2009 | |
Office for National Statistics (ONS) do not publish separate travel services data for these countries in the "Pink Book", but tables 2.10 and 3.10 of "Travel Trends" give the following figures for spending in the UK by overseas residents, and UK residents' spending abroad:
| £ million | ||
| Spending in the UK by visitor' s country of residence 2009 | UK residents' spending abroad by country of visit 2009 | |
| Note: 'Other Middle East' covers: Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirates and the Yemen. | ||
Research: Finance
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has to link future allocations of research degree supervision grant to research quality rather than volume; and if he will make a statement. [35490]
Mr Willetts: The "Allocation of Science and Research Funding 2011-15" published on 20 December 2010, available at:
confirmed that the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) will reform funding provided to support the next generation of researchers to reward internationally excellent research quality. This also takes forward a recommendation in Review of Postgraduate Education, published in 2010. It will be for the HEFCE Board to determine how to achieve this.
Mr Thomas:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many doctoral training centres his Department has funded in each of
the last five years and at which institutions; how many such centres he expects to fund in each of the next three years; and if he will make a statement. [35491]
Mr Willetts: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills provides funding to the research councils which in turn may decide to provide funding for doctoral training centres.
The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) is currently funding 77 doctoral training centres, an institutional breakdown is appended at the end of my answer. A breakdown of funding is as follows:
In the years prior to 2007/08, EPSRC funded 34 doctoral training centres in areas of engineering and life sciences interfaces.
In 2008/09 EPSRC launched a significant call for new centres (and including renewal of some of the previously funded centres) which led to the funding of 46 new (now designated) centres for doctoral training (CDTs) starting in October 2009.
These centres were augmented in 2009/10 with an additional seven new centres starting in October 2010.
Seven more centres in manufacturing and ICT to start during 2011 have recently gained approval by EPSRC.
The council's plans for CDTs beyond October 2011 are under discussion.
The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), as part of the new postgraduate training framework, has recently announced the funding of 21 doctoral training centres, to start from October 2011, over five years. An institutional breakdown appended at the end of my answer. The ESRC has not previously commissioned doctoral training centres.
| EPSRC centres for doctoral training portfolio, January 2011 | |
| Universities with CDTs | Number of centres |
| ESRC doctoral training centres starting in October 2011 | |
| Lead HEI | Collaborating HEI |
Retirement Homes: Unfair Practices
Paul Goggins: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he expects the Office of Fair Trading to conclude its investigation into the use of contract terms requiring the owners of retirement homes to pay fees on the sale or disposal of their properties; and if he will make a statement. [35165]
Mr Davey:
The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) expects to make an announcement about the next steps for the
case in the spring. It is taking forward this investigation as efficiently and fairly as possible.
If the OFT concludes that some firms have used terms that are unfair for the purposes of the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999, it may obtain suitable commitments from the firms it is investigating to address its concerns. This would enable the investigation to be concluded more speedily. However, given the range and complexity of the issues, there is no guarantee that a resolution will be achievable on this basis. If the OFT decides to take court action, such action will take time to reach a conclusion.
Royal Mail: Pay
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what (a) annual salary and (b) related monetary incentives are to be paid to the chief executive of Royal Mail; and what discussions there were between officials of his Department and HM Treasury on this matter. [33822]
Mr Davey: Royal Mail's Remuneration Committee has set Moya Greene's remuneration package following discussions with the Department and the Treasury. Full details of her remuneration for 2010-11, including any performance bonus payments, will be published in Royal Mail's annual report and accounts alongside that for all other directors of the company.
Whisky: Exports
Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has to discuss trade tariffs on Scotch whisky with his international counterparts for the purposes of increasing the level of exports. [34845]
Mr Davey: UK Ministers regularly raise tariff and other market access issues, including those of concern to the Scotch whisky industry, when meeting their international counterparts. In addition reductions in global tariffs are being sought in the Doha trade round negotiations and at a bilateral level in EU Free Trade Agreement negotiations.
Cabinet Office
Community Development
Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) what assessment he has made of the change in the level of social capital over the last 30 years; [35232]
(2) what mechanisms his Department has in place to assess the level of social capital within communities; [35233]
(3) what research his Department has commissioned on social capital in communities in the last five years; [35231]
(4) what assessment he has made of social capital levels within each socio-economic grouping. [35812]
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 Questions.
The Office for National Statistics undertook a Social Capital Project between 2002 and 2005 to look at the measurement of this concept. A range of outputs were published, including an article examining trends in social capital over time, by location and through different sub-groups of the population. A set of harmonised questions for official surveys were also produced and these outputs are all available on the ONS website.
Social capital is one of the potential components of National Well-being and this will be considered as part of the Measurement of National Well-being programme that the Office for National Statistics is currently taking forward.
Electoral Register
Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the rate of electoral registration was in each of the (a) 100 most deprived wards and (b) 100 least deprived wards in the latest period for which figures are available. [35230]
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 question asking what the rate of electoral registration was in each of the (a) 100 most deprived wards and (b) 100 least deprived wards in the UK in the latest period for which figures are available (35230).
ONS does not have the information available to identify the 100 most and 100 least deprived wards in the UK. The Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) are available for each of the UK constituent countries, but a single UK measure is not appropriate and ward level information is no longer produced. Furthermore, population estimates by ward are required to give an approximation of the electoral registration rate. These are not available for Scotland.
Government Departments: Publicity
Phil Wilson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office which national publicity campaigns have been cancelled since the general election; and what cost to the public purse was incurred in each such case. [33790]
Mr Maude: I have asked the chief executive of the Central Office of Information to write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Mark Lund, dated 17 January 2011:
As Chief Executive of the Central Office of Information (COI), I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Questions 33790 regarding the cancellations of national publicity campaigns.
A record of all national publicity campaigns is not held centrally and this information could only be made available at disproportionate cost.
Of the campaigns commissioned through the Central Office of Information since the General Election in 2010, none have been cancelled that have incurred a cost to the public purse.
Ministerial Policy Advisers: Redundancy Pay
Pete Wishart:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the answer of 16 September 2010, Official Report, column 1222W, on ministerial policy
advisers: redundancy pay, when he expects to publish details of severance payments made to special advisers in each department made redundant at the General Election. [34195]
Mr Maude: The total cost of severance payments made to special advisers made redundant at the last general election was published in the Prime Minister's written ministerial statement on special adviser numbers and cost on 28 October 2010, Official Report, columns 19-23WS. It would not be appropriate to detail the costs by Department in order to protect the privacy of individuals.
Sure Start Programme: Hammersmith and Fulham
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what communications there have been between the Cabinet Office and Hammersmith and Fulham council on Sure Start programmes since the local government finance settlement was announced. [34368]
Mr Hurd: The Cabinet Office have had no discussions with Hammersmith and Fulham council on the Sure Start programme.
Voluntary Work: Regulation
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps he is taking to reduce the regulatory burden on volunteers. [33757]
Mr Maude: In order for us to create the Big Society, it is essential that we do what we can to encourage social action and reduce barriers to people volunteering.
The Office for Civil Society and the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) have established a joint red tape task force. Headed by Lord Hodgson, the task force will make recommendations to reduce the bureaucratic burdens on civil society organisations, including those involving volunteers. It is due to report to Cabinet Office and BIS Ministers shortly.
In addition the Home Office and Department for Education (DfE) are currently reviewing the Criminal Records and Vetting and Barring regimes with the aim of scaling them back to common sense levels. The Office for Civil Society has been working with the Home Office and DfE to ensure that the impact of checks on volunteers is taken into account.
Communities and Local Government
Councillors: Pay
Caroline Dinenage: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he is taking to reduce the number of local council employees who receive salaries higher than that of the Prime Minister. [33644]
Robert Neill:
The salaries of local authority chief executives are for each local authority employer to determine in the light of local circumstances. The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government has called for the most senior local government officers to
consider a voluntary reduction in pay and also suggested that no new council chief executive should be paid more than the Prime Minister.
The Government's view is that there needs to be greater local democratic accountability and transparency over senior remuneration arrangements and policies in local government. To achieve this, we have introduced provisions in the Localism Bill to ensure that councillors are better able to be held to account for their decisions on senior pay by requiring full council to agree and publish a senior pay policy statement. This will form the framework within which decisions on senior remuneration can be made transparently by the authority.
The Government intend to publish and consult on a Draft Code of Recommended Practice for Local Authorities on Data Transparency shortly, including salary disclosure. Will Hutton has been commissioned by the Chancellor of the Exchequer to conduct an Independent Review of Fair Pay in the Public Sector, reporting back in March.
Culture, Media and Sport
British Sky Broadcasting
Mr Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport (1) what recent discussions he or officials of his Department have had with representatives of (a) News Corp and (b) BSkyB on the potential takeover of BSkyB by News Corp; [34012]
(2) whether he has sought advice on (a) sharing information and (b) holding discussions with representatives of (i) News Corp and (ii) BSkyB on the recommendations of Ofcom on a possible takeover of BSkyB by News Corp prior to his decision on whether to refer the matter to the competition authorities; [34013]
(3) when he expects to publish the advice of Ofcom on the possible takeover of BSkyB by News Corp. [34014]
Mr Jeremy Hunt: On 31 December 2010 I received Ofcom's report on the public interest issues relating to the News Corporation's proposed acquisition of BSkyB. In taking my decision about whether to refer this proposed acquisition to the Competition Commission, I will take as much time as necessary to carefully consider all the relevant information so that I am able to come to a fully considered decision. In view of the commercial sensitivity of the process and the need to preserve legitimate confidentiality, it would not be appropriate for me to comment on every stage of the process. I will publish Ofcom's report with commercially sensitive information redacted. I have not taken a final decision about when to publish, but I have a duty to publish the report before or at the time of the announcement of my decision. I am committed to reaching my decision in a fair and even-handed way, and am satisfied that the decision-making process will ensure all concerns are properly considered.
East London: Tech City
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what contribution his Department is making to the Prime Minister's initiative to create a Tech City in East London. [34563]
Mr Vaizey: Officials within the Department are working closely with UK Trade and Investment, the Department for Communities and Local Government, the Olympic Park Legacy Company, the London Borough of Hackney and other relevant parties to take forward the ambition for London's East End to become a world-leading technology city, centred around Shoreditch/Hoxton and the Olympic Park hubs.
Horseracing Levy
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport when he expects to announce the determination of the horseracing levy for 2011. [34883]
Hugh Robertson: The Secretary of State intends to make his determination on the basis of my advice by the end of February at the latest.
Internet
Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the number of households without access to the internet in England and Wales. [35364]
Mr Vaizey: Almost all households in the UK can access the internet through one of a variety of mechanisms-broadband connection, dial-up connection via the phone line, mobile or satellite.
Broadband Delivery UK estimates that about 950,000 households have access to internet connections capable of 512 Kbps or less.
Libraries: Closures
Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport which libraries in London are (a) proposing to close and (b) proposing to reduce their opening hours. [35487]
Mr Vaizey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 19 January 2011, Official Report, column 775W.
Mass Media
Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport when he plans to publish his proposed local media action plan. [35380]
Mr Jeremy Hunt: The Local Media Action Plan was published on the Department for Culture, Media and Sport's website on 19 January 2011. It can be found using the following link:
http://www.culture.gov.uk/images/ConDoc-Local_Media _Action_Plan_190111.pdf
News Corporation
Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether he plans to meet representatives of (a) News Corporation and (b) media organisations opposed to News Corporation's acquisition of BSkyB prior to taking a decision on whether to refer the proposed acquisition of BSkyB to the Competition Commission. [34964]
Mr Jeremy Hunt [holding answer 20 January 2011]: On 31 December 2010 I received Ofcom's report on the public interest issues relating to the News Corporation's proposed acquisition of BSkyB. In taking my decision about whether to refer this proposed acquisition to the Competition Commission, I will take as much time as necessary to carefully consider all the relevant information so that I am able to come to a fully considered decision. In view of the commercial sensitivity of the process and the need to preserve legitimate confidentiality, it would not be appropriate for me to comment on every stage of the process. I will publish Ofcom's report with commercially sensitive and confidential information redacted. I have not taken a final decision about when to publish, but I have a duty to publish the report before or at the time of the announcement of my decision. I am committed to reaching my decision in a fair and even-handed way, ensuring that all concerns are properly considered.
Energy and Climate Change
Radioactive Waste
Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what consideration he has given to (a) the use of near-surface nuclear waste repositories, (b) retrieval of waste from such repositories for processing and (c) processing of waste previously stored in such repositories. [35180]
Charles Hendry: Low level waste (LLW) is currently managed in near-surface facilities, principally at the low level waste repository (LLWR) in West Cumbria.
A near-surface facility is also being developed at the Dounreay site in Scotland. Some lower hazard radioactive wastes are also disposed of to conventional landfills.
Near-surface disposal is further being considered for certain intermediate level wastes subject to a facility achieving an Environmental Safety Case and other relevant permissioning. The requirements for a safety case are set out in guidance from the environment agencies. At the current time, such considerations are at an early feasibility stage and no such facilities currently operate.
It is Government policy that higher activity wastes, such as high-level waste (HLW) from reprocessing, intermediate level waste and long-lived LLW and unreprocessed spent nuclear fuel will be disposed of in a geological disposal facility. The Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM) spent more than two and a half years considering and evaluating all the options (including near-surface disposal) for managing higher activity radioactive waste on the basis of wide engagement with the expert community including international experience, stakeholders and members of the public. CoRWM recommended that geological disposal was the best available approach as part of a package of recommendations in 2006.
By definition, disposal of radioactive wastes to near surface or geological facilities is undertaken with no intent to retrieve. There are a small number of examples in the UK where historic waste disposals have been retrieved and the waste repackaged and disposed of to modern standards.
It should also be noted that the UK has a strong and effective nuclear safety and environmental regulatory regimes that ensure the safe disposal and management of radioactive waste.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much the Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund (a) raised and (b) cost to administer in each of the last four years. [34928]
Richard Benyon: The Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund (ALSF) was established at the same time as the Aggregates Levy, in 2002, complementing the Levy's objectives by targeting the environmental impacts directly. There is no direct financial link between the Fund and Levy; the Fund is managed by DEFRA and the Levy by HMRC. The Fund does not raise money whereas the Levy does and contributes to the general taxation pot. HMRC figures show that the following was raised over the last four financial years:
| Total receipts (£ million) | |
DEFRA's administrative costs to run the ALSF have been approximately £472,000 (or approx £118,000 on average for each year) for the last four years. This cost was in addition to the fund itself. The funds are allocated to a number of primary delivery partners, many of which subsequently distribute on to others, so it is not possible to compile a complete breakdown of costs. However delivery partners are required to ensure that their administrative costs did not exceed 7% of their own ALSF budget allocation without prior approval. This was only sanctioned in one case.
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to provide funding for (a) community and (b) archaeological projects hitherto funded through the Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund grant scheme. [34929]
Richard Benyon: There is no direct replacement for the Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund although the Department can provide funds through its Rural Development Programme for England programme-and through its support for bodies such as Natural England and Action with Communities in Rural England-to support and develop community projects.
DEFRA also funds some options in Environmental Stewardship for management of farm land containing archaeological sites and artefacts.
Flood Control: Finance
Hugh Bayley:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for how many capital schemes for flood risk management funded by the Environment Agency construction commenced in
(a) England and (b) the Yorkshire and North East Region in (i) 2008-09, (ii) 2009-10 and (iii) 2010-11; and for how many such schemes will construction commence in (A) 2011-12 and (B) 2012-13. [34476]
Richard Benyon: Provision of a detailed breakdown of the number of Environment Agency capital schemes that commenced construction in England in the specified years would incur disproportionate cost.
The following table shows the number of schemes that have been completed in each of the years requested, and provides a good indication of the number of schemes that would have commenced construction in the same period.
| Number of schemes completed in England | |
The following table indicates the number of schemes that commenced in the Yorkshire and north-east region in each of the years specified:
| Number of schemes that commenced in Yorkshire and north-east region | |
Figures are not yet available. The indicative funding allocation proposals for flood and coastal erosion risk management projects for 2011-12 are currently subject to discussion between the Environment Agency and its Regional Flood Defence Committees. Final decisions on the allocation of funds to regional committees will be made in February or March by the Environment Agency's Board, and decisions on the programmes of schemes to be delivered next year will be made by the committees in April.
The budget and number of projects for future years will depend on the outcome of DEFRA's 'Future funding for Flood and Coast Erosion Risk Management' consultation.
Sewers: Private Sector
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what mapping of (a) private lateral drains and sewers and (b) private pumping stations her Department has undertaken. [34877]
Richard Benyon: No mapping has taken place. It is not necessary to know the precise location of private sewerage assets to effect their transfer to water and sewerage companies under the Government's proposals for the transfer of private sewers.
Wood: Landfill
Mrs McGuire: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she has plans to bring forward proposals to introduce a ban on wood going to landfill. [34765]
Richard Benyon: The Government are not minded to introduce further landfill restrictions in England at present, but will consider how best to make further reductions in the amount of waste to going to landfill as part of the review of waste policies, due to conclude in spring 2011.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Departmental Art Works
Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many pieces of artwork his Department has moved since May 2010. [34663]
Alistair Burt: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is not responsible for moving works of art displayed in its buildings either in the UK or abroad.
Art displayed in FCO buildings is from the Government Art Collection (GAC) which is also responsible for its transport. Details of GAC art located in FCO buildings can be found on the GAC website:
Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department has spent on artwork since May 2010. [34664]
Alistair Burt: On 13 May 2010 the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) spent £746 on posters/artwork for our embassy in Paris. Since then no artwork has been purchased for the diplomatic estate by the FCO.
Works of art displayed in FCO buildings in the UK and throughout the network are from Government Art Collection (GAC), which publishes an annual list of acquisitions. The most recent details of acquisitions are contained in the annual report, available on the GAC website:
Departmental Furniture
Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department has spent on furniture since May 2010. [34662]
Alistair Burt: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Working Conditions
Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 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. [34593]
Alistair Burt: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) seeks to apply the space guidelines laid down centrally by the Government Property Unit (GPU) wherever possible. The current guidelines are 10 sq m per full time employee (FTE). For any new fit-out or refurbishment a ratio of 8 square metres per FTE is applied.
The FCO's policy on flexible working is that everyone has the right to request it. Flexible working is granted where the business need allows. Home working is one of a range of flexible working arrangements available to staff; there are approximately 30 home workers in the FCO.
In newly refurbished and fitted out areas provision is made for hot desking. On average there are 1.2 FTEs per workstation. Given the heritage and listed building status of the FCO's buildings in London it is not always possible to achieve the GPU standards; for example, the average space per employee as reported in the latest benchmarking exercise is currently 14.3 square metres.
Hungary: Freedom of Expression
Mr MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to his Hungarian counterpart on new legislation limiting freedom of expression in that country. [33594]
Mr Lidington: I spoke to my Hungarian counterpart, Eniko Gyori, about the implications of this new legislation on 20 January. Freedom of the press is at the heart of a free society. The European Commission is currently reviewing the legislation to check whether it is in compliance with EU law and international norms and I look forward to hearing their findings.
Iraq: Christianity
Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the government of Iraq on the treatment of Christians in that country; and if he will make a statement. [34507]
Alistair Burt: The Government utterly condemn the recent attacks on the Christian community in Iraq. I released a statement following the attack on Our Lady of Salvation Church in Baghdad on 31 October 2010, which killed 53 people, as did our ambassador to Baghdad, and Pope Benedict XVI. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary released a statement following further attacks across Baghdad on 2 November 2010. We will continue to raise our concerns at the highest level, particularly in wake of the most recent attacks on Christian homes in Baghdad.
On 10 November 2010 the Foreign Secretary met the Iraqi Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hoshyar Zebari, and raised the issue of Iraqi Christians with him. Mr Zebari agreed that the protection of Christians was the responsibility of the Iraqi Government.
My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister also raised this in a telephone conversation with Prime Minister al-Maliki on 15 November 2010. Prime Minister al-Maliki expressed concern at recent developments, and welcomed UK support.
On 20 December 2010, Prime Minister al-Maliki's proposed Cabinet was approved by the Iraqi Council of Representatives, ending several months of hiatus since the March 2010 elections. We have since urged the Iraqi Government to address the key challenges facing Iraq and its people, particularly the protection of all Iraqis, including Christians.
Israel: Embassies
Mrs Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of vetting procedures in respect of the appointment of locally-engaged staff at the British Consulate in Jerusalem. [33218]
Alistair Burt: Before taking up employment, all our locally engaged staff undergo appropriate levels of security vetting in accordance with the Government's Security Policy Framework. We are confident in this process, but we keep our security procedures under constant review, and will take recent events into account as appropriate.
Mrs Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will commission an investigation into a recent incident involving two employees of the British consulate in Jerusalem. [34109]
Alistair Burt: The two members of local staff of the Jerusalem consulate general arrested in December 2010 by Israeli authorities are subject to an ongoing legal process. Subject to the outcome of that process, we are conducting an internal investigation into the original circumstances of their employment. We are also reviewing whether current vetting procedures are appropriate and being applied correctly in all our posts.
Ministers' Private Offices
Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department has spent on redecorating Ministerial offices since May 2010. [34661]
Alistair Burt: We have spent £2,107 plus VAT since May 2010. We aim to refurbish Offices every 10 years. Costs reflect the need to safeguard the historic interiors of a Grade I listed building.
Pakistan: Politics and Government
Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to support opponents of religious extremism in Pakistan. [35268]
Alistair Burt: Religious tolerance is an important part of a democratic society. All Pakistani citizens should have their human rights protected by the Government of Pakistan, regardless of their religion or ethnicity. The UK works with the Government of Pakistan and civil society to help tackle the root causes of religious extremism in Pakistan.
A major part of our Prevent programme in Pakistan is dedicated to working with Pakistanis in reducing the threat from violent extremism, and to build their capability
to deal with it. Examples include providing platforms for leading international scholars to challenge the ideological justification for terrorism, and a campaign by former extremists to equip young people to challenge extremists' arguments. These interventions are designed to increase the resilience of particularly vulnerable groups against terrorists' narratives and ideology, and improve their ability to challenge these arguments where they encounter them.
Health
Baby Care Units
Tristram Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make improving neonatal services, including nurse staffing, a priority for local services in the NHS Operating Framework for 2011-12. [34650]
Anne Milton: The "NHS Operating Framework for 2011-12" was published on 15 December 2010.
It is for local healthcare providers to decide how best to organise their workforce to achieve better outcomes and value for money.
Care Quality Commission: Fees and Charges
Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will assess the potential effects on the regulatory burden of proposals by the Care Quality Commission to charge registration fees; and if he will make a statement. [35059]
Mr Simon Burns: It is a standard principle that organisations that are regulated should meet the cost of regulation. It is therefore appropriate that all providers that are required to register with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) should pay a fee for registration.
CQC is responsible for setting the level of registration fees payable by different providers, subject to consultation and the consent of the Secretary of State.
CQC is committed to the principles of good regulation (proportionate, accountable, consistent, transparent and targeted) throughout its work. It has consulted on its proposals for registration fees that will apply from April 2011 and will publish its response in due course.
Food Standards Agency: Fees and Charges
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the cost to the livestock industry of the charging proposals envisaged by the Food Standards Agency; what assessment he has made of the impact of such charges on slaughterhouses; and if he will make a statement. [35019]
Anne Milton:
The proposals for moving towards full cost recovery and a maximum 70% full cost reduction (low throughput establishments) of meat hygiene and welfare at slaughter official controls are set out in a public consultation which closes on 1 February 2011. The total cost of these proposals for Great Britain is estimated to be £29.41 million, and using a working assumption, which originates from the Department for
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, slaughterhouses would absorb one third of the cost and livestock producers the other two thirds; it is estimated the proposals would cost slaughterhouses £9.80 million, and livestock producers £19.61 million. These estimates do not factor in the efficiencies of £5.5 million to which the Food Standards Agency is committed, and therefore the costs could be less than those estimated.
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he has taken to ensure the Food Standards Agency complies with the provision on publication of meat hygiene changes of EU Regulation 882/2004 [35020]
Anne Milton: Article 27(12) of Regulation 882/2004 states:
"The Member States shall make public the method of calculation of fees and communicate it to the Commission. The Commission shall examine whether the fees comply with the requirements of this Regulation."
In August 2009, following a consultation exercise launched in December 2008 on the charging arrangements and charging levels for official controls carried out in the United Kingdom in approved meat premises, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) wrote to the European Commission. The letter advised that, with agreement of Ministers in all four UK countries, the FSA had decided to proceed with the introduction of a new system of calculating charges for meat hygiene and animal welfare at slaughter official controls. The letter explained the new system would base charges on the time cost of official controls in meat businesses and would continue to comply with Article 27 and Annex IV, Chapters I to III of Regulation 882/2004. It was confirmed these arrangements would take effect from 28 September 2009.
Each country has its own legislation under The Meat (Official Controls Charges) 2009 which determine the charge method the FSA currently uses. To assist food business operators with a more comprehensive understanding, the FSA published an extensive charges guide which includes details of what is and is not chargeable. This was posted to all food business operators on 12 September 2009 and is also available on the FSA website at:
The FSA advises every food business operator, before the start of each financial year, what their charges will be. In addition the FSA keeps food business operators updated against European Union minimal requirements throughout the year.
General Practitioners
Glenda Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what (a) upper and (b) lower limits he has set for remuneration of members of GP commissioning boards; and if he will make a statement. [35155]
Mr Simon Burns:
Commissioning consortia will be held to account by the NHS Commissioning Board for the outcomes they achieve for patients and their financial performance. Each consortium will have a constitution, which will specify the arrangements for how it will discharge its functions, including in relation to determining
the remuneration and terms and conditions of its employees. Consortia will be able to pay employees such remuneration and employ them on such other terms and conditions as they may determine.
We have, however, set out that consortia will receive an allowance for running costs that could be in the range of £25 to £35 per head of population by 2014-15. We will not determine the exact amount until further work has been undertaken with pathfinders. This work will explore the optimal balance between ensuring sufficient investment in organisational sustainability with maximising resources for front line services.
Influenza: Vaccinations
Nicola Blackwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the availability of influenza vaccine in Oxford West and Abingdon constituency. [35316]
Ms Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what reports he has received on shortages of influenza vaccinations in Wirral primary care trust since October 2010. [35303]
Anne Milton: The Department has been aware of some reports of seasonal influenza vaccine supply issues in some parts of the country. General practitioners (GPs) in England order seasonal influenza vaccine direct from the manufacturers, according to their patient's needs. The national health service is working to ensure that any local vaccine shortages are managed effectively.
The chief medical officer wrote to GPs in England on 6 January to confirm that they can use the H1N1 monovalent influenza vaccine Pandemrix, which will help protect people most at risk against the H1N1 virus which is causing the most illness. A copy of this letter has already been placed in the Library.
There are potentially over 12 million doses of Pandemrix available to the NHS if needed.
Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reason his Department did not offer influenza immunisations to all children under five years in the winter of 2010-11. [35485]
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 flu. 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 flu 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 unfortunately were not vaccinated. It strongly 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 (RSV). 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."
As with all vaccination programmes, JCVI will keep this matter under review.
NHS: East of England
Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which Quality, Innovation, Prevention and Productivity plans he has received from NHS trusts in the East of England; and if he will publish those plans. [35194]
Mr Simon Burns: Strategic health authorities have been developing their regional Quality, Innovation, Prevention and Productivity (QIPP) plans to meet their local efficiency challenge for over a year. Following the spending review and the publication of the "NHS Operating Framework for 2011-12" they have been working to integrate these into mutually reinforcing regional reform, QIPP and business plans. The Department will publish a summary of the regional plans in due course once the work to integrate and test the assumptions in the plans has been completed.
NHS: Official Hospitality
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much NHS hospitals in (a) England, (b) the North West and (c) Cumbria spent on hospitality in each year since 2005. [35158]
Mr Simon Burns: The information requested is not held centrally.
International Development
Overseas Aid
Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when his Department expects to publish its humanitarian emergency response review. [34646]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: The Humanitarian Emergency Response Review (HERR) is an independent review of the UK Government's emergency humanitarian assistance, which is being led by Lord Ashdown. As stated in the Department for International Development's (DFID's) business plan 2011-15, the HERR aims to publish its final report by the end of March 2011. However, at the request of its Advisory Board, it has built in a four-week deadline extension (until the end of April 2011), to allow for possible delays that would then mean having to wait until after Parliament's Easter recess to publish the report.
Justice
Prisoners
Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many serving prisoners had an address in Liverpool, West Derby constituency immediately prior to committal. [35521]
Mr Blunt: Information held on prisoners does not include home addresses provided immediately prior to committal at court but does include an address provided on first reception in to prison.
As at 30 November 2010 there were 201 sentenced prisoners with a recorded residential address, as described below, in the Liverpool, West Derby constituency area. This figure includes sentenced male and female prisoners, adults, young offenders and juveniles. The figure does not include those held on remand.
Information on a prisoner's residence is provided by prisoners on reception into prison and recorded on a central IT system. Addresses include a prisoner's home address, an address to which they intend to return on discharge and next of kin and these figures are included in the answer. If no address is given, a prisoner's committal court address is used as a proxy for the area in which a prisoner is resident. This is required for about 40% of the prison population. As there is no committal court in the West Derby constituency area, no prisoners have been included in the figures provided on this basis. However, there may be some under counting in respect of prisoners from the West Derby constituency who have not provided an address and for whom a proxy address elsewhere is used. No address has been recorded and no court information is available for around 3% of prisoners, these figures are also excluded from the answer.
Prisoners: Sexual Offences
Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners serving sentences of less than four years have been convicted of (a) violent and (b) sexual offences. [34073]
Mr Blunt: From the most recent available data, 31 December 2010, the number of prisoners serving sentences of less than four years was (a) 5,648 for violent offences and (b) 1,808 for sexual offences.
These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
Serious Fraud Office
Paul Goggins: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the likely effect on (a) the operations of the Serious Fraud Office and (b) the timetable for implementation of the Bribery Act 2010 of the review of the provisions of that Act announced by the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills. [35181]
Mr Blunt:
A timetable for commencement of the Bribery Act in spring 2011 was set out by the Lord Chancellor in a statement on 20 July 2010, Official Report, column 11WS. The Serious Fraud Office is fully
involved in preparations for the commencement of the Act, as indeed is the Crown Prosecution Service. As part of the Government's work on the growth review, the Secretary of State for Business and the Chancellor are meeting colleagues to discuss how their Departments can better support business.
The growth review will ensure that every Government Department is doing everything it can to identify the obstacles for investment and help the country's economy grow.
Tribunals: Robert Oxley
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will estimate the cost of the tribunal case into the appeal made by Mr Robert Oxley held in Colchester on 13 December 2010. [35176]
Mr Djanogly: The average cost for the Tribunals Service of a completed appeal in the First-tier Tribunal - Social Security and Child Support (based on national 2009-10 data) is £282.
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much was paid to each person who sat on the appeals tribunal in Colchester on 13 December 2010 which considered cases including that of Mr Robert Oxley in respect of their attendance. [35178]
Mr Djanogly: The panel that sat in Colchester on 13 December 2010 and considered appeals, including that of Mr Robert Oxley, was composed of a judge, a medical member and a member with experience of disability. The current daily fees are: judge £424, medical member £310, member with experience of disability £192.
Full details of judicial salaries and fees can be found on the Ministry of Justice website at:
Transport
First Capital Connect
Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment his Department made of First Capital Connect's compliance with committed obligations under its franchise agreement in the most recent four-weekly assessment period. [34352]
Mrs Villiers [holding answer 19 January 2011]: Department for Transport officials monitor First Capital Connect's performance against the contract on a four weekly basis and meet with the operator every four weeks to review compliance against the franchisee's contractual commitments. This review includes operational performance and the delivery of committed obligations. During the most recent four-weekly assessment period, no contraventions of the franchise agreement were identified.
Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what meetings (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department had with representatives of First Capital Connect between 5 May 2010 and 31 December 2010. [34353]
Mrs Villiers: The Secretary of State did not meet with First Capital Connect between 5 May 2010 and 31 December 2010. However, I met with First Capital Connect on 24 August 2010. Department for Transport officials meet regularly with First Capital Connect on matters pertaining to the franchise. Department for Transport Ministers have also met representatives from FirstGroup on other occasions.
Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions First Capital Connect had with his Department on franchise obligations between 1 April 2006 and 3 December 2010. [34354]
Mrs Villiers [holding answer 19 January 2011]: Department for Transport officials meet regularly with First Capital Connect to ensure compliance with the franchise agreement requirements. My officials also have regular meetings to discuss other developments with the operator, such as the implementation of the Thameslink programme.
Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport in which four-weekly assessment periods his Department concluded that First Capital Connect is not in compliance with its franchise agreement between 1 April 2006 and 31 December 2010. [34355]
Mrs Villiers [holding answer 19 January 2011]: In September 2009, it was concluded that First Capital Connect had contravened its franchise agreement regarding two committed obligations.
Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information his Department collects as part of its four-weekly performance review of First Capital Connect. [34356]
Mrs Villiers [holding answer 19 January 2011]: First Capital Connect's franchise agreement contains agreed management provisions for a franchise performance meeting to be held once every railway period (every four weeks), supported by a report from the operator detailing the franchisee's performance with respect to a number of items. The information provided covers operational and financial performance as well as delivery against franchise obligations.
Heathrow Airport: Administrative Delays
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many representations he has received on delays at Heathrow airport in December; and if he will make a statement [34549]
Mrs Villiers: To date, the Department for Transport has received 59 items of correspondence in relation to December's severe weather effects on Heathrow.
Members: Correspondence
Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he plans to reply to Questions 29626, 29628, 29629 and 29627, on winter weather, tabled on 6 December for ordinary written answer. [32075]
Mrs Villiers [holding answer 21 December 2010]: I answered these questions on the following dates:
29627: 10 January 2011, Official Report, columns 42-3W
29626: 11 January 2011, Official Report, columns 241-2W
29629: 13 January 2011, Official Report, columns 423-4W
29628: 18 January 2011, Official Report, column 665W.
Railways: Snow and Ice
Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information his Department holds on the East Coast Mainline train services from Edinburgh Waverley to London Kings Cross which were (a) cancelled and (b) delayed due to severe weather from 27 November 2010 to 21 December 2010. [33180]
Mrs Villiers [holding answer 12 January 2011]: The Department for Transport does not hold the information in the form requested.
Road Traffic: West Yorkshire
Stuart Andrew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made on plans to ease congestion on the A65 corridor between Leeds and Bradford. [34501]
Norman Baker: The A65 is part of the local road network. The relevant local highway authorities are responsible for traffic management and congestion relief.
However the Department for Transport is providing funding, up to a maximum of £19.825 million, for a new Quality Bus Corridor, which is currently under construction on the Kirkstall road section of the A65 in Leeds.
Treasury
Devolution: Finance
Ms Ritchie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he undertook an equality impact assessment of the effect on the delivery of services by the devolved administrations resulting from the termination of end of year flexibility. [34674]
Mr Gauke: The Government announced in the spending review that they are abolishing the end year flexibility (EYF) system at the end of 2010-11 and replacing it with a new system from 2011-12. However the Government will abide by existing commitments to the devolved Administrations to draw down EYF this year.
The Government have not carried out an equality impact assessment of the effect of the termination of the end-of-year flexibility on the delivery of services. The role of the Treasury in making decisions about public expenditure in devolved areas of spending is to allocate resources-it is then for the devolved Administrations to decide how best to manage these resources. In devolved areas of spending it is for the devolved Administrations to conduct their own equality impact assessments of their policy proposals, in line with their legal obligations.
The Treasury takes its statutory equality duties very seriously. I work closely with my colleagues, especially the Home Secretary and Minister for Women and Equalities, to ensure that HM Treasury complies with its statutory obligations.
Ms Ritchie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what considerations his Department took into account in removing end of year flexibility from the budgeting provisions of the devolved Administrations; and if he will make a statement. [34676]
Mr Gauke: Delivering the spending plans announced in the Government's 2010 spending review will require a robust framework to control spending. The End Year Flexibility (EYF) system which allows Departments and the devolved Administrations to carry forward unspent budget provisions into future years to discourage wasteful end-year spending has, in practice, led to accumulated stocks that would further increase the deficit if they were spent. The Government plans to abolish the existing EYF system at the end of 2010-11 and replace it with a new system from 2011-12 which will retain an incentive to avoid wasteful end-year spending and strengthen spending control.
In addition, the devolved Administrations are able to carry forward planned reductions in spending from 2010-11 to 2011-12 if they wish.
Excise Duties and VAT: Fuels
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will assess the effectiveness of a fuel price stabiliser for petrol calculated on the basis of (a) value added tax, (b) fuel duty and (c) value added tax and fuel duty; and if he will make a statement. [35175]
Justine Greening: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 1 November 2010, Official Report, column 665W, to my hon. Friend the Member for Richmond Park (Zac Goldsmith).
Excise Duties: Fuels
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what representations he has received on introducing a fuel duty escalator for petrol prices (a) in rural areas and (b) nationally; and if he will make a statement; [34878]
(2) what recent representations he has received from those resident in North Yorkshire on a fuel rebate for rural areas; [35263]
(3) what criteria his Department plans to apply for the definition of rural areas qualifying for a rebate on fuel; [35264]
(4) what recent representations he has received on the fuel pump prices of (a) petrol and (b) diesel in (i) North Yorkshire and (ii) other parts of the UK; and if he will make a statement; [35265]
(5) what recent representations he has received on the level of duty on (a) petrol and (b) diesel fuel; and if he will make a statement. [35266]
Justine Greening: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Na h-Eileanan an Iar (Mr MacNeil) on 1 November 2010, Official Report, column 664W. The Government are taking forward this action because of the high costs of transporting and distributing fuel to remote Scottish Islands and the Scilly Isles.
The Chancellor routinely receives a range of representations from stakeholders and the general public on current and future rates of excise duty as well as other issues such as road fuel prices.
Income Tax: Children
Guto Bebb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the increase in the number of people in single income households with children who will pay income tax at the higher rate from April 2011. [32105]
Mr Gauke [holding answer 21 December 2010]: The number of people in single income households with children who will pay income tax at the higher rate from April 2011 is estimated to be around 175,000. This is estimated to be around 20,000 higher than the equivalent number from April 2010.
Single income households with children include couples with children where there is only one income as well as lone-parents. These households are all within the top 19% of household incomes.
Members: Correspondence
Gordon Banks: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Ochil and South Perthshire to the Prime Minister of 3 November 2010, transferred to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 16 November 2010 and to the Treasury on 29 November 2010. [35492]
Mr Gauke: The Financial Secretary to the Treasury, my hon. Friend the Member for Fareham (Mr Hoban), replied to the hon. Member for Ochil and South Perthshire on 19 January 2011.
Northern Ireland Executive: Finance
Ms Ritchie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will reverse his decision to remove end of year flexibility from the budgetary provisions of departments of the Northern Ireland Executive. [34677]
Mr Gauke: The Government are abolishing the End Year Flexibility system, including all accumulated stocks, at the end of 2010-11 and replacing it with a new system from 2011-12 which will retain an incentive to avoid wasteful end-year spending and strengthen spending control. Further detail will be set out later this financial year.
The Government are standing by their existing commitment to the Northern Ireland Executive to draw down End Year Flexibility (EYF) in the current year and their commitment to carry forward underspends for the Department of Justice under the terms of the £800 million funding package which accompanied the devolution of Policing and Justice.
VAT: Charities
Caroline Dinenage: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has plans to bring forward proposals to enable charities to reclaim value added tax on the same basis as limited companies. [34072]
Mr Gauke:
Charities can already recover VAT incurred on their purchases and expenses in the same way as limited companies-that is, to the extent that those
purchases and expenses relate to taxable sales that they make. Neither charities nor businesses can recover VAT that relates to exempt sales or non-business activities.
Unlike businesses, charities benefit from a range of tax reliefs which for 2009-10 the Government estimate are worth approximately £3 billion per annum. These include reliefs from VAT, for example: VAT zero-rating on the sale of donated goods, medical and scientific equipment and, for qualifying charities, goods for use by disabled people. All zero rates are derogations from the normal EU VAT rules, and represent benefits not enjoyed by charities elsewhere in Europe.
Working Tax Credit
Mr Douglas Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many individuals receive the 50+ element of the working tax credit in each local authority. [26638]
Mr Gauke: The information requested is shown in the following table.
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