| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
31 Jan 2011 : Column 572W—continued
Offenders: Incentives and Earned Privilege Scheme
Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what (a) earnable privileges, (b) in-cell equipment, (c) locally-available privileges and (d) other privileges are available at each level of each local Incentive and Earned Privilege scheme in each prison. [36351]
Mr Blunt: The information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained by contacting individual prison establishments only at disproportionate cost.
The national policy framework set out in Prison Service Order (PSO) 4000 Incentives Earned Privileges (available in the Library of the House) gives prison governors authority to devise their own local scheme to meet the needs of the prison regime. Under the national framework, there are six key earnable privileges, which must be included in local IEP scheme when available. The key earnable privileges are: extra and improved visits, eligibility to earn higher rates of pay, access to in-cell television (paid for by the prisoner), opportunity to wear own clothes, access to private cash and time out of cell for association.
Offenders: Rehabilitation
Mr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will ensure that courts are able to use the extended sentence for public protection to guarantee an appropriate level of post-release supervision under his proposals for reform of indeterminate public protection sentences. [36465]
Mr Blunt: We are conducting an assessment of sentencing to ensure that it is effective in deterring crime, protecting the public, punishing offenders and cutting reoffending. On 7 December 2010 we published proposals in the Green Paper, "Breaking the Cycle: effective punishment, rehabilitation and sentencing of offenders", for public consultation. These proposals included the reform of sentences of Imprisonment for Public Protection. They have been published on the Ministry of Justice website at:
We propose to restrict these sentences to those who merit a minimum term of at least five years in prison. It is proposed that violent and sexual offenders who do not meet the new threshold will be able to receive a long determinate sentence or in appropriate cases an extended sentence (where the offender remains under supervision for an extended period after release). Additionally, there are court orders available to manage the risk of serious sexual and violent offenders whose risk was not considered high enough at the time of conviction for an indefinite sentence, but who appear to present a risk at the end of their sentence.
Offenders: Self-Harm
Mr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps his Department is taking to improve supervision for offenders at risk of self-harm. [36466]
Mr Blunt: All prisons have a broad, integrated and evidence-based suicide prevention and self-harm management strategy that seeks to reduce the distress of all who live and work in prisons. The strategy encompasses a wide spectrum of prison and Department of Health work around such issues as mental health, drugs, resettlement, leadership and training. A prisoner-focused care planning system for those identified at risk, Assessment, Care in Custody and Teamwork (ACCT) has helped prisons to manage self-harm.
NOMS has commissioned Oxford university to undertake research that will support our understanding of self-harm in prison. The study will look at some 140,000 recorded incidents of self-harm between 2004-09. The analysis will provide an evidence base to inform the development of more effective mechanisms for identifying, managing and reducing the risk of those prisoners who self-harm.
Prison Sentences
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 11 January 2011, Official Report, column 279W, on prison sentences, for what offences the convicted individual who received a non-custodial sentence received the 578 previous convictions or cautions. [36540]
Mr Blunt: Table 1 shows previous offences committed by the convicted individual who received a non-custodial sentence in 2009 and had 578 previous convictions or cautions. Over 180 of these previous convictions resulted in a custodial sentence.
The figures are derived from the data used for table 6.2 of 'Sentencing Statistics: England and Wales 2009' which was published on 21 October 2010.
| Table 1: Previous offences committed by the convicted individual who received a non-custodial sentence in 2009 and had 578 previous convictions or cautions | |
| Offence | Number |
These figures relate to separate cautioning or sentencing occasions; where this offender was cautioned or sentenced on the same occasion for several offences it is the details of the primary offence that have been presented. The figures have been drawn from the police's administrative IT system, the police national computer, which, as with any large scale recording system, is subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. The figures are provisional and subject to change as more information is recorded by the police.
Prison Service: Hewlett-Packard
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 17 January 2011, Official Report, columns 644-47W, on the Prison Service: Hewlett-Packard, how many (a) printers, (b) desktop and laptop computers (c) desktop telephones, (d) mobile telephones and (e) pagers there are in each prison. [36425]
Mr Blunt: The terms and conditions of the contract are commercially confidential. The contract expires in less than 18 months.
Prisoner Escapes
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how many prisoners have absconded from (a) the prison estate and (b) prisons under private management since May 2010; [36248]
(2) how many escapes from (a) all prisons and (b) prisons under private management there have been since May 2010; [36252]
Mr Blunt: The following table shows details of the number of escapes and absconds from prisons in England and Wales between 1 May 2010 and 31 December 2010.
| Table 1: Escapes and absconds from 1 May 2010 and 31 December 2010, from (a) all prisons and (b) prisons under private management. | ||
| Incident type | All prisons | Prisons under private management |
The following tables show the number of escapes and absconds from 1 April 2007, by financial year. Figures for 2009-10 are provisional and as yet unpublished.
| Table 2: Escapes and absconds from 1 April 2007 to 31 March 2010, by financial year, from all prisons | |||
| Incident type | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 |
| Table 3: Escapes and absconds from 1 April 2007 to 31 March 2010, by financial year, from prisons under private management. | |||
| Incident type | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 |
Data for 2009-10 onwards are provisional figures that have been drawn from live administrative data systems which may be amended at any time. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale data recording system. Final data may vary from that shown above when formal and approved Ministry of Justice statistics are published.
Escapes refers to key performance indicator escapes.
Prisoners' Release: Reoffenders
Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will publish an assessment of the potential effects on re-offending rates of early release of offenders from prison. [36404]
Mr Blunt: Most prisoners serving determinate sentences are released automatically at the halfway point of their sentence. Those who meet eligibility criteria may be released under home detention curfew.
In 2010 the Ministry of Justice published statistics on proven reoffending for offenders released on Home Detention Curfew (HDC). In 2008-09 out of 11,417 offenders on HDC, 4.6% re-offended while on HDC.
Prisons: Sports
Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what equipment was purchased for prison gymnasiums, sports halls and sports complexes in each prison in each year since 2007-08. [36352]
Mr Blunt: The Ministry of Justice does hold limited data which can be provided relating to the purchase of gym equipment in prisons. Providing you with the information in the format requested would incur a disproportionate cost as locating and consolidating this information at local level would require significant resource within the timescales for submission. We are however able to provide limited information extracted from the MoJ Procurement Directorate.
Since 2007 the NOMS HM Prison Service has contracted with three main suppliers of gym/sports equipment who are Newitts Ltd, Physique plc and Service Sport. Newitts product portfolio consists of mainly light sports equipment, such as rackets, bats, free weights and consumables etc. Physique and Service Sport product ranges mainly consist of gym machines and other light sports equipment. The HM Prison Service where possible purchases remanufactured/refurbished heavy gym equipment. Purchasing equipment is considered the most cost-effective method of procuring those types of goods and where it is possible the HM Prison Service will be continuing with purchasing remanufactured equipment, subject to availability. The MoJ is currently working in collaboration with the Ministry of Defence for the next generation supply framework contract where a collaborative approach will allow the MoJ and MOD to leverage its economies of scale in the market place. This activity is currently being advertised in the Official Journal of the European Union. The framework contract is due for completion in summer 2011.
The net expenditure for those years is as follows:
| £ | ||||
| Financial years | ||||
| Suppliers | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 |
Referral Fee Income
Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what information his Department holds on the level of referral fee income obtained by insurers from lawyers (a) sitting on panels and acting for insurers to defend claims and (b) acting for those with claims as a result of road accidents who consult insurers under motor insurance and/or legal expenses policies. [37011]
Mr Djanogly: The Ministry of Justice does not hold the information sought. Chapter 20 of Lord Jackson's report, 'Review of Civil Litigation Costs', published on 14 January 2010, deals with the issue of referral fees and provides examples of fees paid.
Reoffenders: Community Orders
Mr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment his Department has made of the rate of reoffending among people who have received community punishments at court in each of the last three years. [36553]
Mr Blunt: The latest reconviction data provided are based on offences committed within one year of an offender commencing a court order under probation supervision.
The following table shows the reconviction rates for offenders sentenced to a court order under probation supervision between January and March in 2006, 2007 and 2008.
| Adult one-year re conviction rates for offenders commencing a court order in the last three years | ||
| Court orders( 1) | Number of offenders | Reconviction rate (percentage) |
| (1) Court orders include pre-CJA 2003 community sentences, new community orders and suspended sentence orders. | ||
More information on the reconviction rates is available from the Ministry of Justice website.
Tribunals: Equal Pay
Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many unsettled equal pay cases have remained in the employment tribunal system in the last (a) 10, (b) 20 and (c) 30 years. [36420]
Mr Djanogly: The Ministry of Justice does not hold complete and reliable data for the financial years previous to 1999-2000. Historical information on the age of outstanding equal pay claims is not available. The live case load for claims which include the equal pay jurisdiction as at 31 December 2010 was 169,900.
The following table gives details of the number of equal pay claims accepted (i.e. received or lodged) and the number that remain to be determined or otherwise disposed of (i.e. the outstanding or live case load).
| Number of equal pay claims accepted and outstanding for financial year 1999-2000 to 2009-10 | ||
| Total EQP claims accepted | Total EQP claims outstanding | |
Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many equal pay cases went to an employment tribunal in each year since 2000; and in how many such cases the complainant was successful. [36421]
Mr Djanogly:
The following table shows the number of equal pay claims accepted by employment tribunals;
and the number of them determined at a hearing where the claimant was successful. The table covers the financial year 2000-01 through to the last year for which we have complete and published information, 2009-10.
| Equal Pay claims accepted and disposed of where the claimant was successful in financial year 2000-01 to 2009-10 | |||||||||||
| 2000-01 | 2001-02 | 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | Total | |
| Notes: 1. Heard by tribunal: successful at tribunal; dismissed at preliminary hearing; unsuccessful at tribunal; and default judgment. 2. Disposed not at a tribunal: withdrawn; ACAS conciliated; and struck out (not at a hearing). 3. Default judgments were introduced in October 2004. 4. All figures are rounded independently and therefore may not add to totals. Source: ET annual reports. | |||||||||||
Treasury
Banks: Northern Ireland
Ms Ritchie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will hold discussions with representatives of the British Bankers' Association for the purposes of encouraging them to assist the social economy sector in Northern Ireland by establishing a funding mechanism; and if he will make a statement. [36997]
Mr Hoban: As the Chancellor stated to the House on 11 January 2011, Official Report, columns 153-66, we are working with the banks to ensure that they make a greater contribution to regional economies and local communities across the UK. We will provide more detail to the House when the negotiations have been finalised.
As part of the Government's response to the "Financing a Private Sector Recovery" Green Paper, the banks, through the British Bankers' Association Business Finance Taskforce, have committed to a number of actions that will aid local economies and communities. This includes providing enhanced data on lending at a regional level and the establishment of a £1.5 billion equity fund which will help provide finance to the SMEs that form a vital part of many local communities and economies. Further information on the taskforce can be found on the BBA's website:
Corporation Tax
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the monetary value was of corporation tax losses subject to group relief claims in (a) 2007-08, (b) 2008-09 and (c) 2009-10. [32813]
Mr Gauke: The gross value of group and consortium relief claimed by UK companies (from UK companies) stood at £140 billion in 2007-08 and increased to £155 billion in 2008-09. Results are not yet available for 2009-10.
Group and loss relief policies remain broadly unchanged since the inception of the CT regime in 1965. Group and loss relief are important elements of the corporation tax regime which ensures that companies with similar profits over their life cycle but different patterns of profits and losses over the years, pay broadly the same amounts of tax overall and recognises the economic reality that grouped companies are part of a wider whole. This is balanced, however, with the need for a pragmatic approach to protect tax revenues.
Departmental Carbon Emissions
Luciana Berger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent steps his Department has taken to reduce its carbon emissions to meet the target of reducing central Government carbon emissions by 10 per cent. by June 2011. [36611]
Justine Greening: HM Treasury is committed to making its full contribution towards the Government's target to reduce central Government carbon emissions by 10% by May 2011. Real-time energy data for HM Treasury's headquarters building at 1 Horse Guards road has been displayed on the Treasury website:
since July 2010. During 2010-11, HM Treasury has rationalised its IT infrastructure and reduced power consumption through a move to the use of laptop computers and the consolidation of office printers. It has also been completing the implementation of outstanding Carbon Trust recommendations, which will help deliver efficiency savings. Staff behaviour changes are also being encouraged through the active support of a Green Champions network throughout the organisation.
Departmental Manpower
Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 18 January 2011, Official Report, column 752W, on departmental manpower, how many people were employed in his Department's Devolved Countries Unit in each year for which figures are available. [37110]
Danny Alexander: The Devolved Countries Unit was established in 2008. Staffing levels for the unit since its formation have varied between around five to seven members of staff.
Departmental Public Expenditure
Dr Phillip Lee: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his Department (a) has undertaken and (b) plans to undertake any studies on the effects of the Asset Management Period cycle on levels of employment within the water industry and its supply chain; and if he will make a statement. [36271]
Danny Alexander [holding answer 26 January 2011]: As noted by the Under-Secretary of State for Natural Environment and Fisheries, the hon. Member for Newbury (Richard Benyon), the price setting process for the water sector is being looked at, both by the regulator Ofwat, and by the Government's review of Ofwat. Additionally, the Infrastructure UK cost study, available at:
examined the impact of investment certainty on infrastructure costs across all infrastructure sectors.
Infrastructure UK is now working on how longer-term investment certainty can improve infrastructure delivery.
Economic and Monetary Union
Mr Cash: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 15 December 2010, Official Report, column 786W, on the European Financial Stability Mechanism, if he will place in the Library a copy of the (a) legal and (b) other written advice received by Treasury Ministers on the application of the European Financial Stability Mechanism to the UK before the meeting of the European Committee at which the Financial Stabilisation Mechanism will be considered. [37126]
Mr Hoban: Treasury Ministers received advice on this issue, including legal advice, as part of the normal process of policy development.
Policy development and information relating to recent policy announcements need a degree of freedom to enable the process to work effectively. The release of information so soon after discussions took place would result in less full and frank discussions in the future, harming the policy formulation and development process.
Excise Duties: Alcoholic Drinks
Dan Rogerson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has any plans to revise the alcohol fraud strategy published in 2009. [37279]
Justine Greening: The "Tackling Alcohol Fraud" strategy was implemented from 1 April 2010. An important element within the strategy is the ability to quickly adapt the operational response to combat any changes in fraud. There are therefore no plans to revise the strategy.
Financial Inclusion Fund
Ian Austin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has for the end of the Financial Inclusion Fund; and if he will make a statement. [36866]
Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for West Worcestershire of 19 January 2011, Official Report, column 836W, on the Financial Inclusion Fund, what funding he plans to make available after the closure of the Financial Inclusion Fund to ensure that financial exclusion continues to be tackled. [36798]
Mr Hoban: The Financial Inclusion Fund has always been due to close in March 2010. The Government have not yet taken a decision on the future of the projects currently funded from the Financial Inclusion Fund.
The Government remain committed to helping poorer households to access appropriate financial services, to improve their financial resilience and to avoid falling into unsustainable levels of debt.
Financial Services: Income
Simon Kirby: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the gross natural product generated from the financial sector in (a) England, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland in the last year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [36916]
Mr Hurd: I have been asked to reply.
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 recent Parliamentary Question concerning the most recent estimate of gross national product generated from the financial sector in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland (36916).
The Office for National Statistics does not produce regional estimates of Gross National Product (GNP) but it does produce estimates of regional Gross Value Added (GVA). GVA is used in the estimation of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). It is measured at current basic prices and can be derived as follows:
GVA = GDP less taxes on products plus subsidies on products
Regional GVA is broken down by industry sector using the 2003 Standard Industrial Classification (SIC03), the financial industry falls within section J 'financial intermediation'. The most recent estimates of GVA within financial intermediation for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are available in the table below.
| Total gross value added | |
| £ million | |
| 2008 Industry J | |
| Source: Table 1.3, Regional GVA, ONS, available on the National Statistics website at: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_economy/GVA_NUTS1.xls | |
Incentives
Paul Uppal: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will hold discussions with the banking industry for the purposes of encouraging the payment of employee bonuses in the form of shares rather than cash. [36399]
Mr Hoban: The Government have taken robust action to tackle unacceptable bonuses. The Financial Services Authority's Remuneration Code has been revised and new rules came into force on 1 January 2011 covering roughly 2,500 firms throughout the financial services sector. The new rules are significantly tougher than previously and require that at least 50% of a bonus must be paid in shares or other non-cash instruments and held subject to an appropriate retention policy. In addition, significant proportions of any bonus must be deferred and linked to performance and only 20-30% of a bonus can be paid upfront in cash.
International Monetary Fund
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the Government's objectives are for the reform of the International Monetary Fund. [37015]
Mr Hoban: The Chancellor set out his objectives for the reform of the IMF in his statement at the October 2010 IMF Annual Meetings, available at:
The Chancellor also discussed the role of the IMF in his recent speech in Paris on 6 January this year, available at:
Jurisdiction: Isle of Man
Mr Sheerman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to enforce county court judgements against companies registered in the Isle of Man with property holdings in the UK. [30102]
Mr Gauke: The Treasury has not identified a county court judgment in its favour against a company registered in the Isle of Man. In light of this, the Treasury has no plans to enforce any such judgments.
Members: Correspondence
Mr Baron: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when his Department plans to write to the hon. Member for Basildon and Billericay correcting the errors in the letter of 5 November 2010 in response to his letter of 15 September 2010 regarding Mr Jobb Robb. [36094]
Danny Alexander: I have replied to the hon. Member.
Mr Baron: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to respond to the letters from the hon. Member for Basildon and Billericay of 7 October and 18 November 2010 regarding Ford Dunton. [36811]
Justine Greening: I have replied to the hon. Member.
Taxation: Aviation
Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will bring forward proposals to base aviation taxes on passengers on the distance travelled. [36826]
Justine Greening: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Crawley (Henry Smith) on 1 November 2010, Official Report, column 661W.
Taxation: Dogs
Mr Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the sum accruing to the Exchequer from taxation on (a) dog food and (b) dog treats in each of the last three years. [36716]
Mr Gauke: No such estimates have been made as HM Revenue and Customs does not collect data on VAT from individual goods and services.
VAT: Tax Rates and Bands
Mr MacNeil: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much additional revenue he expects to raise as a result of the recent increase in the rate of value added tax; and what proportion of that increase he estimates will come from consumer expenditure on petrol. [36994]
Mr Gauke: The estimated total revenue gain from the VAT rate increase on 4 January 2011 is £12.1 billion for 2011-12. Data are not available for the revenue attributable to specific goods and services.
Welfare Tax Credits
Yvonne Fovargue:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many households have had their tax credit awards terminated following failure to renew their awards in each of the last three years; how many of these were subsequently restored; how many were required to repay the full amount of the award; and what the (a) average
and (b) maximum amount required in repayment was in each of those years. [37210]
Mr Gauke: The information is not available in the format requested.
For information on the number of tax credit claims ended and the number restored during each of the last three years I refer the hon. Member to the following table:
| During year | Total number of claims ended | Total number of claims restored |
The average amount and the maximum repayment amounts are available only at disproportionate cost.
Work and Pensions
Cold Weather Payments: Wales
Mr Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much money was spent on cold weather payments in Wales in the latest period for which figures are available; and how many individuals received cold weather payments in each weather station area. [37248]
Steve Webb: Areas linked to weather stations used in the cold weather payment scheme do not follow country or regional borders. Therefore there are some weather stations located in Wales which also cover areas in England and vice versa. The estimated amount authorised for payment so far this winter for weather stations where the area covered is wholly in Wales is £23.0 million. For weather stations which cover areas that straddle the border the estimated amount authorised for payment so far this winter is £20.7 million (for all areas covered, not just the parts in Wales)(1, 2, 3, 4).
The number of benefit units that have received at least one cold weather payment by weather station in Wales so far this winter are given in the following tables. The tables are split into weather stations covering areas wholly in Wales and weather stations which cover areas that straddle the border.
| Weather stations covering areas wholly in Wales for winter 2010-11 | ||
| Weather station | Admin area | Estimated number of benefit units that have received at least one payment this winter |
| Weather stations covering areas in Wales and England for winter 2010-11 | ||
| Weather station | Admin area | Estimated number of benefit units that have received at least one payment this winter |
| Notes: 1. The admin area gives the location of the weather station and not necessarily the area the weather station covers. For example, Lake Vyrnwy weather station is located in Powys, but does not cover all of Powys. Lake Vyrnwy weather station also covers some postcodes in England. 2. Cold weather payments are made to benefit units. A benefit unit can be a single person or a couple and can include children. 3. Some benefit units have received more than one payment this winter. 4. Estimated numbers have been rounded to the nearest 100. Source: Department for Work and Pensions records of triggers notified up to and including 27 January 2011 and estimates of potential qualifiers by weather station. | ||
(1) The information provided is Management Information. Our preference is to answer all parliamentary questions using Official/National Statistics but in this case we only have management information available. It is not quality assured to the same extent as Official/National Statistics and there are some issues with the data, for example, figures given are estimates. Actuals are not available.
(2)( )A cold weather payment is made to an eligible customer when the average temperature has been recorded as, or is forecast to be, 0°C or below over seven consecutive days at the weather station linked to the customer's postcode. (When the temperature criterion is met, the weather station is said to trigger.)
(3) It is not possible to calculate a total estimated amount authorised for payment in Wales for the weather stations that straddle the border.
(4)( ) Source:
Department for Work and Pensions records of triggers notified up to and including 27 January 2011 and estimates of potential qualifiers by weather station.
Departmental Statistics
Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which models his Department uses to analyse levels of (a) employment, (b) unemployment, (c) jobseeker's allowance (JSA) caseload and (d) expenditure on JSA. [37085]
Chris Grayling: The Office for National Statistics (ONS) publishes official labour market statistics on a monthly basis. These statistics include employment, unemployment, jobseeker's allowance (JSA) caseload and the average weekly payment of JSA.
Modelling of overall employment, unemployment and the JSA claimant count is conducted by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR). Internal modelling of these for business planning purposes is based on these forecasts.
Expenditure forecasts are produced by multiplying the OBR claimant count by the average amount of weekly benefit paid to each individual.
Disability Living Allowance
Margaret Curran: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate his Department has made of the number and proportion of current recipients of disability living allowance who will be eligible to receive the personal independence payment in 2014-15. [37278]
Maria Miller: The proposed personal independence payment will be for those with the assessed level of need. The detailed criteria that will be used in the new assessment to determine eligibility for the rates of the benefit are currently being developed and a consultation process is also under way.
Employment and Support Allowance
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions by how much he expects spending on contributory employment and support allowance to be reduced by time limiting to 12 months in the first year of the reduction; and what the figure would be if time limiting was (a) six months, (b) two years, (c) three years and (d) four years. [33960]
Maria Miller: The latest departmental spending estimates are contained in the Office for Budget Responsibility's economic and fiscal outlook-announced in the Autumn Statement. In this statement it was estimated that time limiting contributory employment and support allowance to one year for those in the Work Related Activity Group would reduce overall benefit expenditure by around £850 million in 2012-13. This includes reductions to expenditure on contributory ESA net of expected costs to income-related ESA and other DWP administered benefits.
The estimated costs or savings from changing the period of the time limit are shown in the following table:
| Net benefit savings in 2012-13 | |
| Period of time limit | £ million |
| Note: Figures are in cash terms, and are for Great Britain. They are rounded to the nearest £50 million. | |
These cost estimates are consistent with those made for the Autumn Statement. They are subject to change as the underlying models are being constantly improved to incorporate as much evidence as possible. A full impact assessment, including the most up to date costs and savings for the policy, will be published alongside the Welfare Reform Bill.
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the evidential basis is for his proposal that 12 months should be the maximum period for claimants in the work-related activity group to receive contributory employment and support allowance. [36247]
Maria Miller: We are introducing a time limit of 12 months for entitlement to contributory employment and support allowance for claimants in the Work Related Activity Group. The period of 12 months was chosen because it strikes the best balance between allowing people with longer-term conditions to adjust to their health condition and providing a level of access that is appropriate for contributory benefits. Around 60% of all those claiming ESA already come off this benefit within a year(1). We will be putting in place significant additional employment support through the Work programme.
ESA has always been intended to be a temporary benefit for those in the Work Related Activity Group. It is important that we rebalance the benefit system so that it is fair to recipients as well as being affordable to the taxpayer.
Those in the Support Group, who have the most severe health conditions or disabilities, are not affected by this measure. Customers in the Work Related Activity Group whose entitlement to contributory ESA ends after 12 months will be able to claim income-related ESA if they are eligible.
(1) Source:
Department for Work and Pensions Tabulation Tool.
Housing Benefit
Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the likely effects of reductions in housing benefit payments on rent levels in the private sector. [35062]
Steve Webb: In July last year, the Department published a document on "Impacts of Housing Benefit proposals: Changes to the Local Housing Allowance to be introduced in 2011-12", which includes analysis at the local authority level, and a separate equality impact assessment. A copy of the documents has been placed in the Library.
The Department published a full impact assessment for the 2011-12 changes to the local housing allowance arrangements in November 2010. A copy of the documents has been placed in the Library.
We expect landlords to reduce rents as a result of reductions to local housing allowance rates. To support this drive, we are temporarily extending local authority discretion to pay benefit direct to landlords who agree to reduce the rent to a level that is affordable to a person claiming housing benefit.
The Department is intending to commission independent, external research to evaluate the impact of the housing benefit measures. The precise form will depend upon the resources that are available, but we anticipate that it will include fieldwork examining the effects on different types of households in a range of areas across Great Britain.
Housing Benefit: Unemployment
Mr Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he made of the number of people expected to be affected by the planned changes in housing benefit for the long-term unemployed in determining the policy cost estimate in the June 2010 Budget. [33499]
Steve Webb: We will publish an equality impact assessment for the proposed changes to housing benefit announced at Budget 2010 to accompany the relevant legislation when introduced in Parliament.
Incapacity Benefit: Brighton and Hove
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in (a) the city of Brighton and Hove and (b) the UK received incapacity benefit in each year since 2007. [36334]
Maria Miller: The information is as follows:
| Incapacity benefit and severe disablement allowance claimants in Brighton and Hove local authority and Great Britain: in each May since 2007 | ||
| As at May each year | Brighton and Hove LA | Great Britain |
| Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Figures do not include employment support allowance (ESA) which was introduced in October 2008 for new claimants. 3. IB/SDA 'Claimants' include people in receipt of benefit and also those who fail the contributions conditions but receive a national insurance credit, ie 'credits only cases'. 4. DWP does not hold statistics for Northern Ireland residents. These may be obtained from the Department for Social Development in Northern Ireland website. 5. The data provided are published at http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=tabtool Source: DWP Information Directorate Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100% data. | ||
Jobseeker's Allowance
Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 21 January 2011, Official Report, columns 1015-16W, on jobseeker's allowance, if he will publish his Department's projection of the (a) jobseeker's allowance claimant count, (b) jobseeker's allowance claimant counted aged 16 to 24 years old, (c) average weekly jobseeker's allowance payment and (d) average weekly jobseeker's allowance payments to those claimants aged 16 to 24 years old in (i) 2011-12, (ii) 2012-13, (iii) 2013-14 and (iv) 2014-15. [37086]
Chris Grayling: The Department does not produce forecasts of unemployment. The Department produces projections for business planning purposes which are aligned to the overall independent claimant count forecasts published by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) as part of the autumn forecast.
The information available is shown in the following table.
The Department does not make any projection of the average benefit payment for 16 to 24-year-olds.
These figures do not take into account any effect from the Work programme.
Maternity Pay
Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether, under his proposals for parental leave, employees will be permitted to continue to recoup statutory maternity pay if a mother returns to work but takes a period of annual leave immediately after maternity leave. [36164]
Maria Miller: The Government are committed to encourage shared parenting from the earliest stages of pregnancy-including the promotion of a system of flexible parental leave. It is important that we make sure that any new system balances the needs of families and those who employ them. We will be consulting widely in due course to give family groups, individual workers and employers the opportunity to help us get this right.
Pensioners: Income
Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the effects on pensioner incomes of the change from the retail prices index to the consumer prices index for indexation. [37068]
Steve Webb: The effect on a pensioner's income of the change to using the consumer price index (CPI) for indexation will depend on the composition of that income, i.e. the pensions and benefits they receive.
For occupational pension recipients, the change to their occupational pension income will be dependent upon the type of scheme that they are in and the rules of that scheme. Additional pension recipients will be likely to see lower increases in additional pension as a result of using the CPI for indexation rather than the retail price index (RPI).
As an illustration, where the RPI shows growth of one percentage point above the CPI, a pensioner in receipt of £70 a week in affected income-e.g. made up of any combination of additional pension, an affected occupational pension or an affected benefit-could see a 70p per week difference in the increase applied to that income. This may be offset by increased entitlement to an income-related benefit.
It is important to see this change in the context of the more generous increases to the basic state pension which, under a 'triple guarantee' announced by the Government, will increase by the highest of the growth in average earnings, CPI or 2.5%. In 2011-12 only, it is proposed that an increase by the retail prices index will be given to the basic state pension.
The lifetime net contributory state pension income gain from both policies is around £10,000, in net present value terms.
Poverty: Children
Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what analysis his Department has undertaken on the role of child maintenance in tackling child poverty; and if he will make a statement. [33281]
Maria Miller: Analysis carried out by the Department shows that child maintenance payments are estimated to have a small, non-reportable, impact on the number of children in relative income poverty.
This is because statutory child maintenance payments to children living on or near the poverty line involve moving relatively small amounts of money between families. These payment levels do not have a reportable impact on lifting children out of poverty.
For those individual households however, where child maintenance provides parents with a stable income stream, it can make a real difference to the lives of children in poor households.
We are committed to addressing child poverty and improving children's life chances and we believe that all families should receive the child maintenance that they are due. Beyond actual child maintenance payments, evidence indicates that ongoing involvement of both parents in children's lives is better for children on a range of outcomes. This is why supporting parents to make family-based arrangements for maintenance is absolutely central to our proposals for reforming the child maintenance system.
State Retirement Pensions
Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what estimate he has made of the net effect on the state pension of a person of average income who reaches state retirement age in 2011 of the implementation of (a) the triple guarantee and (b) the use of the consumer prices index rather than the retail prices index for indexation; [37003]
(2) what estimate he has made of the effect on the second state pension of a person of average income who reaches state retirement age in 2011 of the use of the consumer prices index rather than the retail prices index for pension indexation. [37004]
Steve Webb: The estimated net contributory state pension income effects on a person with an average state pension entitlement reaching state pension age in the 2011-12 tax year are as follows:
(a) A lifetime net gain in basic state pension income of around £15,000, in net present value terms, due to the effect of the triple guarantee.
(b) A lifetime net loss in additional state pension income of around £5,000, in net present value terms, due to the switch to CPI indexation.
The lifetime net contributory state pension income gain from both policies is around £10,000, in net present value terms.
Notes:
1. The calculation is based on projected median state pension entitlement for individuals reaching state pension age in the 2011-12 tax year. This includes basic state pension entitlement, plus additional state pension entitlement (State Earnings Related Pension Scheme and state second pension), assuming no deductions due to periods spent in contracted-out employment.
2. The calculation excludes entitlement deriving from a former spouse's or partner's contributions, and assumes the individual does not defer claiming their state pension. Entitlement to graduated retirement benefit is not included.
3. Figures are net present values of the policies over the length of a retirement.
4. Figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000.
5. The effects on basic state pension income and additional state pension income are both calculated relative to counterfactual policies of RPI indexation.
6. The estimates assume a length of retirement of 25 years after the year in which the person reaches state pension age.
7. Net contributory state pension income is income from basic state pension and additional state pension (excluding graduated retirement benefit).
State Retirement Pensions: Females
Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what his estimate is of the change in the average monthly income for women born between 6 March and 5 April 1954 as a result of the new timetable for equalising state pension age in each month of the period when they would have reached state retirement age under the previous timetable; [37392]
(2) what his estimate is of the financial effect on a woman for whom the state retirement age increases by two years under the new timetable for equalising the state pension age; [37393]
(3) what his estimate is of the financial effect on a woman for whom the state retirement age increases by 18 months or more under the new timetable for equalising the state pension age; [37394]
Steve Webb: The overall financial effect of these changes is complex and will vary significantly from person to person. This makes it difficult to generalise about the impact of the changes on individuals.
The impact will depend on a range of factors, including the amount of state pension they would otherwise have received, their eligibility for in-work benefits such as jobseeker's allowance (JSA) and employment support allowance (ESA), the income and characteristics of their wider household, and their level of savings.
In addition, many of these women will remain in employment, and could therefore benefit from additional earnings and from additional accrual of pension rights.
Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of women in (a) Yorkshire and Humber, (b) East Midlands, (c) North East, (d) East of England, (e) London, (f) South East, (g) South West, (h) West Midlands, (i) North West, (j) Scotland, (k) Wales and ( l ) Northern Ireland whose state pension age will increase by exactly two years under the proposed new timetable for the state pension age. [37405]
Steve Webb: The effect on the level of income is complex and will vary significantly between individuals. Because of the revision in life expectance projections, women retiring at 66 in 2020 will, on average, be getting their state pension for about the same length of time (24 years) as the previous life expectancy projections implied for a state pension age of 64 in 2018.
The Department's estimates, made on the basis of the mid-2009 ONS population estimates, of the approximate number of women whose state pension age will increase by exactly two years are set out in the following table:
| Thousand | |
Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of women in (a) Yorkshire and Humber, (b) East Midlands, (c) North East, (d) East of England, (e) London, (f) South East, (g) South West, (h) West Midlands, (i) North West, (j) Scotland, (k) Wales and (l) Northern Ireland whose state pension age will increase by more than 18 months under the proposed new timetable for the state pension age. [37406]
Steve Webb: The effect on the level of income is complex and will vary significantly between individuals. Because of the revision in life expectance projections, women retiring at 66 in 2020 will, on average, be getting their state pension for about the same length of time (24 years) as the previous life expectancy projections implied for a state pension age of 64 in 2018.
The Department's estimates, made on the basis of the mid-2009 ONS population estimates, of the approximate number of women whose state pension age will increase by more than 18 months are set out in the following table.
| Thousand | |
Unemployed People: Dyslexia
Mr Rob Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the extent of discrimination against (a) dyslexic people in the workplace and (b) unemployed dyslexic people who are seeking work. [35450]
Maria Miller: My Department has made no assessment of the extent of discrimination faced by people with dyslexia in the workplace, or by unemployed people with dyslexia who are seeking work.
The employment provisions of the Equality Act 2010 (EA) provide protection from disability discrimination for disabled workers and disabled job applicants. The EA generally defines a disabled person as someone who has a mental or physical impairment that has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on the person's ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. Therefore a person whose dyslexia has these effects would be protected by the Act from discrimination.
Universal Credit
Glenda Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether (a) statutory sick pay, (b) maternity pay and (c) maternity allowance will be treated as earnings when assessing eligibility for universal credit. [36654]
Maria Miller: Final decisions have not yet been made. However, it may be logical to treat payments such as statutory sick pay and statutory maternity pay in the same way as earnings as they are paid by employers. We will be looking further at this issue and the implications such an approach might have for the treatment of maternity allowance.
Winter Fuel Payments: British Nationals Abroad
Stephen McPartland: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department spent on winter fuel payments to UK citizens living in (a) other EU member states and (b) outside the EU in each of the last three years. [36933]
Steve Webb: Winter fuel payments are paid to former UK residents living in the European economic area (EEA) and Switzerland if they qualified for a payment before leaving the UK. In all cases, this represents less than 1% of the total expenditure on winter fuel payments.
Expenditure on winter fuel payments paid to people living outside the United Kingdom over the three most recent years for which information is available is shown in the following table.
| Winter fuel payments expenditure on recipients living outside the UK | |||
| £ million | |||
| 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | |
| Notes: 1. Expenditure has been rounded to the nearest £100,000 and the breakdown may not sum to the total due to this rounding. 2. The distribution of the different levels of payment in the European Union is assumed to be the same as that for the European economic area, as country-level information about distribution of payment amounts is not available. Source: DWP Statistical and Accounting Data. | |||
Business, Innovation and Skills
Aerospace Industry: Immigration Rules
Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) what assessment he has made of the likely effects on the competitiveness and financial stability of the aerospace industry of the changes to immigration rules to take effect in April 2011; [37135]
(2) what discussions he has had with the aerospace industry on the effects on them of changes to immigration rules to take effect in April 2011; and if he will make a statement. [37138]
Mr Prisk: A number of companies have expressed views on restrictions on employing skilled non-EU migrants. These include a small number of our larger aerospace companies, who have advised us of their discussions with officials in my Department, the UK Border Agency and the Migration Advisory Committee on this matter. One of these aerospace companies raised it directly with me last September.
The Department consulted widely with all sectors of industry during the development of the policy to limit non EU economic migration.
The changes that have been announced will leave intra-company transfers (ICTs) outside of the limit and prioritise skilled migrants.
Business: Higher Education
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what funding local economic partnerships will be able to provide to develop new partnerships between business and higher education institutions; and if he will make a statement. [36637]
Mr Prisk: I will reply to the hon. Member as soon as possible.
No central Government spending has been allocated specifically to fund the activities of local enterprise partnerships. As set out in the White Paper on Local Growth local enterprise partnerships will be expected to fund their own day-to-day running costs and will also want to consider how they can obtain the best value for public money by leveraging in private sector investment. Local enterprise partnerships and proposed partnerships may also wish to submit bids to the Regional Growth Fund or European Funding. It is for local authorities to decide how much of their discretionary spending they allocate to local enterprise partnerships.
Defence: Industry
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he plans to publish a defence industry strategy plan. [37291]
Mr Davey: I do not have any plans to publish a defence industry strategic plan.
The UK Government published 'Securing Britain in an Age of Uncertainty: The Strategic Defence and Security Review' in October 2010. This document sets out the UK Government's decision on its defence, security, intelligence, resilience, development and foreign affairs
capabilities in the round. It sets a clear target for the national security capabilities the UK will need by 2020 and charts a course for getting there.
In December 2010, following on from the Strategic Defence and Security Review, the Minister for Defence Equipment and Support and the Minister of State for Security and Counter Terrorism initiated a formal consultation by the publication of a Green Paper on how the UK Government should acquire equipment, support and technology for UK defence and security. This consultation is wide ranging but it seeks to consider how the Government can ensure that the UK creates and retains the skills necessary to support essential national security capabilities and to what extent it should take wider economic considerations into account when taking decisions about fulfilling its defence and security requirements. My officials are working with those from the Ministry of Defence on these issues. I am also engaging on these issues through the National Defence Industries Council. The consultation which ends on 31 March is part of the process of developing a White Paper on these issues to be published in 2011.
Departmental Pay
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 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. [34826]
Mr Davey: The Department's facilities contractors currently employ 88 staff who are not paid at a rate equivalent to or above the London living wage.
Departmental Regulation
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will place in the Library a list of the deregulatory measures his Department has taken since May 2010. [37294]
Mr Davey: Since May 2010 the Department has not yet revoked any significant regulatory measures. However, we have launched a review of employment law, and are conducting a major fundamental review scrutinising the overall stock of BIS regulation, alongside legacy measures inherited from the previous Administration. The Home Office are leading on the Protection of Freedoms Bill due to be announced in February 2011, which will include a number of proposed repeals of primary and secondary legislation that have been identified as unnecessary.
Economic Growth
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent progress he has made on his strategy for business growth in the UK economy; and if he will make a statement. [37292]
Mr Prisk: The Government's strategy for stimulating private sector growth was set out in 'The path to strong, sustainable and balanced growth', published on 29 November. The first phase of the Growth Review, launched in the paper, will report at Budget 2011.
English Language: Higher Education
Damian Hinds: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the proportion of all students enrolled in English-language higher education courses outside their home country who studied in the UK in (a) 2009-10, (b) 2004-05 and (c) 1999-2000. [37043]
Mr Willetts: The information requested is not available.
EU High-Level Group of Member States: Social Responsibility
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills who has represented his Department at meetings of the EU High-Level Group of Member States representatives on corporate social responsibility. [36546]
Mr Davey: BIS officials will be meeting with European Commission representatives from the High-Level Group in February to discuss EU developments on corporate social responsibility and facilitate future engagement at the EU level.
No officials from the Department attended the most recent meeting of the High-Level Group on 19 January 2010. Officials from BIS or other Government Departments will represent the UK at future meetings of the High-Level Group as necessary, according to the specific policy issues which have been tabled for discussion.
Export Credit Guarantees
Mr Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what criteria the Export Credits Guarantee Department uses to decide whether a project which it supports requires a sovereign counter-guarantee from the importing country's government. [35731]
Mr Davey: When ECGD is asked to provide its support for an export transaction where the buyer is a Ministry or Department of the central Government it would be usual to seek a sovereign guarantee of payment that commits the full faith and credit of the sovereign Government to honour its debt obligations. Sovereign guarantees of payment may also be sought where the buyer is a publicly owned entity in circumstances when ECGD judges that such security is necessary and it is available. ECGD does not normally seek sovereign guarantees of payment for export transactions involving private buyers or where it takes project risk involving limited recourse financing structures.
Financial Inclusion Fund
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the effect of the end of the Financial Inclusion Fund on the number of centres in (a) England and (b) the West Midlands providing debt advice. [36839]
Mr Davey:
The Financial Inclusion Fund (FIF) has always been due to close in March 2011. The Government have not yet taken a decision on the future of the projects currently funded from the FIF. In the meantime, my officials have worked with the projects involved to
understand the potential scale of any redundancies and taken steps to ensure that any redundancy costs can be met from project funds rather than affecting the viability of the organisations affected.
Higher Education: Admissions
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many students normally resident in each parliamentary constituency entered university in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [36859]
Mr Willetts: The number of entrants from each parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom to UK higher education institutions are shown in the table, for the academic years 2005/06 to 2009/10 which can be found in the Libraries of the House. Figures are based on updated postcode information and are, therefore, not comparable with constituency level data which may have been published previously. Figures for the 2010/11 academic year will become available from January 2012. Information on entrants to higher education courses at further education colleges is not available at constituency level.
Higher Education: Disadvantaged
Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many pupils in Blackpool North and Cleveleys constituency in receipt of free school meals entered higher education in (a) 2009 and (b) 2010. [37304]
Mr Willetts: Latest available figures show 25 pupils who attended maintained schools in Blackpool local authority and had previously received free school meals aged 15, had progressed to Higher Education by age 19 in 2007/08. Figures are not available by parliamentary constituency. Data for the 2008/09 academic year will be available later this year.
Higher Education: Economic Situation
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent assessment he has made of the contribution to the economy of postgraduate education; and if he will make a statement. [36861]
Mr Willetts: Professor Sir Adrian Smith's Postgraduate Review from 2010 (One Step Beyond: Making the most of the postgraduate education sector) found that the advanced knowledge and capability of postgraduates were highly prized by business and the public sector. The report noted that the skills of postgraduates, especially researchers, are critical for tackling major business challenges and driving innovation and growth. The UK's ability to provide people skilled to this level is an important factor in attracting global businesses to locate high-value operations in this country.
The value of postgraduate education to all areas of the UK economy has also been recognised by a number of other sources. For example, the Royal Society's report "The Scientific Century" (2010) suggested that, while many graduates move out of research following a PhD in a scientific, or closely related, subject, they go on to
use their skills to considerable economic and wider benefit, through employment within a large range of sectors.
Higher Education: Further Education
Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will publish an assessment of the potential effects of fluctuations in the number of students entering higher and further education on the funding levels of institutions. [36405]
Mr Willetts: From next academic year (2011/12), funding allocations for 16 to 18-year-olds will be based on the equivalent of lagged pupil numbers. Individual statements will be sent to each 16 to18 provider by the Young People's Learning Agency at the end of January, which will detail the number of learners they will be funded for in 2011/12 and the make up of those learners. These statements will not include detail on the funding individual providers will receive because the funding rates for schools and colleges will need to be finalised as part of the allocations process taking into account projected national student volumes. The base rate of funding will be announced as part of this process and final funding allocations are due to be completed by 31 March 2011.
Should the volume of 16 to 18-year-old learners be greater than projected and individual providers recruit more learners than they have been funded for in year, this growth will be consolidated as part of next year's allocations process for which providers will be funded in 2012/13.
With regard to adult skills (19 and over), 'Investing Skills for Sustainable Growth' was published on 16 November 2010. In the 2011-12 financial year, we plan to invest £3.9 billion in further education (FE) and skills for post-19 learners. Within this envelope of resource, institutions have the freedom and flexibility to plan their provision to meet the needs of learners, employers and communities.
The current Statistical First Release was published on 16 November 2010 including information on learner participation and achievement for both 16 to 18 and 19+ further education and skills from 2005/6 to 2008/09, as well as provisional data for 2009/10.
The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) will announce its provisional allocations to institutions in March for academic year 2011/12, based on the resources allocated in its grant letter issued in December. For subsequent years we do not have robust data on which to make such as assessment down to institutional level. University income is made up of a number of funding streams from public, private and charitable sources. In terms of public funding our reforms to higher education will shift the balance of resources for teaching from direct grant to institutions to funding that follows the choices made by individual students. This will provide strong incentives for institutions to focus on providing high quality teaching as efficiently as possible. Over time, popular and successful institutions will be able to grow and we expect new providers to enter the sector providing they can offer teaching to the high standards students will expect. We do not expect the overall income of the sector to reduce and we expect improved teaching quality and better informed students
to have a positive impact on the economy. Overall we expect the number of university students to remain at current levels.
Higher Education: Standards
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 24 January 2011, Official Report, column 108W, on higher education: standards, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the contract between the Higher Education Funding Council for England and the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education in maintaining academic standards and quality; and if he will make a statement. [36860]
Mr Willetts: I have made no assessment of the effectiveness of the contract itself, which is the mechanism through which the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) delivers its statutory responsibility to provide for the assessment of the quality of education provided in institutions that it funds. Individual higher education institutions are responsible for maintaining their own academic standards and quality. QAA checks how well individual higher education institutions meet those responsibilities. In our recent grant letter to HEFCE, the Secretary of State and I reaffirmed our commitment to a regime that is built around assuring and improving the experience of the student. We stressed the importance of HEFCE's work with the sector and the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, in ensuring that strong quality assurance arrangements are in place for the start of the 2011/12 academic year. I continue to keep in touch with that process. For the future, as stated in my earlier reply, we have already announced our intention to publish a Higher Education White Paper covering a wide range of long-term issues.
Higher Education: Sunderland
Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many students normally resident in Sunderland and entering higher education between 1997 and 2010 qualified for financial assistance from his Department. [36411]
Mr Willetts: The number of full-time, higher education students from Sunderland who applied and qualified for financial support between academic years 2004/05 and 2010/11 is as follows. Comparable figures for earlier years are not available.
| Academic year | Number of students( 1,2,3) |
| (1) Number of student finance continuing and aspiring students eligible and awarded to full-time student support. (2) Count of continuing and aspiring students based on Sunderland postcodes. (3) Figures are rounded to the closest 10. Source: Student Loans Company | |
Manufacturing Industries
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the outcomes were of his recent manufacturing summit; and if he will make a statement. [37293]
Mr Prisk: Over 130 attendees from industry participated in the Manufacturing summit I hosted on 25 January to discuss how to work together to promote manufacturing excellence and challenge perceptions of the industry.
The Deputy Prime Minister, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, and I emphasised the importance this Government attach to manufacturing for achieving the balanced, sustainable growth essential for our economy. We also highlighted the need to tackle the outdated image of manufacturing that hinders its ability to attract the best talent. To address this challenge, we are asking UK businesses manufacturing cutting-edge products to throw open their doors for a day to students and teachers.
Breakout sessions, chaired by Ministers, focused on understanding the key barriers to growth and identifying solutions where industry can work with Government. Outcomes from these sessions will feed into the advanced manufacturing strand of the Government's Growth Review, which will announce policy proposals at Budget 2011.
New Businesses and Job Creation
Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will assess the effect of (a) the removal of assisted area grants and (b) the ending of regional development agencies on (i) attracting businesses to weaker local economies and (ii) job creation. [36040]
Mr Prisk: The Government are taking a new approach to local growth that was presented in the Local Growth White Paper (Cm 7961) presented to Parliament on 28 October 2010. This will (a) shift power to local businesses and communities; (b) create the right conditions for growth and prosperity by promoting efficient and dynamic markets and (c) support focused investment that will have a long term impact on growth.
This fundamental re-thinking of local growth has led to the implementation of Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) and the Regional Growth Fund (RGF) that has different objectives and criteria to the Grant for Business Investment (GBI) scheme (which is now considering applications on an exceptional basis only). RGF support will be much larger-it has £1.4 billion over three years at its disposal compared to total GBI expenditure of £54 million in 2009/10-and focused to support those areas and communities that are currently dependent on the public sector make the transition to sustainable private sector-led growth. During the first round of the RGF over 400 applications have been received from businesses and local communities around England.
An assessment of the impact of the abolition of the regional development agencies (RDAs) will be made in the impact assessment accompanying the Public Bodies Bill. This will also consider the impact of the Government's proposals on job creation and attracting businesses to weaker local economies.
Observatories: Finance
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the effects on astronomy in the UK of the decision of the Science and Technology Facilities Council to withdraw funding from optical and infrared astronomical observatories in the northern hemisphere. [37132]
Mr Willetts: In accordance with the Haldane Principle, detailed decisions on support for astronomy research are a matter for the Science and Technology Facilities Council in consultation with the research community.
Overseas Students: EU Nationals
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 24 January 2011, Official Report, column 109W, on overseas students: EU nationals, what the mechanisms are which his Department has in place to recover loans from (a) EU and (b) other students who move abroad; and if he will make a statement. [36858]
Mr Willetts: Student loans in England are only available to those who meet the relevant residence requirements. The Student Loans Company (SLC) applies the same mechanisms to all borrowers who move overseas after leaving their course.
When borrowers move abroad, whether temporarily or because they live in another country, they must give the SLC information about their location and earnings. SLC will determine whether the borrower should be making repayments and if so, gives them a monthly repayment schedule under the terms of the contract of the loan. The SLC will convert the income into pounds sterling and tell the borrower the amount they will need to pay each month in pounds sterling.
Where borrowers move overseas and do not notify the SLC, they may be charged penalties which will be added to the outstanding loan amount. They may also have to pay the costs of any trace agents employed by SLC. In some circumstances, they may have to repay the full outstanding amount in a single payment.
Effective collection of student loans across the EU is underpinned by EC regulation 44/2001, which allows the SLC to obtain judgments in UK courts which can be enforced by courts in other EU countries. Borrowers who choose to disregard their obligation will be pursued by SLC and where appropriate, court orders will be sought.
Parental Leave
Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether, under his proposals for parental leave, a mother who returns to work in order for her partner to take additional paternity leave and pay will lose any keeping in touch days. [36163]
Mr Davey: Additional paternity leave and pay has effect for parents of children due on or after 3 April 2011. A mother's entitlement to Keeping in Touch days is not affected by her partner taking additional paternity leave and pay.
A consultation will be launched in due course to explore proposals for a more flexible system of parental leave, aimed at encouraging shared parenting.
Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether, under his proposals for parental leave, a mother who takes a period of annual leave immediately after maternity leave will be classed as having returned to work for the purposes of starting additional paternity leave and pay. [36165]
Mr Davey: A return to work for the purposes of additional paternity leave and pay, which has effect for parents of children due on or after 3 April 2011, is classified as a mother having ended any entitlement to maternity leave and any entitlement to statutory maternity pay or maternity allowance by working as an employed or self-employed earner.
A consultation will be launched in due course to explore proposals for a more flexible system of parental leave, aimed at encouraging shared parenting.
Postal Services: Fraud
Mr Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with Royal Mail on the prevention of mail scams targeted on vulnerable and elderly people. [36854]
Mr Davey: Combating scams is a priority area for the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) whose staff will look into any mailings that are considered to be scams. Scams can be reported to the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) through Consumer Direct on 08454 04 05 06 or by visiting:
Government advises people to be very wary of any unsolicited offers which sound too good to be true, as they often are. And, in those cases where material is received through the postal system which is believed to promote a scam or fraud, recipients should report their suspicions to relevant bodies (for example, the Office of Fair Trading, Consumer Direct, local authority Trading Standards services, the Advertising Standards Authority, respective trade association or consumer body, and/or the police) for investigation and any appropriate action.
Royal Mail are working closely with the police and other bodies on ways of combating postal scams, with the aim of preventing scam mail getting into the postal system in the first place.
Regional Growth Fund
Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what criteria are applied to assess bids to the Regional Growth Fund; what comparative weight is attached to each criterion; and whether there have been any changes to such (a) criteria and (b) comparative weighting in the last three months. [36995]
Mr Prisk: The criteria that will be used to assess bids to the Regional Growth Fund (RGF) are set out in a guidance document, 'Information for Applicants', which is available on the RGF website:
In which there is a section on assessment criteria, which details the five criteria that will be used to assess bids:
Sustainable private sector jobs and growth (RGF objective 1);
rebalancing the economy (RGF objective 2);
additionality;
value for money;
state aid compliance.
These criterion have not changed and are not weighted.
These criterion will be applied through all bidding rounds, including the first round.
Bids to the first round can either be in the form of a project, or as a package of projects. This will be supplemented by programme bids from round two onwards. This approach was set out in the Local Growth White Paper (28 October 2010) and has been on the RGF website since that date.
In December the information for applicants was changed slightly to improve clarity and provide data on the location metrics that the fund would be using to assess the location, this did not affect the fund's criterion. This was communicated on the RGF website and at the RGF road shows.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |