Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many overseas students from (a) EU member states and (b) outside the EU were attending (i) universities and (ii) further education colleges in the UK in the most recent year for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement. [44984]
Mr Willetts: I have been asked to reply
The latest figures from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) show in the 2009-10 academic year there were 2,493,420 enrolments in UK higher education institutions. Of these enrolments, 125,045 were EU domiciled (excluding UK) and 280,760 were non-EU domiciled. Domicile has been used as opposed to nationality as this is a more widely used and reliable method of measuring overseas students.
In 2009-10, 2,322,200 learners were participating in Government-funded further education at a general further education colleges (including tertiary colleges) in England. Of these learners, 14,800 had a country of domicile in the EU (excluding the UK) and 5,400 had a country of domicile outside of the EU. Information on the nationality of learners in further education is not available. Information regarding students attending further education colleges in the rest of the UK is not held by the Department.
Government-funded learning as recorded on the individualised learner record (ILR) for further education is restricted to home learners. Therefore funded learners who are non EEA (European economic area) nationals must have been resident in the UK for the three years preceding their course start date and the main purpose for residence was not to receive full-time education during any part of that three year period. There are a limited number of exceptions to this, for example—refugees, learners with indefinite leave to remain status, or learners studying under reciprocal exchange agreements.
The UK continues to welcome genuine students from around the world to study at genuine education institutions here.
Homicide
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research her Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on any links between income inequality and rate of (a) homicide and (b) other crime. [44310]
Nick Herbert:
The Home Office has conducted no formal assessment of the impact of income inequality (ie the gap between the richest and the poorest) on levels of crime. The Home Office has, however, conducted an analysis of the results of the British Crime Survey to see if there is a link between household income and risk of being a victim of crime. This shows that there is no link between household income and violence, criminal damage, domestic burglary or theft from the person. There is a
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link between the highest earning households and vehicle crime that may be due to the multiple ownership of cars. This analysis was published in the Home Office annual crime statistics publication, “Crime in England and Wales 2009-10”.
Human Trafficking
Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how the inter-departmental ministerial group on trafficking monitored the progress of anti-trafficking measures in the UK between May 2010 and December 2010; and what reports on activity members of the group received. [42680]
Damian Green [holding answer 28 February 2011]:The inter-departmental ministerial group (IDMG) is made up of Ministers from a range of Departments, which have received advice on a range of trafficking matters.
The chair of the IDMG received updates on human trafficking, and officials from a range of Departments monitored progress, based on information provided by operational partners.
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to make an announcement on her policy on human trafficking. [44234]
Damian Green: Combating human trafficking is a key priority for the Government. We are committed to tackling organised crime groups which profit from this human misery and to protecting victims. We are due to publish our new strategy on human trafficking in the spring.
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department is taking to identify victims of human trafficking. [44814]
Damian Green: Since April 2009 we have had in place a multi-agency framework for identifying and protecting victims of trafficking called the national referral mechanism (NRM). Decisions about who is a victim of trafficking are made by trained specialists in designated “competent authorities”.
We have initiated a number of improvements to our victim identification processes, including a new package of training for competent authorities and improved guidance for competent authorities and frontline UK Border Agency staff.
Mr Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will announce the Government’s human trafficking policy by way of an oral statement in the House. [44851]
Damian Green [holding answer 7 March 2011]:Combating human trafficking is a key priority for the Government. We are committed to tackling organised crime groups which profit from this human misery and to protecting victims. We are due to publish our new strategy on human trafficking in the spring, either by oral or written statement.
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Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consideration she gave to the EU directive on human trafficking in formulating her policy on human trafficking. [45123]
Damian Green: The Government decided not to opt into the European directive on human trafficking at the outset, but to review our position in line with the revised text. We are currently considering the revised text and will announce a decision in due course.
Illegal Immigrants: Deportation
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department under what circumstances force may be used to deport an illegal immigrant; if she will consider the use of alternatives to force in such circumstances; and if she will make a statement. [44774]
Damian Green: We expect all those with no basis of stay in the UK to leave voluntarily, and in certain circumstances we offer assistance with doing so. However, where they refuse to leave we have a duty to uphold our immigration laws by enforcing their departure.
The vast majority of people detained comply with arrangements for their removal, and while they are taken to the airport to be placed on the aircraft, they make the return journey alone. However, a small minority of people even then refuse to leave and, regrettably, escorts have to be used to enforce their departure.
It is not our wish that individuals are restrained, but if they refuse to leave and in some cases even become violent in an attempt to harm the officers, damage the aircraft or generally disrupt their removal, we have to ensure they are controlled for safety reasons and comply with the law. There are no other alternatives when people refuse to go.
Escort officers are trained in the use of control and restraint techniques, which are only used as a matter of last resort when all other alternatives of persuading a person to comply with their removal have failed or they need to be controlled for safety reasons.
The use of restraint is legitimate and lawful so long as its use is justified, proportionate and de-escalated at the earliest opportunity when the individual has complied. Where restraint is used, officers have to complete a comprehensive report, which is submitted to a senior manager and the UK Border Agency escort monitor for review.
Immigrants: Detainees
Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her Department’s policy is on returning immigration detainees to Côte d’Ivoire. [44822]
Damian Green: The UK Border Agency considers returns to Côte d’Ivoire on a case by case basis. It does not remove individuals unless it is safe to do so. The agency continues to monitor the situation in Côte d’Ivoire through its Country of Origin Information Service and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and its returns policy is kept constantly under review.
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Immigration Controls: Travellers
Conor Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans the UK Border Agency has to fully deploy smart zones to improve travellers’ experiences of immigration controls; and if she will make a statement. [44529]
Damian Green: The UK Border Agency is currently developing a number of new initiatives, as part of a wider operating process at our ports, which make the most effective use of up-to-date technology. Smart zones are a part of this, using information gathered through the e-Borders system to do more checks in advance of arrival, and there are other elements including e-passport gates. Following trials of smart zones at Luton and Calais conducted last year, we will now work in consultation with port operators and carriers to design port-specific solutions which continue to secure the border and represent best value for money for the taxpayer.
Immigration: Northern Ireland
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions she has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on the effect on Northern Ireland of changes in immigration rules. [44559]
Damian Green: The Secretary of State for the Home Department currently has no plans to meet with the Northern Ireland Executive with regard to this matter.
The changes to the immigration rules have been well publicised in Northern Ireland, with officials from the Executive being invited to attend meetings where the changes were discussed. In addition, full consultation exercises were undertaken in which the Executive had the opportunity to make their views known.
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were subject to immigration bail conditions in Northern Ireland in each of the last three years for which figures are available. [44561]
Damian Green: The UK Border Agency does not collate this information as a matter of course. The information requested could be obtained only by the detailed examination of individual case records at disproportionate cost.
Members: Correspondence
Mr Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to respond to the letter of 19 January 2011 from the hon. Member for Walsall North as part of the ongoing correspondence on matters concerning a resident of his constituency and the UK Border Agency. [42799]
Damian Green [ holding answer 28 February 2011]:The UK Border Agency wrote to the hon. Member on 7 March 2011.
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Missing Persons
Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many records there are relating to people aged under 18 on the Missing Persons database. [44165]
James Brokenshire: On 2 March 2011, the National Policing Improvement Agency’s (NPIA) Missing Persons Bureau database Hermes held 509 records of missing incidents involving individuals currently under the age of 18. Police forces are required to notify the bureau of missing people who have not returned within 72 hours of the initial report to the police. Please note these numbers relate to incidents and not individuals.
The Hermes database is an operational database used for policing purposes and it may contain records for individuals who have been found by the force but that have not yet been updated on the database. The data are management information and have not been formally assessed for compliance with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics.
Passport Office: Liverpool
Mrs Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 28 February 2011, Official Report, columns 94-95W, on the Passport Office: Liverpool, if she will publish (a) the results of the review undertaken by the Identity and Passport Service into its estate and staff capacity and (b) the consultation document being discussed with staff, trade unions and interested parties. [44335]
Damian Green [holding answer 4 March 2011]:I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 3 March 2011, Official Report, column 541W. The papers used during the consultation process will include the review carried out by the Identity and Passport Service (IPS) into its existing and future operational requirements, the multi- criteria analysis and the impact assessment which is due to be published shortly.
Police and Crime Commissioners
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the likely effects on co-operation between police forces of the election of police commissioners from different political parties. [44557]
Nick Herbert: Police authorities throughout England and Wales are made up of members of all political persuasions and independent members and they collaborate extensively.
There is no reason to suppose police and crime commissioners will be any less pragmatic in working with whichever partners bring the best improvement to the police services they provide to the public and they will be answerable at the ballot box if they fall short of that responsibility.
In addition, the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill imposes a strong duty on police and crime commissioners to collaborate with each other and with chief constables where it is in the public's best interest. Collaboration is one of the ways we expect police and
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crime commissioners and chief constables to look for opportunities to deliver policing services in a more effective and efficient manner.
Police Community Support Officers: Redundancy
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police community support officers were made redundant in each police force area in England and Wales in 2010-11. [42041]
Nick Herbert: Separate figures for staff made redundant are not collected centrally. The available data provided in the table show the number of police community support officers dismissed as at 30 September 2010 by police force area. Dismissals include members of staff required to resign, staff who have been made redundant or staff whose contract has been terminated. Figures for the second half of 2010-11 are not yet available.
| Police community support officers who have been dismissed as at 30 September 2010, by police force area (1,2) | |
|
|
Dismissals |
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| (1) This table contains full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Because of rounding, there may be an apparent discrepancy between totals and the sums of the constituent items. (2) Dismissals include members of staff required to resign, staff who have been made redundant or staff whose contract has been terminated. | |
Police: Contracts
Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans she has for the outsourcing of services currently undertaken by police officers. [45124]
Nick Herbert: We are supporting the police service in exploring the value of forming partnerships with private sector organisations for the delivery of back and middle office functions.
Police: Pensions
Ms Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the likely savings to the Police Pension Scheme of the proposed indexation according to the consumer prices index (a) in 2010-11 and (b) in the next (i) 10, (ii) 20, (iii) 25 and (iv) 30 years. [40389]
Nick Herbert: The Government have not made any separate estimate of the change in central Government expenditure (a) in 2010-11 or (b) in the next (i) 10, (ii) 20, (iii) 25 and (iv) 30 years for the Police Pension Schemes as a result of the change to indexation of public service pensions and benefits in line with the consumer prices index.
However, the overall estimated savings in annually managed expenditure over the forecast period for public service pension expenditure were made available in answers to the right hon. Member for Stirling (Mrs McGuire) on 27 July 2010, Official Report, column 1193W and the Office for Budgetary Responsibility, responsible for forecasting expenditure on public service pensions, has included the change to indexation in line with the consumer prices index in its methodology.
Shahid Shabaz Khan
Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions she has had with the Government of Pakistan on the potential danger to Shahid Shabaz Khan should he return to that country; and if she will make a statement. [44535]
Damian Green [holding answer 7 March 2011]: The Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), has had no specific discussion with regards to this matter.
The UK Government take their international responsibilities seriously. We have a proud history of providing refuge to those in genuine need of our protection. Each application is treated on its own merits and decisions are made based on relevant information available at the time.
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Special Constables
Jackie Doyle-Price: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her most recent estimate is of the number of special constables serving in each police force. [44370]
Nick Herbert: The available data are provided in the following table which shows the number of special constables in each police force as at 30 September 2010 (headcount).
| Special constable strength by force area as at 30 September 2010 | |
|
|
Headcount (1) |
| (1) All figures are provisional, subject to change and have not been verified by forces. | |
Telecommunications: Databases
Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress her Department has made on the Intercept Modernisation Programme; and if she will make a statement. [44418]
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Nick Herbert [holding answer 4 March 2011]: The Interception Modernisation Programme was a programme set up under the last Government. As we made clear in the Strategic Defence and Security Review, the Government will continue to build on an existing programme of work to preserve the ability of the law enforcement, security and intelligence agencies to obtain communications data and to intercept communications within the appropriate legal framework. We will legislate to ensure this is compatible with the Government’s approach to civil liberties and use of communications capabilities. As set out in the Home Office’s Structural Reform Plan, details of this legislation will be announced in Parliament in due course.
Terrorism: Deaths
Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether each death arising from the terrorist attacks in London on 7 July 2005 has been registered in the register of deaths for England. [44189]
Damian Green: All deaths arising from the terrorist attacks in London on 7 July 2005 were registered between 20 August 2007 and 28 January 2008.
UK Human Trafficking Centre
Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what mechanism she plans to put in place to ensure that a focus on the safeguarding needs of trafficked children is maintained within the proposed National Crime Agency; [44161]
(2) whether she has plans to integrate the UK Human Trafficking Centre into the National Crime Agency; [44162]
(3) what the proposed (a) roles and (b) responsibilities are of agencies within the proposed National Crime Agency in respect of safeguarding children and young people; [44163]
(4) what plans she has for the future of the UK Human Trafficking Centre. [44341]
Damian Green: The consultation document, “Policing in the 21(st) Century” announced our intention to create a powerful new body of operational crime fighters—the National Crime Agency—to tackle serious and organised crime more effectively and strengthen our borders. To be established in 2013, this powerful new body will harness and build on the intelligence, analytical and enforcement capabilities of the existing Serious Organised Crime Agency, of which the UK Human Trafficking Centre is a part, and better connect these capabilities to those within the police service, HM Revenue and Customs, the UK Border Agency and a range of other criminal justice partners. It will contain a Border Policing Command that will enhance national security, improve immigration controls and crack down on trafficking of people, weapons and drugs. Further details will be published shortly.
Vetting
Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals have been barred by the Independent Safeguarding Authority in the (a) statutory, (b) sporting, (c) faith and (d) uniformed groups sector in relation to harm or risk of harm to 16 and 17-year-olds in each year since the organisation was established. [44962]
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Lynne Featherstone: The Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) does not collect data in the form requested.
The ISA operates under powers established in the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006, which defines a child as anyone who has not attained the age of 18. The ISA can bar individuals who demonstrate harm or a risk of harm to children in general rather than those defined by any specific age category.
Voluntary Work and Charitable Donations
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether her Department has a policy to encourage its employees to (a) volunteer and (b) donate via payroll giving. [43241]
Damian Green: The Home Office does have a policy on volunteering. Our policy encourages staff to take up to five days special leave to develop their skills and experience, while giving something back to the community. In September 2010, the Home Office produced guidance on volunteering for the Olympics which has been adopted by a large number of other Government Departments. We also offer guidance on charitable fundraising to encourage staff to take part in fundraising events.
There is no official policy for donating through the payroll but regular promotions take place to encourage staff to set up regular monthly donations. Promotions are managed by inviting charities into offices and directly through intranet and in-house staff magazine campaigns. Permanent guidance on how to set up payments is on our intranet.
Prime Minister
Armed Forces: Middle East
Mr Wallace: To ask the Prime Minister what recent assessment he has made of the threat to UK security from the situation in the middle east; and if he will review the Government’s programme of reductions in the strength of the armed forces in the light of that assessment. [44122]
Dr Fox: I have been asked to reply.
The National Security Council has considered the risks to UK interests, including to our nationals, from the situation in the middle east. The Government will keep the developing situation under review but the events of the last few weeks have reinforced the assessments made in the Strategic Defence and Security Review, including the requirement to be able to respond flexibly with the armed forces able to deal efficiently with a variety of different scenarios.
Cabinet Office
Census
Mr Knight: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what his most recent estimate is of the cost to the public purse of the 2011 Census. [44275]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
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Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated March 2011:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS) have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what is the most recent estimate of the cost to the public purse of the 2011 Census. (44275)
The most recent estimated total cost of the 2011 Census in England and Wales is £482 million. This covers the period 2005-2016.
The cost and financial control of the 2011 Census was outlined in the White Paper ‘Helping to shape tomorrow’ which was published in December 2008 and is available on the website
http://www.ons.gov.uk/census/2011-census/2011-census-project/legislation/index.html
Civil Servants: Leave
Damian Hinds: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what practice the civil service has adopted on the accrual of holiday days during maternity leave. [44523]
Mr Maude: The Sex Discrimination Act, Maternity and Paternity Leave etc. Regulations require that holiday days should accrue during both ordinary and additional maternity leave. Arrangements for taking accrued leave may vary from Department to Department under the delegated authority to make their own arrangements for maternity leave.
Electoral Reform Services
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the monetary value was of contracts his Department placed with Electoral Reform Services in each year since 2005. [44213]
Mr Maude: The Cabinet Office has not placed any contracts with Electoral Reform Services in financial years 2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09 and 2009-10.
Government Departments: Business Plans
Stella Creasy: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) which Secretaries of State the Minister of State with responsibility for the co-ordination of policy has met to discuss (a) implementation of departmental business plans and (b) instances when actions stated in such plans as due for completion have not been completed by the due date since November 2010; and on what date each such meeting took place; [44751]
(2) which Permanent Secretaries the Cabinet Secretary has met to discuss (a) implementation of departmental business plans and (b) instances when actions stated in such plans as due for completion have not been completed by the due date since November 2010; and on what date each such meeting took place. [44752]
Mr Letwin: The Government are committed to publishing monthly updates on Departments' progress against key actions and milestones of business plans. The latest updates were published on 4 March 2011. I meet with Secretaries of State and their Permanent Secretaries on a quarterly basis to discuss the implementation of their business plans and I refer the hon. Member to my evidence to the Public Accounts Select Committee on 9 February 2011.
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Deputy Prime Minister
Deputy Prime Minister
Mr Bone: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will bring forward proposals to abolish his post. [44119]
The Deputy Prime Minister: No.
Communities and Local Government
Affordable Housing
Mr Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much is to be paid to each local authority in new homes bonus in the financial year 2011-12. [44511]
Grant Shapps: The new homes bonus will match fund the additional council tax raised for new homes and empty properties brought back into use, for the following six years with an enhancement for affordable homes. New homes bonus provisional allocations for English local authorities have been deposited in the Library of the House. Local authorities have until 10 March to make representations on the data that are used to calculate the payments.
The summary of responses to the consultation, final scheme design and provisional allocations were published on 17 February and can be viewed at:
www.communities.gov.uk/housing/housingsupply/newhomesbonus
Affordable Housing: Olympic Games 2012
Mrs Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether domestic properties built on the Olympic Park will be eligible for the new homes bonus. [44328]
Grant Shapps: The new homes bonus is a powerful, simple, transparent and permanent incentive for local authorities and communities to increase their aspirations for housing growth. All properties that add to a local authority's effective housing stock will be eligible for the bonus; this includes new homes and empty homes brought back into use. Details of how the level of effective housing is calculated are set out in the final scheme design, available at:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/pdf/1846530.pdf
Community Development Foundation
Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what payments and grants the Community Development Foundation made in relation to the prevention of extremism since its inception. [43850]
Andrew Stunell: The Department for Communities and Local Government has not provided any payment or grant to the Community Development Foundation in relation to the prevention of extremism since its inception.
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Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what individual payments his Department made to (a) the Muslim Council of Britain and (b) its associated bodies in each of the last three years; and for what purpose in each case. [43851]
Andrew Stunell: The Department for Communities and Local Government provided £2,500 to the Muslim Council of Britain for a guest table at the council leadership dinner held on 22 February 2010. DCLG has not provided any further funding to the Muslim Council of Britain for the organisation to undertake work or projects.
For an interim period, funding for the Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board (MINAB) was routed through the council as one of MINAB’s founding members as MINAB had not then acquired independent charitable status, and as a result did not have its own bank account. Funding for MINAB was made directly to it as soon as it became an independent organisation. The funding was to support it to improve standards in mosques (£116,000 in 2008-09 and £58,000 in 2009-10).
Muslim Council of Britain has a large and wide- ranging national membership of organisations that are affiliated to it. Of these, DCLG has funded the following organisations through the Community Leadership Fund:
Muslim Youth Helpline—£30,650 (2008-09), £61,888 (2009-10), £64,767 (2010-11) to build its capacity to extend the reach of its support services to vulnerable young people,
Karimia Institute—£67,180 (2008-09), £50,000 (2009-10), £50,000 (2010-11) for youth leadership training.
Islamic Society of Britain—£20,000 (2008-09) for developing the Islamic Awareness Week website to promote positive understanding of Islam to other communities.
Young Muslims UK—£20,000 (2008-09), £5,000 (2009-10) to promote talent among young Muslims
Muslim Aid—£5,000 (2009-10) for part-sponsorship of Muslim Aid’s 25th Anniversary.
Housing Occupancy
Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) what assessment he has made of the capacity of registered social landlords to provide appropriately-sized accommodation for working age tenants in properties of a size not warranted by their household size who wish to move; [43835]
(2) what his estimate is of the number of socially-rented properties of each number of bedrooms in each local authority area to be allocated by local authorities and registered social landlords to meet demand arising from social tenants of working age moving to properties warranted by their household size. [43837]
Andrew Stunell: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 3 March 2011, Official Report, column 570W.
Local Government Services: Third Sector
Mr Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what role he expects the big society to play in providing services previously provided by local government. [44118]
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Andrew Stunell: The big society is neither a single initiative nor a traditional Government programme. Rather, the big society is about putting individuals and groups in the driving seat in their communities, with Government playing an enabling role. So one of the three pillars of the big society is our work on public sector reform through which public services will be opened to new providers such as charities, social enterprises and private companies to make them more innovative, diverse and responsive to public need.
A key plank of this strategy will be delivered through the Localism Bill, which will be introducing new rights to enable communities to challenge to take over running local authority services, and help them save assets and facilities that are important to them.
The community right to challenge will enable voluntary and community groups, local authority employees that wish to deliver the service as a mutual, and parish councils to express an interest in running a local authority service where they believe they could do it differently or better. The authority must consider the expression of interest and where it accepts it, run a procurement exercise for the service.
Also, while retaining accountability for standards, Government need to give professionals more freedom so we have ended the comprehensive area assessment, the national indicator set and central control of local area agreement targets.
Local Government: Milk
Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the quantity of milk purchased by each local authority in England in the last 12 months for which figures are available; and how much each local authority spent on (a) milk and (b) other dairy products in that period. [44730]
Robert Neill [holding answer 7 March 2011]: Financial or quantitative information on milk and other dairy products purchased by local authorities in England is not held centrally.
Mortgages
George Eustice: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the effects of (a) restrictions under section 157 of the Housing Act 1985 and (b) other statutory restrictions on sale or purchase related to residency on the willingness of lenders to grant mortgages for purchases. [44123]
Grant Shapps: We have not made any formal assessment of the impact of statutory residential restrictions on the availability of mortgage finance. The decision to lend on any property or to any individual is essentially a commercial judgment for the lender.
Public Expenditure
Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much the Audit Commission spent on foreign travel in each of the last three years; and in respect of which countries the expenditure was incurred. [44025]
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Robert Neill: This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission and I have asked the chief executive of the Audit Commission to write to my hon. Friend direct.
Letter from Andy McKeon, dated March 2011:
Parliamentary Question: how much the Audit Commission spent on foreign travel in each of the last three years; and in respect of which countries the expenditure was incurred.
Your Parliamentary Question has been passed to me to reply in the absence of the Chief Executive on leave.
The Audit Commission spent £2,168.28 on foreign travel in 2008, £1,306.83 in 2009 and £224.30 in 2010. Only standard/economy tickets were purchased. Details of the journeys are given below:
Rented Housing: Antisocial Behaviour
Mr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans his Department has to bring forward proposals to remove more quickly antisocial tenants causing problems for other residents. [44802]
Grant Shapps: As I announced on 11 January, we are proposing to introduce a new mandatory ground for possession for serious housing-related antisocial behaviour which will make it easier for landlords to take swift and decisive action against the most antisocial tenants. Officials are currently working on details of this proposal which will require legislation to come into force.
My Department is also exploring jointly with the Ministry of Justice whether any unnecessary obstacles to the swift resolution of antisocial behaviour possession cases where serious harm is being caused to individuals and communities exist and, if so, how these can be overcome.
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More widely, the Government are currently consulting on proposals to streamline and improve the existing toolkit available to the police, social landlords and others to tackle antisocial behaviour. The proposals are intended to better protect victims and communities from the serious harm caused by criminal and antisocial behaviour by making the tools faster, more flexible, and more effective.
Rough Sleeping
Mr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent steps he has taken to reduce the number of people who are sleeping rough. [44803]
Grant Shapps: This Government are committed to tackling rough sleeping. We have maintained the level of Homelessness Grant, with £400 million being made available to local authorities and the voluntary sector over the next four years to help them reduce rough sleeping and prevent homelessness.
A cross-departmental Ministerial Working Group on Homelessness has been set up to address the complex causes of homelessness and improve support for homeless people.
We have introduced a new way of evaluating rough sleeping levels. All areas across England now provide counts or robust estimates giving a clear national picture so more targeted support can be provided to some of the most vulnerable people in society.
Social Conditions
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment his Department has made of potential links between income inequality and social and community cohesion. [44090]
Andrew Stunell: All Citizenship Survey data are publicly available on the Department’s website at:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/communities/research/citizenshipsurvey/
The Citizenship Survey gathers regular information on perceptions of community cohesion, defined as the extent to which people agree or disagree that their local area is a place where people from different backgrounds get on well together. Levels of overall community cohesion are high. In 2009-10, 85% of people in England agreed that their local area was one where people from different backgrounds got on well together.
For the purposes of considering the relationship between income inequality and community cohesion in England, two measures are used here: an area-based measure of deprivation, and the income of the survey respondent.
Table 1 shows levels of community cohesion by area deciles, based on the Index of Multiple Deprivation. The table shows levels of cohesion for the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods through to the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods.
| Table 1: Community cohesion by Index of Multiple Deprivation, England, 2009-10 | |
| Index of Multiple Deprivation (1) | Percentage of people who definitely agree or tend to agree that people from different backgrounds get on well together |
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| (1) Based on deciles classified according to the Index of Multiple Deprivation, 2007. | |
Table 2 shows levels of community cohesion for different levels of respondent income, showing the percentage of people who agreed or disagreed that their local area was a place where people from different backgrounds got on well together. It shows that levels of community cohesion were high across all respondent income bands.
| Table 2: Community cohesion by respondent income, England, 2009-10 | |
| Respondent income (1) | Percentage of people who definitely agree or tend to agree that people from different backgrounds get on well together |
| (1) Based on respondent income only, this does not reflect the income of the household. | |
Translation Services
Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much the Audit Commission has spent on translation and interpretation costs in each of the last three years; and in respect of which languages. [43849]
Robert Neill: This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission and I have asked the chief executive of the Audit Commission to write to my hon. Friend direct.
Letter from Andy McKeon, dated 8 March 2011:
Your Parliamentary Question has been passed to me to reply in the absence of the Chief Executive, who is on leave.
The Audit Commission spent £17,311.31 in 2010/11, £4,608.78 in 2009/10 and £12,588.51 in 2008/9 on translation and interpretation services. These costs were incurred in order to meet the Commission’s responsibilities under disability and race equality legislation. For example, the Commission provides translation of documents in alternative languages on request.
A list of languages is given below.
List of languages
British sign language
Braille
Lithuanian
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Punjabi
Gujarati
Bengali
Urdu
Hindi
Cantonese
Mandarin
Spanish
Somali
Albanian
Farsi
Kurdis
Sora
Polish
Voting Systems
Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance his Department has issued to (a) the Community Development Foundation and (b) other non-departmental public bodies on participation in initiatives which favour a particular outcome from the referendum on the alternative vote; and if he will make a statement. [43848]
Andrew Stunell: My Department has not issued any guidance to either the Community Development Foundation nor any other non-departmental public body on the alternative vote. Cabinet Office officials will be publishing guidance in due course.
Treasury
Green Investment Bank
Mr Bain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will assess the effects on the credit rating for UK debt of placing the liabilities of the proposed Green Investment Bank on the national balance sheet. [43265]
Justine Greening [holding answer 2 March 2011]: All credit ratings, including sovereign ratings, are a matter for credit rating agencies. All three major credit rating agencies continue to assign the UK the highest possible credit rating.
Aggregates Levy: Northern Ireland
Naomi Long: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with the European Commission since 15 December 2010 on state aid approval for the aggregates levy credit scheme in Northern Ireland. [44772]
Justine Greening: The Government remain fully committed to reinstating the aggregates levy credit scheme in Northern Ireland. Officials are working closely with the authorities in Northern Ireland and representatives of the quarrying industry to provide the Commission with evidence to enable it to approve the aggregates levy credit scheme both retrospectively and for the future.
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Air Passenger Duty
Kwasi Kwarteng: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will review his proposals for increases in air passenger duty. [44465]
Justine Greening: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 22 November 2010, Official Report, column 83W, to the hon. Member for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich (Dr Poulter).
Child Benefit
Guto Bebb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) whether the value of child benefit payments awarded under the EU co-ordination of social security systems in respect of children living in other EU member states can exceed the full UK rate; [44264]
(2) what mechanisms are in place to prevent fraud in cases where child benefit and tax credits are paid to EEA nationals where a child is resident in another EU member state. [44269]
Justine Greening: UK child benefit payable under EC Regulation 883/2004 in respect of children resident in another EU/EEA member state will not exceed the full UK rate.
As with all other child benefit and child tax credit claims, the claimant must provide documentary evidence of the child being claimed for, such as an original birth or adoption certificate. In addition, where a claim is made under EC Regulation 883/2004, HMRC will carry out further checks with the authorities of the other member state to confirm the composition of the family, whether the other parent is working there and whether that member state is paying family benefits. Payments of UK family benefits are not made until the other member state has provided the necessary confirmation.
Child Benefit: British Nationals Abroad
Guto Bebb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether (a) child benefit is and (b) tax credits are payable to any UK nationals living outside the EEA. [44268]
Justine Greening: Child benefit and tax credits are intended to support families with children and those in low-paid work here. Nationality is not a condition of entitlement. Instead, entitlement to child benefit and tax credits is generally reliant on claimants being in the UK, that is they must be present, ordinarily resident and have a right to reside.
However, UK Crown servants (such as armed forces personnel and civil servants) posted overseas and their accompanying partners may be treated as being in the UK and may therefore be entitled to child benefit and tax credits during the period of their posting.
Children: Day Care
Ms Buck: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of households in receipt of the maximum entitlement for assistance with child care costs in (a) each region, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland at the latest date for which figures are available. [44388]
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Mr Gauke: The number of households known to be in receipt of the maximum entitlement for assistance with child care costs through the child care element of tax credits at December 2010 is shown in the following table.
| Families benefiting from the maximum entitlement for assistance with child care costs | |
| Region | Number |
Ms Buck: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of expenditure from the public purse on the provision of assistance with child care costs in 2011-12. [44389]
Mr Gauke: Child care assistance through the child care element of working tax credit is estimated to cost the Exchequer £1.6 billion in 2011-12.
Income tax and NICs forgone through employer-supported child care is estimated to cost the Exchequer £600 million in 2011-12.
In addition the Department for Education also funds 15 hours per week (for 38 weeks a year) of free early education for all three and four-year-olds. This is also being extended gradually to the most disadvantaged two-year-olds. Local authorities in England spent over £4 billion on provision for under fives last year, on the early education entitlement and reception classes in schools.
Credit Default Swaps
Stephen Phillips: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with his international counterparts on the regulation of credit default swaps and similar instruments. [44678]
Mr Hoban: Treasury Ministers and officials hold various meetings and discussions with representatives from a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government’s practice to provide details of all such meetings and discussions.
Departmental Billing
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of invoices from suppliers his Department paid within 10 days of receipt in January and February 2011. [45067]
Justine Greening:
The Department aims to pay at least 80% of invoices within five working days. The
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monthly payment performance statistics for the Treasury Group can be found on the Treasury’s website. Figures for February will be published in due course.
Details of the link to the payment performance data are available at:
http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/group_payment_performance.htm
Departmental Leaseback Arrangements
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assets his Department has sold and leased back over the last 12 months; what the sale price was of each asset so sold; and what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of leasing back each such asset over the period of the lease. [45066]
Justine Greening: The Treasury has not sold and leased back any assets in the past 12 months.
Departmental Manpower
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 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. [44344]
Justine Greening: HM Treasury manages its own deployment pool which facilitates the movement of staff across the Department. As of 3 March 2011, there were a total of 31 employees within the HM Treasury deployment pool, seven of which have been in the deployment pool for over six months.
Immigrants: Income
Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many foreign-born (a) millionaires and (b) billionaires moved to the UK in each of the last 10 years. [44378]
Mr Gauke: There is no obligation for individuals to declare their level of wealth to HM Revenue and Customs. Therefore no data are available on the number of foreign-born individuals resident in the UK who can be described as a millionaire or a billionaire.
Industrial Diseases: Compensation
Mr Anderson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how long on average it takes HM Revenue and Customs’ National Insurance Contributions Office Special Section A to produce a schedule of employment history in industrial disease claims in response to (a) urgent and (b) non-urgent requests. [44291]
Mr Gauke: Requests for employment history schedules relating to customers suffering from mesothelioma are categorised as “urgent”. HMRC’s National Insurance Contributions and Employer Office (NIC&EO) issues schedules for these cases within 10 working days of receipt.
All other requests for employment histories received by NIC&EO Special Section A are routinely dealt with on a “first in, first out” basis. The current customer waiting time (oldest request waiting to be processed) is
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89 days. However, NIC&EO management are looking to improve the provision of employment histories and will soon trial a revised process that is expected to improve response times for non-urgent requests.
Mr Anderson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many requests for schedules of employment history from HM Revenue and Customs’ National Insurance Contributions Office Special Section A are outstanding in industrial disease claims. [44292]
Mr Gauke: HMRC’s National Insurance Contributions and Employer Office (NIC&EO) has 18,400 requests on hand to be processed. Requests for employment histories have increased by 30% on this time last year, but NIC&EO has redeployed resources to respond to the increased demand.
Members: Correspondence
Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne North of 25 January 2011 on the future funding arrangements of the Northern Rock Foundation. [44243]
Mr Hoban: I have replied to the hon. Member.
Mortgages: Misrepresentation
Gregg McClymont: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to assist individuals who have been mis-sold mortgage endowment policies to achieve legal redress for their losses. [44913]
Mr Hoban: The Financial Services Authority (FSA) requires firms to explain the risks associated with investment products, such as mortgage endowment policies, when these products are sold.
If individuals do not feel the risks were explained properly to them, in the first instance they should complain to the company through which they bought the product. This should be done as soon as possible after the individual decides they have cause for complaint.
If the individual is not satisfied with the firm’s response, they may consider referring the complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS). The Government are unable to intervene in or advise on individual cases.
NHS: Redundancy Pay
Stephen Barclay: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 28 February 2011, Official Report, column 38W, and to the answer of 10 February 2011, Official Report, columns 428-30W, on NHS: redundancy pay (1) how many special severance payments were reported to his Department by each NHS Foundation Trust in accordance with his Department’s guidance in Annex 4.13 of Managing Public Money in each of the last three years; and what the monetary value was of such payments in each case; [44899]
(2) what the total monetary value was of special severance payments made by NHS Foundation Trusts and reported to his Department in accordance with its guidance in Annex 4.13 of Managing Public Money in each of the last three years; [44900]
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(3) how many special severance payments have been reported to his Department in total by NHS Foundation Trusts in accordance with his Department’s guidance in Annex 4.13 of Managing Public Money in each of the last three years. [44901]
Danny Alexander: This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The Treasury’s role is to ensure that individual special severance payments are fully justified in terms of value for money and legal risk. Total payments across the NHS are a matter for the Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for South Cambridgeshire (Mr Lansley).
Private Finance Initiative
Jesse Norman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the capital value was of private finance initiative agreements signed by the Government in each year from 1992 to 2010. [44124]
Danny Alexander: Lists of signed and in procurement private finance initiative (PFI) projects can be found on HM Treasury’s website at:
http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/ppp_pfi_stats.htm
For each PFI project, this list details the project name, the capital value, the constituency, the procuring authority and whether it is on or off balance sheet, as used by the ONS in calculating public sector net debt.
These data are currently being updated and revised data will be published at Budget 2011.
The following table details the capital value of projects which reached financial close within the years requested.
| Calendar year | Sum of capital value for projects reaching financial close (£ million) (1) |
| (1 )This summary table was produced using information gathered by HM Treasury during a data collection exercise in January and February 2010. This information is provided by the Departments that own/sponsor the projects, and is not audited by HM Treasury. These figures are for projects which were classified as PFI projects at Budget 2010. These figures do not include eight projects for which incomplete information was provided. (2) This figure includes over £5.5 billion for a Transport for London project. Although this was considered to be a PFI at financial close, subsequent changes mean that the Department for Transport no longer consider this to be a PFI. It is included here for consistency because this recategorisation occurred following Budget 2010. (3) Data for 2010 are incomplete and are currently being updated. This will be published around Budget 2011. | |
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Tax Allowances: Married People
Nicky Morgan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress he has made on the introduction of transferable tax allowances for married couples. [44290]
Mr Gauke: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Glasgow North East (Mr Bain) on 9 June 2010, Official Report, column 189W.
Taxation: Banks
Mr Umunna: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what sanctions will apply if major banks do not comply with his Department's new code of practice on taxation. [42281]
Mr Hoban: As at the 17 October 2010, only four out of the top 15 banks had adopted the code since its introduction in 2009. All of the top 15 have now adopted the code.
The Government expect banks to comply with the spirit as well as the letter of the law and not to engage in avoidance. Having adopted the code, banks are responsible for adhering to it.
HM Revenue and Customs will monitor the effectiveness of the code as part of its large business strategy.
International Development
Departmental Manpower
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 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. [44356]
Mr O'Brien: As at 4 March 2011, the Department for International Development (DFID) had 35 members of staff receiving redeployment support to mitigate the risk of redundancy. All 35 continue to be fully engaged in DFID work. Of these, eight have been receiving redeployment support for more than six months.
Developing Countries: Remittances
Susan Elan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the economic effects of remittances from the UK on developing countries receiving the largest amounts of such remittances. [44959]
Mr O'Brien: I refer the hon. Member to my answer to the hon. Member for Glasgow Central (Anas Sarwar) 12 January 2011, Official Report, column 319W. Due to data quality issues we cannot identify flows of remittances from the UK to developing countries and therefore cannot isolate their specific economic impact.
However, research by the DFID-funded Development Research Centre on Migration, Globalisation and Poverty at the University of Sussex shows that remittances can boost growth in developing countries by financing investment, consumption and production growth. Remittances are a relatively stable source of foreign exchange earnings and provide support to the balance of payments. Findings from six years of research by the
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research centre are summarised in its report “Making Migration Work for Development” (2010). Remittances can also contribute to poverty reduction. A joint study by DFID and the United Nations, “Impact of Remittances on Poverty” (2009) found that a 10% rise in remittances reduced the poverty headcount ratio by 3.9% in developing countries where remittances account for more than 5.0% of gross domestic product.
Electoral Reform Services
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the monetary value was of contracts his Department placed with Electoral Reform Services Ltd in each year since 2005. [44221]
Mr O'Brien: The Department for International Development (DFID) has not contracted with the Electoral Reform International Services since 2007. Information for previous years cannot be provided without incurring disproportionate cost.
International Assistance
Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) what recent assessment he has made of progress towards the Millennium Development Goal to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger; [44131]
(2) what recent assessment he has made of progress towards the Millennium Development Goal to achieve universal primary education; [44132]
(3) what recent assessment he has made of the UK’s contribution to progress towards reaching the Millennium Development Goals; [44133]
(4) what recent assessment he has made of progress towards the Millennium Development Goal to develop a global partnership for development; [44134]
(5) what recent assessment he has made of progress towards the Millennium Development Goal to ensure environmental sustainability; [44135]
(6) what recent assessment he has made of progress towards the Millennium Development Goal to combat HIV and AIDS, malaria and other diseases; [44136]
(7) what recent assessment he has made of progress towards the Millennium Development Goal to help improve maternal health; [44138]
(8) what recent assessment he has made of progress towards the Millennium Development Goal to reduce child mortality; [44139]
(9) what recent assessment he has made of progress towards the Millennium Development Goal to promote gender equality and empower women. [44140]
Mr O'Brien: An assessment of progress towards each of the Millennium Development Goals was published in the Department for International Development’s (DFID’s) Annual Report in July 2010. A further assessment of progress will be published in this year’s Annual Report in line with the International Development (Reporting and Transparency) Act 2006.
Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he is taking to help ensure that the Millennium Development Goals are achieved. [44137]
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Mr O'Brien: The Department for international Development (DFID) has conducted two thorough reviews of the UK’s bilateral and multilateral aid programmes to determine how we can accelerate progress towards the Millennium Development Goals and achieve maximum value for money for the UK taxpayer. The outcomes of these reviews were presented to the House by the Secretary of State for International Development, my right hon. Friend, on 1 March 2011, Official Report, columns 167-169.
In December 2010 DFID launched two new Frameworks for Results to tackle malaria and prevent deaths during pregnancy and childbirth. They set out how British aid money will deliver the coalition Government’s commitment to help halve malaria deaths in at least 10 high burden countries in Africa and Asia and save the lives of at least 50,000 women and 250,000 newborns. Full details are available on the DFID website.
Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions he has had with his UN counterparts on international aid and development. [44158]
Mr O'Brien: Department for International Development (DFID) Ministers discuss international aid and development issues regularly with UN counterparts. The most recent discussion was with the UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, on 5 March 2011, and focused upon the situation in Libya.
Rwanda: Health Services
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the integration of maternal health services and tuberculosis services in Rwanda; and what mechanism his Department has put in place to share best practice on integration of such services. [45174]
Mr O'Brien: The Department for International Development (DFID) has not carried out an assessment specifically on the effectiveness of the integration of maternal health services and tuberculosis services in Rwanda. The performance of the health sector as a whole is regularly assessed jointly by the Government of Rwanda and donors—most recently at the Joint Health Sector Review of September 2010. The Government of Rwanda are very proactive in disseminating their best practice to other developing country Governments and have, for example, recently done so with respect to results-based health financing and community health insurance.
Yemen: Overseas Aid
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans his Department has in respect of distribution of aid to Yemen in 2011-12. [44255]
Mr O'Brien:
The Department for International Development (DFID) plans to focus its support on improving access to basic services, such as health, education and water; building the capacity of police and justice services to better understand and respond to the needs
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of Yemeni citizens; and. improving the business environment to create more wealth and jobs. Through our programme of support, we aim to help address the most immediate causes of poverty, conflict and instability, and to create a more favourable environment for a sustained improvement in Yemen's development and stability. However, we are keeping our programme plans under constant review in the light of current events within Yemen.
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much (a) direct aid and (b) multilateral aid his Department plans to distribute to Yemen in 2011-12. [44256]
Mr O'Brien: The Department for International Development (DFID) will provide up to £65 million in bilateral aid to Yemen in financial year 2011-12. This is dependent on the Government of Yemen's commitment to reform. As with other bilateral country programmes, part of this money will be used to fund programmes run by multilateral agencies in country. It is not possible yet to say what share of DFID's core funding to multilateral agencies will be allocated to Yemen in 2011-12.
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether his Department plans to provide aid assistance to any additional projects in Yemen following the unrest in that country. [44257]
Mr O'Brien: We are monitoring the situation in Yemen closely and will keep our programme plans, in respect of both development and humanitarian support, under regular review in light of current events within Yemen.
Scotland
RAF Kinloss
Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on the handling of redundancies at RAF Kinloss when the base ceases operational activity at the end of May 2011. [44126]
Michael Moore: Details of the RAF redundancy process and the fields for Tranche 1 of those redundancies have been published; the first RAF personnel compulsory redundancies will not take effect until March 2012 for applicants and September 2012 for non-applicants, and will be drawn from across the RAF, not just Kinloss. I am in regular contact with Cabinet colleagues to contribute to the work currently ongoing to analyse implications for all Defence personnel in Scotland affected by the Strategic Defence and Security Review.
Departmental Billing
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of invoices from suppliers his Department paid within 10 days of receipt in January and February 2011. [45099]
David Mundell: The Scotland Office paid 100% of its January and February 2011 invoices within 10 days of receipt.
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Departmental Food
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will estimate the proportion of the seafood procured for his 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. [45038]
David Mundell: The Scotland Office has no in-house catering facilities and the provision of food is generally limited to catering associated with official hospitality and is supplied by external contractors. The Office does not separately record the purchase of seafood.
Electoral Reform Services
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the monetary value was of contracts his Department placed with Electoral Reform Services in each year since 2005. [44224]
David Mundell: The Scotland Office has not placed any contracts with the Electoral Reform Services in any year since 2005.
Military Assistance
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent assessment he has made of his Department’s priorities in respect of (a) military assistance to civil powers in Scotland and (b) civil contingencies and emergency powers in Scotland; and if he will make a statement. [44104]
David Mundell: Military assistance to the civil powers in the United Kingdom is regulated by common law and by statute and requires the authorisation of Defence Ministers. Emergency powers are a reserved matter under the Scotland Act 1998. Many aspects of the management of civil contingencies are devolved to the Scottish Parliament. The Scotland Office works with other Government Departments, with the Scottish Government, and with other bodies as appropriate, to ensure that there is an appropriate response to any civil contingencies or emergencies in Scotland. For instance, during the period of inclement weather in December 2010, I worked with Defence Ministers to ensure that military assistance was provided to civil powers.
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met the Minister for Justice in the Scottish Executive to discuss (a) military assistance to civil powers in Scotland and (b) civil contingencies and emergency powers in Scotland; and if he will make a statement. [44105]
David Mundell: Scotland Office Ministers and officials and other UK Government Ministers and officials are in regular contact with the Scottish Ministers and their officials to ensure that the planning for and response to any civil contingencies in Scotland and across the UK is co-ordinated properly within the framework of the devolution settlement. Emergency powers are a reserved matter under the Scotland Act 1998.
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Strategic Defence and Security Review
Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he had in February 2011 with the Secretary of State for Defence regarding the implementation of the Strategic Defence and Security Review and the future of Royal Air Force bases in Scotland. [44125]
Michael Moore: I met the Secretary of State for Defence and the Chief Secretary to the Treasury in February 2011 and discussed the Strategic Defence and Security Review and matters affecting Scotland.
Visits: Edinburgh
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on the arrangements for his visit to Edinburgh on 8 June 2011. [43496]
David Mundell: I understand that the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, my right hon. Friend the Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), visited Edinburgh on 1 June 2010. The Secretary of State for Scotland, my right hon. Friend the Member for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk (Michael Moore) and I have had no recent discussions with him about that visit.
Energy and Climate Change
Biomass
Mrs McGuire: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 20 January 2011, Official Report, column 945W, on renewable energy: wood, what indicators he plans to use to ascertain the sustainability of woody biomass. [42843]
Gregory Barker: Our earlier answer of 20 January 2011 set out in brief the sustainability criteria we are introducing for the use of solid biomass, including woody biomass, to generate electricity under the renewables obligation (RO) from April this year.
These criteria are a minimum greenhouse gas emissions saving of 60% compared to fossil fuel assessed across a lifecycle that considers the emissions associated with cultivation, processing and transport of the biomass, together with general restrictions on the use of materials from land important on carbon or biodiversity grounds. Such land includes primary forest, peatland and wetland.
We are also continuing with the existing requirement for operators to report on a range of matters relating to the biomass used to the best of their knowledge and belief. These matters include the mass or volume of the biomass used, its type and form, the country of origin or purchase, and whether the biomass is an energy crop, by-product of a process or meets an environmental accreditation scheme. The same set of sustainability criteria will be applied to the use of UK and imported solid biomass, and to both new and existing plants. The sustainability criteria will not apply to solid biomass that is waste or wholly derived from waste.
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As set out in our earlier answer, we intend, following a transition phase where solid biomass plants over 50 kilowatts will be required to report on their performance against these criteria, that from April 2013 solid biomass electricity plants of one megawatt and above will be required to meet these criteria in order to receive support under the RO.
Mrs McGuire: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (1) pursuant to the answer of 20 January 2011, Official Report, column 945W, on renewable energy: wood, how the information yielded from sustainability criteria reports will be used to assess sustainability; and what assessment he has made of the likely contribution of such implementation to understanding biomass use; [42844]
(2) pursuant to the answer of 20 January 2011, Official Report, column 945W, on renewable energy: wood, what timetable he has set for the assessment of the sustainability criteria for (a) wood and (b) other solid biomass; and if he will make a statement. [42845]
Gregory Barker: We are introducing mandatory reporting on performance against the sustainability criteria under the renewables obligation (RO) from April this year for operators using wood and other solid biomass, above 50 kilowatts capacity. The first reports would be due to be supplied to Ofgem by 31 May 2012, to cover the biomass used by a plant operator between 1 April 2011 and 31 March 2012. These reports would include performance against the land criteria, an assessment of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions saving relative to fossil fuel and information on the biomass used including mass or volume, country of origin, type arid form.
These reports will enable Government, on an annual basis, to assess performance against the sustainability criteria for the use of wood and other solid biomass in electricity generation under the RO. We intend to formally link meeting the criteria with eligibility to receive RO support for operators of 1 megawatt capacity and above from April 2013.
These reports will also provide Government with valuable information on the availability and source of biomass being used for large-scale electricity generation in the UK, the scope for growth of sustainable bio-electricity in the UK and the potential effects on our wood industries. In addition, we believe that the introduction of sustainability criteria that are linked to eligibility for financial support will provide a powerful driver for better understanding across the bioenergy supply-chain of the key levers, such as reducing the use of road transport, that can deliver improved emissions savings.
Therefore, in the Government response to the consultation on the RO Order 2011, we announced DECC, Ofgem and the Environment Agency will jointly develop an easy to use lifecycle tool to assess the GHG emissions associated with bioenergy generation from the cultivation of the feedstock to processing and transport. We intend the tool will be made available online later this year.
Carbon Budgets
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what consideration he gave to the merits of including in the Energy Bill provisions for the introduction of local carbon budgets. [44630]
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Gregory Barker: Local carbon budgets have been raised on a number of occasions as the Energy Bill passed through the House of Lords. As my noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Lord Marland) noted in the Energy Bill debate in the House of Lords, 2 March 2011, Official Report, House of Lords, columns 1067-1119, we have given full consideration to these issues and we have determined that the best way forward is co-operation, not by imposing top down carbon budgets on local authorities.
In support of this cooperative approach, the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, my right hon. Friend the Member for Eastleigh (Chris Huhne) hopes to shortly sign a memorandum of understanding with the Local Government Group on how my Department and local authorities will work together to reduce carbon emissions at a local level. This will be a voluntary approach, building on the Nottingham Declaration, but with scrutiny by the people local authorities serve.
Departmental Billing
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what proportion of invoices from suppliers his Department paid within 10 days of receipt in January and February 2011. [45081]
Gregory Barker: Whitehall Departments are no longer required to report on 10 days and instead are required to report on invoices paid within five days of being received. DECC has set itself a challenging target of paying 80% of invoices within five days irrespective of the size of the supplier. The results for January and February of 2011 were 88.7% and 93.9% respectively.
Energy Generation Infrastructure
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the relative costs of energy generation infrastructure and energy efficiency measures designed to reduce demand; and if he will make a statement. [43120]
Charles Hendry: An economic appraisal of the costs and benefits of an intervention, such as a policy to improve energy efficiency, is a mandatory part of impact assessments, and allows consideration of the relative merits of different policy options. This must be carried out in line with HM Treasury’s Green Book and the supplementary guidance on the valuation of energy use and greenhouse gas emissions for appraisal and evaluation where policies have a significant impact on greenhouse gas emissions.
Initial illustrative costs and potential energy demand reductions of the Green Deal energy efficiency policy are outlined in the Green Deal impact assessment accompanying the Energy Bill in December 2010
http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/legislation/energybill/1002-energy-bill-2011-ia-green-deal.pdf
This estimated the average annual finance costs of energy efficiency measures to be £1.4 billion to £2.1 billion. The annual energy saved as a result of these policies in 2020 is estimated to be:
8 Mar 2011 : Column 971W
8 Mar 2011 : Column 972W
| GWh | ||
|
|
Low | High |
Levelised cost estimates from Mott Macdonald (2010) that give average generation cost per megawatt-hour for new build plants, in the main large-scale electricity generation technologies, in the UK at current engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract prices are set out in the following tables (it should be noted that for the purposes of presentation, the table only gives either ‘FOAK’ (first-of-a-kind) prices or ‘NOAK’ (nth-of-a-kind) prices for each technology).
| Case 1: 10% discount rate, 2009 project start at today ’ s EPC prices, with mixed FOAK/NOAK | ||||||||||
| £/MWh | ||||||||||
| Levelised cost | Gas CCGT | Gas CCGT with CCS (FOAK) | ASC Coal | ASC Coal with CCS (FOAK) | Coal I GCC (FOAK) | Coal IGCC with CCS (FOAK) | Onshore wind | Offshore wind (FOAK) | Offshore wind R3 (FOAK) | Nuclear PWR (FOAK) |
| Source: Mott Macdonald (2010), UK Electricity Generation Costs Update, available at: http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/Statistics/Projections/71-uk-electricity-generation-costs-update-.pdf | ||||||||||