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Written Answers to Questions

Monday 24 January 2011

Northern Ireland

Departmental Pay

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what information his Department holds on the number of subcontracted staff servicing his Department who were not paid at a rate equivalent to or above the London living wage in the latest period for which figures are available. [34812]

Mr Swire: There are no subcontracted staff based in London working in my Department.

Scotland

Departmental Communication

Alok Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what measures he has undertaken to reduce jargon and promote plain English in Departmental communications. [35795]

David Mundell: It is Scotland Office policy that all communications should be written in plain English.

Departmental Pay

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what information his Department holds on the number of sub-contracted staff servicing his Department who were not paid at a rate equivalent to or above the London living wage in the latest period for which figures are available. [34810]

David Mundell: The Scotland Office does not hold any pay information relating to sub-contracted staff.

Departmental Public Appointments

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many (a) women and (b) men have been appointed to public duties by his Department since May 2010. [35390]

David Mundell: The Secretary of State recently appointed Mrs Paula Sharp as a member of the Boundary Commission for Scotland from 1 January 2011 for a period of four years. He also re-appointed an existing Commissioner, Mr Ken McDonald, from 7 June 2011 for a further four years.

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what public appointments he has made since his appointment; and to what payments each person so appointed is entitled. [35414]


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David Mundell: The Secretary of State appointed a new Commissioner to the Boundary Commission for Scotland from 1 January 2011 for a period of four years. He also re-appointed an existing Commissioner for a further four years from 7 June 2011. Commissioners are remunerated at £505.50 per day.

Employment Rights: Students

Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with Universities Scotland on the effects in Scotland of the Government's proposals on employment rights for (a) work placements within degree programmes and (b) employment between periods of undergraduate and postgraduate study. [34866]

David Mundell: The Secretary of State for Scotland discussed the Government's consultation on the student immigration system with the convenor of Universities Scotland in December.

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with colleges in Scotland on the effects of the Government's immigration policy on the further education sector in Scotland. [34864]

David Mundell: The Secretary of State for Scotland met representatives from Scotland's Colleges' Principals' Convention earlier this month and discussed a range of issues important to the further education sector, including the Government's consultation on student immigration.

Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with representatives of the further and higher education sector in Scotland on the effects of the Government's immigration policy on (a) numbers of students and (b) economic and employment in Scotland. [34867]

David Mundell: The Secretary of State for Scotland has had a number of discussions with the Scottish further and higher education sector about the Government's immigration policy. Most recently, he discussed the Government's proposals on student immigration with representatives from Scotland's colleges' principals' convention earlier this month, and with the Convenor of Universities Scotland in December.

Low Incomes

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the (a) Chancellor of the Exchequer and (b) Chief Secretary to the Treasury on the provision of financial assistance to motorists on low incomes in urban areas of Scotland following the increase in the level of value added tax and fuel duty. [35360]

Michael Moore: I have regular discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on a range of issues. The tax and benefits system as announced in the Budget provides a range of support to people on low incomes, including the £1,000 increase in the income allowance, whether or not they own a car.


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Refinery and Petro-Chemical Operations

Michael Connarty: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the Scottish Executive on the involvement of Petrochina in the refinery and petro-chemical operations at Grangemouth. [35055]

David Mundell: The arrangement between Ineos and Petrochina is a commercial matter for the companies themselves. My officials kept me in touch with developments throughout the process.

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Air Pollution: Greater London

Sheryll Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with the Mayor of London on the Air Quality Strategy for London. [35189]

Richard Benyon: The Secretary of State for the Environment met the Mayor of London most recently on 27 July 2010, to talk about a number of issues including waste, water supply and air quality.

There have also been, and continue to be, frequent meetings between officials in DEFRA, and officials in the Greater London authority, and Transport for London, to discuss the Mayor's Air Quality Strategy.

Departmental Manpower

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the (a) total and (b) annual average salary was of staff employed on fixed-term contracts in her Department in the latest period for which figures are available. [34636]

Richard Benyon: The information requested is detailed as follows:

Core DEFRA, Animal Health (AH) and the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD)

Core DEFRA, Animal Health and the Veterinary Medicines Directorate operate the same pay and conditions and, therefore, the information has been merged.

The Centre for Environment Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS)

The Food and Environment Research Agency (Fera)


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The Rural Payments Agency (RPA)

The Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA)

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many staff are employed on fixed-term contracts in her Department; and what the job title of each is. [34653]

Richard Benyon: The information requested is detailed as follows:

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Core DEFRA)

Animal Health (AH)


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Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD)

Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS)

Food and Environment Research Agency ( F era)


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Rural Payments Agency (RPA)

Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA)

Departmental Pay

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what information her Department holds on the number of sub-contracted staff servicing her Department who were not paid at a rate equivalent to or above the London living wage in the latest period for which figures are available. [34819]

Richard Benyon: The Department does not hold central records of the rates paid to sub-contracted staff by their contracting agencies and to collate these would incur disproportionate costs.

The Department contracts with the agency to pay an agreed total fee which would include the agency margin for their costs/profit.

The rate paid to sub-contracted staff by the agencies employed by the Department would be a matter between the person and their relevant agency.

Environment Agency: Manpower

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many field flood engineers the Environment Agency employed in each of the last three years. [34879]

Richard Benyon: Latest available data from an exercise carried out in 2009 estimated that 230 field flood engineers were employed at the time. This is not expected to be subject to significant annual variation. The Environment Agency does not collate this information on an annual basis.

Fisheries: Quotas

Amber Rudd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for what reasons unused cod quota held by produce organisations is not reallocated to the under 10-metre fleet in area V11D. [35010]


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Richard Benyon: There are several reasons why the in-year reallocation of unused quota is not currently undertaken, eg quota holders may be retaining their quota to fish later in the year, or to use as swap currency to acquire different quota. The prospect of such reallocation can encourage a race to fish, which could mean that fish is targeted out of season, thus increasing effort and discards of other stocks. Such reallocation may also impact on prices due to a surplus of fish on the market. Furthermore, there is also a risk of 'ghost' fishing in order to secure ongoing access and prevent reallocation-something that is difficult to enforce against.

I recognise the difficulties currently facing the under-10 metre fleet, and that relying on quota swaps and gifts is not sustainable. I am committed to reform of the fisheries management arrangements, and a consultation is due to be launched in the spring, including a further look at the issue of quota uptake and distribution. In the meantime, discussions continue with producer organisations to consider what support they can offer the under-10 metre fleet in the short-term.

Flood Control: North West

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she plans to allocate funding for flood defences to (a) the North West, (b) Cumbria and (c) Westmorland and Lonsdale constituency in (i) 2011, (ii) 2012 and (iii) 2013. [35157]

Richard Benyon [holding answer 21 January 2011]: 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 2011-12 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.

Decisions on funding for future years will depend on the outcome of DEFRA's "Future funding for Flood and Coast Erosion Risk Management" consultation.

Redundancy

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many staff in her Department have been made redundant since May 2010. [34654]

Richard Benyon: Fewer than five members of staff in DEFRA have been made redundant since May 2010. It is DEFRA's policy for reasons of confidentiality not to release full details relating to numbers of staff fewer than five where to do so might lead to the identification of individual cases.

Attorney-General

Departmental Pay

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Attorney-General what information the Law Officers' Departments hold on the number of sub-contracted staff servicing their Departments
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who were not paid at a rate equivalent to or above the London living wage in the latest period for which figures are available. [34827]

The Attorney-General: The Law Officers' Departments do not stipulate that sub-contracted staff must be paid the equivalent or above the London living wage on any of its contracts, although there would be an expectation that all would be paid at least the national minimum wage. The Attorney-General's Office has identified five sub-contracted staff who are paid at a rate below the London living wage.

The remaining Law Officers' Departments either do not directly employ any sub-contracted staff or do not hold details of rates paid to individuals by agencies or firms for sub-contracted services, such information could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.

Rape: Offences Against The Administration of Justice

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Attorney-General pursuant to the answer of 13 December 2010 Official Report, column 447W, to the hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne North, on rape: offences against the administration of justice, if he will consider the merits of collecting data on the number of women prosecuted for (a) perverting the course of justice, (b) perjury and (c) wasting police time following the withdrawal of a complaint of rape or domestic violence. [35169]

The Attorney-General: The official crime statistics and the collection of data to support them is a matter for the Ministry of Justice. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) data systems are not capable of capturing such information.

However, in view of public interest in these offences and how they are prosecuted, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) commissioned a one-off survey of all 42 CPS areas to gain a snapshot of the number of prosecutions of complainants who had made allegations of rape, for perverting or attempting to pervert the course of public justice. The survey is informing the action the CPS is taking to address public concerns in this area.

International Development

Burma: Malaria

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what information his Department holds on the areas of Burma which have the highest rates of malaria. [35833]

Mr Duncan: According to the World Health Organisation, malaria is endemic in 284 of the 325 townships in Burma. An estimated 68% of Burma's population is at a risk of contracting the disease, the most vulnerable being those who work in logging, plantation agriculture and the construction of roads and dams. The areas with the highest rates of transmission of malaria are in hilly and forested border areas.


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Departmental Pay

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what information his Department holds on the number of sub-contracted staff servicing his Department who were not paid at a rate equivalent to or above the London living wage in the latest period for which figures are available. [34814]

Mr Duncan: There are currently eight full-time and 10 part-time staff employed by MITIE to work in the Department for International Development's (DFID's) London headquarters, who are paid below the London living wage.

Food Aid

Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much funding his Department plans to provide for research on (a) the sustainability of global food supply chains and (b) food security in each of the next four financial years. [34794]

Mr Duncan: Decisions on future funding to agricultural research have not been finalised. Future funding will be decided upon following the conclusion of the ongoing bilateral and multilateral aid reviews.

Sudan: Asylum

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance his Department plans to provide to refugees in south Sudan. [34871]

Mr Andrew Mitchell: Through the Common Humanitarian Fund (CHF), the Department for International Development (DFID) is providing support to UN agencies, such as the High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), to monitor the situation of refugees entering southern Sudan from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda.

DFID is also providing assistance via the CHF to the internally displaced persons (IDPs) returning from the north of the country to southern Sudan. Over the last 11 weeks more than 183,000 IDPs have reached the south from the north. DFID has provided support to a humanitarian contingency fund which goes towards providing food, shelter, cooking utensils, medicines, and emergency water and sanitation for a period of three months. This is delivered by international and national NGOs and the UN. Addressing issues such as the separation of families, particularly children from adults, are also supported by this mechanism. The UK is working with the Government of Southern Sudan, the UN and other partners to start to address the longer-term integration and livelihood needs of both the refugees and the returnees.

Sudan: Politics and Government

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance his Department is providing to support the development of civic society in south Sudan. [34870]


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Mr Andrew Mitchell: Where possible, UK aid programmes in southern Sudan use local non-government organisations (NGOs) and community based organisations (CBOs) as implementing partners. Where this is the case we provide additional support to strengthen the organisation itself. For example, the DFID-managed multi-donor Basic Services Fund requires international NGOs to guide and mentor local NGOs and CBOs on needs identification, delivery, and implementation, so that they are able to manage larger funds themselves in the future.

I am currently reviewing all DFID's bilateral aid to ensure that it is spent where need is greatest and in ways that will achieve the maximum impact.

World Bank: Food Aid

Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his policy is on the operation of the World Bank's Global Food Crisis Response Program. [34741]

Mr Duncan: The UK Government indirectly support the Global Food Crisis Response Program (GFRP) through our core contribution to the World Bank Group. The UK currently has no plans to provide funding directly to the Multi-Donor Trust Fund of the GFRP. The UK continues to provide support for food security and agriculture in developing countries through other multilateral agencies and the Department for International Development's country programmes.

Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what support his Department has given to the World Bank's Global Food Crisis Response Program in the last two financial years. [34742]

Mr Duncan: The Department for International Development has not provided any funding to the World Bank's Group's Global Food Crisis Response Program (GFRP), other than indirectly through our core contributions to the World Bank's International Development Association which co-funds the GFRP.

Culture, Media and Sport

Broadband

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether he plans to provide open access to broadband providers to networks established in the high speed broadband pilot areas. [34606]

Mr Vaizey [holding answer 18 January 2011]: Broadband Delivery UK is in the process of designing the models for commercial deployment of broadband with public support in commercially challenging areas, which includes the selected pilot sites.

Procurements will be under EU procurement rules, which require access obligation when public money is invested.

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the effects on UK competitiveness of the change in the target date for universal broadband service from 2012 to 2015. [34872]


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Mr Vaizey: The Government's approach to broadband is to drive the rollout of superfast broadband to as much of the country as possible and to deliver at least a decent level of broadband access to virtually everybody as part of that commitment. That approach is underpinned by the work that BDUK conducted over summer 2010 examining the choice of cost effective solutions available to provide a minimum level of coverage to all premises without access to at least 2 MBps. Among the conclusions of that exercise was that a universal service commitment should not be seen as separate from the superfast broadband objective, but rather an integral part of pushing next generation networks deep into rural Britain. The £530 million allocated to support broadband rollout up to 2015 will help the UK achieve its aim of having the best superfast broadband network in Europe by 2015.

Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what plans he has to introduce a second round of broadband pilots. [34989]

Mr Vaizey: The Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport announced on 6 December that the next £50 million of the £530 million allocated to support broadband rollout would be made available early in 2011. Broadband Delivery UK will be working with local authorities throughout the UK to give them guidance on how to apply for the next round of broadband projects. We expect to invite bids from April 2011 and to announce the successful projects in May 2011.

Broadband Delivery UK

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether Broadband Delivery UK has issued tender documentation in respect of the four high speed broadband pilot areas. [34605]

Mr Vaizey [holding answer 18 January 2011]: To date no tender documents have been issued.

Broadband: Finance

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much funding his Department has allocated to support the four high speed broadband pilots. [34494]

Mr Vaizey [holding answer 18 January 2011]: The precise amount of funding will depend on the procurement for each project but we expect to allocate between £5 million to £10 million to each pilot project.

Broadband: West Lothian

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 13 December 2010, Official Report, columns 588-89W, on broadband: Scotland, by what date he expects the West Lothian local authority area to begin to benefit from greater availability of superfast broadband. [34792]


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Mr Vaizey: Parts of West Lothian already have market-led access to superfast broadband-BT's Livingston Station exchange has been enabled to receive its superfast broadband product and Virgin Media's services are also available in the area.

The Government's £530 million of support for broadband rollout is targeted at those areas-predominantly rural and remote-that will not be served by the market in a reasonable timeframe. The Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport announced that the next £50 million of the support for broadband rollout will be available to support projects from 2011-with bids expected to be invited in April 2011.

Cricket: Television

Paul Uppal: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what progress he has made on making future home Ashes test matches available on free-to-air television. [34775]

Mr Vaizey: In a ministerial statement to Parliament on 21 July 2010, the Government announced their decision to postpone the previous Administration's review of free-to-air listed events but with a commitment to review the position more fully in 2013 following the completion of digital switchover in 2012. The current list of events will remain in force.

Departmental Working Conditions

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport 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. [34587]

John Penrose: The Department's policy on (a) the space provided per employee is to meet the Government's 10m(2) per full-time equivalent (FTE) workplace standard and on (b) home working is to encourage all forms of flexible working patterns including home working where this can cost-effectively deliver against business needs. The Department's policy on (c) hot desking was to fully implement it on 29 March 2010 at a ratio of 10 staff to eight desks and the average space per employee is 10.5m(2) per FTE.

Digital Broadcasting: Radio

George Eustice: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will bring forward proposals to extend the deadline for digital radio switchover. [34887]

Mr Vaizey: No deadline for digital radio switchover has been set. A decision to set a date will be only be made once the listening and coverage criteria have been satisfied.

Digital Broadcasting: Television

Mark Reckless: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps he plans to take to assist (a) elderly people and (b) people on lower incomes with the transition from analogue to digital television in 2012. [34657]


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Mr Vaizey: The Government and the BBC have set up the Digital Switchover Help Scheme (DSHS) to offer those 75 or over, disabled and visually impaired people and care home residents practical help to make the switch to digital television on one of their sets.

We estimate that over 7 million households will be eligible for help through the switchover period.

By January 2011, DSHS had mailed nearly 4 million people and completed 430,000 installations and deliveries.

Participating in the scheme costs a subsidised £40. However, help is available free of charge where the eligible person is also in receipt of certain income related benefits.

The help scheme is rolled out in each TV region as switchover approaches and every eligible person in that region is contacted directly by post in the run up to switchover.

The help scheme will:

The scheme is funded through £603 million ring-fenced within the BBC's licence fee income over the period of switchover.

HMS Victory 1744

Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 13 January 2011, Official Report, column 387W on HMS Victory 1744, what steps he has taken to monitor and protect the wreck site of HMS Victory pending the publication of the joint response. [35294]

John Penrose: The wreck is that of a sovereign immune state vessel, which means that no intrusive action may be taken without the express consent of Her Majesty's Government.

Libraries

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many libraries offer reading groups for young families; and if he will make a statement. [34951]

Mr Vaizey: This information is not held by the Department. However, according to The Reading Agency (TRA) report Reading Groups in Libraries: Mapping Survey Findings (September 2008):


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Outreach work like this helps libraries to attract new audiences and is a valuable example of how libraries can and do play an important role in delivering priority policies like literacy improvement, support for families, health and happiness development and building community cohesion.

S4C

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport for what reasons S4C is included in schedule 7 to the Public Bodies Bill; and if he will make a statement. [35222]

Mr Vaizey: In line with planned reforms, S4C is included in schedule 4 of the Public Bodies Bill as this provides for the power to modify S4C's funding arrangements.

S4C is also included in schedule 7 as it lists all public bodies which were subject to the public bodies review and which would require legislation to effect any possible changes in the future. For example, this could include a scenario where further reform is needed to provide for the new partnership arrangements with the BBC Trust.

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what legal advice he has received in respect of the inclusion of S4C in schedule 7 to the Public Bodies Bill. [35223]

Mr Vaizey: Departmental lawyers were involved in the drafting of the clauses and schedules of the Public Bodies Bill. The inclusion of S4C in schedule 7 is entirely consistent with the approach followed across the entire programme of public bodies reform which is itself the result of discussions that have taken place between Ministers, lawyers and policy officials in the Cabinet Office and all Government Departments. I have not requested any legal advice on this individual issue as it relates to the wider approach taken in drafting the Bill.

Telecommunications

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will assess the merits of taking steps to assist towns and cities that have a significant number of media businesses to upgrade their communication infrastructure using dark fibre. [34993]

Mr Vaizey: The Government's recently published broadband strategy is aimed at providing a policy and regulatory environment that supports private sector investment in new communications infrastructure.

Television

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what representations he has received on his proposed local television pilot scheme; and if he will make a statement. [34648]

Mr Vaizey: My officials and I have received representations about local television from a wide range of interested parties.


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Last week we published our Local Media Action Plan, which invites views from industry and the public, as well as expressions of interest from organisations interested in bidding for a new network channel that will host local TV services. The plan was informed by Nicholas Shott's review of local TV, during which a great many existing and aspirant national and local media groups were consulted.

Theatres: Finance

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many theatres are in receipt of Government funding; how much each such theatre received in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [34953]

Mr Vaizey: A copy of a table detailing each theatre in receipt of Government funding, how much each theatre received in 2010-11 and how much they will be awarded in 2011-12 will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Theatres: Public Expenditure

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether he (a) has visited theatres in an official capacity since his appointment and (b) has held discussions with theatre management on the effects of the outcomes of the comprehensive spending review on the theatre industry; and if he will make a statement. [34952]

Mr Vaizey: The Secretary of State has visited theatres in an official capacity and has also held discussions with members of the theatre industry on the effects of the comprehensive spending review.

Tourism: Marketing

Mr Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport (1) what steps his Department is taking to support businesses in the North East following changes to arrangements for Government support for the promotion of tourism; [35496]

(2) what transitional support his Department provides to assist businesses in the North East in respect of changes to Government funding for the promotion of tourism. [35497]

John Penrose: The Government have emphasised the significance of tourism to the economy and continue to work with the industry in promoting the visitor economy. We will invest almost £130 million from 2011-12 to 2014-15 in promoting tourism across the country through VisitBritain and VisitEngland.

Under the new arrangements we are introducing, the Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) will become leading economic drivers and they will need to work with local tourism bodies and industry in their areas. In addition, VisitEngland has established a transition team to assist Destination Management Organisations and Local Enterprise Partnerships in this process, particularly where RDA resources have been withdrawn. We will also continue to discuss further avenues of support with other Government Departments. The Regional Growth
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Fund, worth some £1.4 billion, is open for tourism-related applications, and presents an important opportunity for the sector, including in the north-east.

YouView

Mr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent discussions he has had on the contribution of YouView to television in the UK. [34999]

Mr Vaizey: The Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport met with the chairman of YouView on 9 December 2010.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Australia: Floods

Penny Mordaunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken to assist the Australian Government in their response to the flooding in Queensland; and if he will make a statement. [35381]

Mr Jeremy Browne: My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister spoke to Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard on 12 January 2011 and offered UK assistance should it be required.

My right hon. Friends the Foreign Secretary and Defence Secretary met their Australian counterparts in Sydney on 18 January 2011. They agreed that the UK will provide experts in flood recovery management and in advanced flood forecasting methods.

My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary visited one site of the flooding in Brisbane with his Australian counterpart on 19 January 2011. He praised the Australian authorities' response and emphasised that the UK is keen to do what it can both to help manage the effects of the floods and to help with future planning.

Burma: Politics and Government

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the political situation in Burma concerning the Government of Burma and armed groups on ceasefire. [35830]

Mr Jeremy Browne: The Government continue to receive regular reports of sporadic fighting along the Thai-Burma border. Regime attempts to force ethnic ceasefire groups to join their national Border Guard Force and restrictive elections have further marginalised key ceasefire groups and escalated tensions

We regularly point out to Burma and its neighbours that there is little prospect of lasting peace and stability until the regime pursues a political settlement that takes account of the legitimate aspirations of Burma's ethnic groups. Our Charge d'Affaires in Bangkok raised the issue of refugees fleeing across the Thai-Burma border as a result of recent fighting with the Thai Foreign Minister on 19 January 2011.


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Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the compliance of the government of Burma with UN General Assembly Resolutions on Burma. [35831]

Mr Jeremy Browne: The latest UN General Assembly resolution on Burma in November 2010 expressed deep concern at the regime's failure to address calls in previous resolutions to improve the human rights situation. It highlighted the regime's continued violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms and stressed that without significant progress the situation would continue to deteriorate.

It is this continued failure by the Burmese regime to respond to international concerns that underpins UK support for the UN Special Rapporteur's call for the UN to consider a Commission of Inquiry.

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what projects his Department funds to promote (a) democracy and (b) human rights in Burma. [35832]

Mr Jeremy Browne: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office continues to prioritise the promotion of democratic values and human rights protection in Burma. We have supported a number of projects, inside the country, in Thailand and in the UK, to work towards this aim. Our embassy in Rangoon currently provides funding for three projects in Burma through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's strategic priority fund on human rights and democracy. The projects help to nurture conditions for democratic transition, through supporting civic empowerment and giving people the skills needed to drive change. We work closely with the British Council and Department for International Development to deliver this work.

China: Human Rights

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what issues were discussed at the recent UK-China Human Rights Dialogue; and whether any commitments were given on human rights in Tibet by the Chinese delegation. [35670]

Mr Jeremy Browne: The UK-China Human Rights Dialogue on 13-14 January 2011 involved discussions on the full range of human rights issues. This included the rights of detainees, migrant rights, capital punishment, freedom of expression, freedom of religion, China's plans for ratification of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the situation in Tibet and Xinjiang and a number of individual cases. There were also detailed expert discussions on the role of police in criminal trials and the use of minority languages in education.

The Chinese delegation did not give us any commitments on human rights in Tibet.

Departmental Photography

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department has spent on photography since May 2010. [34667]


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Mr Jeremy Browne: Two Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) officers are trained in photography and cover FCO events at no additional cost. The FCO has spent £10,254 since May 2010 on rights to reproduce photographs.

Departmental Video Recordings

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department has spent on film production, including the filming of speeches, since May 2010. [34666]

Mr Jeremy Browne: The total cost of film production since May 2010 is approximately £49,776. Over the last nine months, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) videos have been viewed around 150,000 times through the FCO's YouTube channels, including films in Arabic and Farsi with over 30,000 YouTube viewings and many more through partner media organisations. The videos communicate UK policy on issues such as the Middle East Peace Process or Iran to an international audience.

Europe 2020 Strategy

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with Ministerial colleagues on the implementation of the Europe 2020 strategy and objectives. [34583]

Mr Lidington: I have regular discussions with colleagues on a range of policy issues regarding European economic reform and growth. The Government agrees that the EU should undertake serious structural reform and supports the wider ambition of the Europe 2020 strategy, and is considering how implementation will be taken forward.

Lebanon: Politics and Government

Mr Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the political situation in Lebanon; and if he will make a statement. [35587]

Alistair Burt: As my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has said, the collapse of the National Unity Government is an extremely serious development which could have grave implications for Lebanon and for regional stability. The UK has called on all parties to work together for a peaceful resolution of the crisis.

Members: Correspondence

Mr Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Basildon and Billericay of (a) 29 November and (b) 16 December 2010 regarding a constituent, Mrs Lodemore. [35775]

Mr Lidington: The correspondence from my hon. Friend the Member for Basildon and Billericay was received on 5 January 2011. The Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for North East Bedfordshire (Alistair Burt), replied on 21 January 2011 following his return from overseas.


24 Jan 2011 : Column 19W

Mr Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Basildon and Billericay of (a) 29 November and (b) 16 December 2010 regarding a constituent, Miss Tizzard. [35837]

Mr Lidington: The correspondence from my hon. Friend the Member for Basildon and Billericay (Mr Baron) was received on 11 January 2011. The Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for North East Bedfordshire (Alistair Burt), replied on 21 January 2011 following his return from overseas.

North Korea: Nuclear Weapons

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has held with his (a) American and (b) Chinese counterpart on the de-nuclearisation of the Korean peninsula; and if he will make a statement. [35909]

Mr Jeremy Browne: My right hon. Friend, the Foreign Secretary discussed North Korea most recently with the Chinese Government during the visit of Li Keqiang earlier this month. We talk regularly to the US Government in Washington and Seoul on North Korea. We strongly support a process which involves building trust and confidence between North and South Korea with the view of seeing a return to negotiations. All parties in the region have a strong interest in this and we have made clear that we would consider any request to provide practical assistance.

Defence

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many times service personnel have been delayed returning to the UK on rest and recuperation from Afghanistan since January 2010; and what the reasons were for the delay in each case; [34960]

(2) how many times (a) military and (b) civilian personnel had extended deployments due to the unavailability of air transport to return them from Afghanistan since January 2010. [34961]

Nick Harvey: The information is not held in the format requested.

The reasons for individual travel and for each specific delay are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Delays may occur for a number of reasons and individual taskings could be delayed for more than one reason, including: Air Traffic Control and airspace restrictions; missing theatre arrival slot times; technical and equipment failures; absence of diplomatic clearance; weather; expiry of crew duty hours; passenger and ground handling issues; fuelling; and holding aircraft to facilitate deployment of priority aeromedical taskings.

Delays to flights for personnel leaving theatre do not constitute extended deployments. We do not hold information that indicates whether personnel have been delayed beyond their planned deployment end-dates.


24 Jan 2011 : Column 20W

Air Force: Military Bases

Sir Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate of the level of future expenditure on work classified as redevelopment at each RAF base in the UK was made in his Department's annual planning round in 2010. [35076]

Mr Robathan: The outcome of the planning round in 2010 was re-costed as part of the strategic defence and security review and the comprehensive spending review. The outcome of both reviews will be enacted through planning round 2011, which will allocate future budgets. This is expected to conclude in the early part of 2011.

Armed Forces: Compensation

Mr Russell Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what the change in the level of annual compensation for a single amputee is in each (a) rank and (b) force as a result of the change to link pensions to the consumer prices index from the retail prices index; [35915]

(2) what the change in the level of annual compensation for a double amputee is in each (a) rank and (b) force as a result of the change to link pensions to the consumer prices index from the retail prices index. [35916]

Mr Robathan: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Under-Secretary of State for Defence, my hon. Friend the Member for Aldershot (Mr Howarth) on 17 January 2011, Official Report, columns 587-89W, and to the ministerial statement I made on 9 December 2010, Official Report, columns 34-36WS.

Armed Forces: Pensions

Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will estimate, on the basis of the 2010 figures for the retail prices index and the consumer prices index, the change in unemployability allowance payable to a member of each of the armed forces at each rank living until (a) 60, (b) 65, (c) 70, (d) 75, (e) 80, (f) 85, (g) 90 (h) 95 and (i) 100 years as a result of the use of the consumer prices index rather than the retail prices index; [35760]

(2) if he will estimate, on the basis of the 2010 figures for the retail prices index and the consumer prices index, the change in disablement gratuity for each specified minor injury to a member of each of the armed forces at each rank living until (a) 60, (b) 65, (c) 70, (d) 75, (e) 80, (f) 85, (g) 90 (h) 95 and (i) 100 years as a result of the use of the consumer prices index rather than the retail prices index; [35761]

(3) what estimate he has made, on the basis of the 2010 figures for the retail prices index and the consumer prices index, of the savings which will accrue to his Department from the change in pension indexation from the retail prices index to the consumer prices index in each financial year to 2019-20; [35762]

(4) if he will estimate, on the basis of the 2010 figures for the retail prices index and the consumer prices index, the change in disability pension payable to a member of each of the armed forces at each rank living until (a) 60, (b) 65, (c) 70, (d) 75, (e) 80, (f) 85, (g) 90, (h) 95 and (i) 100 years as a result of the use of the consumer prices index rather than the retail prices index. [35763]


24 Jan 2011 : Column 21W

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will estimate the change in the level of pension payable to a widow of a senior NCO widowed at age 40 years and living to (a) 60, (b) 65, (c) 70, (d) 75, (e) 80, (f) 85, (g) 90 , (h) 95 and (i) 100 years arising from a calculation on the basis of the consumer prices index rather than the retail prices index; [35581]

(2) if he will estimate the change in the level of (a) compensation benefit and (b) pensions payments per annum a 27-year-old corporal who lost both legs in Afghanistan would receive as a result of the change to link pensions to the consumer prices index if he or she lived until (i) 60, (ii) 65, (iii) 70, (iv) 75, (v) 80, (vi) 85, (vii) 90, (viii) 95 and (ix) 100 years old. [35582]

Mr Robathan: I refer the hon. Members to the answer given by the Under-Secretary of State for Defence, my hon. Friend the Member for Aldershot (Mr Howarth) on 17 January 2011, Official Report, columns 587-89W, to the hon. Member for West Dunbartonshire (Gemma Doyle) and the hon. Member for North Durham (Mr Jones); and to the ministerial statement I made on 9 December 2010, Official Report, columns 34-36WS.

Defence Vetting Agency: Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress he has made in his consideration of the merits of merging the Defence Vetting Agency with the vetting services of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office; and when a decision on this matter will be reached. [35822]

Mr Robathan: The Ministry of Defence has been working with the Cabinet Office for some time on the opportunities to streamline and simplify security vetting across Government. Currently the processing of vetting is conducted by two organisations, the Defence Vetting Agency and Foreign and Commonwealth Office Services. We continue to look closely at what further improvements could be made as part of the overall efficiency and reform agenda while maintaining the highest standards of protection for HMG assets. No decision has been taken about merging vetting services.

Defence: Sales

Caroline Nokes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration his Department has given to use of Ministry of Defence equipment by the Territorial Army for training purposes as an alternative to the sale of such equipment. [35140]

Mr Robathan: The Army allocates equipment to units across the whole Army (regular and territorial) according to their directed tasks and roles. All units are provided with sufficient equipment to complete their planned training, and to conduct their endorsed day-to-day business. Where units or personnel, including Territorial Army, are involved in an operation they will be equipped accordingly to enable them to prepare for and carry out their designated roles and tasks in support of that operation.

Before equipment is deemed surplus and disposed of, any possible further use, whether by regular or reserve forces, is carefully considered.


24 Jan 2011 : Column 22W

Departmental Manpower

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information his Department holds on the number of sub-contracted staff servicing his Department who were not paid at a rate equivalent to or above the London living wage in the latest period for which figures are available. [34822]

Peter Luff: All Ministry of Defence (MOD) contracts let in the UK are governed by UK law. There is a statutory obligation for UK employers to pay the national minimum wage. The MOD does not collect information about the wage rates paid by its contractors in London.

Nimrod Aircraft

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which company will be responsible for dismantling the Nimrod MR4A aircraft; if he will estimate the cost of dismantling; and whether such dismantling will include the aircraft Nimrod PA04. [35382]

Nick Harvey: Once BAE Systems has removed onboard equipment and systems from the Nimrod MRA4 aircraft, including PA04, they will be dismantled on the Ministry of Defence's behalf by Metal and Waste Recycling Limited. This company is one of the contractors used to dispose of surplus defence equipment through specialist marketing agreements that have been completed in accordance with European Union procurement regulations. It is not yet possible to confirm the cost of dismantling the Nimrod MRA4 aircraft.

Peacekeeping Operations

Mr Russell Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many service personnel who served in Bosnia are in receipt of an armed forces pension; [35912]

(2) what the (a) average, (b) highest and (c) lowest annual compensation payment is to service personnel who served in Bosnia; [35913]

(3) what the (a) average, (b) highest and (c) lowest annual compensation payment is to service personnel who served in Sierra Leone. [35914]

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) average, (b) highest and (c) lowest annual compensation payment was to service personnel who served in Bosnia in the latest period for which figures are available. [35583]

Mr Robathan: I refer the hon. Members to the answer I gave on 21 January 2011, Official Report, column 1016W, to the right hon. Member for East Renfrewshire (Mr Murphy), the hon. Member for West Dunbartonshire (Gemma Doyle) and the hon. Member for North Durham (Mr Jones).


24 Jan 2011 : Column 23W

Education

Academies: Hendon

Mr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent progress has been made on his Department's Academies programme in Hendon constituency. [32501]

Mr Gibb: The London Academy has been running successfully since 2004.

Five Expressions of Interest to convert to academy status have been received by the Department for Education from schools in the Hendon constituency. One application to convert to academy status has been received by the Department.

Officials will continue to work with schools across the country, providing information in response to expressions of interest and supporting schools once they have decided to convert to academy status.

The list of converting schools can be found at:

Academies: Religion

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Education for what reasons his Department did not include an obligation to provide religious instruction in its legislative proposals for the Academies Bill 2010; and if he will make a statement. [32604]

Mr Gibb: The Academies Act 2010 provides minimal prescription in legislation in order to provide autonomy and freedom to schools who gain academy status. All academies are however required by their funding agreements to make provision for the teaching of religious education. It is an academy's funding agreement that has, since the inception of the programme, been used as a mechanism to uphold the core principles that an academy must agree to follow and there are no plans to change this.

The Department for Education has also worked closely with both the Church of England and the Catholic Education Service to ensure that those faith voluntary-controlled or voluntary-aided schools who wish to convert have their religious position protected. The faith model documentation therefore protects on conversion the position around religious education and instruction in these schools.

Curriculum: Languages

Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he has taken towards establishing modern foreign languages as part of the primary school curriculum from the 2011-12 academic year. [32876]

Mr Gibb: The Government believe that learning a language is important to the social and economic future of the country and to help children understand the world in which they live. We have announced a review of the National Curriculum, which will consider the status of languages at both primary and secondary level. We are consulting a wide range of academics, teachers and
24 Jan 2011 : Column 24W
other interested parties to ensure that our core curriculum can compare favourably with those of the highest performing countries in the world.

We know that some 90% of primary schools are already teaching languages to at least some of their seven to 11-year-olds. We appreciate the efforts that teachers are putting into making sure that children in primary schools are taught languages. It is thanks to their work that pupils not only learn a language but also come to appreciate other cultures. Given its importance, primary schools that are teaching languages should continue to do so.

Education Maintenance Allowance

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the number of people (a) of each gender, (b) with a disability and (c) from each ethnic background who received an education maintenance allowance in 2009-10. [32995]

Mr Gibb: This is a matter for the Young People's Learning Agency (YPLA) who operates the education maintenance allowance for the Department for Education. Peter Lauener, the YPLA's chief executive, has written to the hon. Member for Glasgow North West with the information requested and a copy of his reply has been placed in the House Libraries.

Letter from Peter Lauener, dated 13 January 2011:

Gender Number

Male

174,547

Female

173,511

Not specified/preferred not to say

296,463


Disability Number

Disabled

1,366

Not disabled

368,301

Not specified/preferred not to say

274,854



24 Jan 2011 : Column 25W
Ethnicity Number

Bangladeshi

2,124

Indian

2,838

Pakistani

5,583

Other Asian

1,593

Black/Black British African

4,792

Black/Black British Caribbean

2,389

Black/Black British Other

433

Chinese

469

Other Ethnic Group

19

Mixed White/Asian

724

Mixed White Black African

398

Mixed White Black Caribbean

1,762

Mixed Other

994

White British

70,457

White Irish

222

White Other

2,557

Not specified/preferred not to say

547,167


Ms Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many people have received education maintenance allowance in (a) Wallasey constituency, (b) the Wirral borough council area, (c) the North West and (d) England in each of the last five years. [33870]

Mr Gibb: This is a matter for the Young People's Learning Agency (YPLA) who operate the education maintenance allowance for the Department for Education. Peter Lauener, the YPLA's chief executive, has written to the hon. Member for Wallasey with the information requested and a copy of his reply has been placed in the House Libraries.

Letter from Peter Lauener, dated 19 January 2011:

Take-up figures are:

Academic year Wirral LA North West England

2006/07

4,252

84,409

526,808

2007/08

4,424

87,568

547,235

2008/09

4,561

83,992

576,144

2009/10

4,894

101,526

644,497

2010/11 as at 31 December

4,435

94,686

605,035


John Howell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many people were in receipt of education maintenance allowance in Henley constituency in the latest period for which figures are available. [34227]

Mr Gibb [holding answer 17 January 2011]: This is a matter for the Young People's Learning Agency (YPLA) which operates the education maintenance allowance for the Department for Education. Peter Lauener, the YPLA's chief executive, has written to the hon. Member for Henley with the information requested and a copy of his reply has been placed in the House Libraries.

Letter from Peter Lauener, dated 19 January 2011:


24 Jan 2011 : Column 26W

Free School Meals: Durham

Pat Glass: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and what proportion of school pupils in North West Durham constituency claim free school meals. [33020]

Mr Gibb: Information on free school meal eligibility is shown in the table.

The answer includes full time pupils aged 0 to 15 and part time pupils aged five to 15 known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals.

Maintained nursery, primary( 1) , state-funded secondary( 1,2) and special schools( 3) : school meal arrangements( 4,5,6) North West Durham-January 2010

 Number on roll( 4,5) Number of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals( 4,5) Percentage known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals( 4,5)

Maintained nursery and primary(1)

6,228

1,264

20.3

State-funded secondary(1,2)

3,780

583

15.4

Special(3)

53

13

24.5

(1) Includes middle schools as deemed.
(2) Includes city technology colleges and academies.
(3) Includes maintained and non-maintained special schools, excludes general hospital schools.
(4) Includes sole and dual (main) registrations.
(5) Includes pupils who have full time attendance and are aged 15 or under, or pupils who have part time attendance and are aged between 5 and 15.
(6) Durham local authority is participating in a pilot offering FSMs to all primary school children. The figures in this table reflect the pupils who would be eligible for FSM under the national criteria.
Source:
School Census

Home Education: Durham

Pat Glass: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent estimate he has made of the number of children in North West Durham constituency who are home-schooled. [32953]

Mr Gibb: The Department does not collect information about the numbers of home-schooled children and has not made a recent estimate of the number of home-schooled children in North West Durham constituency.

Languages: English Baccalaureate

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education which languages available at GCSE level will not be included in the English baccalaureate. [31871]

Mr Gibb [holding answer 20 December 2010]: For the purposes of the 2010 performance tables GCSEs in all modern foreign languages including Welsh and Welsh
24 Jan 2011 : Column 27W
as a 2nd Language and GCSEs in Latin, Classical Greek and Biblical Hebrew will count towards the language aspect of the English Baccalaureate. The only GCSEs not to be included are Applied French and Applied Welsh as a 2nd Language.

We will review the precise definition of the English Baccalaureate for the 2011 tables, but would not expect to remove any of the qualifications identified for the 2010 tables.

Numeracy

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent assessment he has made of the Every Child Counts numeracy scheme. [34008]

Mr Gibb [holding answer 17 January 2011]: We regularly monitor the progress of the Every Child Counts (ECC) programme against a range of management information.

Edge Hill university recently published a management report on the programme which is available on their website at the following link:

The programme is currently undergoing an independent evaluation, to report by spring, which will give a substantive view of the impact of the programme.

Offenses Against Children

Glenda Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will establish a cross-departmental inquiry on grooming of vulnerable under-age children for the purposes of sexual exploitation; and if he will make a statement. [35153]

Tim Loughton: Sexual exploitation of children and young people is horrific. It is a form of child sexual abuse which affects all sorts of children-boys as well as girls, younger as well as older children-and is perpetrated
24 Jan 2011 : Column 28W
by people from all ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds. It can be found in all areas of the country and the coalition Government are determined to act decisively to tackle it.

To deal with such a complex problem effectively, we need to look at every aspect, from awareness-raising and prevention through to crime detection and victim support. That means that there must be a collaborative approach involving Ministers from a range of Government Departments as well as local authority children's services, Local Safeguarding Children Boards, and organisations like the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP), Barnardo's and others, including voluntary organisations around the country.

CEOP has agreed to conduct a thematic assessment, involving a range of agencies and organisations, which will consider the extent and scale of child sexual exploitation and the police response to it.

Within Government, and working with national and local partners, I will lead our urgent consideration of what further action needs to be taken to safeguard children and young people from sexual exploitation. This will build on existing guidance and our developing understanding of this appalling abuse including through local agencies' work around the country on effective prevention strategies, identifying those at risk of sexual exploitation, supporting victims, and taking robust action against perpetrators.

Pupils: Disadvantaged

Alok Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what his estimate is of the level of deprivation for school children resident in (a) Reading West constituency and (b) Berkshire using as a measure (i) eligibility for free school meals and (ii) the Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index 2007. [30078]

Mr Gibb: The information requested is given in the following tables.

(i) Number of resident pupils( 1) who are eligible for free school meals: 2010

 Number of resident pupils( 1) Number of resident pupils( 1) eligible for free school meals Percentage of resident pupils( 1) eligible for free school meals

Reading West

13,853

2,153

15.5

Bracknell Forest

14,518

1,134

7.8

West Berkshire

20,002

1,590

7.9

Reading

18,476

3,304

17.9

Slough

20,528

3,684

17.9

Windsor and Maidenhead

15,727

1,111

7.1

Wokingham

19,795

892

4.5

Berkshire(2)

109,046

11,715

10.7

England

6,758,259

1,174,249

17.4

(1) Includes full-time pupils aged 15 or under and part-time pupils aged between five and 15 who are resident in England with sole and dual main registrations and attend maintained nursery, primary, secondary, maintained and non-maintained special schools, city technology colleges and academies. Includes boarders.
(2) Berkshire county council was abolished in 1998 and replaced by the following unitary authorities: Bracknell Forest, West Berkshire, Reading, Slough, Windsor and Maidenhead and Wokingham.
Source:
School Census 2010

24 Jan 2011 : Column 29W

24 Jan 2011 : Column 30W

(ii) Number of resident pupils( 1,2) by IDACI decile: 2010
IDACI decile Reading West Bracknell Forest West Berkshire Reading Slough

 No. % No. % No. % No. % No. %

0 to 10%-most deprived

1,376

8.6

0

0

0

0

2,139

10

978

4.0

10 to 20%

2,058

12.8

0

0

733

3.2

4,003

18.8

5,983

24.6

20 to 30%

2,073

12.9

220

1.4

826

3.6

2,950

13.8

6,422

26.4

30 to 40%

2,122

13.2

2,159

13.3

1,351

6.0

3,318

15.6

5,495

22.6

40 to 50%

874

5.4

2,865

17.7

1,715

7.6

1,313

6.2

2,322

9.6

50 to 60%

1,295

8.1

2,147

13.3

2,595

11.4

2,021

9.5

940

3.9

60 to 70%

1,390

8.7

2,289

14.1

3,167

14.0

1,858

8.7

788

3.2

70 to 80%

2,209

13.8

1,177

7.3

5,141

22.7

1,113

5.2

780

3.2

80 to 90%

1,502

9.4

2,019

12.5

2,643

11.6

1,424

6.7

576

2.4

90 to 100%-least deprived

1,157

7.2

3,313

20.5

4,521

19.9

1,180

5.5

0

0


IDACI decile Windsor and Maidenhead Wokingham Berkshire( 3) England

 No. % No. % No. % No. %

0 to 10%-most deprived

0

0

0

0

3,117

2.5

986,773

13.2

10 to 20 %

0

0

(4)-

(4)-

10,721

8.6

865,456

11.6

20 to 30 %

1,507

8.3

854

3.8

12,779

10.2

781,074

10.4

30 to 40 %

3,339

18.3

704

3.1

16,366

13.1

729,243

9.8

40 to 50 %

643

3.5

1,087

4.8

9,945

7.9

705,556

9.4

50 to 60 %

1,742

9.6

(4)-

(4)-

9,958

7.9

689,114

9.2

60 to 70 %

2,079

11.4

1,457

6.4

11,638

9.3

678,145

9.1

70 to 80 %

1,780

9.8

3,249

14.4

13,240

10.6

684,317

9.2

80 to 90 %

1,558

8.5

5,531

24.5

13,751

11.0

684,564

9.2

90 to 100%-least deprived

5,580

30.6

9,222

40.8

23,816

19.0

674,252

9.0

(1) Includes all full-time and part-time pupils who are resident in England with sole and dual main registrations, includes boarders.
(2) Includes all full-time and part-time pupils who attend maintained nursery, primary, secondary, maintained and non-maintained special schools, city technology colleges and academies.
3 Berkshire county council was abolished in 1998 and replaced by the following unitary authorities: Bracknell Forest, West Berkshire, Reading, Slough, Windsor and Maidenhead and Wokingham.
(4) Suppressed data.
Source:
School Census 2010

Mr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many children receive (a) free school meals and (b) education maintenance allowance in each local authority ward in Hendon constituency. [32502]

Mr Gibb: The number of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals is shown in the table. This includes full time pupils aged 0 to 15 and part-time pupils aged 5 to 15.

Maintained nursery( 1) , maintained primary( 2) , state-funded secondary( 2, 3) and special( 4) schools: School meal arrangements( 5) . As at January 2010. By each ward within Hendon parliamentary constituency
Nursery( 1) and primary( 2) State-funded secondary( 2, 3) Special( 4)

 Number on roll( 5, 6) Number of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals( 5, 6) Percentage known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals Number on roll( 5, 6) Number of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals( 5, 6) Percentage known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals Number on roll( 5, 6) Number of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals( 5, 6) Percentage known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals

Burnt Oak

2,214

855

38.6

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

Colindale

441

81

18.4

916

129

14.1

n/a

n/a

n/a

Edgware

1,453

399

27.5

1,048

460

43.9

n/a

n/a

n/a

Hale

1,500

347

23.1

1,226

136

11.1

81

35

43.2

Hendon

1,601

284

17.7

1,653

466

28.2

n/a

n/a

n/a

Mill Hill

1,733

297

17.1

892

186

20.9

n/a

n/a

n/a

West Hendon

920

213

23.2

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

Hendon (all wards)

9,862

2,476

25.1

5,735

1,377

24.0

81

35

43.2

n/a = Not applicable. No schools of this type.
(1) There are no maintained nursery schools in Hendon parliamentary constituency.
(2) Includes middle schools as deemed.
(3 )Includes city technology colleges and academies.
(4) Includes maintained and non-maintained special schools, excludes general hospital schools.
(5) Includes sole and dual (main) registrations.
(6) Pupils who have full time attendance and are aged 15 and under, or pupils who have part time attendance and are aged between 5 and 15.
Source:
School Census
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