VAT: Charities
Greg Mulholland: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much valued added tax was paid on goods and services by (a) charities and (b) charities providing healthcare services in each year since 2005. [43435]
Mr Gauke: Information is not available to assess accurately the amount of VAT paid by charities.
Voluntary Work and Charitable Donations
Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his Department has a policy to encourage its employees to (a) volunteer and (b) donate via payroll giving. [43238]
Justine Greening: The Treasury recognises the benefits of volunteering and is committed to supporting staff who become involved in voluntary activities. To support this, HM Treasury staff may take one day paid special leave a year in order to undertake any work in the voluntary sector.
The Treasury provides information on payroll giving to staff on its internal website. In addition representatives from Payroll Giving In Action visit HM Treasury on an annual basis to promote payroll giving.
Working Tax Credit
Mr Bain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of changing the eligibility threshold for working tax credit for couples from 24 hours worked per week to 16 hours worked per week in each of the next four years. [43299]
Mr Gauke: The change in the eligibility threshold for working tax credit for couples with children from 16 hours per week to 24 hours per week announced at the Spending Review 2010 is due to take place in April 2012. The saving to the Exchequer published in the spending review document is given in the following table:
|
|
Saving (£ million) |
More information can be found at the following link:
http://cdn.hm-treasury.gov.uk/sr2010_policycostings.pdf
Business, Innovation and Skills
Adult Education: English Language
Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the likely change in the number of people studying English as a result of the reduction in public funding for English for Speakers of Other Languages courses. [41391]
Mr Hayes: Under the new arrangements, full Government funding will be provided for English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) to unemployed people in receipt of jobseeker’s allowance or in the employment and support allowance (work-related activity) Group, where English language skills have been identified as a barrier to entering employment. We will also continue to pay 50% of ESOL course fees for people who are settled here.
The Equality Impact Assessment published alongside Skills for Sustainable Growth (November, 2010) found that, at the aggregate level, there are unlikely to be
4 Mar 2011 : Column 707W
disproportionate impacts on protected groups. A separate assessment of how the changes may affect ESOL learners is currently being carried out by this Department.
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) what assessment he has made of the effects of the reduction in funding for English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) courses on those receiving funding for such courses in the work place; [42182]
(2) what assessment he has made of the effect of the reduction in departmental expenditure to funding for English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) courses on the promotion of the speaking of English by non-British persons; [42183]
(3) what assessment he has made of the effects of the reduction in his funding for English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) courses on the promotion of the speaking of English; [42184]
(4) what assessment he has made of the effects of his Department’s reduction of its funding for English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) courses; and if he will make a statement. [42185]
Mr Hayes: Under the new arrangements, full Government funding will be provided for English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) to unemployed people in receipt of jobseeker’s allowance or in the Employment and support allowance (work-related activity) group, where English language skills have been identified as a barrier to entering employment. We will also continue to pay 50% of ESOL course fees for people who are settled here.
From August 2011, the Government will no longer fund ESOL courses delivered in the workplace. It is right that workers from overseas, or their employers, should meet the costs of any additional English-language training necessary to enable them to take up jobs here. This change will not affect learners who have already begun ESOL courses
The equality impact assessment published alongside “Skills for Sustainable Growth” (November 2010) found that, at the aggregate level, there are unlikely to be
4 Mar 2011 : Column 708W
disproportionate impacts on protected groups. A separate assessment of how the changes may affect ESOL learners is currently being carried out by this Department.
Teresa Pearce: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he plans to publish the equality impact assessment on the Government's plans for the future funding of English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) courses. [42995]
Mr Hayes [holding answer 28 February 2011]: An assessment of how the changes outlined in Skills for Sustainable Growth (November, 2010) may affect ESOL learners is currently being carried out by the Department. I expect to be able to publish the assessment in due course.
Apprentices
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of apprenticeship starts (a) in each age group and (b) at each apprenticeship level in (i) each of the last three quarters of the academic year 2009-10, (ii) the academic year 2010-11 and (iii) each of the next three academic years. [42256]
Mr Hayes [holding answer 28 February 2011]: Table 1 shows the number of apprenticeship programme starts by level and age group (under 19,19-24 and 25+) for each quarter of 2009/10 and provisional data for the first quarter of the 2010/11 academic year, the latest quarter for which data are available.
The apprenticeships programme is a demand-led programme for young people and adults. Government funds apprenticeship training but relies on employers and providers to work together to offer sufficient opportunities. Therefore, Government do not plan apprenticeship places or set targets. We will have funding in place to train over 350,000 apprentices (at all ages) in 2010/11, though to reach this number employers and providers will need to work together to offer sufficient opportunities, in the context of the greater freedoms and flexibilities that we have created in the Further Education system.
| Table 1: Apprenticeship programme starts by level and age group, 2009/10 to 2010/11 Quarter 1 (1) | |||||||
| 2009/10 | |||||||
|
|
Age | Quarter 1 | Quarter 2 | Quarter 3 | Quarter 4 | Full y ear | 2010/11 (1) Quarter 1 |
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4 Mar 2011 : Column 710W
| (1) Provisional estimates for 2010/11 are not directly comparable with figures for 2009/10. Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 100. ‘—’ indicates a base value of less than 50. 2. Age is based on age at the start of the programme. 3. Quarter 1—1 August to 31 October; Quarter 2—1 November to 31 January; Quarter 3—1 February to 30 April; Quarter 4—1 May to 31 July. Source: Individualised Learner Record | |||||||
Information on the number of apprenticeship starts is published in a quarterly statistical first release (SFR). The latest SFR was published on 27 January 2011:
http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/sfr_current
Amber Rudd: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many young people began an engineering apprenticeship in (a) England, (b) Hastings borough council and (c) Hastings and Rye constituency in 2009-10. [42285]
Mr Hayes: Table 1 shows the number of apprenticeship starts by young people (aged under 19) on an engineering framework in England and Hastings and Rye parliamentary constituency in the 2009/10 academic year. We hold data only at local education authority and parliamentary constituency levels.
| Table 1: Apprenticeship programme starts by young people (aged under 19) on an engineering framework in Hasting and Rye constituency and England, 2009/10 | |
| Geography | Apprenticeship starts |
| Notes: 1. Figures for England are rounded to the nearest 100. Figures for parliamentary constituency are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Age is based on age at the start of the programme. 3. Geographic information is based upon the home postcode of the learner. The England figure includes those learners studying in England where the postcode is not known or is outside of England. 4. We hold data only at local education authority and parliamentary constituency levels. Source: Individualised Learner Record | |
Information on the number of apprenticeship starts is published in a quarterly statistical first release (SFR). The latest SFR was published on 27 January:
http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/sfr_current
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the administrative and regulatory barriers to employers taking on apprentices; and what steps he is taking to remove such barriers. [42798]
Mr Hayes [holding answer 28 February 2011]: We are committed to expanding apprenticeships, and by 2014-15 there will be public funding for 75,000 more adults to start an apprenticeship than under the previous Government's plans. This means we need encourage more employers to get involved by both maintaining quality and making the system easier for employers to take on apprentices.
“Skills for Sustainable Growth”, published in November 2010, clearly set out the Government's commitment to making the learning and skills system more responsive to learners and employers. We are reforming the system by reducing the number of bodies in the skills landscape, introducing a much simpler funding system, and more proportionate quality assurance and inspection.
In addition, the Department is currently working with a group of larger employers to further examine the burdens imposed on employers when engaging with the skills system. The findings will be reported in spring 2011 and will inform future arrangements.
More generally, this Government are committed to removing avoidable regulatory burdens wherever they arise—the One-in, One-out rule for regulation is beginning to stem the flow of regulation and next month the outcomes from the Growth Review will be announced in the Budget. This will set out what each part of government is doing to enable growth and create the positive business environment required for businesses to start-up, invest and prosper.
Apprentices: Blackpool
Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many apprenticeship places there were in Blackpool North and Cleveleys constituency in (a) 2008, (b) 2009 and (c) 2010. [43158]
Mr Hayes: Table 1 shows the number of apprenticeship starts in Blackpool North and Cleveleys constituency for the academic years 2007/08 to 2009/10.
| Table 1: Apprenticeship Programme Starts, 2007/08 to 2009/10 | |
| Blackpool North and Cleveleys | |
|
|
Number |
| Notes: 1. Figures for Blackpool North and Cleveleys parliamentary constituency are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Figures are based upon the home postcode of the learner. Source: Individualised Learner Record | |
4 Mar 2011 : Column 711W
Information on the number of apprenticeship starts is published in a quarterly statistical first release (SFR). The latest SFR was published on 27 January 2011:
http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/sfr_current
Apprentices: North East England
Pat Glass: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much funding he has allocated to (a) apprenticeship places, (b) advanced apprenticeship places and (c) higher apprenticeship places in (i) North West Durham constituency and (ii) the North East in 2011-12. [43162]
Mr Hayes: Funding for apprenticeships will increase to over £1,400 million in the 2011-12 financial year: £799m for 16-18 year olds; £605m for those aged 19 and over.(1) We fund apprenticeships on a national basis through the Skills Funding Agency - there are no regional allocations, nor allocations by level.
There are almost 200 job roles at levels 2, 3 and 4 in which someone may undertake an Intermediate, Advanced Level or Higher Apprenticeship. Take-up by level, constituency and region follows employer demand. For these reasons, we are not able to provide estimates of the number, level, and geographical distribution of apprenticeship places or funding as these would be either too broad to be of use or would be potentially misleading.
(1) 16-18 figures: 16-19 Funding Statement, YPLA (December 2010); 19+ figures: Investing in Skills for Sustainable Growth, BIS (November 2010)
Cosmetics: EU Law
Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he expects to implement in UK law the provisions of EU Directive 76/768 EEC, as amended, on cosmetic products; and if he will make a statement. [43188]
Mr Prisk: The latest consolidated transposition of Directive 76/768/EEC was implemented by the Cosmetic Products (Safety) Regulations 2008. There have since been eight amending statutory instruments.
Entry Clearances: India
Mr Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what criteria his Department plans to use to ensure that migrants entering the UK under the EU-India Free Trade Agreement are highly skilled and highly qualified. [43917]
Mr Davey [holding answer 3 March 2011]: The EU-lndia Free Trade Agreement (FTA) is still under negotiation. We expect the FTA to include provisions allowing for the temporary movement of certain categories of natural person for business purposes. All these categories are temporary—they are subject to defined durations of stay, after which the person concerned will be required to return home.
We expect that the criteria for allowing entry to the UK for these categories will be modelled on those in the EU's revised services offer in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Doha Round, and could include the possession of relevant qualifications or professional experience and the satisfaction of minimum salary requirements.
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Further Education
Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to support 16 to 19-year-old education in further education colleges in areas where there is no sixth form provision. [19242]
Mr Gibb: I have been asked to reply.
Local authorities have a statutory duty to secure sufficient suitable education and training opportunities to meet the reasonable needs of all 16 to 19-year-olds in their area.
In July 2010, the Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), announced a series of steps to simplify the funding system for 16 to 19-year-olds, including giving local authorities a key strategic leadership role to champion the interests of young people in their area. They will do this by maintaining an overview of provision and the needs of young people in their area, identifying gaps, enabling new provision and developing the market.
From 2011/12 core 16-19 allocation budgets for school sixth forms and colleges will be based on the equivalent of lagged pupil numbers thus ensuring that funding more explicitly follows the young person. We are also devolving responsibility to institutions to decide on their curriculum offer and mix of provision so that they can respond to the needs of individual students.
Graduates: Medicine
Mr Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what financial assistance his Department makes available to graduate medical students. [44029]
Mr Willetts: The responsibility for providing student support in England to graduates studying medicine is shared between the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills which offers a maintenance loan and the Department of Health which pays the tuition fee and provides a means tested NHS bursary for the latter years of study.
Graduates on the accelerated graduate entry medical programme have access to a maintenance loan for the first year of study and a reduced level maintenance loan until they complete their course. From year 2 of the course the Department of Health pays the tuition fee and also provides a means tested NHS bursary.
Graduates studying medicine as a second undergraduate degree can access a maintenance loan for the first 4 years of their course and a reduced level maintenance loan until they complete the course. From year 5 of the course the Department of Health pays the tuition fee and provides a means tested NHS bursary.
Higher Education: Admissions
Mr Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the evidential basis is for his Department’s proposal to create a generic distinction between state- and independent-educated pupils for the purposes of university admissions. [42679]
4 Mar 2011 : Column 713W
Mr Willetts [holding answer 28 February 2011]: The Government have no such proposals. Decisions about admission to university are a matter for individual universities, and not for Government. Data about the proportion of state school or college students admitted at each higher education institution has been published by the independent Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) since 2002/03. HESA does not publish information on the numbers of students who previously attended independent schools.
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he plans to take steps to reduce the number of student places at higher education institutions which intend to charge more than £6,000 per annum in tuition fees; and if he will make a statement. [43924]
Mr Willetts [holding answer 3 March 2011]: Our assumption for modelling the new higher education finance system was that the average charge across the sector would be around £7,500 per year. On that basis we would expect the number of student places across the spending review period to be broadly constant. Graduate contributions at that sort of level should replace any reduction in teaching grant. Higher average charges could have consequences for the student finance budget which we have indicated may need to be met from within the overall higher education budget. However, at this stage in the process it is too early to form a judgment on the level of charge that will be set. No institution so far has an agreed Access Agreement in place with the Director for Fair Access which would allow for a contribution to the costs of tuition to be set above £6,000.
Higher Education: Finance
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate his Department has made of the number of undergraduate university places that will be funded in each of the next five years. [43495]
Mr Willetts: We expect overall entrant and student numbers to remain broadly constant over the spending review period, but actual student numbers will depend on the response of students and universities to the new higher education funding package.
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 27 January 2011, Official Report, column 489W, on higher education: finance, (1) when he intends to announce the Government's priorities for the remaining teaching grant; [43922]
(2) when he intends to announce plans for further funding for higher education institutions in London to take account of additional costs in London; and if he will make a statement. [43923]
Mr Willetts [holding answer 3 March 2011]: The higher education White Paper will set out our priorities for remaining teaching grant, including funding for higher education institutions in London.
4 Mar 2011 : Column 714W
We are developing the White Paper in consultation with higher education institutions, students, employers and other experts and will publish it after we have seen how universities’ price setting works this spring.
Higher Education: Leeds
Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many people normally resident in Leeds Central constituency entered university in each year since 1990. [43098]
Mr Willetts: The number of entrants from Leeds Central constituency to UK higher education institutions are shown in the table, for the academic years 1995/96 to 2009/10. Figures are taken from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) student record, which has been collected annually since the 1994/95 academic year. Information at constituency level is not available for the 1994/95 academic year. 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.
| Entrants (1) from Leeds Central constituency (2) UK higher education institutions (3) . Academic years 1995/96 to 2009/10 | |
| Academic year | Entrants |
| (1 )Covers undergraduate and postgraduate entrants of ail ages to full-time and part-time courses. (2) The table does not include entrants where the constituency of the student cannot be established due to missing or invalid postcode information. (3 )Excludes the Open University due to inconsistencies in their coding of entrants across the time series. Note: Figures in the table are on a HESA snapshot basis as at 1 December and are rounded up or down to the nearest five. Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) Student Record. | |
Higher Education: Racial Hatred
Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will encourage universities to adopt the University of Manchester's model of barring hate preachers from campus through a freedom of speech code of practice. [42048]
Mr Willetts:
It is for each institution to make their own decisions about codes of practices, policies and procedures on speakers on campus. Many institutions have existing policies and consult regularly with their local police and other partners before making decisions
4 Mar 2011 : Column 715W
about speakers. As part of the development of the new Prevent strategy on tackling extremism, we will be highlighting good practice such as the University of Manchester's model and sharing this good practice with the rest of the sector.
Innovation
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what correspondence he has received on future funding arrangements for innovation centres currently funded by his Department and its agencies. [41763]
Mr Willetts: Many of the existing regional development agencies (RDA) funded centres were established with a clear expectation that they have plans in place to become self-sustaining when their current grants come to an end. As part of the process of transferring RDA responsibilities, including assets and liabilities to other organisations, we are considering the future of some of these centres on a case by case basis. This Department has had direct contact with a number of RDA-funded centres in the course of this work.
Furthermore, as part of the process being taken forward by the Technology Strategy Board to establish a network of Technology and Innovation Centres, some of the existing centres will have had an opportunity to register an interest in forming all or part of the high value manufacturing centre and/or register an interest within the broad thematic areas of energy and resource efficiency; transport systems; health care; ICT; and electronics, photonics and electrical systems.
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he expects to make an announcement on future funding arrangements for innovation centres currently funded by regional development agencies. [41764]
Mr Willetts: Many of the existing regional development agencies (RDA) funded centres were established with a clear expectation that they have plans in place to become self-sustaining when their current grants come to an end. We are however considering the future of some of these centres on a case by case basis as part of the process of transferring RDA responsibilities, including assets and liabilities to other organisations.
Furthermore, some of these centres may well succeed in their bids for future funding under the process of establishing the elite network of Technology and Innovation Centres that is being run by the Technology Strategy Board.
Announcements on the outcomes of a competition to establish such centres will be made by the Technology Strategy Board following an open and competitive process.
Low-carbon Products: Intellectual Property
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent progress he has made on removing intellectual property barriers to trade in the field of low-carbon products. [43038]
Mr Davey:
The intellectual property system plays an important role in promoting technological innovation and incentivising private sector investment in research
4 Mar 2011 : Column 716W
and development of low carbon products. Evidence suggests that intellectual property rights are not a barrier to trade in low-carbon products in most cases, although inadequate enforcement in specific markets can discourage businesses from trading there.
We have commissioned research on the role of intellectual property in the low carbon economy and continue to explore practical ways to further stimulate innovation and support technology diffusion. For example, in May 2009 the UK was the first country to implement a fast-track approval process for green patents to help enable technology to get to market more quickly. A number of other Intellectual Property Offices (IPO) including the US, South Korea and Japan have since adopted similar schemes. The UK also provides business support services to companies operating overseas, through UKTI and the IPO, to help overcome potential barriers to trade in specific markets.
Members: Correspondence
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he plans to reply to the letter sent by the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton on 21 December 2010 with regard to Mr P Walsh, transferred from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. [44171]
Mr Davey: I responded to the right hon. Member for Manchester Gorton on 1 March 2011.
Research: Private Sector
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) what assessment he has made of barriers to private sector participation in the (a) use and (b) operation of assets funded by research councils; and if he will make a statement; [42167]
(2) what assessment he has made of barriers to private sector participation in the provision of publicly-funded research and scientific services; and if he will make a statement; [42168]
(3) what discussions his Department has had with (a) Research Councils UK, (b) each research council and (c) the Council of Science and Technology on (i) increasing the proportion of his Department’s funding for research awarded to private sector organisations, (ii) involving private sector bodies in the delivery of research council objectives and (iii) the delivery of research council priorities commissioning private sector service providers to deliver aspects of a research council's programme. [42191]
Mr Willetts: The Department’s budget for science research is distributed by the research councils. They do not award funding direct to the private sector but fund some research in the academic research base that is carried out in collaboration with industry. RCUK and the research councils have been actively developing their business and industry interactions, which is increasing their ability to deliver research council priorities that are of relevance and importance to industry. The Council for Science and Technology was among the bodies which the Department consulted during the allocations process for the science research budget and their response was published at
http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/bispartners/cst/docs/files/letters/letter-adrian-smith.pdf
4 Mar 2011 : Column 717W
There are a wide range of management and governance arrangements for organisations carrying out publicly-funded research and scientific services. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is responsible for the research council institutes (via the funding provided to the relevant research councils) and NPL. Plans for the future of the research council institutes were included in the Allocation of Science and Research Funding 2011/12 to 2014/15 and in the individual Research Council Delivery Plans which were published late last year. The extent to which the private sector should be involved in the management of research council assets was taken into account in developing these Allocations and Delivery Plans. In the case of NPL the laboratory is currently operated on behalf of the Secretary of State by a private sector body.
Responsibility for other organisations carrying out publicly-funded research and scientific services lies with their parent Department. It is for that Department, in consultation with the management of the Public Sector Research Establishment, to decide on the extent to which the private sector participates in their management. This model ensures that there is a clear line of accountability for the management of each research organisation.
Students: Coventry
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the monetary value was of maintenance and tuition fee loans made by the Student Loans Company (a) to applicants in Coventry and (b) in total in the academic year 2009-10. [43487]
Mr Willetts: In academic year 2009/10, the Student Loans Company (SLC) paid approximately £17.3 million towards maintenance loans for students residing in Coventry when they applied for financial support. This represents less than one per cent of the total amount paid towards students domiciled in England in this academic year which amounted to £2.9 billion.
The SLC paid approximately £13.6 million towards tuition fee loans for students residing in Coventry. Again, this represents less than one per cent of the total amount paid to English-domiciled students in academic year 2009/10 which amounted to £2.3 billion.
Students: Finance
Amber Rudd: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will estimate the number of graduates resident in (a) Hastings borough council area, (b) Hastings and Rye constituency, (c) East Sussex and (d) England who have not made a student loan repayment since the present system of student finance came into operation. [42284]
Mr Willetts: The estimated number of borrowers residing in Hastings and Rye, East Sussex and England who have not made any loan repayments since the present system of income contingent loan repayments came into operation is shown in the following table:
4 Mar 2011 : Column 718W
| Latest known address (1) | |||
|
|
Hastings and Rye (constituency) | East Sussex (region) | England (nation) |
| (1) This corresponds to the address given by the borrowers when they opened the last loan account. The borrower may have moved elsewhere since. (2) The table covers all cohorts liable to repay with at least one tax year processed—ie those who came into repayment during tax year April 2000/01 to April 2008/09 inclusive. It includes borrowers currently earning under the repayment threshold unless they chose to make a repayment. Note: Figures are rounded to the nearest 100. | |||
Students: Grants
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the monetary value of bursaries available to undergraduates in the academic year 2009-10. [43488]
Mr Willetts: The expenditure of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the UK is collected as part of the Higher Education Statistics Agency's (HESA) Finance Record. Expenditure on bursaries cannot be separately identified from the HESA finance record.
An estimate of expenditure on bursaries by English Universities from their additional tuition fee income is available in “The Independent Review of Higher Education Funding and Student Finance: First Call for Evidence: Submission by the Office for Fair Access (OFFA), 31 January 2010”.
OFFA estimates that over £350 million was spent by English Universities on bursaries from their additional tuition fee income in 2009/10.
Students: Loans
Esther McVey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many students have been prosecuted for non-repayment of student loans in each of the last five years; and how many of those were convicted in each such year. [41707]
Mr Willetts: If former students are resident in the UK, student loan repayments are usually deducted at source by employers through the UK tax system. There are therefore no arrears and subsequently no prosecutions for non repayment for those resident in the UK have taken place.
The Student Loans Company (SLC) has established repayment arrangements for former students who move abroad, whether temporarily or because they live in another country, the SLC asks for information about earnings and gives the borrower a monthly repayment schedule under the terms of the contract of the loan.
Tuition fee loans have been available for EU students since 2006/07. The first main cohort of these students commenced their repayments in April 2010, provided that their income was above the appropriate threshold.
EC Regulation 44/2001 enables the SLC to obtain judgments in UK courts, which can be enforced by courts in other EU countries. These judgments can be enforced against any borrower who has moved to another EU member state, regardless of nationality.
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In 2009, the SLC successfully raised 9 judgments against EU borrowers with tuition fee loans who left their course early or studied shorter courses. The SLC enforced some in Scottish courts and some in other EU countries.
Michael Fallon:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the average
4 Mar 2011 : Column 720W
monetary value of a student loan to residents of
(a)
Kent and
(b)
Sevenoaks constituency was in each year since 2005. [43803]
Mr Willetts [holding answer 3 March 2011]: The information is as follows:
| Average student loan paid, Kent (1) by academic year | |||||
|
|
2005/06 | 2006/07 | 2007/08 | 2008/09 | 2009/10 |
| n/a = not applicable (1) Based on address at the time of application. Amounts rounded to nearest £10. Source: Student Loans Company | |||||
| Average student loan paid, Sevenoaks constituency (1) by academic year | |||||
|
|
2005/06 | 2006/07 | 2007/08 | 2008/09 | 2009/10 |
| n/a = not applicable (1 )Based on address at the time of application. Amounts rounded to nearest £10. Source: Student Loans Company | |||||
Tuition fee loans were introduced in academic year 2006/07.
Technology Strategy Board
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the reasons are for the time taken to determine the future core budget for the Technology Strategy Board for 2011-12; and if he will make a statement. [43921]
Mr Willetts: The formal budget allocation to the Technology Strategy Board is tied to its Tasking Framework for the Spending Review period. The Tasking Framework describes the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and wider Government policies for technology and innovation, and its objectives for the Technology Strategy Board for the Spending Review period.
Given recent changes to the landscape of organisations providing direct support and the need to agree administrative savings from within BIS and our partner organisations, this process is only now reaching its conclusion.
Trade Unions: Training
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many people have been on unionlearn courses funded (a) directly and (b) indirectly by (i) his Department, (ii) non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible, (iii) European bodies and (iv) other sources from the public purse; which courses or schemes they participated in; and what qualifications were obtained in each such case. [42933]
Mr Hayes: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills provides funding to support the Union Learning Fund (ULF) and unionlearn, the TUC’s learning and skills organisation, which administers the fund on behalf of the Department. The main purpose of this budget is to enable trade unions and Union Learning Representatives (ULRs) to work with employers, employees and learning providers to encourage greater take up of learning and raise skill levels in the workplace. It is not used to fund the provision of education or training courses but enables trade unions and their ULRs to provide advice, guidance and support in order to help workers, particularly those with low skills, access learning opportunities to improve their skill levels.
With the help of the ULF, and supported by unionlearn, trade unions and their ULRs have achieved real success in working with employers and training providers to help people get back into learning, addressing both organisational and individual skill needs. In 2009-10 over 233,000 learners in workplaces across the country were helped back into learning by the ULF and ULRs.
A recent evaluation of the ULF and unionlearn from 2006-09 undertaken by the Leeds University Business School shows that employers as well as workers benefit from union learning activity. Two-thirds of employers say there has been a benefit to their organisation; and 8 in 10 cite a benefit to individual learners, over half of whom improved their qualifications having been helped to access a suitable learning opportunity.
The final report of this evaluation will be published shortly and a copy will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much funding his Department provided (a) directly and (b) indirectly to unionlearn to pay for (i) staffing costs, (ii) administration, (iii) advertising and (iv) hospitality in each of the last three years. [42934]
Mr Hayes:
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) provides funding directly to the Trades Union Congress (TUC) under an annual grant agreement to support the Union Learning Fund (ULF) and unionlearn, the TUC's learning and skills organisation. The main purpose of this budget is to enable trade
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unions and Union Learning Representatives (ULRs) to work with employers, employees and learning providers to encourage a greater take up of learning and raise skill levels in the workplace.
The total amount of direct grant funding allocated by BIS and its predecessor Departments for each of the last three financial years, which includes provision for staffing costs and administration, is set out in the following table.
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There are no specified budgets in the annual grant agreements for advertising or hospitality. Any expenditure under these headings is absorbed under other budget headings.
| £ | |||
| Financial year | Total grant | Staffing costs | Administration including accommodation |
The TUC also received funding to support unionlearn activity at a regional level from the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) and a number of Regional Development Agencies all of which received grant funding from BIS’ predecessor Departments. Information on LSC and RDA regional funding for unionlearn is not held centrally by the Department and collating this information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Justice
Salix Scheme: Finance
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with reference to the Spring Supplementary Estimates 2010-11, HC 790, for what reasons there is proposed a transfer of £337,000 to the Department of Energy and Climate Change in connection with the repayment of energy savings pump priming funds for the Salix scheme. [43586]
Mr Djanogly: As part of the Salix energy savings scheme which is funded by the Carbon Trust a delivery partner of the Department for Energy and Climate Change, the MoJ has made a payment of £337,000 in relation to repayment of energy savings pump priming funds.
Estate Rationalisation Programme
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with reference to the spring supplementary estimates 2010-11, HC 790, for what reasons there is proposed an increase of operating appropriations in aid of £19 million in relation to the sale of Abell house and Cleland house. [43335]
Mr Djanogly: The Ministry of Justice sold Abell house and Cleland house, as part of the Ministry's estate rationalisation programme, the income received over and above the net book value of these buildings was £19 million which HM Treasury have allowed the Department to retain.
Civil Proceedings: Legal Costs
Mr Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) what research his Department has undertaken on the potential effect of his proposed arrangements for civil litigation costs on each socio-economic group; [44176]
(2) what research his Department has evaluated on the effect on litigation of excessive or disproportionate costs; and what assessment he has made of the requirement for further research into reasons for recent trends in the cost of civil litigation; [44177]
(3) what research his Department has undertaken on the effect of his proposed arrangements for civil litigation costs on the likelihood of (a) individuals and (b) families on low incomes making a legitimate claim for compensation in personal injury cases. [44178]
Mr Djanogly: The Ministry of Justice has not commissioned any specific research into any of these areas. However, Lord Justice Jackson conducted a year-long review in this area and published his final report in January 2011. The Government then held a public consultation from 15 November 2010 on implementing the key proposals and sought data to help assess the potential impact. Preliminary impact assessments were published alongside that consultation, “Proposals for Reform of Civil Litigation Funding and Costs in England and Wales—Implementation of Lord Justice Jackson’s Proposals”, available at:
http://www.justice.gov.uk/consultations/jackson-review-151110.htm
The consultation closed on 14 February 2011. We are now considering the responses and data received. A final impact assessment will be published alongside the Government response later this spring.
Community Legal Service: Finance
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) with reference to the spring supplementary estimates 2010-11, HC 790, for what reasons there is proposed a transfer of £44 million from his Department to the Community Legal Service; [43580]
(2) with reference to the spring supplementary estimates for 2010-11, HC 790, for what reason there is proposed a decrease of £44 million in the voted expenditure offset
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by an increase in non-voted expenditure in relation to an internal movement in funding to the Community Legal Service. [43598]
Mr Djanogly: It is Ministry of Justice's responsibility to manage the control totals set by HM Treasury and as part of the Department's operational responsibility and financial management, it works closely with its business areas in order to review forecast plans and in year expenditure and uses the estimates process to appropriately align funding to business area forecast expenditure. This is a business as usual practice and includes transfers to and from the Department's arm’s length bodies.
As a result of an internal review of forecast outturn plans, the transfer of £44 million resource funding to the Legal Services Commission relates to a shortfall in provisions, primarily driven by higher than anticipated volumes of public law children cases.
The impact of this transfer in the estimate has resulted in an increase in non budget funding for an arm’s length body and with no overall increase in the departmental expenditure limit.
Criminal Defence Service: Finance
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) with reference to the spring supplementary estimates 2010-11, HC 790, for what reasons there is proposed a transfer of £56 million from his Department to the Criminal Defence Service; [43581]
(2) with reference to the spring supplementary estimates for 2010-11, HC 790, for what reason there is proposed a decrease of £56 million in the voted expenditure offset by an increase in non-voted expenditure in relation to an internal movement in funding to the Criminal Defence Service. [43597]
Mr Djanogly: It is Ministry of Justice's responsibility to manage the control totals set by HM Treasury and as part of the Department's operational responsibility and financial management, it works closely with its business areas in order to review forecast plans and in year expenditure and uses the estimates process to appropriately align funding to business area forecast expenditure. This is a business as usual practice and includes transfers to and from the Department's arm’s length bodies.
As a result of an internal review of forecast outturn plans, the transfer of £56 million resource funding to the Legal Services Commission relates to a shortfall in provisions, primarily driven by an increase in the number of Crown court case starts and from a delay in income receipts following the introduction of Means Testing in the Crown court.
The impact of this transfer in the estimate has resulted in an increase in non budget funding for an arm’s length body and with no overall increase in the departmental expenditure limit.
Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority: Finance
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) with reference to the spring supplementary estimates 2010-11, HC 790, for what reasons there is proposed a transfer of £40 million to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority; [43578]
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(2) with reference to the spring supplementary estimates for 2010-11, HC 790, for what reason there is proposed a decrease of £40 million in the voted expenditure offset by an increase in non-voted expenditure in relation to an internal movement in funding from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority. [43599]
Mr Djanogly: It is Ministry of Justice's responsibility to manage the control totals set by HM Treasury and as part of the Department's operational responsibility and financial management, it works closely with its business areas in order to review forecast plans and in year expenditure and uses the estimates process to appropriately align funding to business area forecast expenditure. This is a business as usual practice and includes transfers to and from the Department's arm’s length bodies.
As a result of an internal review of forecast outturn plans, the transfer of £40 million resource funding to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority relates to funding to cover tariff compensation payments to applicants.
The impact of this transfer in the estimate has resulted in an increase in non budget funding for an arm’s length body and with no overall increase in the departmental expenditure limit.
Departmental Pay
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many employees of (a) his Department, (b) its executive agencies and (c) non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible have an annual salary of over £100,000. [43014]
Mr Djanogly: As at 31 January 2011, 43 employees of the Department and its executive agencies were receiving annual salaries in excess of £100,000.
At the same date, 14 employees of the executive non-departmental public bodies for which the Ministry of Justice is responsible were receiving annual salaries in excess of £100,000.
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will take steps to ensure that his published departmental organisational chart includes the names and responsibilities of all staff paid over £58,200 per annum in his Department and in the non-departmental public bodies and agencies for which he is responsible. [43531]
Mr Djanogly: The level of salary disclosure in organisational structure charts already helps enable the public to hold Departments to account for their use of public funds. There are no current plans to extend the scope of salary disclosure when structure charts are updated.
European Convention on Human Rights
Mr Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what his policy is on the proposed accession of the EU to the European Convention on Human Rights. [43099]
Mr Djanogly:
The Treaty of Lisbon provides that the European Union shall accede to the European Convention on Human Rights. The Government support the principle
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that individuals should be able to hold the European Union itself to account for breaches of human rights in the same way as its member states. However, the Government will need to be sure that any accession agreement neither enlarges the competences of the Union nor negatively affects the position of the United Kingdom and other member states in relation to the ECHR. The Government will continue to participate fully in discussions about accession with these principles in mind.
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in Council of Europe member states on the margin of appreciation given to member states within the European Convention on Human Rights as interpreted by the European Court of Human Rights. [43377]
Mr Djanogly: The margin of appreciation afforded to governments in the national implementation of the Convention rights is not itself defined in the Convention. Instead it is to be found in the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights, and can vary from right to right, from case to case, and over time. I have not yet had specific discussions about the margin of appreciation with my counterparts, although where appropriate in proceedings before the Court, the Government argues for the United Kingdom to be afforded a broad margin of appreciation.
The Government are committed to supporting and building on the process of court reform under way in Strasbourg. As part of the reform process, the Government would wish to see a strengthening of the principle of subsidiarity; that is, that the Convention should principally be implemented at a national level. The Government will work with other member states of the Council of Europe and the Court, including through our Chairmanship of the Council of Europe (November 2011-May 2012), to find ways to give further practical effect to this principle in the Convention system.
European Court of Human Rights
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what his response is to the Interlaken Declaration on the future of the European Court of Human Rights, 19 February 2010; what assessment he has made of the likely effect of the Declaration on the UK; and if he will make a statement. [41902]
Mr Djanogly: The Government are committed to supporting and building on the process of court reform under way in Strasbourg.
As part of the reform process, the Government would wish to see a strengthening of the principle of subsidiarity; that is, that the Convention should principally be implemented at a national level. The Government will work with other member states of the Council of Europe and the Court, including through our Chairmanship of the Council of Europe (November 2011-May 2012), to find ways to give further practical effect to this principle in the Convention system.
Homicide: Compensation
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how much compensation his Department paid to the families of victims of murder and manslaughter in (a) 2008, (b) 2009, (c) 2010 and (d) 2011 to date; [43557]
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(2) Justice how much was paid in compensation to families of victims of murder and manslaughter in each year since 2008. [43833]
Mr Kenneth Clarke: In the calendar years specified, the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority paid the following amounts to the families of murder and manslaughter victims:
|
|
£ |
| (1) To 1 March | |
The variations from year-to-year result from variations in the number of claimants and the circumstances of each claim.
Information Commissioner: Finance
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) with reference to the spring supplementary estimates 2010-11, HC 790, for what reasons there is proposed a decrease of £750,000 in non-budget spending offset by an increase in voted expenditure in relation to an internal movement in capital funding to the Information Commissioner; [43501]
(2) with reference to the spring supplementary estimates 2010-11, HC 790, for what reasons there is proposed a transfer of £750,000 from the Information Commissioner. [43587]
Mr Djanogly: It is the Ministry of Justice's responsibility to manage the control totals set by HM Treasury and as part of the Department's operational responsibility and financial management, it works closely with its business areas in order to review forecast plans and in year expenditure and uses the estimates process to appropriately align funding to business area forecast expenditure. This is a business as usual practice and includes transfers to and from the Department's arm’s length bodies.
As a result of an internal review of forecast outturn plans, the transfer of £750,000 resource funding from the Information Commissioner relates to additional capital funding no longer required.
The impact of this transfer in the estimate has resulted in an increase in non budget funding for an arm’s length body and with no overall increase in the departmental expenditure limit.
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) with reference to the spring supplementary estimates 2010-11, HC 790, for what reasons there is proposed a transfer of £373,000 to the Information Commissioner; [43579]
(2) with reference to the spring supplementary estimates for 2010-11, HC 790, for what reason there is proposed a decrease of £373,000 in the voted expenditure offset by an increase in non-voted expenditure in relation to an internal movement in funding to the Information Commissioner. [43596]
Mr Djanogly:
It is Ministry of Justice’s responsibility to manage the control totals set by HM Treasury and as part of the Department’s operational responsibility and financial management, it works closely with its business
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areas in order to review forecast plans and in year expenditure and uses the Estimates process to appropriately align funding to business area forecast expenditure. This is a business as usual practice and includes transfers to and from the Department’s arm’s length bodies.
As a result of an internal review of forecast outturn plans, the transfer of £373,000 resource funding to the Information Commissioner relates to funding to an increase in depreciation costs on IT projects.
The impact of this transfer in the Estimate has resulted in an increase in non budget funding for an arm’s length body and with no overall increase in the departmental expenditure limit.
Legal Services Commission: Finance
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) with reference to the spring supplementary estimates 2010-11, HC 790, for what reasons there is proposed an increase of £7,500,000 in non-voted expenditure offset by a decrease in voted expenditure in relation to an internal movement in funding to the Legal Services Commission; [43498]
(2) with reference to the spring supplementary estimates for 2010-11, HC 790, for what reason there is proposed a decrease of £7.5 million in the voted expenditure offset by an increase in non-voted expenditure in relation to an internal movement in funding to the Legal Services Commission. [43595]
Mr Djanogly: It is Ministry of Justice's responsibility to manage the control totals set by HM Treasury and as part of the Department's operational responsibility and financial management, it works closely with its business areas in order to review forecast plans and in year expenditure and uses the estimates process to appropriately align funding to business area forecast expenditure. This is a business as usual practice and includes transfers to and from the Department's arm’s length bodies.
As a result of an internal review of forecast outturn plans, the transfer of £7,500,000 resource funding to the Legal Services Commission relates to pension contributions.
The impact of this transfer in the estimate has resulted in the reduction in non budget funding for an arm’s length body and with no overall increase in the departmental expenditure limit.
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with reference to the spring supplementary estimates 2010-11, HC 790, for what reasons there is proposed an increase of £175,000 in voted expenditure offset by a decrease in voted expenditure in relation to an internal movement in funding to the Legal Services Commission. [43499]
Mr Djanogly: It is Ministry of Justice's responsibility to manage the control totals set by HM Treasury and as part of the Department's operational responsibility and financial management, it works closely with its business areas in order to review forecast plans and in year expenditure and uses the estimates process to appropriately align funding to business area forecast expenditure. This is a business as usual practice and includes transfers to and from the Department's arm’s length bodies.
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According to the spring supplementary estimate this transaction relates to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority not the Legal Services Commission.
As a result of an internal review of forecast outturn plans, the transfer of £175,000 resource funding to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority relates to additional capital funding to fund the Electronic Workforce Management Project and the Business Continuity Project.
The impact of this transfer in the estimate has resulted in an increase in non budget funding for an arm’s length body and with no overall increase in the departmental expenditure limit.
Legal Services Commission: Public Expenditure
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of changing the status of the Legal Services Commission to that of an Executive agency. [43015]
Mr Djanogly: The estimated cost of the transition to agency status is a total one-off cost of around £8 million by the end of the SR10 period. This figure excludes employer contribution costs for the Legal Services Commission’s No. 4 pension scheme or for funding any deficit in the scheme (should there be one) at the point of transition. This is excluded as this cost will occur regardless of status, and is therefore a timing issue. estimates, again excluding pension costs, also indicate that the change in status will result in ongoing net savings of around £8.4 million per year, by the end of the 2014-15 financial year. This financial saving is in addition to the non-financial benefits of the change in status, including:
clarity of accountability for legal aid (both politically and financially)
one policy voice and one set of priorities for legal aid;
shared priorities and improved collaboration with other criminal and civil justice bodies; and
maximisation of opportunities for administrative efficiencies through greater use of shared and centralised services across the MoJ and wider government.
Mental Health Review Tribunal: Finance
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with reference to the spring supplementary estimates for 2010-11, HC 790, for what reason there is proposed an increase of £1 million in relation to a transfer from the Department of Health for the Mental Health Review Tribunal. [43607]
Mr Djanogly: Following the implementation of the Mental Health Act 2007, the Department of Health agreed to transfer on a yearly basis the downstream costs incurred by the Tribunal Service as a result of the implementation of the Act. This transfer represents the costs for 2010-11.
Office of Legal Complaints: Finance
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) with reference to the spring supplementary estimates 2010-11, HC 790, for what reasons there is proposed an increase of £2 million in voted expenditure offset by a decrease in voted expenditure in relation to an internal movement in funding to the Office of Legal Complaints; [43500]
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(2) with reference to the spring supplementary estimates 2010-11, HC 790, for what reasons there is proposed a transfer of £2 million from his Department to the Office of Legal Complaints. [43584]
Mr Djanogly: It is Ministry of Justice’s responsibility to manage the control totals set by HM Treasury and as part of the Department’s operational responsibility and financial management, it works closely with its business areas in order to review forecast plans and in year expenditure and uses the estimates process to appropriately align funding to business area forecast expenditure. This is a business as usual practice and includes transfers to and from the Department’s arm’s length bodies.
As a result of an internal review of forecast outturn plans, the transfer of £2 million resource funding to the Office of Legal Complaints for premises and information technology costs.
The impact of this transfer in the estimate has resulted in an increase in non budget funding for an arm’s length body and with no overall increase in the departmental expenditure limit.
Open Data Project: Finance
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with reference to the spring supplementary estimates for 2010-11, HC 790, for what reason there is proposed a decrease of £2.5 million in relation to a transfer to the Department for Communities and Local Government for his Department’s contribution to the Open Data project. [43601]
Mr Djanogly: The Open Data project is a Department for Communities and Local Government initiative to publish certain Ordnance Survey datasets for free use and commercial re-use by all. This transfer represents Ministry of Justice’s contribution to the costs of this scheme.
Operating Costs: Grenadier House and Ashley House
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with reference to the spring supplementary estimates 2010-11, HC 790, (1) for what reasons there is proposed an increase of £1,847,000 in relation to a transfer from the Home Office of the operating costs associated with Grenadier House; [43336]
(2) for what reasons there is proposed an increase of £709,000 in relation to a transfer from the Home Office of the operating costs associated with Ashley House; [43337]
(3) for what reason there is proposed an increase of (a) £1.847 million in relation to a transfer from the Home Office for the operating costs associated with Grenadier House and (b) £709,000 in relation to a transfer from the Home Office for the operating costs associated with Ashley House. [43608]
Mr Djanogly: Following the creation of the Ministry of Justice and as part of the Machinery of Government change in 2007-08, the Home Office transferred a budget to the Ministry to cover the operating costs of staff occupancy within Grenadier House and Ashley House. The transfer of £1,847,000 relates to operating costs in 2010-11 for Grenadier House and a transfer of £709,000 relates to operating costs in 2010-11 for Ashley House.
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The Home Office continue to incur the operating costs related to both Grenadier House and Ashley House and invoice the Ministry of Justice in order to recover these costs. This ensures that the Ministry’s Resource Accounts capture the full cost of the Department.
Parole Board: Finance
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with reference to the spring supplementary estimates 2010-11, HC 790, for what reasons there is proposed a transfer of £187,000 from his Department to the Parole Board; [43582]
(2) with reference to the spring supplementary estimates 2010-11, HC 790, for what reasons there is proposed a transfer of £187,000 from his Department to the Parole Board. [43585]
Mr Djanogly: It is Ministry of Justice’s responsibility to manage the control totals set by HM Treasury and as part of the Department’s operational responsibility and financial management, it works closely with its business areas in order to review forecast plans and in year expenditure and uses the Estimates process to appropriately align funding to business area forecast expenditure. This is a business as usual practice and includes transfers to and from the Department’s arm’s length bodies.
As a result of an internal review of forecast outturn plans, the transfer of £187,000 funding to the Parole Board for spending on IT Projects.
The impact of this transfer in the Estimate has resulted in an increase in non budget funding for an arm’s length body and with no overall increase in the departmental expenditure limit.
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with reference to the spring supplementary estimates for 2010-11, HC 790, for what reason there is proposed an increase of £770,000 in voted expenditure offset by a decrease in non-voted expenditure in relation to an internal movement in funding from the Parole Board. [43604]
Mr Djanogly: It is Ministry of Justice’s responsibility to manage the control totals set by HM Treasury and as part of the Department’s operational responsibility and financial management, it works closely with its business areas in order to review forecast plans and in year expenditure and uses the estimates process to appropriately align funding to business area forecast expenditure. This is a business as usual practice and includes transfers to and from the Department’s arm’s length bodies.
As a result of an internal review of forecast outturn plans, the transfer of £770,000 resource funding to the Parole Board relates to additional funding for litigation and training costs.
The impact of this transfer in the estimate has resulted in an increase in non budget funding for an arm’s length body and with no overall increase in the departmental expenditure limit.
Pleural Plaques Compensation Scheme: Finance
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with reference to the spring supplementary estimates for 2010-11, HC 790, for what reason there is proposed an increase of £17 million in end-year flexibility in relation to the Pleural Plaques Compensation Scheme. [43592]
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Mr Djanogly: The MoJ is running the extra statutory payment scheme in England and Wales for those people who were pursuing an unresolved legal claim to obtain compensation for the asbestos-related condition of pleural plaques.
The Chief Secretary to the Treasury, the right hon. Member for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey (Danny Alexander), agreed that those Departments, who hold liabilities as former employers, should fund the extra statutory payment scheme.
The Ministry of Justice received £16.5 million resource funding from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, Ministry of Defence, Department for Transport and the Department of Energy and Climate Change.
The £17 million end year flexibility funding in the spring supplementary estimate represents the Ministry of Justice’s contribution towards running the pleural plaques scheme.
Prisoners: Finance
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with reference to the spring supplementary estimates for 2010-11, HC 790, for what reason there is proposed a decrease of £211,000 in relation to a transfer to the Department of Health for prisoner healthcare costs; [43603]
Mr Djanogly: This represents a transfer of £211,000 from the MoJ to the Department of Health to cover the additional prison healthcare costs associated with expansions at Dovegate/Elmley and Forest Bank.
Prisons: Finance
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with reference to the spring supplementary estimates for 2010-11, HC 790, for what reason there is proposed a decrease of £14 million in relation to the effects of Interpretation 12 issued by the International Financial Reporting Interpretations Committee and the treatment of prisons constructed under the private finance initiative. [43600]
Mr Djanogly: Following a ruling by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and the change in accounting treatment of PFI Prisons, there is a resource impact on the Ministry of Justice, which increases the overall resource departmental expenditure limit by £6 million. This is made of the decrease of £14 million referred to above and the increase of £20 million referred to in the hon. Member's question number 43606.
This change will also impact the SR10 period.
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with reference to the spring supplementary estimates for 2010-11, HC 790, for what reason there is proposed an increase of £20 million in relation to Interpretation 12 issued by the International Financial Reporting Interpretations Committee and the treatment of prisons constructed under the private finance initiative. [43606]
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Mr Djanogly: Following a ruling by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and the change in accounting treatment of PFI prisons, there is a resource impact on the Ministry of Justice, which increases the overall resource departmental expenditure limit by £6 million. This is made of the increase of £20 million referred to above and the decrease of £14 million referred to in the hon. Member’s question number 43600.
This change will also impact the SR10 period.
Prisons: Working Conditions
Mr Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether prisons are required to maintain up-to-date risk assessments of safe systems of work in respect of the safety of (a) staff, (b) prisoners and (c) visitors. [43810]
Mr Blunt: Under Prison Service Instruction (PSI) 42/2010, Governing Governors are required to ensure that an assessment of the risks to which their staff and others who may be affected by their undertakings are exposed, is carried out and that measures are in place to eliminate or control the risk. Others affected by their undertakings includes prisoners, visitors and contractors.
Governing Governors must detail the arrangement for carrying out assessments and managing the significant risks identified by the assessments. Arrangements for managing significant risks will include written safe systems of work.
Mr Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice which prisons have been found not to have up-to-date risk assessments of safe systems of work in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement. [43811]
Mr Blunt: Under Prison Service Instruction (PSI) 42/2010, Governing Governors are required to ensure that an assessment of the risks to which their staff and others who may be affected by their undertakings are exposed is carried out and that measures are in place to eliminate or control the risk.
The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) does not collect information centrally as to whether risk assessments have been carried out or safe systems of work have been implemented in prisons. This will be identified by the audit process on an individual prison basis.
An audit of the health and safety performance of each prison is carried out every two years by departmental health and safety advisors. The audit focuses on the procedures in place for implementing the requirements of health and safety legislation, including arrangements for carrying out risk assessments and implementing measures to eliminate or reduce the risks. A report is prepared for Governors which includes any deficiencies identified during the audit, the actions required to ensure compliance with legislation and Prison Service Guidance and timescales for implementation.
Terrorism: Victims
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) with reference to the spring supplementary estimates 2010-11, HC 790, for what reasons there is proposed a transfer of £400,000 in relation to the contribution from the Home Office to victims of overseas terrorism; [43576]
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(2) with reference to the spring supplementary estimates 2010-11, HC 790, for what reasons there is proposed a transfer of £200,000 in relation to the contribution from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to victims of overseas terrorism; [43577]
(3) with reference to the spring supplementary estimates for 2010-11, HC 790, for what reason there is proposed an increase of £1.4 million in end of year flexibility in relation to the Victims of Overseas Terrorism Compensation Scheme. [43591]
Mr Djanogly: On 18 January 2010 the previous Administration announced an intention to make non-statutory payments to eligible victims of overseas terrorism through the introduction of an ex-gratia scheme. This has not been implemented and is currently under review as part of a Ministry of Justice review of victim services and compensation.
The £1.4 million end year flexibility funding in the spring supplementary estimate represented the Ministry of Justice's contribution to this proposal. The Home Office (£0.4 million) and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (£0.2 million) were also able to contribute.
Women Offender Family Intervention Projects: Finance
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with reference to the spring supplementary estimates for 2010-11, HC 790, for what reason there is proposed a decrease of £250,000 in relation to a transfer to the Department for Education for women offender family intervention projects. [43602]
Mr Djanogly: Transferring funds is a standard part of the Ministry of Justice's business as usual practices. This usually involves taking funds from one area where they are working under-budget and moving them to an area that needs more resources. This is seen as financial best practice. This can include transfers to and from the MoJ's arm’s length bodies.
Where funds are being transferred to other Government Departments, this is because the Ministry of Justice has entered into an agreement to part fund a project or scheme that is being led by another Government Department. Cross-Government working is an effective way of delivering effective, joined up services to the public
This represents a transfer to the Department of Education to cover the education costs relating to women offenders under the auspices of the women offender family intervention projects.
Work Force Modernisation: Finance
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) with reference to the spring supplementary estimates 2010-11, HC 790, for what reasons there is proposed a drawdown of £36 million in end year flexibility in relation to work force modernisation; [43502]
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(2) with reference to the Spring Supplementary Estimates for 2010-11, HC 790, for what reason there is proposed an increase of £36 million in end-year flexibility in relation to modernisation funding. [43609]
Mr Djanogly: The Ministry of Justice received £36 million end year flexibility funding from HM Treasury to help deliver the ongoing modernisation programme and efficiency savings going forward.
This funding will be used to meet the costs of the following programmes:
The £20 million funding is to part fund the Department’s Shared Services Programme in 2010-11. The programme aims to set up a shared service centre, which will benefit the entire Ministry and will help to make financial savings across the spending review period and beyond.
Estates Transformation Programme
The £15 million is to part fund the Ministry of Justice’s Estates Transformation Programme. This aims to rationalise the Department’s administrative estate by vacating and closing surplus properties and by reducing the scale and the overall cost of the estate. The rationalisation of the Ministry’s estate will help in making financial savings across the SR10 period and beyond.
The £l million funding is to part fund the implementation of the eProcurement Programme, which aims to enable wider procurement savings across the SR10 period and beyond.
Youth Justice Board: Finance
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with reference to the spring supplementary estimates for 2010-11, HC 790, (1) for what reason there is proposed an increase of £20 million in voted expenditure offset by a decrease in non-voted expenditure in relation to an internal movement in funding from the Youth Justice Board; [43605]
(2) for what reasons there is proposed a transfer of resource funding of £20 million from the Youth Justice Board. [43497]
Mr Djanogly: It is Ministry of Justice's responsibility to manage the control totals set by HM Treasury and as part of the Department's operational responsibility and financial management, it works closely with its business areas in order to review forecast plans and in year expenditure and uses the estimates process to appropriately align funding to business area forecast expenditure. This is a business as usual practice and includes transfers to and from the Department's arm’s length bodies.
As a result of an internal review of forecast outturn plans, the transfer of £20 million resource funding to the corporate centre relates to in year efficiency savings realised within the Youth Justice Board. These have materialised as a result of falling demand for custodial accommodation and decommissioning of places in the juvenile secure estate. To help deal with forecast pressures elsewhere, this funding was re-distributed to other areas of the Department.