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Written Answers to Questions
Tuesday 8 March 2011
Wales
Departmental Billing
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proportion of invoices from suppliers her Department paid within 10 days of receipt in January and February 2011. [45098]
Mr David Jones: In January and February 2011 100% of invoices paid by the Wales Office were paid within 10 days.
Departmental Expenditure
Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what expenditure her Department incurred on engaging external audit services in each of the last three years; and to which service providers such payments were made in each year. [43764]
Mr David Jones: In the last three years the Wales Office has only made one payment to external auditors. In the financial year 2009-10 a payment of £16,500 was made for services provided by the National Audit Office.
Departmental Food
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if she will estimate the proportion of the seafood procured for her Department that (a) was on the Marine Conservation Society’s list of fish to avoid and (b) complied with sustainability standards indicated by inclusion in either the Marine Conservation Society’s list of fish to eat or by the list of fish species certified by the Marine Stewardship Council in (i) 2010 and (ii) 2011 to date. [44952]
Mr David Jones: The Wales Office has no in-house catering facilities and does not source food.
Departmental Manpower
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many staff in her Department were in the civil service redeployment pool on the latest date for which figures are available; and how many of these had been in the redeployment pool for more than six months at that date. [44360]
Departmental Official Hospitality
Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales which hon. Members of each political party were invited to the Secretary of State's St David's day reception at Gwydyr house on 1 March 2011. [45168]
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Mrs Gillan: The Wales Office’s traditional St David’s day reception has long been used to celebrate our national day and to bring together representatives of Welsh society to build relationships that will potentially bring great benefits to Wales. Representatives of key employers and the big society were invited, along with Members of Parliament and peers of all the main political parties. The estimated cost to the public purse from the event is £780, excluding VAT.
The following hon. Members were invited:
Glyn Davies MP
Brooks Newmark MP
Guto Bebb MP
Alun Cairns MP
Stephen Crabb MP
David Davies MP
Jonathan Evans MP
Simon Hart MP
Roger Williams MP
Mark Williams MP
Jenny Willott MP
Peter Hain MP
Owen Smith MP
Elfyn Llwyd MP
Mark Prisk MP
Vince Cable MP
Electoral Reform Services Ltd
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the monetary value was of contracts her Department placed with Electoral Reform Services Ltd in each year since 2005. [44227]
Mr David Jones: The Wales Office has not placed any contracts with Electoral Reform Services.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Agriculture: Public Expenditure
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on levels of funding for agricultural research and development during the comprehensive spending review period. [43695]
Mr Paice: The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has held no recent discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer specifically on levels of funding for agricultural research and development during the comprehensive spending review period. However, DEFRA officials continue to work closely with HM Treasury and other Government Departments on Government support for research and development in this and other sectors.
Agriculture: Subsidies
Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has for the future of the compulsory set-aside scheme; and if she will make a statement. [43555]
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Mr Paice: Compulsory set-aside (the obligation for farmers to take a percentage of agricultural land out of production) was abolished in 2008. The Campaign for the Farmed Environment was launched in 2009 as an alternative to regulation, allowing farmers to voluntarily implement changes in farming practice that will recapture the environmental benefits formerly provided by set-aside land. It is due to run until July 2012.
The campaign is led by the farming industry and is its chance to demonstrate that it can deliver better environmental outcomes for farmland birds, other farm wildlife, soil and water at a local level without the need for additional regulation. I want the campaign to be a success and do not believe that Government should need to regulate and impose more red tape; if the farming community can achieve the same results through its own actions. But if the farming community cannot step up and achieve these results voluntarily, the. Government will have to consider a compulsory approach to deliver the same level of environmental benefits.
Fishing Catches: EU Action
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she plans to take on fish discards and by-catch following the EU high level meeting of 1 March 2011 on fisheries; and if she will make a statement. [44718]
Richard Benyon [holding answer 7 March 2011]:I have made clear that tackling discards must be a priority for common fisheries policy (CFP) reform, and I am delighted that at the high level meeting on discards the EU Commission, and other members states, were able to agree on this too. At the event, the UK, Germany, France and Denmark also took the step of signing a declaration calling for serious reform of the CFP, making the reduction of discards a high priority, while securing improved management of fish stocks and the prosperity of our fishing industry.
The UK is committed to tackling discards, and will use the momentum created by the event and the declaration to continue to influence and shape reform. In doing so we will use the crucial evidence gathered from the UK’s discard reduction work to make sure that the right solutions are taken forward.
The UK is clear, however, that it will not just wait for the reform of common fisheries policy; discard reductions must be delivered now. We have already made excellent progress with initiatives such as Project 50%, which saw discards in the south-west sole fishery reduced by 52%. In 2011, we are expanding our catch quota scheme to more vessels and species, as well as working to encourage consumption of under-utilised species that are presently discarded.
Government Departments: Sustainable Development
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she plans to publish the ministerial governance arrangements to oversee the Government’s performance on sustainable development. [43306]
Mr Paice:
On 28 February 2011, Government published their vision for mainstreaming sustainable development which consists of providing ministerial leadership and
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oversight, leading by example, embedding sustainable development into policy, and transparent and independent scrutiny. It can be viewed online at:
http://sd.defra.gov.uk/documents/mainstreaming-sustainable-development.pdf
The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will sit on the key domestic policy Cabinet committees, including the Economic Affairs Committee, to promote the Government’s commitment to sustainability across policy making.
We will measure and report our progress through a new set of indicators on sustainable development, building on past experience of sustainable development and well-being measures and linking with developing national and international initiatives, including plans announced in November 2010 to measure the nation’s well-being.
The Environmental Audit Committee will play a role in holding the Government to account with a renewed commitment to scrutinise the appraisal of the Government’s policies and our new overall approach.
A ministerial steering group will oversee delivery of the new commitments for greening Government’s operations and procurement. All Departments will need to submit plans for delivering these commitments to the Cabinet Office, which will co-ordinate performance management of pan-government delivery and publish regular updates on progress to ensure we can be held to account by the public.
Noise: Nuisance
Mr Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent representations she has received on noise nuisance issues. [43791]
Richard Benyon: A number of representations have been received recently regarding noise nuisance. Specifically, in December and January DEFRA received 19 and 12 letters respectively from members of the public and external organisations on noise nuisance with subject matters ranging from noise from gas guns to low frequency “hum”. A small number of parliamentary questions on this issue have also been received.
Rural Payments Agency: Operating Costs
Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to which uses the Rural Payments Agency has put the funding allocated to it by her Department to assist with running costs in 2010-11. [43462]
Mr Paice
[holding answer 8 March 2011]:The Rural Payments Agency is a major delivery body for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), providing a range of services in support of DEFRA’s objectives of encouraging a thriving farming and food sector and strong rural communities. The Agency manages a wide range of common agricultural policy (CAP) schemes including the single payment scheme, internal market schemes covering dairy products, crops, fruits and vegetables, external trade measures covering export refunds, import and export licenses and milk quotas. The agency also carries out a wide range of inspections on farms and at abattoirs, factories, ports,
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airports and markets to ensure CAP scheme rules are met and that claims for payment are valid. The agency is also responsible for monitoring cattle movements throughout the UK.
Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much of her Department’s EU dairy fund has been paid out (a) by the Rural Payments Agency and (b) through each of the devolved Administrations to date. [43463]
Mr Paice [holding answer 2 March 2011]:The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) paid out £26,563,99.65 to 15,689 eligible dairy producers across the United Kingdom from the EU dairy fund. All eligible producers have been paid.
In agreement with the devolved Administrations, RPA made all the payments. £2,571,941.28 was paid to producers in Scotland, £2,980,000.97 to producers in Wales and £3,686,613.89 to producers in Northern Ireland.
Towards a Green Economy
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the Government’s policy on the recommendations of the UN Environment Programme report, “Towards a Green Economy”. [43693]
Mr Paice: DEFRA Ministers have had no discussions to date with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the recommendations issued last week.
Defence
Air Force: Military Bases
Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he next intends to visit the RAF base at (a) Lossiemouth, (b) Kinloss and (c) Leuchars. [44127]
Dr Fox: I intend to visit the region shortly but no specific date or programme has yet been agreed.
Air Force: Redundancy
Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many Royal Air Force personnel not deployed on operations, recently returned from operations and preparing to deploy on operations are in the pool of personnel considered for the redundancies announced on 1 March 2011; [44423]
(2) what estimate he has made of the number of Royal Air Force personnel who will volunteer for redundancy as part of the programme of reductions announced on 1 March 2011. [44426]
Nick Harvey: The information requested is not available at this time.
Some 4,350 service personnel will be eligible for redundancy in tranche one of the RAF redundancy programme. Personnel within this group who are engaged in combat operations for which they are in receipt of operational allowance, within six months of deploying on those operations, or recovering from operations on the day the redundancy notices are issued, will not be
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considered for redundancy unless they have applied for voluntary redundancy. The sift to remove the individuals who fall into these categories will not be completed until mid-August.
No estimate has been made of the number of RAF personnel who will volunteer for redundancy as part of the RAF redundancy programme as this will depend on the personal choices made by the individuals concerned.
Armed Forces: Redundancy
Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the likely effect on military operations in Afghanistan of the redundancies from the armed forces announced on 1 March 2011. [44424]
Nick Harvey: The reduction in the size of the armed forces was first announced following the Strategic Defence and Security Review and the Prime Minister has made it clear that there is no cut whatsoever in the support for our forces in Afghanistan.
Furthermore, when announcing the need for redundancies, the Secretary of State for Defence made it clear that no one who is preparing to deploy, deployed and in receipt of operational allowance or who has recently returned from an operational deployment will be made redundant unless they have volunteered,
Afghanistan remains our top foreign policy priority and the Ministry of Defence's main effort and we will continue to ensure that the campaign is properly resourced.
Blue Force
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what (a) financial and (b) other assistance was provided by his Department to (i) Blue Force Property and (ii) Blue Force Services in each of the last five years. [41684]
Mr Robathan: We have not provided any financial assistance to any Blue Force organisation. Office accommodation at Colchester and access to a military telephone network were provided in the past and charges levied at the appropriate rates.
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department is owed by (a) Blue Force Property and (b) Blue Force Services. [41685]
Mr Robathan: Nothing. All moneys for rental of office accommodation have been paid.
Chinook Helicopters
Mr Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the Boeing full hazard analysis of the flying controls and associated systems that was carried out with reference to paragraph 9 of the Ministry of Defence Military Aircraft Accident Summary 2/89-Aircraft Accident to Royal Air Force Chinook HC1 ZA721. [38549]
Nick Harvey: I will write to the hon. Member. Time is required to retrieve information on the 1987 accident from archive.
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Substantive answer from Nick Harvey to James Gray:
I undertook to write to you in response to the answer I gave to your written parliamentary question on 9 February 2011 (Official Report, column 252W) regarding the Boeing full hazard analysis.
We are still waiting for Boeing to provide the information you requested. You may however wish to be aware that some of the information may be covered by the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) which may limit its release. This will not be fully clear until the information is received and assessed.
Critical Capabilities Pool
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) purpose and (b) remit of the Critical Capabilities Pool is. [43968]
Alistair Burt: I have been asked to reply.
The purpose of the Critical Capabilities Pool is to fund some of the key programmes and capabilities required to reduce proliferation-related risks to national security and to improve co-ordination of those resources across the Government's counter-proliferation community. The Critical Capabilities Pool includes several programmatic elements and also contains resources for security-related science and technology work in the radiological and nuclear, and chemical and biological fields.
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the monetary value is of the Critical Capabilities Pool introduced in the Strategic Defence and Security Review; and which departments have contributed to it. [43969]
Alistair Burt: I have been asked to reply.
Work to finalise the exact level of resources included within the Critical Capabilities Pool is still ongoing. I will write to inform you of the final figure once it is available. The following Departments are contributing funding: the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Department for Energy and Climate Change, HM Treasury, the Ministry of Defence and the Home Department.
European Fighter Aircraft
Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 31 January 2011, Official Report, column 515W, on defence: procurement, when he plans to place in the Library a copy of the project history maintained in respect of the Typhoon project. [45175]
Peter Luff: It is my intention to place a copy of the Typhoon project history in the Library of the House before the Easter recess.
Mr Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish the information his Department holds on the increase in costs (a) of the Eurofighter typhoon project and (b) for each such aircraft delivered since 1988; and if he will make a statement. [44780]
Peter Luff: Information about the increase in cost of Typhoon is published within the Major Projects Report 2010, HC 489-11 dated 15 October 2010. Typhoon has been contracted for in three tranches. Increase in cost is not recorded on a per aircraft basis.
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Ex-servicemen: Social Security Benefits
Mr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to ensure the take-up of benefits by former service personnel. [38981]
Mr Robathan: All former service personnel who are in need can access the Veterans Welfare Service who have visibility of the Department of Work and Pensions' database and can advise on obtaining any further benefits. Welfare managers are able to assist in the application process if potential claimants are unable to do so.
Military Aircraft
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) which types of Royal Air Force aircraft are authorised to carry special nuclear materials over UK territory; and which section in his Department is responsible for granting such authority; [44632]
(2) which types of Royal Air Force aircraft are authorised to carry special nuclear materials over US territory by the US Administration; and from which department of the US Administration he received such authority. [44633]
Nick Harvey: The following aircraft can carry special nuclear materials (SNM): CI7, VC10,Tristar and C130.
Individual aircraft do not require a specific authorisation to carry SNM, but, as with all requests for the use of air transport, aircraft are allocated according to the size and nature of the load and in response to a bid from the sponsor.
The Transport Operation Order details the itinerary, role, fit of the aircraft, load, handling requirements and specific arrangements for that task. As part of this process, diplomatic clearances are arranged in conjunction with those nations detailed in the itinerary, or being overflown. The internal clearance process for each nation to approve the flight itinerary is a matter for them.
RAF Valley
Mr Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many civilian staff are located at RAF Valley; and in what capacity. [44887]
Nick Harvey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 7 March 2011, Official Report, column 813W.
Sea Rescue
Mr Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many (a) RAF and (b) Royal Navy pilots are assigned to search and rescue duties, excluding those assigned for training purposes; and from which bases such pilots operate; [44885]
(2) which helicopters are deployed to carry out search and rescue tasks in the UK; and from which bases such helicopters operate. [44886]
Nick Harvey:
The RAF provides search and rescue (SAR) capability from six UK bases using the Sea King Mk3/3a helicopters: RAF Valley, Wattisham airfield, Defence School of Transport (DST) Leconfield, RAF Lossiemouth, RAF Boulmer and Royal Marines Base (RMB) Chivenor. The Royal Navy provides SAR cover
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from Gannet SAR Flight (Glasgow Prestwick International airport) and Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose using the Sea King HU Mk5 helicopter. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency provides SAR capability from bases at Stornoway, Sumburgh, Portland and Lee-on-Solent, using AgustaWestland AW139 and Sikorsky S92 helicopters.
The number of RAF and Royal Navy pilots assigned to SAR duties and the bases from which they operate are shown in the following table.
| Service | Base | Number of pilots |
| (1) RAF pilots are also stationed in Cyprus and on detachment to the Falkland Islands. | ||
Submarines and Warships
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many submarines are currently available for operations; [44689]
(2) what the (a) name and (b) type is of each (i) destroyer and (ii) frigate in service with the Royal Navy and available for operations. [44739]
Nick Harvey [holding answer 4 March 2011]: The surface ships in service with the Royal Navy currently available for operations are as follows:
HMS Campbeltown
HMS Cornwall
HMS Cumberland
HMS St Albans
HMS Westminster
HMS Richmond
HMS Iron Duke
HMS Montrose
HMS Monmouth
HMS Sutherland
HMS Somerset
HMS Portland
HMS Gloucester
HMS Liverpool
HMS York
HMS Daring.
Two types of submarines make up the Royal Navy Submarine Service. There are six fleet submarines, of which four are operational. There are four ballistic missile submarines, of which three are operational. HMS Astute has joined the Royal Navy's submarine fleet, but is not yet fully operational, so is not included in these figures.
While the units identified will be at various states of readiness while engaging in various forms of activity such as sea trials, training, ammunitioning, storing etc., they remain in fleet time and are therefore considered operational.
Those units not currently part of the operational schedule are undergoing deep maintenance.
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Transport
Aviation: Security
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has plans to bring forward proposals to enable airports to determine their own security procedures for air crew. [42061]
Mrs Villiers: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 16 February 2011, Official Report, column 773W, given to the hon. Member for Eastbourne (Stephen Lloyd).
Departmental Public Expenditure
Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what savings he expects to accrue to his Department from its internal restructuring programme over the lifetime of the programme. [42313]
Mr Philip Hammond: The central Department and its agencies will deliver our spending review commitment to reduce our administration costs by 33% in real terms by 2014-15 which will represent a cumulative cost saving of around £270 million over the period to and including 2014-15.
Of this, approximately £180 million is expected to be delivered from the central Department.
Driving Offences: Insurance
Mr Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent meetings he has had with the Motor Insurers’ Bureau on the number of uninsured drivers. [43505]
Mike Penning: The Secretary of State for Transport has not had any meetings with the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB). Motor insurance is one of my responsibilities. I have met with the MIB and have visited their headquarters in Milton Keynes.
Driving Standards Agency
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of the work carried out by the Driving Standards Agency was undertaken by the offices in (a) Newcastle, (b) Nottingham and (c) Cardiff in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [43124]
Mike Penning: The Driving Standards Agency (DSA) cannot accurately proportion the total of work carried out between its administrative offices in Newcastle, Nottingham and Cardiff. Some of the functions at each site are different and not comparable.
The number of staff based in each office at 1 January 2011 was:
Newcastle—170 to 180
Nottingham—350 to 360
Cardiff—86 (plus one member of staff on career break)
Figures for Newcastle and Nottingham are approximations owing to the fact that some staff are based between the two offices.
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Heathrow Airtrack
Kwasi Kwarteng: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has for the future of the Heathrow Airtrack; and what timetable he has set for its implementation. [43280]
Mrs Villiers [holding answer 7 March 2011]:The Heathrow Airtrack project is being promoted by Heathrow Airport Ltd—a subsidiary of BAA. Accordingly, plans for the future of the project and timescales for implementation are a matter for BAA.
Southeastern Trains: Passengers
Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the rate of cancellation of passenger rail services operated by the Southeastern franchise was in each of the last five reporting periods. [43456]
Mrs Villiers [holding answer 2 March 2011]:The information requested is given in the following table:
| Southeastern cancellations | |
| Reporting period | Percentage cancelled |
| Note: Period 10 2010-11 (12 December 2010 to 9 January 2011) is the latest data available. Rail industry periods are four weeks in length. | |
Pedestrian Crossings
Damian Hinds: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information his Department holds on the relative safety records of (a) pelican, (b) puffin, (c) toucan and (d) other forms of signal-controlled pedestrian crossings. [43668]
Norman Baker: A recent study, conducted by the Transport Research Laboratory on a limited number of sites, indicated that personal injury accident frequencies at puffin crossings could be some 17% lower than at pelican crossings. We intend to publish the results of the study later this year. No other comparative studies have been carried out in recent years.
Railways: Construction
Christopher Pincher: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will estimate the annual cost to the public purse of maintenance of the High Speed 2 route after completion. [43441]
Mr Philip Hammond: Estimates of the costs of operating and maintaining both the proposed Y high speed rail network, and the proposed initial London-West Midlands HS2 line, are included in the “Economic Case for HS2” which is available on the consultation website:
http://highspeedrail.dft.gov.uk
Christopher Pincher: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which companies are involved in the (a) construction and (b) operation of High Speed 2; and with which companies he has had discussions on High Speed 2. [43589]
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Mr Philip Hammond: No companies are, at this stage, involved in the construction or operation of HS2. I have had discussions with large numbers of companies from all sectors, as well as business representative organisations, about HS2.
Roads: Safety
Teresa Pearce: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has assessed the merits of setting targets for the reduction of child road deaths and serious injuries in the forthcoming road safety strategic framework. [43288]
Mike Penning: The UK already has some of the safest roads in the world, but the coalition is considering how to make them even safer for all road users. The new strategic framework for road safety will set out the Government’s vision for road safety, national measures, and how we will work with others to achieve this. We have been discussing this with stakeholders and we intend to publish in the near future.
Southeastern Trains
Mr Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many new carriages, excluding carriages for services on High Speed 1, have been brought into service on the Integrated Kent Franchise in each year since the franchise was awarded to Southeastern. [38288]
Mrs Villiers: There have been no additional carriages introduced in any year under the current Integrated Kent Franchise, other than those introduced to deliver the high speed services. However, since March 2009, some Southeastern services have been operated using First Capital Connect rolling stock, which enabled Southeastern to redeploy up to 48 vehicles to lengthen other trains.
Prior to the start of the Integrated Kent Franchise in April 2006, more than £600 million was invested in new rolling stock in Kent (57 four-car class 375 and 36 five-car class 376 Electrostar trains).
Taxis: Road Traffic Offences
Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what reason the owners of private hire vehicles are able to transfer liability for parking control notices (PCNs) to the driver at the time of offence but are not able to do so in respect of PCNs issued for bus lane violation. [41565]
Norman Baker: Regulations made by the Government for parking enforcement in England (including London) under the Traffic Management Act 2004 and for bus lanes enforcement in England outside London under the Transport Act 2000, enable the keeper of a vehicle that was, at the material time, hired from a vehicle hire company under a hiring agreement, to pass responsibility for the payment of any penalty charge notice (PCN) incurred to the hirer.
The legislation that was sponsored by London local authorities to enable enforcement of bus lanes in London—the London Local Authorities Act 1996—does not provide an equivalent power to the vehicle keeper. The Mayor of
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London, along with the London local authorities, has policy responsibility for this locally-sponsored legislation. I have drawn this exchange to the attention of the Mayor.
Transport: Finance
Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what capital allocations he expects to make in respect of each local authority scheme in the supported group in each of the next four years; and what estimate he has made of the proportion of the cost of each such scheme expected to be met by central Government contributions; [24051]
(2) what criteria he plans to use to determine which local authority major schemes from the development group will be funded by central Government; [24052]
(3) what mechanisms will be in place for local residents to contribute to the process by which local
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authority major schemes in the
(a)
supported,
(b)
development and
(c)
pre-qualification group are (i) revised and (ii) assessed; [24053]
(4) what his most recent estimate is of (a) the monetary value of (i) central Government, (ii) local authority, (iii) private finance initiative and (iv) developer contributions and (b) total scheme construction cost in respect of each major scheme in the (A) supported, (B) development and (C) pre-qualification groups. [24054]
Norman Baker [holding answer 12 November 2011]: The agreed Department for Transport contribution to the supported pool schemes, following the announcement made on 4 February 2011, is shown in the following table along with the expected allocation of spend over each of the next four years, the total cost of each scheme, and the proportion of this to be provided by Department for Transport.
| DFT contribution (£ million) | |||||||
| Scheme | 2011-12 | 2012-13 | 2013-14 | 2014-15 | Total | Total cost (£ million) | Proportion of funding from DFT ( % ) |
The expected spend on the Heysham to M6 Link Road scheme also includes £0.5 million after 2014-15.
The remaining scheme in the supported pool, Mersey Gateway Bridge, is not included in this table as the funding package for the scheme, including toll revenues and private finance is being reviewed with the promoter. No other scheme in the supported or development pool is currently proposed to be taken forward under the private finance initiative.
The criteria to be used in the prioritisation process for schemes in the development pool will be made on a basis that is consistent with Government's proposals to reform the way decisions are made on which transport projects to prioritise. We will refine the precise methodology to be used but is likely to include the following criteria, as stated in the document “Investment on Local Major Transport Schemes: Update”:
Value for money;
The proportion of overall funding coming from non-Department for Transport sources;
Deliverability;
Strategic importance;
A consideration of modal and regional balance across the programme.
We have published the Expressions of Interest already received from the local authority promoters and we welcome comments from any interested parties including local residents. We will also publish the Best and Final Funding Bids once they are received on 9 September and will similarly invite comments on those. The local authority promoters also have a responsibility to consult residents and stakeholders when developing individual scheme proposals at appropriate stages. The public also have an opportunity to make representations whenever planning permission, scheme orders or compulsory purchase orders are applied for.
The best estimates of the total construction cost and the central Government, local authority, and third party contributions in respect of each major scheme in the development pool, including those promoted from the pre-qualification pool, are as set out in the Expressions of Interest received from the local authority promoters in December 2010 and January 2011. These are available on the DFT website at:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/regional/ltp/major/transportschemesupdate/
The Department is challenging local authorities to submit revised bids for development pool schemes by September 2011 that further reduce the call on central Government funds.
Attorney-General
Crown Prosecution Service
Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Attorney-General in respect of which offences cases are being returned by the Crown Prosecution Service to the police for charging as part of revised charging arrangements being rolled-out for completion by June 2011. [44615]
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The Attorney-General: The Director's Guidance on Charging is issued by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) under section 37A of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984. It sets out the arrangements for the joint working of police officers and prosecutors during the investigation and prosecution of criminal cases. The 4th edition (revised arrangements) of the guidance was issued on 21 January 2011 and is being implemented on a rolling basis which is expected to be completed by June 2011.
Under the revised arrangements the following offences are being returned to the police to charge:
Summary only offences, irrespective of plea;
Criminal damage to property valued at less than £5,000 where a not guilty plea is anticipated;
Handling stolen goods where a guilty plea is anticipated and the case is suitable for disposal in a magistrates court;
All Fraud Act 2006 where a guilty plea is anticipated and the case is suitable for disposal in a magistrates court;
Dangerous driving where a guilty plea is anticipated and the case is suitable for disposal in a magistrates court;
Aggravated TWOC where the case is suitable for disposal in a magistrates court;
Driving while disqualified and the case is suitable for disposal in a magistrates court.
Offences involving domestic violence and hate crime are excluded, as well as any motoring offences involving a fatality, terrorism offences and any cases requiring the consent of the Attorney-General or the DPP.
Public Expenditure
Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Attorney-General pursuant to the answer of 2 February 2011, Official Report, column 805W on public expenditure, by how much the Crown Prosecution Service plans to reduce expenditure on (a) staff, (b) accommodation, (c) IT, (d) prosecution and (e) general administrative costs in each year of the Comprehensive Spending Review period. [44825]
The Attorney-General: The following table shows by how much the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) intends to reduce its expenditure in each of the main expenditure areas in each year of the comprehensive spending review period.
| CPS cumulative savings over SR10 | ||||
| £ million | ||||
|
|
2011-12 | 2012-13 | 2013-14 | 2014-15 |
The Department's expenditure reduction plans are kept under continuous review and the value of individual components may change over time.
Culture, Media and Sport
Arts Council England: Travel
Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much Arts Council England spent on first-class travel for its staff and directors in 2009-10. [44326]
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Mr Vaizey: The information requested was not recorded centrally by Arts Council England (ACE) prior to January 2010. Staff booked travel with many different suppliers and have no way of reporting the class of individual journeys taken. However, ACE now has a designated travel supplier, who centralises and records all its travel. During the period January 2010 to February 2011, ACE spent £5,493.30 on first-class travel.
The ACE travel policy states that all staff, including directors, will use standard class travel, or the most cost-effective fare. In rare and reasonable circumstances, an executive director may authorise first-class rail travel.
Arts Council England: South Staffordshire
Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much money Arts Council England spent in South Staffordshire constituency per head of population in the latest period for which figures are available. [44304]
Mr Vaizey: In the South Staffordshire constituency Arts Council England spend per head this financial year is currently £0.11.
The funding figures used are from the latest period available, 1 April 2010 to 31 December 2010, and as such the answer provided does not equate to a complete year of funding.
British Sky Broadcasting: News International
Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent representations he has received on the proposed takeover of BSkyB by News International. [44548]
Mr Jeremy Hunt: I refer the hon. Member to the statement I made to the House on 3 March 2011, Official Report, columns 518-19, setting out that I propose to accept undertakings from News Corporation on its proposed merger with BSkyB. I have launched a consultation as to whether the undertakings in lieu offered by News Corporation are sufficient to remedy, mitigate or prevent the public interest concerns in relation to media plurality raised by this merger. As part of that process I have published all relevant documentation on my Department’s website:
www.culture.gov.uk
Departmental Expenditure
Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what expenditure (a) his Department and (b) each public body sponsored by his Department incurred on engaging external audit services in each of the last three years; and to which service providers such payments were made in each year. [43759] [Official Report, 15 March 2011, Vol. 525, c. 5MC.]
John Penrose: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is audited by the National Audit Office (NAO). The NAO charges notional fees for the audit of central Government Departments and Executive agencies. There is therefore no expenditure for the external audit of the Department’s resource accounts and the Royal Parks accounts.
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The Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport has management and control responsibilities for the National Lottery Distribution Fund (NLDF) and the Olympic Lottery Distribution Fund (OLDF). Both funds are audited by the NAO and charged a hard fee in cash as set out in the following table.
| £ | ||||
| Body | Auditor | 2009-10 | 2008-09 | 2007-08 |
Most of the Department’s arm’s-length bodies are audited by the NAO and are charged a hard fee in cash. The two bodies audited by private firms are companies as well as being charities, and have not been designated for audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General under the Government Resources and Accounts Act 2000.
The following table sets out the bodies, their auditors and the fees charged as disclosed in the bodies’ annual reports and accounts.
| £ | ||||
| Body | Auditor | 2009-10 | 2008-09 | 2007-08 |
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| (1) Under the National Lottery etc Act 1993, Arts Council England, CE, NHMF, Sport England, UK Film Council and UK Sport are required to produce separate Lottery Distribution accounts. These are audited separately and shown as separate lines from the parent body’s accounts. (2) UK Anti-Doping has only been in independent operation since 2009-10. Note: The Big Lottery Fund is a Lottery body but has its Lottery income consolidated with its other figures. | ||||
Departmental Manpower
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many staff in his Department were in the civil service redeployment pool on the latest date for which figures are available; and how many of these had been in the redeployment pool for more than six months at that date. [44357]
John Penrose: As of 1 March 2011, in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport there were two members of staff in the redeployment pool, of which one had been in the redeployment pool for more than six months.
Departmental Procurement
Mr Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what the cost to the public purse was of the (a) procurement and (b) outsourcing function of (i) his Department and (ii) the (A) agency and (B) non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible in the last financial year for which figures are available. [43961]
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John Penrose: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has a combined procurement and outsourcing function. During the financial year 2009-10 the cost to the public purse, which includes office space, utilities, IT and salaries, was £223,274.
During the financial year 2009-10 the Royal Parks agency procurement cost was £99,743. It does not have a function which specifically deals with outsourcing.
The Department does not collate this information for its arm’s-length bodies. Accordingly, I have asked their chief executives to write to my hon. Friend the Member for Esher and Walton.
Copies of the replies will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Electoral Reform Services
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what the monetary value was of contracts his Department placed with Electoral Reform Services in each year since 2005. [44211]
Licensing Laws
Mr Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what assessment his Department has made of the effects on pubs and clubs of the timetable for obtaining a licence for small live music events. [44278]
John Penrose: We are currently considering how to deliver our commitment to cut red tape and encourage the performance of more live music, while ensuring that there is appropriate protection for local communities. A reduction in red tape associated with the licensing of regulated entertainment would clearly benefit pubs and other venues that put on live music events now. This is why we are continuing to have discussions with representatives from the music industry, the Local Government Association and others so that we can find the best possible solution and bring forward proposals.
We have also provided warm support for the Bill proposed by Lord Clement-Jones in this area, albeit with some concerns over details of some of its proposals.
Ofcom
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what the policy of Ofcom is on steps to ensure that unlicensed white space spectrum is available for innovative applications. [44035]
Mr Vaizey [holding answer 3 March 2011]: In its Digital Dividend Review statement, published in December 2007, Ofcom stated that it was minded to allow licence exempt access to white space spectrum, providing harmful interference was not caused to licensed users, such as digital terrestrial television and programme making and special events services. Ofcom has recently concluded a consultation on its approach to implementing licence exempt white space access. A summary of responses and next steps will be published during spring 2011.
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Responsible Gambling Strategy Board
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with representatives of the gambling industry on the funding of (a) the Responsible Gambling Strategy Board, (b) the Responsible Gambling Fund and (c) the Responsibility in Gambling Trust. [44194]
John Penrose: In the course of the usual engagement with our sectors, my officials and I have met with various organisations and individuals, including representatives of the gambling industry, to discuss a wide range of issues.
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what funding the Gambling Commission has provided for the Responsible Gambling Strategy Board in the latest period for which figures are available. [44195]
John Penrose: Under a service level agreement, the Responsible Gambling Strategy Board received £250,000 in 2010-11 from the Gambling Commission in order to provide independent advice on the research, education and treatment elements of the Commission’s responsible gambling strategy.
Sports: Special Educational Needs
Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what funding his Department provides for sporting organisations for people with special needs. [44863]
Hugh Robertson [holding answer 7 March 2011]: UK Sport provides funding and support to elite athletes from six different disability groups in the Paralympic movement, including the recently reinstated intellectual disability group.
The figures in the table include data on athlete and programme support for all UK Sport-funded summer and winter Paralympic sports:
|
|
£ |
| (1) Athlete Personal Award (APA) and Programme—includes current planned amount for March 2011. | |
UK Sport also provides funding to the following partners:
| £ | ||
| Partner | 2010-11 | 2011-13 |
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A key strand of Sport England's work is to create more opportunities for those with disabilities to participate in sport.
As part of the Olympic legacy—Places, People, Play— plans are under way for allocating ring-fenced funding of £8 million to support sport participation for disabled people over the next two years. Sport England is also investing £1.54 million per year of Exchequer funding in the English Federation of Disability Sport (EFDS), to support its strategy to increase participation and opportunities for disabled people.
In addition, Sport England is working closely with EFDS and other national disability sports organisations to agree the most appropriate way to deliver a further investment of £2 million of national lottery funding to help support participation in sport by disabled people.
Sports: Young People
Stephen Pound: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of recent trends in the level of participation in sport by young people. [43629]
Mr Jeremy Hunt [holding answer 3 March 2011]:The previous Government’s 2009/10 PE and Sport survey showed that 55% of young people were doing three hours of school sport, but also showed huge decline in Years 12 and 13 to 23% and 21% respectively.
Harnessing the power of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the School Games will give every school and every pupil the opportunity to participate in competitive school sport, inspiring a generation of young people to start a lifetime of sport.
Telecommunications: Sign Language
Michael Connarty: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps his Department plans to take to ensure that a choice of telecommunications services is available for users of British Sign Language. [44113]
Mr Vaizey: Revisions to the EU Electronic Communications Framework, including the Universal Services Directive, provide for member states to empower national regulatory authorities (Ofcom in the UK) to specify, where appropriate, requirements to ensure that disabled end-users:
(a) have access to electronic communications services equivalent to that enjoyed by the majority of end-users; and
(b) benefit from the choice of undertakings and services available to the majority of end-users.
The revised framework makes clear that responsibility for decisions on equivalence reside with the National Regulatory Authority (NRA)
In order to fully implement these new provisions, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is proposing to make changes to section 51 of the Communications Act 2003 to clarify Ofcom's power to impose a general condition in relation to equivalence. This will be in addition to the existing powers Ofcom have under General Conditions of Entitlement (GC 15) and the Universal Service Order 2003.
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In addition DCMS continue to analyse responses to the recent Government public consultation on proposals to implement the revised framework, including the new Article 23a of the USD Directive, detailed above.
At the same time Ofcom is undertaking a review of relay services which support disabled end users in their use of electronic communications. The objective of this review is to assess whether current arrangements for the provision of relay services are adequate in delivering equivalence to voice telephony for hearing- and speech-impaired end-users (including BSL users) and, if they are not, to consider proportionate solutions. The formal public consultation element of this review will launch in the spring.
DCMS's proposed changes to the Communications Act 2003 will enable Ofcom, following the outcome of its review, to mandate the changes it deems appropriate and necessary to ensure that disabled end-users have access to the equivalence and choice required by the revisions to Framework.
Home Department
Asylum
Richard Graham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what provision her Department makes for asylum seekers waiting to hear the outcome of their cases; and what the cost of such support was to the public purse in the latest period for which figures are available. [44323]
Damian Green: The UK Border Agency provides support in the form of accommodation and/or subsistence to everyone who claims asylum and who would otherwise be destitute, until they have exhausted their appeal rights. Support is also provided to failed asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute and who face a legitimate barrier to return. This includes a number who are judicially reviewing the decision not to grant asylum.
The total cost of asylum support in 2009-10 was £524 million.
Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will meet representatives of the refugee charity sector in Scotland to discuss the effects of reductions in funding for the UK Border Agency on the asylum system. [44666]
Damian Green: The Secretary of State for the Home Department currently has no plans to meet with representatives of the refugee charity sector in Scotland in this regard.
The UK Border Agency is committed to continuing to work with voluntary sector partners. However, asylum intake has reduced significantly since grant payments were first put in place. It is only right that funding is reduced accordingly to reflect this. The grant reduction also reflects the fact that the UK Border Agency’s budget has been cut as part of the Government’s action to reduce the public deficit.
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent steps she has taken to improve the quality of the initial decision-making stage of asylum applications. [44816]
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Damian Green: The UK Border Agency continues to invest in quality through a detailed audit process developed with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to support a continuous improvement in quality. In addition to auditing individual decisions it conducts audits of the quality in specific areas of interest such as potential victims of trafficking, maintaining the best interests of the child, and lesbian, gay and bisexual decisions. The Border Agency provides a wide variety of training, policy, guidance and tools to support high quality decisions on asylum applications. The Asylum Improvement Project, which was established by the Government in summer 2010, is exploring new ways to improve the asylum system which includes detailed work to reduce the number of asylum decisions overturned at appeal.
Richard Graham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of asylum seekers were (a) granted asylum and (b) refused asylum and returned to their home country in each of the last five years. [44433]
Damian Green: Information on the outcome of asylum applications is available in Main Table 2.7 of Control of Immigration: Annual Bulletin, United Kingdom 2009, published in August 2010. This publication is available in the Library of the House and the Home Office's Research, Development and Statistics website at:
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration-asylum-stats.html
Data for 2010 will be available in August 2011. A summary is as follows:
The proportion of refused applicants does not include outcomes of cases reconsidered prior to appeal, and they also may include cases that were successful after appeal to the Immigration Appeal Tribunal/Immigration Appeal Review or higher courts.
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Information on those refused asylum and returned to their home country is not available and could be obtained only by the detailed examination of management information at disproportionate cost.
Crime: Statistics
Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of (a) the accuracy of statistical information on crime provided by her Department and (b) the merits of proposals to change the method of (i) gathering and (ii) publishing crime statistics. [44155]
Lynne Featherstone: In line with the code of practice for official statistics, information about the accuracy and quality of crime statistics produced by the Home Office are published alongside the statistics. In its report on trust in crime statistics published in May 2010, the UK Statistics Authority assessed the technical quality of Home Office crime statistics to compare well with corresponding statistics for other countries. However, the authority also indicated that much crime and antisocial behaviour is being missed by both the British Crime Survey and police recorded crime and the statistics give an incomplete and partial picture.
The Authority also noted the importance of the statistics being seen as free from political interference to improve public trust in them. This is why, as set out in the written ministerial statement given by the Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), on 20 January 2011, Official Report, columns 48-49WS, she asked for independent advice from Jil Matheson, the National Statistician, on changes to the scope of crime statistics and on the future collection arrangements once responsibility for their publication moves from the Home Office to an independent body.
Deaths: Registration
Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department takes to ensure that deaths occurring in England are registered in a timely and exhaustive manner. [44190]
Damian Green: The Births and Deaths Registration Act 1953 provides that any death not reported to a coroner is required to be registered within five days of its occurrence, or within 14 days if written notice of the death is given to the registrar. The Act also places a duty on those qualified to do so (e.g. a relative of the deceased, or any person present at the death) to give information to the registrar to enable the registration to take place, and makes it an offence to fail to do so if required. Additionally, if a death has not been registered within the above time limits, registrars are authorised under the Act to require an informant to attend at the register office for this purpose.
A death reported to a coroner where he or she has opened an inquest may be registered only on the conclusion of the inquest, or before the conclusion of the inquest if the coroner has adjourned it on being informed that a person has been charged with an offence concerning the death.
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Departmental Leaseback Arrangements
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assets her Department has sold and leased back over the last 12 months; what the sale price was of each asset so sold; and what estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse of leasing back each such asset over the period of the lease. [45072]
Damian Green: There has been no sale and lease back of property assets in the last 12 months.
Departmental Manpower
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff in her Department were in the civil service redeployment pool on the latest date for which figures are available; and how many of these had been in the redeployment pool for more than six months at that date. [44346]
Damian Green: As at 28 February 2011, 244 members of staff were in a redeployment pool/register operated by the Home Office and its agencies. Of these, 143 members of staff had been in a redeployment pool/register for more than six months as of that date.
The number of staff in a redeployment pool/register as at 28 February represents around 0.83% of the total headcount of the Home Office and its agencies. This response covers Home Office HQ, the UK Border Agency, Identity and Passport Service and Criminal Records Bureau.
Departmental Procurement
Mr Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost to the public purse was of the (a) procurement and (b) outsourcing function of (i) her Department and (ii) the (A) agency and (B) non-departmental public body for which she is responsible in the last financial year for which figures are available. [43951]
Damian Green: The cost of procurement functions in the Home Department, its agencies and the non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) is provided in the following table. Outsourcing functions are not separately identified and the cost of such functions, if relevant, is included within the figures provided in the table.
| Year ended 31 March 2010 | Cost of the procurement function (£000) |
|
National Police Improvement Agency (inward and outward facing procurement activities) |
|
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Detention Centres
Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average monthly cost to the public purse of holding a person in immigration detention in each facility was in 2010. [43392]
Damian Green: It is not possible to answer the question by giving details of average monthly cost in each detention facility since this information is commercially sensitive. Seven out of the 10 immigration removal centres are run by private contractors and the cost for running these centres are only agreed after an extensive tendering exercise. By giving the cost of running these centres we would jeopardise the process of ensuring that the taxpayer gets the optimum price. The average estimated direct monthly cost of holding a person in any of our immigration detention facility is £3,407.
Detention Centres: Children
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what assessment she has made of steps taken by immigration detention facilities to improve the family-friendly nature of their institutions; [43611]
(2) what has been her Department's expenditure on steps to make immigration detention centres more family-friendly in the latest period for which figures are available. [43612]
Damian Green: The Government are committed to ending the detention of children for immigration purposes. On 16 December 2010 we published our plans for doing this, including the immediate closure to children of the family unit at Yarl's Wood Immigration Removal Centre.
A fresh approach to managing family returns is being developed which places greater emphasis on engagement with families and aims to encourage families to leave without the need for enforcement action if they are found to have no legal right to be in the UK.
Most elements of this new process went live across the UK on 1 March, including the setting up of a new independent Family Returns Panel to advise the UK Border Agency on how to ensure the return of those families who do not take up the opportunities to leave under their own steam. A range of options has been developed to provide sufficient flexibility for a tailored approach to each family.
As a backstop, we are also developing a new option of pre-departure accommodation for use when other options for ensuring return have failed. This will not look or feel like an immigration removal centre; families will be held in self-contained flats, providing them with independence and privacy, within a large setting, including extensive grounds. It will be run on a care model rather than a secure one and there will be provision for family members to leave the premises after suitable risk assessments. The project to create the pre-departure accommodation has engaged the use of a number of specialist consultants for areas such as surveying and planning. We have so far received invoices for around £65,000.
The pre-departure accommodation will take a little longer than 1 March to establish so a small number of family rooms will remain available at Tinsley House Immigration Removal Centre in the meantime. Their
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use will be kept to an absolute minimum during this interim period. We do not expect them to be used beyond May for families with children, other than for those few cases of families who are refused entry to the UK at the border and need to be held for a short time while enquiries are made and/or until a return flight can be arranged for them. There may also be the occasional need to use Tinsley for criminal or other high-risk families who could not be accommodated safely in the pre-departure accommodation but this would be rare.
The family facility at Tinsley House has just been refurbished to create a far more family-friendly environment. This work has cost £1.3 million.
Both the family unit at Tinsley House and the new pre-departure accommodation will be subject to regular assessments and reporting by UK Border Agency monitors, but also to the oversight and inspection of HM Chief Inspector for Prisons, the Children's Commissioner for England and the Independent Monitoring Board.
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what support her Department provides to young children detained in the immigration system. [43613]
Damian Green: The UK Border Agency takes very seriously its responsibilities towards children. The agency is required under section 55 of the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009 to carry out its functions having regard to the need to safeguard and promote the welfare of children in the UK. Statutory guidance has been issued to the agency on how to fulfil this duty and all staff are required to complete training on keeping children safe.
As part of the Government’s commitment to children, we announced on 16 December 2010 plans to end the detention of families with children for immigration purposes and new processes were rolled out on 1 March to achieve this.
Special arrangements are also in place for unaccompanied children who arrive in the UK to claim asylum. The children are referred to the nearest local authority immediately on arrival to ensure that they receive the same standard of care and support as any other child in need. Their asylum claims are then considered by specialist case owners with enhanced safeguards to take account of their vulnerability. Even if their asylum claims fail the children are not returned to their countries of origin unless appropriate reception and care arrangements have been put in place.
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent steps she has taken to ensure the welfare of children during the asylum application process. [44817]
Damian Green: We are committed to safeguarding the welfare of asylum seeking children who arrive in the UK either unaccompanied or as part of a family group. The UK Border Agency (UKBA) has a statutory duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children who are in the United Kingdom under section 55 of the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009.
Where a child forms part of an asylum seeking family, further support has been provided to UKBA staff as part of the recent work to end child detention for
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immigration purposes. A new asylum instruction was published on 1 March 2011, providing additional advice on how to process an asylum application made by an adult with at least one child dependant under 18, and how to consider the best interests of the child within that process. Specialist training has also been provided for any asylum case owners who will be required to host family return conferences or family departure meetings, both key stages within the new family returns process which was rolled out nationally on 1 March 2011. A new family key worker pilot based in the north-west region started recently with the aim of providing further practical support for families going through the asylum process.
There are a considerable number of safeguards in place to protect the welfare of unaccompanied asylum seeking children and these are documented within the ‘processing an asylum application from a child’ guidance. Recent changes include providing further guidance on considering the best interest of the child, the introduction of a standardised welfare pro forma to ensure newly encountered unaccompanied children's physical welfare is properly considered in advance of any interview, as well as piloting a child specific asylum screening form. All unaccompanied children are referred to a local authority as well as the Refugee Council's Children Panel to ensure they obtain appropriate care and advice throughout the asylum process.
Electoral Reform Services
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the monetary value was of contracts her Department placed with Electoral Reform Services in each year since 2005. [44220]
Damian Green: The following table provides spend relating to Electoral Reform Services for financial years 2005 to date.
The spend data are also shown for two business areas that are no longer part of the Home Office: Communities Group which moved to Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) in 2006 and National Offender Management Service (NOMS) which formed part of the new Ministry of Justice (MoJ) in 2007.
| Spend (£) | |||
| Financial year | HO | Communities Group | NOMS |
Entry Clearances: Overseas Students
Damian Hinds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the proportion of foreign national (a) postgraduate students, (b) undergraduate students and (c) students on sub-degree level courses who entered the UK on student visas and were entitled to work in the UK for a period after completion of their studies who took up this entitlement in the last five years. [43666]
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Damian Green: There are many different work routes available to students on completion of their course. Data on each of these and the previous courses of the students are not held centrally and could be collated only at disproportionate costs.
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many student visas were granted to citizens of each non-EU country in each of the 12 months to January 2011. [43770]
Damian Green: The following table provides the latest available data, in line with officially published statistics, for the number of student visas granted to applicants of non-EU countries. The data cover the calendar year for 2010.
| Main applicant student/tier four stats for 2010, by nationality (issued only), year issued 2010 | |
| Nationality | Total |
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