Food: Procurement
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he expects his Department to meet the Government's commitment to source food that meets British or equivalent standards of production. [43325]
Robert Neill: The Department for Communities and Local Government does not directly procure food. Catering services are provided via the Department's total facilities management contracts. In the case of DCLG's HQ building, Eland House, this is delivered through Mitie plc.
The Department works with suppliers, actively promoting DEFRA guidelines that food procured meets British or equivalent standards of production wherever this can be achieved without increasing overall costs,
Freedom of Information
Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which public authority holds the archived records of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for the purposes of the Freedom of Information Act 2000; and at what location the records are held. [44024]
Robert Neill: The records of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister are currently held by the Department for Communities and Local Government. The records are stored by TNT, the Department’s external records storage provider, in their storage facility in West Thurrock.
Government Procurement Card
Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much (a) his Department and (b) its agencies spent on the Government Procurement Card in (i) 2008-09 and (ii) 2009-10; and how many transactions each made in each such year. [43841]
Robert Neill: Figures for the Department (including those of the Department's arms length bodies using the central programme) and the Department's agencies are as follows:
| 2008-09 | 2009-10 | |||
|
|
Transactions | Value (£) | Transactions | Value (£) |
|
Residential Property tribunal Services/Rent Assessment Panels |
||||
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Housing: Regeneration
Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much housing market renewal funding was allocated to Stoke-on-Trent in the last three years; what transitional relief funding for housing market renewal will be allocated to Stoke-on-Trent in 2011-12; and if he will make a statement. [45152]
Grant Shapps: The RENEW North Staffordshire Pathfinder, for which Stoke on Trent city council is the accountable body, was allocated £108.2 million of housing market renewal funding in 2008-11. Dedicated funding for the housing market renewal programme ends in March 2011 and with the country facing a record deficit and less money available for top-down investment, we need to find innovative ways to deliver regeneration. This will require an ambitious and creative approach to the new funding sources such as new homes bonus, affordable rent/empty homes and private sector and asset based investment. I have also announced a transition fund of £5 million for growth and housing market renewal areas to retain key capacity to help tackle these issues.
The new homes bonus, for example, is payable both on new build and on bringing long-term empty homes back into use. Stoke on Trent’s provisional new homes bonus allocation for 2011-12 is £1,105,641. There will need to be a much greater emphasis on refurbishment than previously. Where local authorities in former housing market renewal areas wish to develop a transition plan based on this approach, my Department and the Homes and Community Agency will be ready to help.
Local Government Finance
Conor Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) what plans he has to review the funding formula for fire authorities; and if he will make a statement; [44525]
(2) what plans he has to review the funding formula for local authorities; and if he will make a statement. [44527]
Robert Neill: The provisional Local Government Finance Settlements for 2011-12 and 2012-13 were announced on 13 December 2010. The final Local Government Finance Settlement for 2011-12, setting out funding for local authorities, including police authorities and fire and rescue services, was approved by the House of Commons on 9 February 2011. Details of the final settlement for 2011-12 and the provisional settlement for 2012-13 are available at:
http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/1112/grant.htm
The Local Government Resource Review will consider options to enable councils to retain their locally-raised business rates, and will deliver proposals this year. Such an approach will help set free many local councils from dependency on central Government funding and provide incentives, through the business rates system, for councils to promote economic growth.
Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what grant spending data for items over £500 have been published by (a) his Department, (b) its Executive agencies, (c) its non-departmental public bodies, (d) its public corporations and (e) the Government offices for the Regions since May 2010. [43867]
Robert Neill: Since 12 May 2010 DCLG has published all spend data above £500 (including all grants). Data are published on a month by month basis. We also publish grant payments processed by the Government offices on behalf of DCLG.
We have also published all grant data for 2008-09 and 2009-10.
Arm’s length bodies (including Executive agencies, non-departmental bodies and public corporations) publish all their spend data over £500, including any grant expenditure, on their own websites, except for the Planning Inspectorate and QEII Conference Centre which publish via the DCLG website.
Local Government: Accountancy
Jackie Doyle-Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps his Department takes in the event of a local authority's accounts being qualified. [44374]
Robert Neill: The qualification of a local authority's financial accounts is a matter for the authority themselves and their auditors.
Local Government: Pay
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent representations he has received on levels of pay for local authority staff; and if he will make a statement. [44316]
Robert Neill: A number of representations have been received on levels of pay for local authority staff from Members of Parliament, leaders of local authorities, local trades union branches and members of the public who were primarily concerned about levels of pay for senior local government employees.
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The level of pay of local authority staff is for each local authority to determine in the light of local circumstances. However, the Government expects local authorities to show restraint particularly when setting senior pay and with voluntary pay reductions from the very top earners.
The Government believe that there needs to be greater transparency and local democratic accountability over remuneration given to senior employees in local government. Provisions in the Localism Bill will ensure that in future decisions on such matters are for the full council to agree and publish a senior pay policy statement. The Secretary of State will be consulting on guidance shortly and has made clear his preference that the full council vote on all new appointments over £100,000.
The Government are currently consulting on a Draft Code of Recommended Practice for Local Authorities on Data Transparency, which includes salary disclosure, setting out the government's preference that the threshold for disclosure should be those earning above £58,200.
Non-domestic Rates
Jackie Doyle-Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent estimate he has made of the proportion of non-domestic rates that is uncollected in the latest period for which figures are available; what estimate he has made of the total monetary value of outstanding non-domestic rates; and if he will make a statement. [44372]
Robert Neill: As at 31 March 2010 local authorities in England reported that they had collected 97.8% of the national non-domestic rates due in respect of 2009-10, leaving 2.2% uncollected at that date. Collection of non-domestic rates continues once the financial year to which they relate has ended so this means that the final collection rate achieved is somewhere between the figures shown here and 100%.
This information is available in Table 3 of the Statistical Release “Collection rates for council tax and non-domestic rates in England 2009-10” that is available on the Department for Communities and Local Government's website at:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/localgovernment/localregional/localgovernmentfinance/statistics/counciltax/collectionrates
At 31 March 2010 local authorities in England reported that a total of £1,117 million of national non-domestic rates was still outstanding. This is only a snapshot of the position because, as mentioned above, collection of non-domestic rates continues once the financial year to which they relate has ended so local authorities are continually working to recover outstanding non-domestic rates.
Open-cast Mining
Dr Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of land remediation following the closure of open-cast mining operations; and if he will make a statement. [42211]
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Robert Neill: This Department has not carried out an assessment of this type but we would expect mineral planning authorities in England, when granting planning permission for open-cast mining, to set site aftercare and restoration conditions. Such conditions are intended to secure the high standard of restoration of the land concerned. Additionally there are a number of post-extraction requirements on operators arising from the licence to operate issued by the UK Coal Authority and, if applicable, from the environmental permit issued by the Environment Agency.
Planning
Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what meetings he has had with (a) English Heritage and (b) the Council for British Archaeology on proposed changes to the national planning policy framework. [44914]
Robert Neill: English Heritage was one of many organisations represented at a conference on the National Planning Policy Framework on 4 March. A meeting has not to date been held with the Council for British Archaeology.
Regional Planning and Development
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he intends to commence work on the strategic environmental assessment required prior to the revocation of regional spatial strategies following the judgment of 22 October 2010 in the case of Cala Homes (South) Limited, and whether he plans to make provision for stakeholders and the wider public to engage in the process consistent with the Government's obligations under the Aarhus Convention. [44637]
Robert Neill: I will be making a statement on this matter shortly.
Social Rented Housing: Energy
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many (a) home energy efficiency and (b) micro-generation schemes have been undertaken by registered social landlords in each of the last five years. [44659]
Andrew Stunell: Management of their stock is a matter for individual registered providers of social housing and the information requested is not collected centrally. Information on the numbers of energy efficiency measures present in social housing up to 2008 is included in the English Housing Survey 2008 Housing Stock Report, which can be found at:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/corporate/statistics/ehs2008stockreport
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the effects of reductions in expenditure on (a) home energy efficiency and (b) micro-generation schemes on social housing projects. [44660]
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Andrew Stunell: The Government's approach to supporting energy efficiency and micro-generation is through the introduction of mechanisms such as the Green Deal and the renewable heat incentive which, along with the existing feed-in tariff, are expected to lead to an increase in the amount of investment in energy efficiency and micro-generation in all homes, including social housing. My Department is working with local authorities and registered providers of social housing to ensure that they are well placed to use these mechanisms to maximise investment in their stock.
Alongside this, while the Government's priority is to deal with the deficit, we have provided £2.1 billion for improvement to social housing through the Decent Homes Programme. The £1.6 billion of this to be allocated to local authorities over the next four years will help make up to 150,000 council homes decent, including improvements to thermal comfort through the installation of modern heating systems and insulation.
Sustainable Development
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will make it his policy to include in proposed regulations under the Sustainable Communities Act 2007 a requirement for the Secretary of State (a) to try to reach agreement on each proposal made under the Act and (b) to publish details of the steps the Secretary of State took in attempting to reach agreement with the Selector. [43353]
Greg Clark: The Government will publish a consultation seeking views on the contents of new regulations to be made under the Sustainable Communities Act 2007, and will make a statement shortly.
Third Sector
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps his Department has taken to support the big society initiative. [42646]
Greg Clark: The Department for Communities and Local Government is supporting the big society through the Localism Bill in which we are introducing major reforms to public services and providing new rights for communities. Through these structural reforms, promoting transparency and strengthening local democracy, we are making Government and local councils more responsive to local residents as well as reducing burdens and control from Whitehall. This will free people to take more control of their lives, the places they live and local public services.
We are also working to remove bureaucratic barriers that hold back local action, and have opened up a ‘Barrier Busting’ website for communities to identify them. We have also been working with four ‘vanguard’ communities, which the Prime Minster described as ‘training grounds of change’, to help local communities build their idea of the big society.
Andrew Griffiths:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the list of payments to charities and voluntary groups
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published in his Department's resource accounts for 2009-10, whether the list included payments to bodies which were not registered charities. [43852]
Robert Neill: The list of payments to charities and voluntary groups published in the Department's 2009-10 resource accounts are those made under Section 70 of the Charities Act 2006. The legislation grants the power to pay any charitable benevolent or philanthropic institution and therefore does not only apply to organisations that are registered charities.
Therefore there will be organisations to whom the department paid a grant under this power which were included in the list in the resource accounts who are not registered charities.
Thurrock Thames Gateway Development Corporation
Jackie Doyle-Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what progress has been made on the winding-up of the Thurrock Thames Gateway Development Corporation; and if he will make a statement. [44373]
Robert Neill: Good progress is being made in respect of the transfer of Thurrock Thames Gateway Development Corporation to Thurrock borough council. A first step towards this will be the co-location of the corporation with Thurrock council at its Grays offices. This will enable them to work more closely together during the final year of the corporation's operation. This co-location is an important step which will generate a number of benefits, for instance by encouraging the council and corporation to work together more effectively on regeneration and planning; and by promoting the sharing of knowledge and expertise between staff at the corporation and council and thereby strengthening the council's capacity to drive regeneration.
Preparations for an orderly transition of the corporation's projects and planning functions before 1 April 2012 are underway.
Travellers: Caravan Sites
Harriett Baldwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when his Department plans to publish new guidance for local councils on Gypsy and Traveller sites. [44789]
Robert Neill: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Witham (Priti Patel) on 17 January 2011, Official Report, column 497W.
Mr Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether national policy on planning applications for Gypsy and Traveller sites is contained in circular ODPM 01/2006; what plans he has to revoke such guidance; and what consideration he has given to replacing it as a consequence of the abolition of regional spatial strategies. [44916]
Robert Neill:
Current national planning policy for Gypsy and Traveller sites is set out in Circular 01/2006: “Planning for Gypsy and Traveller Caravan Sites”. The Government have announced their intention to withdraw Circular 01/2006. We will replace it with a fair, short,
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light-touch new policy. This is being done as part of a broader package of reforms, including the abolition of Regional Strategies, to consolidate and streamline planning policy, decentralise the planning system and strengthen the role of elected councils. There will be a full public consultation on our proposed new planning policy for Traveller sites shortly.
Travellers: Finance
Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what funding his Department gave to (a) Traveller groups and (b) associated representative bodies providing support or assistance to Traveller groups in (i) 2008-09 and (ii) 2009-10; and how much and for what purpose in each case. [43854]
Andrew Stunell: The information is as follows:
2008-09: Nil
2009-10: The Rural Media Company—£112,815.00—to fund publication of the Travellers Times Friends, Families and Travellers—£132,000—to fund support to Gypsy and Traveller groups
Vacant Land
Alec Shelbrooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what (a) legislation and (b) guidance issued by his Department determines responsibility for preventing building on greenfield land when brownfield land is available for development; and whether he has any plans to amend such responsibilities following enactment of the Localism Bill. [44970]
Greg Clark: Under the Town and Country Planning Acts, planning decisions are the responsibility of local planning authorities in the first instance, having regard to national planning policy.
The National Planning Policy Framework will set out the Government’s planning for housing policies. A full consultation on the policies within the framework will be issued this summer. The current planning policy position on housing is set out in Planning Policy Statement 3: Housing.
Voluntary Work and Charitable Donations
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether his Department has a policy to encourage its employees to (a) volunteer and (b) donate via payroll giving. [43232]
Robert Neill: The Department does have a policy to encourage employees to volunteer. Staff are entitled to spend up to six days a year volunteering to support charities and other civil society organisations. Our staff volunteering policy meets the recent Government commitment to allow staff across the civil service to volunteer at least one day each year.
The Department also participates in the ‘Give As You Earn’ (GAYE) Payroll Giving Scheme which enables employees to make donations to charity direct from their salary. The scheme is administered by the Charity Aid Foundation.
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Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Abandoned Vehicles
Mr Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many abandoned vehicles were recorded in (a) Suffolk, (b) Bedfordshire, (c) Cambridgeshire, (d) Essex, (e) Hertfordshire, (f) Norfolk and (g) England in each year since 1997. [44238]
Richard Benyon: Figures on abandoned vehicles were reported by local authorities to DEFRA between 2000 and 2004 in the Municipal Waste Management Survey and from 2004 to 2008 via WasteDataFlow, and are available on the DEFRA website at:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/evidence/statistics/environment/waste/wrabanvehicles.htm
More recent data (up to June 2010) on the number of abandoned vehicles collected by local authorities can be downloaded from the WasteDataFlow website directly at:
http://www.wastedataflow.co.uk/Register.aspx
As DEFRA only began compiling figures on abandoned vehicles by way of the Municipal Waste Management Survey in 2000-01, numbers prior to then are not available.
Agriculture: Subsidies
Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many claims to the Rural Payments Agency for Single Farm Payments are outstanding from 2010; and when she expects such payments to be made. [44250]
Mr Paice: Latest figures show that as at 28 February 2011, the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) had made payments totalling £1.435 billion to 95,306 English farmers.
Processing now continues on 10,000 or so claims where no payment has been made to date and RPA is working to validate these as quickly as possible. Some of these are complex cases involving probate, business partnership changes and domestic issues. It is likely that work on these claims will reveal that some will not be eligible for payment.
For further details, I refer my hon. Friend to the written statement I made on 4 March 2011, Official Report, columns 47-48WS, on this issue.
Aviation: Noise
Mr Gyimah: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will include in the next edition of her Guidance Note on the duties of relevant authorities to have regard to the purposes of National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty an increased emphasis on the requirement to ensure tranquillity in respect of noise from aviation. [45226]
Richard Benyon: I have no present plans to update the guidance.
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Beef: Imports
Sandra Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is on the import of (a) beef and (b) pork from Brazil. [45211]
Mr Paice: The importation of meat from third countries, including Brazil must be in accordance with harmonised rules laid down in European Union legislation. Imported meat must:
come from an approved country;
be accompanied by appropriate animal and public health certification; and
must come from EU approved plants in the exporting country;
meat from Brazil must also come from an approved holding.
All meat imported from third countries must be accompanied by veterinary certification. This must confirm that the meat is derived from animals that have been subjected to a veterinary inspection during the 24 hours prior to slaughter and showed no signs of disease. EU import rules also require that all bovine meat imported from Brazil be deboned and matured, a process which produces an acid change which inactivates any foot and mouth disease virus present.
All consignments of meat must enter the EU at designated border inspection posts, where they are subject to veterinary inspections. All consignments are subject to documentary and identity checks and at least 20% of consignments are subject to physical checks.
The importation of pork from Brazil is not permitted.
Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the reason is for the time taken to publish the response to her Department’s consultation on a badger control policy; and when she expects to publish the response. [43506]
Mr Paice: We received a large number of responses to our consultation, which we are considering carefully. This is a difficult and sensitive issue and we need to get it right. We will announce our decision as part of a comprehensive and balanced TB Eradication Programme for England as soon as possible.
Dairy Products
Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what estimate she has made of the quantity of (a) milk and (b) other dairy produce Government bodies purchased in the last 12 months for which figures are available; by whom such produce is supplied; what the farms of origin are; and what average price was paid per litre of milk in that period; [44682]
(2) what estimate she has made of the (a) cost of production for dairy farmers supplying (i) cheese and (ii) milk to the public sector and (b) the price that they received in the latest period for which figures are available. [44684]
Mr Paice: No estimate has been made of the quantity of milk or other dairy produce purchased by all Government bodies.
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However, DEFRA has previously established the quantity of milk and other dairy produce purchased from January 2010 to January 2011 by its Nobel House headquarters.
This purchased 41,600 pints of milk (23,640 litres) in this period. In addition, it purchased 1,040 kg of yoghurt, 1,200 kg of cheese and 205 kg of butter. These products are supplied by Brakes Chilled. The milk is sourced from Yew Tree House Farm in Lancashire. The average price paid per litre of milk is commercially confidential.
It is not possible, to establish what amounts of milk individual farm businesses supply to public sector organisations and we are therefore similarly unable to make specific estimates of the costs of production or the prices received for dairy farmers supplying the public sector.
However, DEFRA has estimated the following costs(1) of milk production for 2009-10 using data from the Farm Business Survey in England(2). These estimates are representative of the vast majority of milk produced in England and will include a small proportion of organic production. The average cost of production was around 22.5 pence per litre.
| Cost of production in pence per litre | Proportion of milk produced under these costs in 2009-10 (percentage) |
| Source: Farm Business Survey, England 2009-10 | |
DEFRA collects statistical data every month on the price received by dairy farmers. The latest available figure is the January 2011 average milk price, which stood at 25.72ppl, 4.26% higher than January 2010. The average milk price for 2010 was 24.66ppl.
(1) The costs included in this analysis cover fixed and variable costs and imputed charges for unpaid labour and an imputed rent on owned land. Some of the costs are allocated to the dairy enterprise by arithmetic estimation rather than directly from the farm's accounts.
(2) The Farm Business Survey sample covers businesses with a Standard Labour Requirement (SLR) of at least 0.5, i.e. a size considered sufficient to occupy a farmer for at least half their time.
Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what guidance she has issued to public bodies in England on purchasing milk produced in the UK; and how much of the milk procured for the public sector is labelled with the (a) country of origin and (b) name of the supplying farm. [44683]
Mr Paice: Information on the quantity of milk purchased by Government bodies, the suppliers and the name of the supplying farm is not collated centrally.
However, we are shortly to publish Government Buying Standards for food which will be mandatory for central Government and promoted to the wider public sector. Departments have been advised that they should be able to report, by June this year, baseline data for compliance with these standards.
Among the requirements of the Government Buying Standards are that all food procured by Government
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should, subject to no overall increase in costs, meet British or equivalent standards of production; and that in line with industry principles on country of origin labelling, caterers should be able to indicate the origin of the meat, meat products and dairy products either on the menu or accompanying literature, or at least when the information is requested by the consumer.
Departmental Carbon Emissions
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much her Department spent on carbon offsetting in each of the last three years; and to which companies payments for carbon offsetting were made in each such year. [40285]
Richard Benyon: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Member for Bexhill and Battle (Gregory Barker) on 16 February 2011, Official Report, column 853W.
Departmental Leaseback Arrangements
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 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. [45090]
Exmoor National Park
Mr Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the number of visitors to Exmoor National Park in each of the last five years. [44244]
Richard Benyon: No specific estimate has been made for each of the last five years. The estimated annual number of visitor days spent in the Exmoor National Park lies somewhere between 1.4 million and 2 million.
Fisheries: Northern Ireland
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what meetings she has had with representatives of the Northern Ireland fishing industry since her appointment. [44562]
Richard Benyon: As UK Fisheries Minister, I met representatives of both the Anglo-North Irish Fish Producers’ Organisation (ANIFPO) and the Northern Irish Fish Producers’ Organisation (NIFPO), during the negotiations surrounding the setting of fishing opportunities for 2011, at the end of last year.
This included a visit to Belfast in late October, for a meeting hosted by Michelle Gildernew MP MLA, Northern Ireland’s Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development, at which a number of local fishermen were also present. I also regularly meet with senior members of the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations (NFFO), including one who specifically represents Northern Irish fishing interests.
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Forestry Commission: Manpower
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations she has received from the devolved administrations on planned changes in staffing at the Forestry Commission. [43729]
Mr Paice: It is for the Forestry Commission to decide where its staff should be based after the conclusion of its consultation with staff and the Trade Unions.
The Scottish Executive wrote to the Secretary of State on this issue in February.
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on the implications for her Department’s budget of planned changes in staffing at the Forestry Commission. [43823]
Mr Paice: There have been no such discussions with the Chief Secretary to the Treasury.
Forestry Commission: Redundancy
Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she intends to proceed with the proposed redundancies of Forestry Commission staff based in Edinburgh. [44111]
Mr Paice: The Forestry Commission is currently consulting staff on new organisational structures in response to the 2010 spending review settlement, it will be for the Forestry Commission to decide where its staff should be based after the conclusion of this consultation with staff and the trade unions.
Public Forest Estate
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which organisations her Department consulted in developing its policy on the sale of the forest estate in accordance with paragraph 2.4 of the Compact between Government and civil society organisations; what feedback her Department has given to the consultees in accordance with paragraph 2.5 of the Compact; and what assessment she has made of the effect of that policy on local efforts to inspire and encourage social action and to empower communities in accordance with paragraph 2.2 of the Compact. [44444]
Mr Paice: The consultation on the future of the public forest estate has ended, as announced by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the right hon. Member for Meriden (Mrs Spelman), on 17 February. Over 300 organisations, plus all local authorities and over 7,000 private individuals were included in the formal consultation; a list is available on DEFRA’s website.
All responses received prior to cancellation of the consultation will be analysed and considered by the Independent Panel on Forestry. This panel is being established to advise on the future direction of forestry and woodland policy in England, on the role of the Forestry Commission, and on the role of the public forest estate. It will report its findings in the autumn.
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Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many acres of forest land the Forestry Commission owns in (a) West Sussex and (b) Mid Sussex constituency; and what the location is of each such landholding. [44690]
Mr Paice: The public forest estate is owned by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and placed at the disposal of the Forestry Commissioners under section (3)1 of the Forestry Act 1967.
The following table lists the woodland in West Sussex that forms part of the public forest estate. None of this is within Mid Sussex constituency.
| Grid reference | Wood name | Area (hectares) |
Food Labelling
Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the regulatory framework governing country of origin labelling. [44694]
Mr Paice: The current EU regulatory framework governing country of origin labelling needs to be improved. This is why we are pressing for clearer origin labelling in negotiations on the new EU Food Information Regulation. We have been successful in extending mandatory origin labelling to all fresh meat with the possibility, subject to a review, of extending origin labelling to other foods. Negotiations are continuing and it is not expected that the regulation will be adopted and published until early 2012.
In the meantime, the Government welcome the voluntary origin information principles for meat and dairy products developed by industry, which will help ensure that consumers can have confidence about the origin claims being made.
National Parks: Finance
Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much her Department has given in grants to the national parks in 2010-11; how much she has allocated for funding to the national parks in 2010-11 as a result of the comprehensive spending review; and if she will make a statement. [45183]
Richard Benyon: The grants given to each national park authority in 2010-11 and the grants allocated for 2011-12 are set out in the following table.
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| £ | ||
| National Park | 2010 - 11 | 2011 - 12 |
| (1) Lake District grant for 2010-11 includes £0.25 million funding for repairs to flood damaged rights of way network. (2) New Forest grant for 2010-11 includes £0.75 million funding for new offices. (3) South Downs grant for 2010-11 includes £1.25 million funding for new offices and for 2011-12 includes DCLG transfer of £4.475 million for planning responsibilities. | ||
Natural England: Research
Sheryll Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of Natural England's approach to and processes for quality assurance of evidence and advice; and if she will make a statement; [42161]
(2) what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of Natural England's quality assurance process for the evidence and advice produced by it to her Department; and if she will make a statement. [42163]
Richard Benyon: Non-departmental public bodies, such as Natural England, operate with a degree of independence according to their own particular governance arrangements and are accountable for their own processes, conduct and decisions. Natural England's quality assurance of its evidence and advice is provided primarily by its specialist staff, often working in partnership with external experts or bodies. Overview of the quality of the evidence, and the way that it is used, is provided by Natural England's Executive Director of Science and Evidence, supported by an external Scientific Advisory Committee.
DEFRA’s chief scientific adviser (CSA), Professor Bob Watson, provides an independent challenge to the evidence underpinning policy decisions. It is part of his role to assure himself that policy is informed by high-quality, robust evidence. Where specific issues are brought to the CSA's attention, or where evidence and advice is particularly complex or uncertain, the CSA will assess and give advice on them, to Ministers or senior policy colleagues.
Professor Watson is commissioning an independent review of evidence and advice provided by Natural England, and its use by DEFRA, in relation to a case study of marine candidate/possible special areas of conservation. Quality assurance processes will also be considered as part of the review.
New Forest: Hunting
Mr Chope:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 1 March 2011, Official Report, columns 311-2W, on
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New Forest, what her policy is on whether drag hunting in the New Forest constitutes a public benefit. [44469]
Mr Paice [holding answer 7 March 2011]: Drag hunting in the New Forest enjoys significant local support and participation as well as contributing to economic activity and employment in related enterprises. In this context, it could be seen as being a public benefit. The Forestry Panel will advise the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on all aspects of public benefits when it reports later this year.
Rural Payments Agency: Correspondence
Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the Rural Payments Agency has targets in place for the time taken to respond to correspondence. [44251]
Mr Paice: The Rural Payments Agency has a published target to reply to correspondence within 15 working days of its receipt.
Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for what reasons claimants are not able to communicate with the Rural Payments Agency by telephone. [44262]
Mr Paice: Claimants are able to communicate with the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) by telephone.
The agency provides a number of telephone numbers which its customers may use to contact it. These numbers are published on its website and in scheme guidance. The agency includes contact number details on letters sent to individual customers.
The RPA also provides a number of help lines covering specific areas of its work, details of which are also published on its website.
Sewers
Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will estimate the proportion of sewers that are properly maintained. [44461]
Richard Benyon: Water and sewerage companies have a statutory duty to cleanse and maintain approximately 323,000 km of public sewers in England and Wales which comprise the public sewerage system.
This equates to less than 50% of the estimated overall length of sewers and drains in England and Wales, the remainder of which are subject to whatever maintenance arrangements their respective owners consider appropriate. No data exist on the state of repair of the private sewerage network.
Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent steps she has taken to reduce the number of unadopted sewers. [44462]
Richard Benyon:
The Government have consulted on draft regulations to implement the transfer of all private sewers and lateral drains (linked to the public sewerage system) into the ownership of the water and sewerage
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companies in England. The regulations are currently being considered in accordance with the Government’s principles for better regulation.
Shale Gas
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what meetings have taken place at her Department at (a) ministerial and (b) official level to review Environment Agency preparedness for on-shore drilling for shale gas and coal bed methane using hydraulic fracturing. [37894]
Richard Benyon: DEFRA officials had informal discussions in January with the Environment Agency on preparedness for on-shore drilling for shale gas and coal bed methane using hydraulic fracturing.
All onshore oil and gas projects, including shale gas exploration and development, are subject to appropriate environmental controls, including scrutiny by the Environment Agency. They require local planning permission before drilling activities can start.
DEFRA Ministers have not held meetings to review Environment Agency preparedness on the matter.
Supermarkets: Refrigerators
Gordon Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will bring forward proposals to encourage supermarkets to increase the number of refrigerated display cabinets that they remanufacture. [44570]
Richard Benyon: DEFRA is not proposing to introduce any specific measures to increase the number of refrigerated display cabinets that supermarkets remanufacture.
However, the UK implementation of the EC Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive encourages the preparation for reuse of these cabinets, and WEEE more widely, as reuse counts towards the achievement of the European Commission’s collection and recovery targets. The UK Government are also promoting the preparing for reuse of WEEE by providing financial and other support for the development of a Publicly Available Specification. This provides a process management specification for the reuse of used, and waste, electrical and electronic equipment.
Timber: EU Action
Sarah Newton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she plans to make an announcement on proposals for implementation of the EU Timber Regulation. [44971]
Mr Paice: We will discuss and agree the detailed implementing regulations to prevent the first placing of illegally logged timber on the EU market with other member states and the European Commission over the next 18 months. Once agreed, the necessary secondary legislation will be put in place to implement the regulation in the UK. Further details, including our plans for public consultation, will be announced in due course. Under its provisions, the EU timber regulation must be implemented by 3 March 2013.
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Timber: Imports
Gordon Birtwistle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department is taking to reduce levels of imports of illegally-logged timber. [43285]
Mr Paice: We will put in place the necessary legislation to implement the provisions of the EU Timber Regulation in the United Kingdom. The forthcoming Due Diligence Regulations prohibit the first-placing of illegal timber on the EU market, restricting its purchase, possession and sale down the supply chain. This will be complemented by the Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Regulation, which requires timber imports from countries which have signed a Voluntary Partnership Agreement with the EU to carry a licence to prove legality. These new legislative measures underline our commitment to eliminate illegal timber from the UK market.
Veterinary Services: Public Expenditure
Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many veterinary surgeons of each grade her Department expects to directly employ in each year of the comprehensive spending review period. [44805]
Mr Paice: Veterinary surgeons are currently employed in DEFRA and also the Animal Health Agency, Veterinary Laboratories Agency and the Veterinary Medicines Directorate.
DEFRA and its agencies are currently considering how to implement its spending review settlement. To live within this smaller budget we know that we will have to reduce the number of staff across our network. However, at this stage, it is not possible to predict how many veterinary surgeons will be directly employed by the Department and its agencies.
Waste Management
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the compatibility of the gasification process for waste with the provisions of European directives on the incineration of waste. [43997]
Richard Benyon: Thermal treatment includes both incineration/combustion and other treatments, such as gasification and pyrolysis. However, if the activity involves only thermal treatment in this broader sense (as distinct from incineration/combustion), then it will be subject to the Waste Incineration Directive only ‘insofar as the substances resulting from the treatment are subsequently incinerated’. This ensures that the Waste Incineration Directive covers processes such as pyrolysis and gasification, unless their purpose is the manufacture of products with no resulting release of combustion gases.
Therefore, if a gasification/pyrolysis plant produces a number of products, one or more of which are subsequently burnt, then the Waste Incineration Directive applies to the whole plant. In cases where the products are burnt away from the gasification/pyrolysis plant (remote units),
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the Waste Incineration Directive will apply both to the plants initially producing, as well as subsequently using, these products.
Water Charges
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will assess the effects of water metering tariffs and charging policies on levels of household income in each income decile of the population. [44153]
Richard Benyon: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 28 February 2011, Official Report, column 68W.
Water Supply: Mutual Societies
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will encourage mutual forms of ownership in the running of water and sewerage supplies; and if she will make a statement. [44988]
Richard Benyon: Maintaining a regulatory system that affords water companies access to appropriate finance at affordable prices is a key priority for the Government. Any water company making such a proposal would have to satisfy Ofwat that it will be able to continue to access the finance it needs to provide water and sewerage services in its appointed area.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Afghanistan: Christianity
Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Afghanistan on the detention and sentencing of Shoaib Said Assadullah. [45237]
Alistair Burt: We are working closely with international partners to monitor developments and raise issues on cases concerning the freedom of religion with the Afghan Government.
We continue to remind the Afghan Government of their duty to abide by their national and international commitments on freedom of religion and belief. During his visit to Afghanistan in January, the UK Attorney-General raised the issue of freedom of religion with the Afghan Attorney-General.
Burma: Asylum
Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions his Department has had with the Government of India on the provision of assistance to Rohingya refugees recently arrived in the (a) Aceh and (b) Andaman and Nicobar Islands. [44924]
Alistair Burt:
We are deeply concerned over the recent flow of Rohingya people who have fled Burma to escape human rights abuses. At the end of February 2011, following the arrival of refugees in Aceh, our
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embassy in Jakarta met Indonesian authorities and the International Organisation for Migration where we discussed the process of registering the refugees with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.
We have not discussed the issue of Rohingya refugees with the Government of India bilaterally but we support the European Commission and UN programmes for Rohingya refugees through the UK's core funding to the EU and the UN.
Croatia: EU Enlargement
Stephen Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of progress on the accession of Croatia to the EU. [44680]
Mr Lidington: Croatia’s accession process was assessed in the European Commission’s annual progress report published in November 2010, and scrutinised by member states at the EU General Affairs Council in December 2010. The Council Conclusions stated,
“The Council welcomes Croatia’s good overall progress towards meeting the membership criteria. Accession negotiations have reached their final stage and preparations for the drafting of the Accession Treaty have progressed steadily. Conclusion of the negotiations is within reach.”
We fully endorse this assessment.
We work closely with other EU member states and with the European Commission to encourage and support progress in Croatia’s accession process. Croatia has now opened all of the substantive chapters, of which it has closed 28. But Croatia still has work to do, particularly on judicial reform, public administration reform, tackling corruption and organised crime. Full co-operation with the International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) is a requirement for the closure of negotiations.
The Commission published an interim report on Croatia’s progress on chapter 23 (judiciary and fundamental rights) on 2 March 2011. The Government welcome the report and Croatia’s continued engagement on the accession process. The report will be discussed by EU member states over the coming weeks.
Departmental Billing
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of invoices from suppliers his Department paid within 10 days of receipt in January and February 2011. [45069]
Alistair Burt: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) supports the Government's prompt payment initiative and makes every effort to pay supplier invoices within five working days.
The FCO paid 93% and 90.8% of supplier invoices within 10-days of receipt in January 2011 and February 2011 respectively.
Departmental Food
Mr Bain:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will estimate the proportion of the seafood procured for (a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) the non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible that (i) was on the
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Marine Conservation Society's list of fish to avoid and (ii) 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 (A) 2010 and (B) 2011 to date. [45033]
Alistair Burt: The proportion of the seafood procured for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in the UK by its contracted supplier is as follows:
(i) No products are procured that are on the Marine Conservation Society (MSC)'s ‘Fish to Avoid List’.
(ii) 40% of products are on the MCS's list of fish to eat of which 30% is certified by the Marine Stewardship Council.
The above data relate to both 2010 and 2011 to date.
Data for the agencies and non-departmental public bodies for which the FCO is responsible and for overseas posts are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Security
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for what reasons persons not employed by Government departments or agencies are issued with passes entitling them to enter his Department's premises. [43206]
Alistair Burt: Passes may be issued to those who are required to make frequent visits to specific Government sites, subject to security checks.
European Convention on Human Rights
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department has plans to reform the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice in its interpretation of the European Convention on Human Rights. [44152]
Mr Lidington: The European Court of Human Rights not the European Court of Justice is responsible for ensuring compliance with obligations undertaken by the Contracting Parties to the European Convention on Human Rights and has jurisdiction on the interpretation and application of the Convention.
Fundamental rights are guaranteed by the European Convention on Human Rights and as they result from the constitutional traditions common to the member states also constitute general principles of EU law.
The Treaty of Lisbon provided for the EU’s accession to the European Convention on Human Rights (under Article 6(2) Treaty on European Union) and negotiations for the EU’s accession are currently ongoing. However, the Government will need to ensure accession will not affect the competences of the Union or the powers of its institutions and will not affect the situation of the EU member states in relation to the Convention, as agreed in Protocol 8 A2 to the Treaty on European Union.
European Parliament
Conor Burns:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 8 February 2011, Official Report, column 219W, on the
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European Parliament: location, with which members of the
(a)
European Parliament,
(b)
European Commission and
(c)
Council of Ministers he has discussed the location of the European Parliament; and what was discussed at each meeting. [44665]
Mr Lidington: The Government are committed to reducing inefficient and wasteful spending by the EU and in the coalition agreement have committed to pressing for the European Parliament to have only one seat, in Brussels. I have met with many people with an interest in this issue including ministerial counterparts in other EU member states, European Commissioners and Members of the European Parliament.
Israel: Business Initiatives
Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 31 January 2011, Official Report, column 498W, on Israel: business initiatives, what funding his Department is providing to support joint business initiatives between Israeli citizens resident in Israel and Palestinian citizens resident in the West Bank. [45248]
Alistair Burt: I refer the hon. Member to my response of 17 February 2011, Official Report, column 1000W.
Italy: British Nationals Abroad
Naomi Long: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the operation legislation in Italy on the legal rights of foreign workers. [44769]
Mr Lidington: I have had reports from our embassy in Rome and Professor David Petrie, the chair of the Association of Foreign Lecturers in Italy (ALLSI), concerning Article 26 of ‘Law 240 of 30 December 2010’ enforced on 29 January. Our embassy is following-up with the Italian Government to discuss the implications of the law on the Lettori.
Naomi Long: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had on the rights of UK citizens teaching in universities in Italy. [44770]
Mr Lidington: UK officials in Rome met Professor David Petrie, Chair of the Association of Foreign Lecturers in Italy (ALLSI), on 28 February 2011. We are arranging a roundtable for members of ALLSI and the Italian Government. I will also be writing to the European Commissioner for Employment, Laszlo Andor, to bring this issue to his attention.
Libya: British Nationals Abroad
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British nationals who used flights from Libya chartered by his Department have (a) paid and (b) not paid for the flight. [43828]
Alistair Burt:
In an evacuation, the Government will pay for transport out of the affected country if there are no commercial means available. All British nationals
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who were evacuated from Libya on flights chartered by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office did so without charge.
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British citizens resident in Libya have contacted his Department in the last three weeks. [43889]
Alistair Burt: Over 750 British nationals have contacted the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the last three weeks.
Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what measures are being taken by the British Embassy in Tripoli to assist UK nationals on the Libyan/Algerian border. [44293]
Alistair Burt: We continue to provide full consular support to British nationals in Algeria. Our embassy in Tripoli suspended operations on 26 February 2011 due to security concerns. Since then our representation has been undertaken by the Turkish embassy in Tripoli. We have concentrated efforts on the Libyan borders with Egypt and Tunisia but our embassy in Algiers continues to provide consular support for British nationals requiring assistance in Algeria.
Mr Frank Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many UK nationals have been evacuated from Tripoli through (a) scheduled and (b) chartered flights arranged by his Department since 15 February 2011. [44410]
Alistair Burt: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) organised six flights which departed Tripoli. Around 390 British nationals were evacuated on these flights. It is likely that British nationals left on scheduled flights without formal notification to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office during this period. We assisted British nationals who had requested help to leave Libya by facilitating a range of exit routes including arranging seats for British nationals on flights organised by other countries.
Mr Frank Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the cost to the public purse has been of chartering aircraft to evacuate UK nationals from Tripoli since 21 February 2011. [44411]
Alistair Burt: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) organised six flights which departed Tripoli. The provisional total cost of the flights chartered by the FCO departing from Tripoli is approximately £740,000 but the final total will not be confirmed until we receive final invoices from the airlines.
Mr Frank Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on how many scheduled flights with which airlines his Department booked seats for the evacuation of UK nationals from Tripoli in February 2011. [44412]
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Alistair Burt: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO)'s evacuation of British nationals from Tripoli was primarily conducted through chartering civilian and military flights. It is likely that British nationals left on scheduled flights without formal notification to the FCO. We assisted British nationals who had requested help to leave Libya by facilitating a range of exit routes including arranging seats for British nationals on flights organised by other countries.
Libya: Official Visits
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has any plans to visit Libya. [44891]
Mr Jeremy Browne: I do not currently have any plans to visit Libya.
Libya: Politics and Government
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has made an assessment on the impact of recent events in Libya on the Israeli and Palestinian peace process; and if he will make a statement. [44888]
Mr Jeremy Browne: As the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), said on 8 March 2011, the peace process must not become a casualty of uncertainty in the region. Instead, efforts must be redoubled to move the peace process forward and the British Government believes that the parties must recommit themselves to negotiations as soon as possible, to do so on the basis of clear principles with international support, and to strive for a breakthrough this year.
We want to see a return to negotiations, as soon as possible, on the basis of clear parameters. Clear parameters are important for negotiations to make progress. We have set out our views with France and Germany on what those parameters should be, covering borders, security, Jerusalem and the refugee question. We will continue to work with the US and other key partners to secure progress.
Nigeria: Corruption
Pauline Latham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has had discussions with the government of Nigeria on Diepreye Alamieyeseigha. [45143]
Mr Bellingham: Neither the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), nor I have had any discussions with the Government of Nigeria on Diepreye Alamieyeseigha.
Pauline Latham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department has taken to assist Nigeria in tackling internal corruption. [45144]
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Mr Bellingham: Corruption is one of the biggest obstacles to Nigeria achieving its full potential. During my recent visit to Nigeria, I raised the issue with a range of interlocutors. I welcomed efforts by federal and state Governments to address corruption; highlighting that tackling corruption is crucial to Nigeria’s political and economic development and creating an enabling business environment. But I also stressed that a lot of work remains to be completed to further tackle corruption.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, along with other Government Departments, including the Department for International Development (DFID), are assisting Governments at both levels, as well as with civil society and the private sector on transparency in public finances and good governance. DFID has given technical support to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Nigeria’s main anti-corruption agency.
Sri Lanka: Politics and Government
Mr Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of the effect on national reconciliation in Sri Lanka of the creation of high security zones in the north and east of that country. [45111]
Alistair Burt: During my visit to Sri Lanka last month I talked to resettled communities about their efforts to recover from the war and rebuild their lives. I am aware that high security zones displace people from their home area and may therefore make it harder for people to return to their normal lives.
We understand that the Sri Lankan Government intend to reduce the number and size of high security zones and we welcome the relaxation of some of these areas in Jaffna over the past months. Our Department for International Development is contributing a further £3 million grant for demining and clearance of unexploded ordinance to ensure the return of residents to these areas.
Tunisia: British Nationals Abroad
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what support his Department has given to British nationals in (a) Tunisia and (b) Egypt since 21 February 2011. [43831]
Alistair Burt: We have provided a wide range of consular support to British nationals in both Tunisia and Egypt during this period, including assisting their departure from those countries.
Turkey: EU Enlargement
Stephen Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of progress on the accession of Turkey to the EU. [44679]
Mr Lidington: Turkey’s accession process was assessed in the European Commission’s annual progress report published in November 2010, and scrutinised by member states at the EU General Affairs Council in December 2010. The Council Conclusions stated,
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“The Council welcomes Turkey’s continued commitment to the negotiation process and the political reform agenda. The constitutional reform package is an important step in the right direction as it addresses a number of priorities of the Accession Partnership in the area of judiciary, fundamental rights and public administration. Implementation in line with European standards will be key.”
We fully endorse this assessment.
We work closely with other EU member states and with the European Commission to encourage and support progress in Turkey’s accession process. Turkey has now opened 13 out of 35 accession chapters, of which it has closed one. Turkey is currently working on the reforms necessary to open chapter 8—competition policy. We are encouraging Turkey to accelerate domestic reforms in line with the EU acquis. We support Turkey’s engagement in support of the Cyprus settlement process and call for Turkey to implement the Additional Ankara Protocol.
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Health
Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse
Mr Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many admissions to hospital with an alcohol-related diagnosis via accident and emergency departments involving people under the age of 18 years there were in the (a) East of England Strategic Health Authority area and (b) Suffolk Primary Care Trust area in each year since 2007-08. [45147]
Anne Milton: An estimate of the number of alcohol-related emergency admissions to hospital via accident and emergency that are wholly attributable to alcohol and those that are wholly or partially attributable to alcohol for East of England Strategic Health Authority (SHA) and Suffolk Primary Care Trust (PCT) for people aged under 18 for the period 2007-08 to 2009-10 is given in the following table.
| 2009-10 | 2008-09 | 2007-08 | ||||
|
|
Estimated admissions wholly attributable to alcohol | Estimated admissions partially or wholly attributable to alcohol | Estimated admissions wholly attributable to alcohol | Estimated admissions partially or wholly attributable to alcohol | Estimated admissions wholly attributable to alcohol | Estimated admissions partially or wholly attributable to alcohol |
| Notes: 1. Estimate of alcohol-related admissions The number of alcohol-related admissions is based on the methodology developed by the North West Public Health Observatory (NWPHO), which uses 48 indicators for alcohol-related illnesses, determining the proportion of a wide range of diseases and injuries that can be partly attributed to alcohol as well as those that are, by definition, wholly attributable to alcohol. Further information on these proportions can be found at: www.nwph.net/nwpho/publications/AlcoholAttributableFractions.pdf The application of the NWPHO methodology was updated in summer 2010 and is now available directly from Hospital Episode Statistics (HES). Information about episodes estimated to be alcohol-related may be slightly different from previously published data. 2. Accident and Emergency Admission method Codes 21 and 28 were used: 21: Emergency via A&E, including the casualty department of the provider; 28: Emergency: Other means including patients who arrive via the A&E department of another healthcare provider. 3. SHA/PCT of residence The SHA or PCT containing the patient’s normal home address. This does not necessarily reflect where the patient was treated as they may have travelled to another SHA/PCT for treatment. 4. Assessing growth through time HES figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. Changes to the figures over time need to be interpreted in the context of improvements in data quality and coverage (particularly in earlier years), improvements in coverage of independent sector activity (particularly from 2006-07) and changes in national health service practice. For example, apparent reductions in activity may be due to a number of procedures which may now be undertaken in outpatient settings and so no longer include in admitted patient HES data. 5. Data quality HES are compiled from data sent by more than 300 NHS trusts and PCTs in England and from some independent sector organisations for activity commissioned by the English NHS. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain. Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) The NHS Information Centre for health and social care. | ||||||
Epilepsy: Death
Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 7 September 2010, Official Report, columns 458-9W on epilepsy, what information his Department holds on World Health Organisation age-standardised death rates for epilepsy per 100,000 for each of the states in the EU-15. [44768]
Paul Burstow: The Department does not hold information on age-standardised death rates for epilepsy for each of the states in the EU-15.
General Practitioners
Emma Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proposals for GP consortia he has received to date from organisations in (a) Wolverhampton, (b) the West Midlands and (c) England; and what criteria he plans to use to assess such proposals. [44667]
Mr Simon Burns:
The Health and Social Care Bill 2011 will provide for general practitioner (GP) consortia to be established from April 2012, prior to taking on full statutory responsibilities from April 2013. The
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Department has established a rolling programme of GP consortia pathfinders to test the different elements involved in GP-led commissioning and enable emerging GP consortia to get more rapidly involved in current commissioning decisions.
Groups of GP practices keen to participate in the pathfinder programme put themselves forward to their strategic health authority (SHA). There are no pathfinder consortia in Wolverhampton and 16 in the West Midlands. In England, there are 177 pathfinders in total.
SHAs have been responsible for managing the selection process for pathfinders. Although some SHAs have applied certain additional criteria, the expectation has been that all applications to join the programme will be accepted unless they are unable to demonstrate: evidence of strong GP leadership and support; evidence of local authority support; or an ability to deliver on local Quality, Innovation, Productivity and Prevention programmes.
Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had on the funding of GP consortia which cross existing primary care trust boundaries. [44700]
Mr Simon Burns: From 2013-14, the NHS Commissioning Board will take over responsibility for commissioning guidelines and the allocation of resources from the Department. It will be for the board to decide how best to allocate resources in a way that supports the principle of securing equivalent access to national health service services relative to the prospective burden of disease and disability.
During the transition to the board, the Secretary of State has asked the Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation (ACRA), an independent committee comprising general practitioners (GPs), academics and NHS managers, to continue to oversee the formulae for the distribution of NHS resources. ACRA's work programme will include consideration of the allocation of funds to GP consortia. This work programme does not pre-empt any decisions to be made by the NHS Commissioning Board.
Further detail on the allocations and processes will be announced in due course.
Genito-Urinary Medicine
David Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to consult on the draft of his Department's forthcoming sexual health strategy. [44584]
Anne Milton: We intend to work closely with a wide range of stakeholders and experts in the field to develop our new sexual health strategy.
Health Services: East of England
Mr Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate has been made of the cost to the public purse of running and administering the (a) East of England Strategic Health Authority and (b) Suffolk Primary Care Trust in (i) 2007-08, (ii) 2008-09, (iii) 2009-10 and (iv) 2010-11. [44976]
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Mr Simon Burns: Administrative and clerical staff costs for East of England Strategic Health Authority and Suffolk Primary Care Trust for the years 2007-08, 2008-09 and 2009-10 are shown in the following table.
Figures for 2010-11 are not yet available.
| Administrative and clerical staff costs of East of England Strategic Health Authority and Suffolk Primary Care Trust | |||
| £000 | |||
| Organisation | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 |
| Source: Financial returns of East of England Strategic Health Authority and Suffolk Primary Care Trust | |||
Health Services: North West
Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the cost to the public purse of the proposed restructuring of NHS commissioning in (a) Bolton and (b) Greater Manchester. [44832]
Mr Simon Burns: The estimated costs of the proposed restructuring of national health service commissioning were published in the impact assessment alongside the Health and Social Care Bill 2011.
The Department has not estimated a regional breakdown of these figures, as these will depend on local decisions.
The impact assessment is available at:
www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsLegislation/DH_123583
A copy has already been placed in the Library.
Health Services: North Yorkshire
Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what the estimated cost to the public purse is of the review of health services in North Yorkshire; [44698]
(2) what steps he is taking to ensure GP consortia are involved in the review of health services in North Yorkshire. [44699]
Mr Simon Burns: The review of health services in North Yorkshire has been commissioned by NHS Yorkshire and the Humber on behalf of the local health economy. As such, no estimate of the cost to the public purse of this review has been made by the Department. The Department expects NHS Yorkshire and the Humber to ensure general practitioner consortia are fully engaged in this review.
Home Care Services
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what penalties are applied to local authorities for failing to follow the required procedures for tendering domiciliary care contracts; [44585]
(2) what criteria apply to the award of domiciliary care contracts by local authorities under the EU Directive on public procurement; [44586]
(3) what procedure is in place for advertising of domiciliary care contracts by local authorities under the EU public procurement directive; and where such advertisements must be placed; [44587]
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(4) what procedure is in place in respect of tendering domiciliary care contracts under the EU public procurement Directive; [44588]
(5) what arrangements are in place for the tendering of domiciliary care contracts in (a) County Durham, (b) Northumbria, (c) Yorkshire and the Humber and (d) the North East. [44589]
Paul Burstow: It is for individual local authorities to follow European Union procurement guidance for the tendering of domiciliary care contracts. Domiciliary Care is classed as a Part B service of the Procurement Directive. The detailed award criteria set out in that guidance for tendering for these services do not apply to Part B services. However local authorities are expected to follow procedures which provide an outcome to their purchasing requirements that delivers value for money.
Authorities are required to ensure that any specifications set out in the tender documents are not discriminatory and do not point to particular products. Authorities should not use standards which are inconsistent with wider international standards.
Hospitals: Manpower
Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations he has received on weekend staffing levels in hospitals; and what response he has made to such representations. [44759]
Paul Burstow: The Department does not record separately details of correspondence on weekend staffing levels. The information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Hospitals: Waiting Lists
Mr Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make an assessment of the effectiveness of primary care trusts in making patients aware of their entitlement to be treated within 18 weeks or to access private treatment; and if he will make a statement. [44776]
Mr Simon Burns: The Department does not hold information centrally on the effectiveness of primary care trusts (PCTs) in making patients aware of their entitlement to be treated within 18 weeks or for the national health service to take all reasonable steps to offer a range of alternative providers if this is not possible.
The right to access services within maximum waiting times remains in the NHS constitution as set out in the NHS Operating Framework 2011-12. Commissioners should ensure that performance does not deteriorate and where possible, improves during 2011-12.
The ‘Primary Care Trusts and Strategic Health Authorities (Waiting Times) Directions 2010’ and the accompanying guidance ‘Implementation of the right to access services in the maximum waiting times: guidance to strategic health authorities, primary care trusts and providers’ sets out that each PCT must establish a service for the purpose of providing advice and assistance to patients referred for consultant-led assessment or treatment; publish the name and contact details for that service; and take reasonable steps to communicate the
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name and contact details of that service to any relevant persons for which it is responsible.
Copies of both documents have already have been placed in the Library.
The directions are available on the Department's website at:
www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/@dh/@en/@ps/documents/digitalasset/dh_113648.pdf
Human Papilloma Virus: Vaccination
Mr Brine: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effects of a vaccination for human papilloma virus 6 and 11 on the incidence of false positive smear tests. [44782]
Anne Milton: In 2010, the Department commissioned the Health Protection Agency (HPA) to conduct a cost-effectiveness study on the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccination. This study is taking into account new data on the potential protection provided by the HPV vaccines against cancer and non-cancer diseases, including genital warts. This study includes data from two recently published papers that report on the numbers of borderline and mild smears that contained either HPV6 or HPV11(1), and the economic benefit of reducing such smears by eliminating HPV6 and HPV11(2). The cost-effectiveness study for the HPV vaccine, which has not yet been published by the HPA, will support the next procurement exercise for the HPV immunisation programme that is taking place in 2011.
(1) Howell-Jones R, Bailey A, Beddows S et al. (2010) Multi-site study of HPV type-specific prevalence in women with cervical cancer, intraepithelial neoplasia and normal cytology, in England. Br J Cancer 103(2): 209-16:
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez/20628396
(2) Chapman R, Soldan K and Jit M (2011) Modelling borderline and mild dysplasia associated with HPV6 and 11 infection. Vaccine:
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez/21338682
Leeds General Infirmary: Children
Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations he has received on the provision of children's services at the Leeds General Infirmary. [44702]
Mr Simon Burns: Departmental records show that, since January 2011, it has received 10 representations about the provision of children's services at the Leeds General Infirmary (LGI), comprising of one parliamentary question and nine pieces of correspondence.
All of the representations received relate to the paediatric cardiac unit at the LGI. My hon. Friend may also wish to note that, on 15 February 2011, the right hon. Member for Leeds Central (Hilary Benn) tabled an early-day motion in support of the Children's Heart Unit at the LGI, which has received support from numerous local hon. Members. On 3 March 2011, my hon. Friend the Member for Pudsey (Stuart Andrew) tabled an end of day Adjournment debate about children's heart surgery services in Leeds, which was attended by my hon. Friend.
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NHS: Procurement
Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the effects of using block contracts in the NHS on the Any Willing Provider model of commissioning. [44794]
Paul Burstow: Our aim is to create a ‘presumption’ that all patients will have choice and control over their care and treatment, and choice of any willing provider wherever appropriate.
The Department has consulted on the development of patient choice in the national health service, including its approach to extending patient choice of ‘any willing provider’. The consultation closed on 14 January 2011. We are currently considering the responses to this consultation and we plan to publish the results and associated guidance in the spring. An impact assessment will be published alongside the guidance.
Any Willing Provider (AWP) allows patients to choose, where appropriate, from a range of providers who are qualified to provide safe, high quality care and treatment—and select the one that best meets their needs.
It should be for patients, with the advice of their doctor, to choose where they receive treatment. For example, some patients may prefer to be treated in the community; others may prefer a more traditional setting.
Choice of provider is an important part of choosing a service tailored to an individual’s needs. Strict national standards on quality and patient safety must be adhered to. Choice of AWP allows innovative and responsive services to grow, benefiting patients and providers alike.
Under AWP, commissioners know that a range of safe, good quality and affordable providers are available to which they can refer their patients without the cost and effort of competitive tendering.
The “Greater Choice and Control” consultation proposed that patient choice of ‘any willing provider’ would be extended to most NHS services by 2013-14, starting with some community (and possibly some mental health) services during 2011.
Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many NHS block contracts were awarded to independent providers (a) nationally and (b) in each region in each of the last five years; [44795]
(2) what the monetary value was of block contracts awarded by the NHS (a) nationally and (b) in each region in each of the last five years; [44797]
(3) how many NHS commissioned block contracts were awarded (a) nationally and (b) in each region in each of the last five years; [44798]
(4) what proportion of NHS commissioned services were delivered through block contracts (a) nationally and (b) in each region in each of the last five years; [44799]
(5) what assessment his Department has made of the effects of using block contracts in NHS commissioning on the diversity of providers of health services. [44800]
Mr Simon Burns: The information requested is not held centrally.
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The Department is aware that the use of block contracts can, in some circumstances, be a barrier to entry by new providers and restrict diversity. Although it has not made a formal assessment of their impact, it has for some years been encouraging commissioners to move away from simple block contracts.
Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what proportion of block contracts were awarded by the NHS to independent providers of (a) mental health services and (b) secure services for mentally ill offenders in each of the last five years. [44796]
Paul Burstow: The information is not centrally held.
Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made on the value for money of block contracts in NHS commissioning; and if he will make a statement. [44801]
Mr Simon Burns: The Department does not hold this information. Primary care trusts have responsibility for ensuring the value for money of the services they commission, including services commissioned through block contracts.
Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he has taken in response to the recommendations of the Co-operation and Competition Panel in its report of 16 December 2010 on the commissioning and procurement of secure mental health services by the North West Specialised Commissioning Group. [44810]
Paul Burstow: We are considering the recommendations of the panel and we will respond to them very shortly.
Prescriptions: Fees and Charges
Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will bring forward proposals to abolish prescription charges in England. [44820]
Mr Simon Burns: We have no current plans to abolish prescription charges.
However, we are continuing to look at options for reforming the current prescription charging arrangements. In particular, we are examining the implications of the introduction of universal credit in relation to those current benefits that entitle the recipient of that benefit to free prescriptions. We are also looking at the implications of state pension age changes. We will, however, explore options for creating a fairer system of prescription charges and exemptions, taking into account the financial context. We will make announcements about how these changes will be implemented in due course.
Primary Care Trusts: Debts
Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on the future status of primary care trust debt accrued after 1 April 2011. [44701]
Mr Simon Burns:
Primary care trusts and clusters must ensure that through planning in 2011-12 and 2012-13, all existing legacy issues are dealt with. During this period we expect developing general practitioner
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consortia to work closely with primary care trusts to ensure that financial control and balance is maintained to prevent primary care trust deficits in those years.
The detailed financial regime for the new health system is still being developed and part of that development will include the treatment of existing liabilities within the Statement of Financial Position of Primary Care Trusts for the future.
Strokes: Health Services
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will undertake a consultation on stroke care prior to taking any decision on where the functions currently undertaken by stroke networks will be carried out after 2011-12. [44642]
Mr Simon Burns: There are currently no plans to undertake a consultation on stroke care. In the reformed national health service as set out in the White Paper ‘Equity and excellence: Liberating the NHS’ and the Health Bill currently subject to the scrutiny of Parliament, the arrangements for providing commissioning support within the NHS, including questions relating to the functions of networks for stroke, as for other services, will be matters for the NHS Commissioning Board and not for the Secretary of State.
Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has plans to make functional electrical stimulation for stroke victims available on the NHS. [44758]
Mr Simon Burns: Functional electrical stimulation can be provided on the national health service. It is for primary care trusts locally to decide which services will be commissioned to meet the needs of local populations.
Surgery: Private Sector
Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many operations funded by the NHS have been performed in private hospitals in each primary care trust area in each of the last three years. [44781]
Mr Simon Burns: Operations funded by the national health service and performed in private hospitals can currently be contracted for through a number of routes. In the main, providers may be contracted via the Extended Choice Network. Data on the number of operations funded by each primary care trust (PCT) are shown in the following table.
Providers may otherwise be contracted via independent sector treatment centre contracts agreed under the previous government, local agreements with PCTs or subcontracts between NHS trusts or foundation trusts and private providers. As these contracts are monitored and managed by local commissioners, the information is not held centrally.
| NHS extended choice network data 2007 - 10: Procedures | ||||
| Total | ||||
| PCT referrer code | PCT | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
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