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9 Feb 2011 : Column 354W—continued
Energy and Climate Change
Departmental Information Officers
Dr Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many (a) press officers, (b) internal communications officers, (c) external communications officers, (d) communications strategy officers and (e) other positions with a communications remit were employed by (i) his Department, (ii) its agencies and (iii) each other non-departmental public body sponsored by his Department on the most recent date for which figures are available. [38955]
Gregory Barker: As at the date of the last communications benchmarking exercise on 31 March 2010, DECC had 30 professional communicators, working across a range of disciplines.
As at the same date, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority had 17 professional communicators. Figures for other NDPBs were not available.
DECC has no executive agencies.
Departmental Procurement
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether all new contracts his Department has tendered over £10,000 have been published with associated tender documents on the Contracts Finder website since its inception. [39220]
Gregory Barker: Since the inception of Contracts Finder the Department of Energy and Climate Change has advertised 22 procurements with a contract value of over £10,000 on the Suppy2Gov website. One complete set of tender documents has been placed on Contracts Finder. Currently there are no published contracts with associated tender documents on the Contracts Finder website.
Electric Cables
Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what discussions (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have had with the national grid on its policy on undergrounding overhead high voltage electricity transmission lines. [39053]
Charles Hendry:
Ministers and officials have ongoing discussions with national grid on its approach to undergrounding high voltage electricity transmission lines. These discussions have included a request from DECC to national grid to fund an independent and authoritative study to give clarity on the practicality, costs and impacts of undergrounding and subsea cabling as alternatives to overhead lines. This independent study is being undertaken by the Institution of Engineering and Technology and consultants KEMA, and will be
owned by those two organisations. DECC is also engaging with national grid in relation to its consultation on its approach to undergrounding, which was launched in December 2010.
Energy
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 17 January 2011, Official Report, column 477W, on energy, what mechanisms officials will use to decide appropriate compensation and corresponding benefits; and how he plans to achieve consistency across the treatment of cases. [39331]
Charles Hendry: The Department will implement the policy of no subsidy for new nuclear power in line with the written ministerial statement made by the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, my right hon. Friend the Member for Eastleigh (Chris Huhne) on 18 October 2010, Official Report, column 44WS.
Energy: Subsidies
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of efforts to encourage the World Trade Organisation to promote transparency in energy subsidies; and if he will make a statement. [38138]
Mr Davey: I have been asked to reply.
As part of the World Trade Organisation's (WTO) Doha trade round, negotiations are taking place aimed at strengthening multilateral disciplines on trade distorting subsidies. These negotiations are ongoing.
The UK supports the EU position of seeking strengthened disciplines on trade distorting subsidies. Improving the notification of subsidies by WTO members would promote transparency and is an essential first step in securing greater multilateral control over trade distorting subsidies in all sectors, including those energy subsidies covered by WTO agreements.
Renewable Energy: Feed-in Tariffs
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what proportion of feed-in tariff payments for (a) solar and (b) wind installations have been paid on the measured input of electricity to the grid to date. [38268]
Charles Hendry: This information is not available within the Department until the end of year FITs Report is received from Ofgem. However, Ofgem have published data from the quarterly levelisation process up to 30 September 2010 which can be viewed at:
Third Internal Energy Package
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he expects to publish the guidance on the third party access requirement referred to in paragraph 5.16 of the Government's response to its consultation on the Implementation of the EU Third Internal Energy Package. [37841]
Charles Hendry: Guidance on third party access requirements for licence exempt gas and electricity distribution networks will be published as soon as possible after regulations have been laid.
Wind Power
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the cost of constructing fossil fuel power stations to compensate for the intermittency of wind power generation in the period up to 2030. [38393]
Charles Hendry: The Department has not provided estimates of the cost of constructing fossil fuel power stations to compensate for intermittency in the period out to 2030. These costs would depend on a wide range of factors including the total volume and mix of fossil fuel capacity required as well as infrastructure construction and supply chain costs.
Fossil fuel power stations are not the only way to provide back up for intermittent wind generation. There are a number of alternative solutions including responsive demand, interconnection and storage such as pumped storage, batteries and hydrogen, all of which are expected to play a role in the future energy mix.
The Department has however published a number of studies which give estimates of the total cost of fossil fuel capacity under a range of renewables scenarios. These studies, the Redpoint Analysis (2009) and UK Renewable Energy Strategy: Impact Assessment for the Centralised Electricity Sector, are available at:
In this wider context, the Government are currently consulting on future Electricity Market Reform. This consultation is available at:
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the likely cost per kilowatt hour of fossil fuel-powered generation to provide back-up for the intermittency of wind power generation in 2030. [38394]
Charles Hendry: The Department has not provided estimates of the cost per kilowatt hour of fossil generation in 2030 to provide back up to intermittency. In principle this would depend on a range of factors including the fixed costs of the plant, and the prevailing wholesale fuel price.
Fossil fuel power stations are not the only way to provide back up for intermittent wind generation. There are a number of alternative solutions including responsive demand, interconnection and storage such as pumped storage, batteries and hydrogen, all of which are expected to play a role in the future energy mix.
The Department has however published a number of studies which give estimates of the total cost of fossil fuel capacity under a range of renewables scenarios. These studies, the Redpoint Analysis (2009) and UK Renewable Energy Strategy: Impact Assessment for the Centralised Electricity Sector, are available at:
In this wider context, the Government are currently consulting on future Electricity Market Reform. This consultation is available at:
Cabinet Office
Charitable Donations
Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what assessment he has made of trends in charitable giving by (a) corporations and (b) individuals in the last 30 years. [35806]
Mr Hurd: The information is as follows:
(a) As part of the Giving Green Paper published in December 2010, levels of corporate donations were assessed. Drawing on data from the Charity Market Monitor, the assessment found that in 2008-09 corporate donations to charity ranged from under 1% to 48% of pre-tax profits. On average, in over 80% of industries, donations by firms were less than 1% of pre-tax profits. In terms of amounts donated, companies in the pharmaceutical industry gave the largest amounts. Trends in corporate giving were not assessed as part of the Giving Green Paper.
(b) The Giving Green Paper, published in December 2010, cited analysis carried out by the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) and the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF). The assessment found that over the last six years, average amounts donated to charity by individuals have risen largely in line with GDP growth. In 2009-10, 28.4 million adults (56%) donated to charity in a typical month. We do not hold data showing donations over the last 30 years.
Childbirth
John Pugh: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office which maternity units recorded fewer than 200 live births in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [39109]
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 February 2011:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking which maternity units recorded fewer than 200 live births in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [39109]
Figures on live births by hospital can be compiled from birth registration data for England and Wales that are held by the Office for National Statistics. In this dataset, information on place of birth is provided by the informant at registration (usually a parent) rather than by the hospitals themselves.
The attached document provides a list of maternity units in England and Wales with fewer than 200 live births occurring in 2009, the latest year available.
Citizens Advice: Manpower
Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will take steps to support staffing levels in (a) advice bureaux and (b) other agencies which rely on volunteer staff. [38498]
Mr Hurd: Encouraging social action, including volunteering is one of the three aims of the Governments vision for a big society. In December 2010 the Government published the "Giving Green" paper, which sought to start a debate on how we can make social action a norm and encourage more people to give their time. The Green paper announced two new funds to increase volunteering which will support agencies that rely on volunteer staff. The two funds are:
1. A £40 million volunteering match fund to encourage private sector investment in volunteering.
2. A £42.5 million fund to support local volunteering infrastructure making it easier for people to find local volunteering opportunities.
Citizens Advice Bureaux were also able to apply to the £100 million transition fund which will help civil society organisations delivering front-line services to become more resilient in the changing funding environment. The first round of payments to successful applicants will be made by the end of March 2011.
In addition, the Cabinet Office is the lead coordinating body for the 2011 European year of volunteering. One of the main priorities for the year is to encourage and enable individuals to make a contribution within their communities and help social issues by volunteering.
Civic Society Initiatives
Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what comparative research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on approaches to civic society initiatives in other countries. [38467]
Mr Hurd: The Cabinet Office has not commissioned or formally evaluated research into approaches to civic society initiatives in other countries. However, the Department continues to look to other countries to identify examples of such initiatives, and to learn lessons in best practice to inform ongoing policy development in this area.
Community Relations
Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the effect of levels of inequality on levels of social cohesion and social trust. [38454]
Mr Hurd: The information requested is as follows:
(a) The Cabinet Office has not commissioned any research on the effect of levels of inequality on levels of social cohesion and social trust.
(b) The Cabinet Office has not evaluated any research on the effect of levels of inequality on levels of social cohesion and social trust.
Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what assessment he has made of relative levels of social capital in each socio-economic group. [38456]
Mr Hurd: The Cabinet Office has not made an assessment of relative levels of social capital among socio-economic groups.
Deaths: Carbon Monoxide
Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many deaths attributable to poisoning from carbon monoxide there were in each age decile in each local authority area in each of the last 15 years. [38590]
Mr Hurd: The information falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated February 2011:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking:
How many deaths attributable to poisoning from carbon monoxide there were in each age decile in each local authority in each of the last 15 years. (38590)
The table attached provides the number of deaths where the toxic effect of carbon monoxide was the cause of death by 10-year age group (Table 1), for England and Wales, from 1995 to 2009 (the latest year available).
Numbers of deaths by age group for local authorities have not been given in line with the current ONS policy on protecting confidentiality within birth and death statistics.
| Table 1. Number of deaths with a cause of carbon monoxide poisoning, by age group, England and Wales, 1997 to 2009( 1,)( )( 2,)( )( 3) | |||||||||
| Deaths (persons) | |||||||||
| 0-9 | 10-19 | 20-29 | 30-39 | 40-49 | 50-59 | 60-69 | 70-79 | 80+ | |
| (1) Cause of death from carbon monoxide poisoning was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) code 986 for the years 1995 to 2000 and Tenth Revision (ICD-10) code T58 for the years 2001 to 2009, where these codes appeared as the secondary cause. (2) Figures include deaths of non-residents. (3) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year. | |||||||||
Deaths: Prostate Cancer
Mr Buckland: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) how many deaths from prostate cancer there were in (a) England, (b) each primary care trust area and (c) each constituency in each year from 1997-98 to 2009-10; [38809]
(2) what the age-standardised mortality rate from prostate cancer was in (a) England, (b) each primary care trust area and (c) each constituency in each year from 1997-98 to 2009-10. [38811]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated February 2011:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent questions asking:
1. How many deaths from prostate cancer there were in (a) England, (b) each primary care trust area and (c) each constituency in each year from 1997-98 to 2009-10. (38809)
2. What the age-standardised mortality rate from prostate cancer was in (a) England, (b) each primary care trust area and (c) each constituency in each year from 1997-98 to 2009-10. (38811)
Tables 1 to 3 provide the number of deaths where prostate cancer was the underlying cause of death, in (a) England (Table 7), (b) each primary care organisation in England (Table 2) and (c) each parliamentary constituency in England (Table 3), for the years 1997 to 2009 (the latest year available).
Tables 4 to 6 provide the age-standardised mortality rate per 100,000, where prostate cancer was the underlying cause of death, in (a) England, for the years 1997 to 2009 (the latest year available) (Table 4), (b) each primary care organisation in England, for the years 2001 to 2009 (the only period available) (Table 5), and (c) each parliamentary constituency in England, for the years 2001 to 2007 (the only period available) (Table 6).
A copy of Tables 2, 3, 5 and 6 has been placed in the House of Commons Library.
Figures are provided for calendar years (January to December) to be consistent with routine mortality outputs.
Mortality rates for primary care organisations and parliamentary constituencies can only be calculated for the periods given due to the availability of population estimates. Boundary changes to parliamentary constituencies implemented in May 2010 are not reflected in the population estimates currently available for parliamentary consistencies. Figures have therefore been provided for the former boundaries.
| Table 1. Number of deaths where prostate cancer was the underlying cause of death, England, 1997 to 2009( 1,)( )( 2,)( )( 3,)( )( 4) | |
| Males | |
| Deaths | |
| (1) Cause of death for prostate cancer was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) code 185 for the years 1997 to 2000, and Tenth Revision (ICD-10) code C61 from 2001 onwards. The introduction of ICD-10 in 2001 means that the numbers of deaths from this cause before 2001 are not completely comparable with later years. (2) Based on boundaries as of 2010. (3) Figures for England exclude deaths of non-residents. (4) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year. | |
Mr Buckland: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the age-standardised incidence rate for prostate cancer is; and how many diagnoses of prostate cancer there were in (a) England, (b) each strategic health authority area, (c) each primary care trust area and (d) each parliamentary constituency in each year since 1997. [38810]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated February 2011:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what the age-standardised incidence rate for prostate cancer is; and how many diagnoses of prostate cancer there were in (a) England, (b) each strategic health authority area, (c) each primary care trust area and (d) each parliamentary constituency in each year since 1997. [38810]
The latest available figures for newly diagnosed cases of prostate cancer (incidence) are for the year 2008. Please note that these numbers may not be the same as the number of people diagnosed with cancer, because one person may be diagnosed with more than one cancer.
Cancer incidence rates can only be calculated from 2002 onwards for strategic health authorities, from 2001 for primary care organisations and from 2001 to 2007 for parliamentary constituencies due to the availability of population estimates for these areas.
Boundary changes to parliamentary constituencies implemented in May 2010 are not reflected in the population estimates currently available for parliamentary constituencies. New population estimates for 2008 and 2009 and revised estimates for 2002 to 2007 will be published on 23 February 2011. These will reflect the boundary changes that came into effect in May 2010 and will also be comparable with the revised Local Authority mid-year population estimates published in 2010.
The number of prostate cancer cases in each parliamentary constituency has not been given for individual years, in line with ONS policy on protecting confidentiality within patients' data.
The tables provide:
(a) The age-standardised incidence rate per 100,000 population (Table 1), and the number of diagnoses (incidence) (Table 2) of prostate cancer in England, for the years 1997 to 2008.
(b) The age-standardised incidence rate per 100,000 population, for prostate cancer, for strategic health authorities in England for the years 2002 to 2008 (Table 3), and the number of diagnoses (incidence) for prostate cancer for strategic health authorities in England for the years 1997 to 2008 (Table 4).
(c) The age-standardised incidence rate per 100,000 population, for prostate cancer, for primary care organisations in England for years 2001 to 2008 (Table 5) and the number of diagnoses (incidence) for prostate cancer for primary care organisations in England for years 1997 to 2008 (Table 6).
(d) The age-standardised incidence rate per 100,000 population, for prostate cancer, for parliamentary constituencies in England for the years 2001 to 2007 combined (Table 7), and the number of diagnoses (incidence) for prostate cancer for parliamentary constituencies in England for combined years 1997-02 and 2003-07 (Table 8). Figures presented in Table 8 were extracted using the old parliamentary constituency boundaries, pre-May 2010, to be comparable with Table 7.
A copy of Tables 5, 6, 7 and 8 has been placed in the House of Commons Library.
The cancer incidence figures for England match the published figures for the latest year of incidence, in this case for the year 2008. The cancer incidence figures for previous years, in this case 1997 to 2007, differ from those in the Annual Reference Volumes Series MB1 "Cancer statistics registrations, England" because the figures in this answer were obtained from the National Cancer Registrations system which is a live database.
The question asks for data by primary care trust. There are 147 primary care trusts, which are referred to (with the four care trusts and one care trust plus) as primary care organisations (PCOs, 152 in total). Figures have been provided for all primary care organisations.
Primary care organisations have been listed under the strategic health authorities they report to. However, not all PCOs are entirely within the boundaries of the SHAs to which they report, so the sum of PCO incidences do not always equal the figure presented for an SHA.
Tameside and Glossop PCT reports to North West SHA but is partly within East Midlands SHA.
Lincolnshire PCT reports to East Midlands SHA but is partly within Yorkshire and the Humber SHA.
Berkshire East PCT reports to South Central SHA but is partly within South East Coast SHA.
Swindon PCT reports to South West SHA but is partly within South Central SHA.
ONS has published population estimates for primary care organisations for 2001 to 2008, based on boundaries following the 2006 reorganisation. These estimates are consistent with the local authority estimates.
ONS published population estimates for parliamentary constituencies for 2001 to 2007, as experimental statistics. Experimental statistics are in a testing or consultation phase and are not fully developed, and should therefore be treated with caution. Further information about experimental statistics can be found at:
With the exception of figures presented for parliamentary constituencies, figures were extracted using the latest boundaries for consistency. This means that figures for past time periods can sometimes differ from those previously published by ONS for those periods, where boundaries have changed over time.
| Table 2 . Registrations of newly diagnosed cases of prostrate cancer, males, England, 1997 to 2008( 1, 2) | |
| England | Registrations (males) |
| (1) Prostate cancer is coded as C61 in the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10). (2) Based on newly diagnosed cases registered in each calendar year. | |
| Table 3. Age-standardised incidence rates per 100,000 population, prostate cancer, males, strategic health authorities in England, 2002-08( 1, 2, 3, 4) | |||||||
| Cases per 100,000 (males) | |||||||
| 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | |
| (1) Age-standardised incidence rates per 100,000 population, standardised to the European Standard Population. Age-standardised rates are used to allow comparison between populations which may contain different proportions of people of different ages. (2) Prostate cancer is coded as C61 in the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10). (3) Based on boundaries as of 2010. (4) Based on newly diagnosed cases registered in each calendar year. | |||||||
| Table 4. Registrations of newly diagnosed cases of prostate cancer, males, strategic health authorities in England, 1997 to 2008( 1, 2, 3) | ||||||||||||
| Males | ||||||||||||
| 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | |
| (1) Prostate cancer is coded as C61 in the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10). (2) Based on boundaries as of 2010. (3) Based on newly diagnosed cases registered in each calendar year. | ||||||||||||
Ethnic Groups: Greater London
Stephen Hammond: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) what his most recent estimate is of the ethnic minority population of each (a) borough and (b) ward in London; [38283]
(2) what estimate he has made of the size of the ethnic minority population of (a) London, (b) the London borough of Merton and (c) Merton Park ward; [38459]
(3) what his most recent estimate is of the number of people in each ethnic group in each council ward in the London borough of Merton. [38460]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated February 2011:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Questions.
The term 'ethnic minority' is used in different senses. ONS practice is to use the term to mean 'ethnic group other than White British'.
The most appropriate source of information on the population by ethnic group for London boroughs is the Population Estimates by Ethnic Group. The latest estimates from this source relate to 2007 and are shown for London and its constituent boroughs, including Merton, in Table 1 below (38283a, 38459a,b).
The latest estimates of the population by ethnic group for wards are those from the 2001 Census. The census estimate of the total 'ethnic minority' population for Merton Park ward, together with the corresponding census estimates for Merton and London for reference, are shown in Table 2 below (38459c).
The census estimates of the 'ethnic minority' population for all wards in London, together with the corresponding census estimates for London boroughs for reference, are provided in a table lodged with the House of Commons library (38283b).
The census estimates of the population in each ethnic group for each ward in Merton are provided in a table lodged with the House of Commons library (38460).
The Census estimates contained in these tables are also available, or can be derived from, table KS06 in the Key Statistics for Local Authorities in England and Wales and Key Statistics for Wards in England and Wales reports held in the House of Commons library.
| Table 2: 2001 Census estimates of the 'ethnic minority' population( 1) of London, Merton and Merton Park W ard, 2001( 2) | ||
| Thousand | ||
| Area | Total population | 'Ethnic minority' population( 1) |
| (1) 'Ethnic minority' is defined here as all ethnic groups other than 'white British'. (2) Estimates relate to Census day (29 April 2001). Source: Table KS06, 2001 Census, Office for National Statistics | ||
Internet
Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the effect of use of the internet on levels of social capital. [38370]
Mr Hurd: The Cabinet Office has neither commissioned nor evaluated any such research.
Job Security
Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the effect of (i) economic trends and (ii) trends in job security on levels of social trust. [38458]
Mr Hurd: The information requested is as follows:
(a) The Cabinet Office has not commissioned any research on the effect of economic trends and trends in job security on levels of social trust.
(b) The Cabinet Office has not evaluated any research on the effect of economic trends and trends in job security on levels of social trust.
Mutual Pathfinder Fund
Chris Evans: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many applications his Department received to its mutual pathfinder fund to 31 January 2011. [38719]
Mr Hurd: The Cabinet Office does not have a specific initiative known as the 'mutual pathfinder fund'. However, there are two related areas of work which may be relevant:
The Government have committed to investing at least £10 million in support for some of the most promising and innovative mutuals in order that they reach the point of investment readiness from spring 2011. The programme is not currently open and therefore has not received any applications.
Leading experts, such as Co-ops UK, the Employee Ownership Association and Local Partnerships, as well as Cabinet Office and other Government Departments, are receiving and processing requests for information, support and guidance about opportunities for mutualisation. Mutualisation projects are being driven by employees across the public sector. The Cabinet Office pathfinder programme includes cross-section of 21 projects to build awareness of these opportunities. Pathfinders do not receive any financial assistance from Cabinet Office, as such there is a not a formal applications process for becoming a Cabinet Office mutual pathfinder.
New Businesses
Stephen Lloyd: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many new businesses have been established in each region since June 2010. [39187]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated February 2011:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many new businesses have been established in each region since June 2010. [39187]
Annual statistics on the number of enterprise births are available from the ONS release on Business Demography at:
However, information is not available for periods later than 2009. The table below contains the latest statistics, which show the number of enterprise births in 2009 by Government Office Region.
| Enterprise b irths 2009 by Government office region | |
| Number | |
Occupations
Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on levels of social trust in each major occupational group. [38316]
Mr Hurd: The information requested is as follows:
(a) The Cabinet Office has not commissioned any specific research into levels of social trust among major occupational groups.
(b) The Cabinet Office has not made a recent assessment of levels of social trust among major occupational groups.
Social Trust
Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what assessment his Department has made of (a) levels of and (b) trends in social trust in the last 30 years. [38372]
Mr Hurd: The information is as follows:
(a) The Cabinet Office has not made an assessment of levels of social trust in the last 30 years.
(b) The Cabinet Office has not made an assessment of trends in social trust in the last 30 years.
Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on levels of (i) formal and (ii) informal sociability in the last 30 years. [38374]
Mr Hurd: The Cabinet Office has neither commissioned nor evaluated any such research.
Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what assessment he has made of the potential contribution of social trust to the development of the big society initiative. [38377]
Mr Hurd: The big society is about building stronger communities, strengthening the links between individuals and enabling them to come together to solve problems in their local area. This will build on and develop existing levels of social trust, and Government will maintain ongoing relationships with communities as policy is developed.
Trading Systems
Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what assessment his Department has made of trends in the number of local exchange trading systems since 1990. [38496]
Mr Hurd: The Cabinet Office has made no such assessment.
Voluntary Organisations
Esther McVey: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what assessment has been made of the relationship between the private and voluntary sectors as part of the Government's big society initiative. [38328]
Mr Hurd: The business community has a vital role in the development of the big society and already makes a significant contribution in supporting local voluntary and community organisations in a range of ways: sharing assets and expertise, philanthropic donations, and exchange of staff. For example, the Prime Minister has called on businesses to train 1,000 'Business Connectors' who can help voluntary and community organisations become more innovative and entrepreneurial.
Esther McVey: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what account will be taken of corporate social responsibility as part of the Government's big society initiative. [38329]
Mr Hurd: Business will play a crucial role in helping to build the big society: we need the commitment, creativity and innovation of businesses to help tackle the challenges that confront us. That is why the Government have launched 'Every Business Commits', which asks business to do its part not just in creating economic growth but also by adding its expertise to tackling social problems and building stronger communities. Every Business Commits goes beyond corporate social responsibility and calls on businesses to help create a more sustainable and community-centred approach to doing business. This might include investing in future skills, protecting the environment, supporting their local community, investing in employee wellbeing, and encouraging the development of small and medium-sized enterprises.
Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office which organisations have participated in consultation exercises related to the Government's big society initiative; and if he will make a statement. [38461]
Mr Hurd: The Cabinet Office maintains close relationships with many organisations in relation to the big society. In particular, two recent Green Papers on 'Modernising Commissioning' and on 'Giving', and a consultation on 'Supporting a Stronger Civil Society' have drawn in a very good mix of responses from frontline civil society organisations, local authorities and other public sector organisations, private businesses and individuals, and academics.
Summaries of these consultations will be published in due course.
Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what (a) opinion polls and (b) research his Department has commissioned on its big society initiative; and if he will publish the results of each. [38468]
Mr Hurd: The Cabinet Office has not commissioned any opinion polls relating to Big Society. However, the Department is commissioning a series of evaluations to assess the effectiveness of policy initiatives relating to building a stronger civil society. For example, the Office for Civil Society is currently commissioning an evaluation of National Citizen Service; the flagship initiative to support young people in becoming active and responsible citizens. This evaluation is due to commence in spring 2011 and will assess the effectiveness of both the 2011 and 2012 pilots in building a more responsible, cohesive and engaged society.
It is currently too early to publish results from such research, however in line with the Government's commitment to transparency, all research reports will be fully published, as they become available, at:
Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many officials in his Department are engaged in work related to the Government's big society initiative. [38469]
Mr Hurd:
The Office for Civil Society (OCS) leads the Government's contribution to building the big society. It works right across Whitehall and beyond to translate
the big society vision into practical policies and deliver a radical change in the relationship between the citizen and the state.
On 31 December 2010, 86 members of the OCS were working on the big society issues. Staff work on a broad range of policy areas and are currently engaged on piloting the National Citizens Service with 30,000 young people, building the big society bank, training 5,000 community organisers, delivering the £100 million Transition Fund as well as policy development in the areas of philanthropy and giving, reforming public services, charity law, volunteering, social enterprise and social investment.
Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what public consultation activity his Department is undertaking on the big society initiative; and how much his Department has allocated for such activities in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12. [38470]
Mr Hurd: The Cabinet Office maintains close relationships with key stakeholders as policy is developed.
The Giving Green Paper launched in December 2010 is a public consultation document that forms part of the Big Society approach. Anyone with an interest in this paper can respond by 9 March 2011. The Modernising Commissioning Green Paper consultation closed on 5 January 2011. The Supporting a Stronger Civil Society consultation closed on 6 January 2011.
The costs of these consultations are absorbed into the running costs of the Department, as an essential part of the policy development process.
Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what targets his Department has set to measure progress in its big society initiative. [38501]
Mr Hurd: The big society is about building stronger communities, strengthening the links between individuals and enabling them to come together to solve problems in their local area. There are no targets in place to measure big society, although officials are considering innovative ways of tracking the progress of big society, without imposing reporting burdens on local initiatives.
Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will assess the effects on the development of the Government's big society initiative of changes in the level of social cohesion in areas subject to de-industrialisation. [39011]
Andrew Stunell: I have been asked to reply.
The development of the big society is part of the Government's agenda to decentralise power to local areas. The Localism Bill, currently receiving parliamentary scrutiny, sets out many of the provisions which will underpin this process. Decisions on local issues affecting social cohesion will be increasingly put into the hands of local communities, and the measures we are taking to encourage local transparency of local government services, data, and expenditure will further enable these communities to take an informed role in these decisions, and assess progress locally.
Chris Ruane:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will assess the effects of trends in social trust in the British Social Attitudes Survey in the last
20 years in the context of the development of the big society initiative. [39014]
Mr Hurd: The Cabinet Office has not made a recent assessment of the trends in social trust in the British Social Attitudes Survey over the last 20 years. However, the Department is constantly reviewing sources of evidence relating to the development of the big society, and will continue to incorporate data from a number of sources, including the British Social Attitude Survey, to inform this analysis.
Voluntary Work: Young People
Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what assessment he has made of levels of volunteering among (a) children and (b) young adults; and whether he plans to promote volunteering to each such group. [38500]
Mr Hurd: Levels of volunteering in young people is measured by the Citizenship Survey. In December 2010 the Government published the "Giving Green Paper", which sought to start a debate about how we can make social action and volunteering a social norm for all ages. The Green Paper announced over £80 million available over the next four years to promote volunteering.
The Government are also investing in National Citizen Service, which will promote volunteering and community action. This flagship project is aimed at young people aged 16 and will combine outdoor activities and social action projects designed by the participants, both in their communities and away from home. Over 11,000 young people will have the opportunity to take part in a pilot NCS scheme over the summer.
For young people specifically, the Cabinet Office will also continue to provide financial support to the youth volunteering charity, v during the 2010 spending review period.
Young People
Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what information the Office for National Statistics collects on the average number of hours per day people aged between (a) five and 15 years, (b) 16 and 19 years and (c) 20 and 25 years spend alone. [38384]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated February 2011:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what information ONS collects on the average number of hours per day people aged between (a) five and 15 years, (b) 16 and 19 years and (c) 20 and 25 spend alone (38384).
In 2000, ONS conducted the UK Time Use Survey, which aimed to measure the amount of time spent by the UK population on various activities and who they were with when undertaking those activities. Children under the age of 8 were not included in the survey. The wording of the questionnaire means that one cannot distinguish between spells when children were alone and when they were with people they did not know.
ONS published figures only for the following age groups: 8 to 13 years, 14-15 years and 16 years and above. It showed that people aged:
8 to 13 years spent an average of 35 minutes per person per day, alone or with people they did not know;
14 to 15 years spent an average of 81 minutes per person per day, alone or with people they did not know;
16 or over spent an average of 194 minutes per person per day, alone or with people they did not know.
This is the latest information available.
The Time-Use Survey, ONS.
Young People: Television
Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate the Office for National Statistics makes of the average number of hours per day spent by (a) boys and (b) girls on watching television. [38385]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated February 2011:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question relating to average number of hours per day spent by (a) boys and (b) girls in watching television (38385).
In 2000, ONS conducted the UK Time Use Survey that aimed to measure the amount of time spent by the UK population on various activities. The survey showed that on average:
boys aged between 8 and 15 spent 134 minutes per day watching TV and an additional 6 minutes watching videos or dvds.
girls aged between 8 and 15 spent 131 minutes per day watching TV and an additional 7 minutes watching videos or dvds.
In 2005 a further time use diary was collected on a much smaller scale, using a pre-coded diary as part of the NS Omnibus survey. This survey only asked questions to adults.
The Time-Use Survey, ONS.
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