Departmental Food
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 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 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. [45036]
Mr Blunt: The percentage of seafood procured on behalf of HM Prison Service that are (i) on the Marine Conservation Society’s list off 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 speces certified by the Marine Stewardship Council in (A) 2010 and (B) 2011 to date are listed as follows:
In 2010 a total of 35.6% of fish procured by HM Prison Service were farmed. In 2011 (to date) a total of 47.7% of fish procured by HM Prison Service has been farmed.
HM Prison Service food purchases account for 99.6% of direct food procurement within the Ministry of Justice, its agencies and non-departmental public bodies.
All other fish used within (a) the Ministry of Justice, (b) its agencies and (c)its non-departmental public bodies are procured via a wide range of contracted out
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catering service providers, a significant number of which have been replaced within the last 12 months and commercial relations with these suppliers have ceased.
As such the information on fish procurement by contracted out catering services could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Domestic Violence
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what definition of the term domestic violence his Department uses for police and court operational purposes; and which relationships are covered by this term. [44944]
Lynne Featherstone: I have been asked to reply.
The Government definition of domestic violence is:
“any incident of threatening behaviour, violence or abuse (psychological, physical, sexual, financial or emotional) between adults who are or have been intimate partners or family members, regardless of gender or sexuality”.
An adult is defined as any person aged 18 years or over. Family members are defined as mother, father, son, daughter, brother, sister and grandparents whether directly related, in-laws or step-family.
For police and Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) operational purposes, there is not a restriction on the age of the perpetrator or victim.
Under the provisions of the Family Law Act 1996, applicants are defined by their relationship to the respondent as ‘associated persons’. Section 62(3) provides an extensive list of associated persons.
Legal Aid
Mr Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the likely effect on administration costs of his proposals to assess in full the eligibility of all legal aid claimants. [45338]
Mr Djanogly: The consultation document ‘Proposals for the Reform of Legal Aid in England and Wales’, published in November 2010, proposed assessing the capital of those in receipt of welfare benefit when assessing whether they are eligible for civil legal aid. Currently those in receipt of certain income based benefits are automatically financially eligible.
Impact assessments were published alongside the consultation paper. The financial eligibility impact assessment concluded that the one-off costs, such as IT and training, are likely to be negligible. The ongoing costs are likely to be offset by the ongoing benefits as a result of a reduction in volumes. The consultation closed on 14 February and we are currently considering the responses received.
Powers of Attorney
Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) what evidence his Department has (a) evaluated and (b) commissioned on the change in the (i) number of vulnerable people taking out a lasting power of attorney (LPA) and (ii) levels of protection from fraud in respect of LPA since the coming into force of the Mental Capacity Act 2005; [45109]
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(2) how many people took out a lasting power of attorney in each year since 2000. [45138]
Mr Djanogly: Lasting powers of attorney (LPA) were introduced on 1 October 2007 following the implementation of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and replaced enduring powers of attorney (EPA). Since the MCA has come into force we have seen the volumes of applications for registration as listed in the following table:
|
|
EPAs | LPAs |
An LPA can only be made by a person with the appropriate mental capacity. The empowering nature of the instrument, and the process of registration mean there is no assessment of whether those making LPAs might be considered vulnerable.
We have recently made an assessment of the trends in applications and predicted the following volumes of applications going forward:
|
|
EPAs and LPAs (total) |
The Ministry of Justice recently issued a memorandum to the Justice Select Committee on the operation of the MCA to date, which makes a preliminary assessment of the impact of the Act and the effectiveness of its implementation. The Ministry and the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) will consider what additional evaluation of the Act, and further consideration of how the needs of vulnerable people are being met, would be useful and will take forward future research as appropriate.
With respect to the levels of protection from fraud, LPAs offer greater protection for the customer compared to EPAs. These include the need for registration with the OPG before an LPA can be used and the requirement for an independent person, known as a Certificate Provider, to certify that the customer understands the implications of making the LPA. The customer is also able to choose who should be notified when an application to register is made and these people can object to registration if they have any concerns.
The number of objections made to the Court of Protection in relation to the registration of an EPA or an LPA are shown in the following table. This provides some evidence that the safeguards provided by the MCA are working. The number of objections should also be considered against the backdrop of LPA applications being far higher than EPA applications.
|
|
2007 - 08 | 2008 - 09 | 2009 - 10 | 2010 - 11 | Total |
The Public Guardian's statutory powers include investigating the actions of attorneys acting under registered enduring and lasting powers of attorney. He may also
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investigate the actions of deputies who are appointed by the Court of Protection (normally where no EPA or LPA has previously been made).
To provide an indication of the activity in this area, the number of investigations undertaken by the OPG into allegations of abuse is listed in the following table. For completeness we have also included the number of investigations undertaken into deputies.
| Investigations carried out | ||||
|
|
Referrals | EPA | LPA | Deputies |
Prisoners’ Release
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will review the procedures for the early release of prisoners transferred to the UK to serve the remainder of their sentences; and if he will make a statement. [45163]
Mr Blunt: There are no plans to review the release procedures for those prisoners sentenced abroad who are transferred to England and Wales to continue serving their sentence here.
Prisoners who are transferred to England and Wales to complete their sentence are subject to the normal release and early release provisions governing all prisoners in England and Wales.
The repatriation of prisoners to Scotland and Northern Ireland is a matter for the respective devolved Administration.
Prisons: Industrial Disputes
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department and its associated public bodies have spent on the preparation of contingency plans for potential industrial action by prison staff in the last two years. [45055]
Mr Blunt: In the last two years the National Offender Management Service has undertaken work on contingency planning for industrial action as part of a wider range of duties. The cost of this work cannot be disaggregated from other costs.
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department and its associated public bodies have spent on training of army personnel to undertake prison officer duties as part of contingency plans for potential industrial action by prison staff in the last two years. [45056]
Mr Blunt:
There are no plans to train army personnel to operate as prison officers. However, work is underway between the Ministries of Justice and Defence to prepare military staff to support the national offender management
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service in the event of widespread industrial action. The precise costs of this work have yet to be finalised.
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with (1) which private companies his Department has agreements to supply staff to undertake prison officer duties as part of contingency plans for potential industrial action by prison staff; [45057]
(2) how much has been paid to private companies in respect of agreements to supply staff to undertake prison officer duties as part of the contingency plans for potential industrial action by prison staff. [45058]
Mr Blunt: The current contingency arrangements for industrial action by prison staff do not involve extending the existing contractual arrangements with private sector companies.
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what training is required of those who are nominated to undertake prison officer duties as part of contingency plans for potential industrial action by prison staff. [45059]
Mr Blunt: There are no plans to nominate anyone to operate as prison officers during industrial action. As a result, no such training is required. Instead, the police and military will provide support to the national offender management service during widespread industrial action. Familiarisation training for military staff has been developed which includes an understanding of the prison environment and control and restraint procedures.
Sentencing
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether he has plans to bring forward proposals to allow the Crown Prosecution Service to appeal to the Crown court against convictions and sentences from magistrates courts. [44938]
Mr Blunt: I have no plans to do so.
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many offenders who breached their licence conditions or re-offended whilst on licence were (a) returned to prison to serve the full sentence, (b) returned to prison to serve a shorter sentence than the remaining period of their licence and (c) not returned to prison in the latest period for which figures are available. [44939]
Mr Blunt: Data on sentencing for further offences committed by offenders released on licence is not available. There were 113 offenders recalled between 1 July and 30 September 2010 and not returned to custody by 31 December 2010. This figure was published on 27 January 2011 in Offender Management Statistics Quarterly Bulletin (table 1.1). It includes those offenders believed to be dead or living outside of the UK but who have not been confirmed as dead or deported. Table 1.1 can be found in the House Library and at the following link:
http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/offender-management-stats-quarterly.htm
Additionally, the data can be seen in the table.
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These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
| Table 5.1: Summary of licence recalls to 30 September 2010 and returns to custody by 31 December 2010, England and Wales | |
|
|
Number |
| (1) The total number of offenders recalled does not include those recalled during the period 1984 to 1999 as this figure is approximate (see Explanatory notes). (2) The number returned to custody includes those who are confirmed dead or were deported by the UK Borders Agency. Data Sources and Quality: These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large-scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. | |
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what guidance he issues to magistrates and judges on the activation of suspended sentences where an offence is committed inside the operational period but the sentence is handed down after the operational period has ended. [44941]
Mr Blunt: We do not issue guidance to magistrates and judges on sentencing. Under the legislation, where the offender commits a further offence while the suspended sentence order was operational, there is a presumption that the suspended sentence will take effect unless the court finds it would be unjust to do so in all the circumstances.
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what guidance he issues to magistrates on the use of their powers under section 116 of the Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act 2000 regarding breaches of licence. [44942]
Mr Blunt: The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Rushcliffe (Mr Clarke), does not issue guidance to magistrates on how they should use their sentencing powers. The Judicial Studies Board ensures that magistrates are kept up-to-date with relevant legislation and are given training on the sentencing powers that are available to them. It would not be appropriate for the Government to advise courts on how their sentencing powers should be applied.
Section 116 gives courts the power, when sentencing an offender for a further offence committed before the expiry of a previous sentence, to add to whatever sentence it imposes for the new offence a period of return to custody under the original sentence. It is up to the courts to decide in each case whether to invoke the power and if so how long the period of return should
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be. The power does not relate to breaches of licence for which there are different enforcement and administrative recall provisions.
Section 116 was repealed by the Criminal Justice Act 2003 and does not, therefore, apply to prisoners released under that Act, The power continues to apply only to prisoners subject to the release provisions of the Criminal Justice Act 1991.
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice in what circumstances concurrent sentences instead of consecutive sentences may be handed down. [44946]
Mr Blunt: In all cases the courts determine which sentence or sentences to impose and how those sentences should be served. The general principle they follow is that offences arising from the same incident will usually lead to concurrent sentences. On the same general principle, offences committed on separate occasions against different victims usually result in consecutive sentences.
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many defendants were sentenced to disposals up to and including six months imprisonment following conviction by way of a jury trial at the Crown court on (a) offences triable either way sent by magistrates where their sentencing powers were not deemed to be sufficient, (b) offences triable either way where the defendant had chosen to elect jury trial and (c) offences triable only on indictment in the latest period for which figures are available. [44947]
Mr Blunt: The number of defendants who entered a known not guilty plea and were subsequently found guilty at the Crown court, and sentenced to immediate custody in England and Wales 2009 (latest available), can be viewed in the following table.
Court proceedings data held centrally do not distinguish between those either-way cases in which the magistrates refused jurisdiction and those where the defendant elected Crown court trial.
Data for 2010 are planned for publication in the spring of 2011.
| Number of defendants who entered a known not guilty plea and were subsequently found guilty at the Crown court, and sentenced to immediate custody in England and Wales 2009 (1, 2, 3) | |||
| Crown court | Indictable only | Triable either way | Total indictable including triable either way |
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| (1) The figures given in the table relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3 )Final plea recorded on completion of trial. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services in the Ministry of Justice | |||
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the potential effect on prisoner numbers of giving offenders a 50 per cent credit for pleading guilty at a police station rather than one-third for pleading guilty at the earliest opportunity. [44948]
Mr Blunt: It was estimated in the “Breaking the cycle: effective punishment, rehabilitation and sentencing of offenders” Green Paper that the effect of increasing the maximum discount available for an early guilty plea will be a reduction of 3,400 prison places in 2014-15, relative to the expected growth of the prison population. No separate estimate has been made of the effect of restricting the maximum discount to admissions at the police station, though it would undoubtedly be less. The Green Paper consultation period has recently closed and we will continue to assess the likely impact of the full range of sentencing policy proposals on the prison population.
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what guidance he issues to judges and magistrates on suitable disposals on conviction when a community order sentence is appropriate but not possible as the defendant (a) has no address or (b) is due to leave the country immediately. [44949]
Mr Blunt: All sentences imposed by judges and magistrates must be proportionate to the seriousness of the offending and take account of all the circumstances of the offender and the offence. Guidance on sentencing generally is issued by the independent Sentencing Council for England and Wales to promote greater consistency in sentencing.
In an individual case a court may obtain and consider a pre-sentence report providing information about the offender’s circumstances and making a sentencing proposal. This report should include information about the offender’s address and any known plans to go abroad. Having no address or spending a short period abroad do not necessarily prevent the court from imposing a community order, where that is the appropriate sentence. For example, an offender can comply with a supervision requirement
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of a community order if he has no fixed abode. Where an offender intends to go abroad for a short period, the court could delay the start of a community order to accommodate the visit, depending on its purpose.
Where an offender intends to move permanently to Scotland or Northern Ireland, community orders can be transferred under existing legislation.
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will assess the merits of offering (a) a reduction by one-third in a sentence to an offender who pleads guilty to an offence at a police station and (b) no reduction in sentence to an offender who does not plead guilty until the case reaches court. [44951]
Mr Blunt: Restricting the guilty plea discount to suspects who co-operate in interview with the police and then plead guilty in court would risk reducing the incidence of guilty pleas at the first court hearing, as there would be no incentive for a defendant who had failed to make admissions in interview to plead guilty thereafter. This would not be in the interests of the efficiency of the criminal justice system or of victims and witnesses. However, we are considering how to incentivise an early guilty plea over a guilty plea later in the justice process.
Sentencing: Appeals
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what powers the Crown court has when considering an appeal from a magistrates court to vary a sentence by committing it to the Crown court for a more substantial sentence than was originally handed down by the magistrates court. [44940]
Mr Blunt: On an appeal against a sentence imposed in a magistrates court, or following an unsuccessful appeal from a conviction in a magistrates court, the Crown court has power to substitute any sentence the original court could have passed, up to the maximum sentence available to that court, even if that would involve the imposition of a more substantial sentence than the one the magistrates court imposed.
International Development
Burma: Asylum
Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what humanitarian assistance his Department is providing to (a) Rohingya people in Burma, (b) Rohingya refugees recently arrived in (i) India and (ii) Indonesia and (c) Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. [44925]
Mr O'Brien: Rohingya people in Burma benefit from Department for International Development (DFID) contributions to multi-donor programmes which operate across Burma in the areas of health, education and rural livelihoods. They also receive aid from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the European Union, to which DFID makes core contributions.
DFID has not provided humanitarian assistance to Rohingya refugees recently arrived in India or Indonesia.
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DFID supports Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh through its core contributions to UNHCR, UNICEF, the World Food Programme, the World Health Organisation, the UN Population Fund and the European Union.
Business: Ethics
Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what support his Department is providing to co-ordinate and support corporate social responsibility programmes of UK businesses operating in the developing world. [45463]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: We have created a new private sector department that will drive increased private sector investment in developing countries while promoting responsible business practices. The Department for International Development (DFID) supports a corporate social responsibility (CSR) agenda which encourages businesses in the UK and internationally to work in a way that aligns positive impacts on poverty with commercial interests.
DFID supports a number of initiatives that promote socially responsible business practices. The Business Call to Action challenges businesses to develop initiatives that are both commercially viable and help to achieve the millennium development goals (MDGs); and the Responsible and Accountable Garment Sector Challenge Fund and the Food Retail Challenge Fund demonstrate how businesses can generate additional benefits for poor people in developing countries. DFID is also supporting responsible business standards through our programme partnership arrangements with the Fairtrade Foundation and the Ethical Trading Initiative.
Departmental Food
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will estimate the proportion of the seafood procured for (a) his Department and (b) the non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible that (i) was on the 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. [45035]
Mr O'Brien: Information is only available from 1 January 2011, when our new contracted caterers, Mitie facilities management, took over responsibility for our two staff restaurants in the Department's UK offices. Since this time, no seafood was procured which was on the Marine Conservation Society's list of fish to avoid. 81% of the seafood served complied with the relevant sustainability standards.
Export Credits Guarantee Department
Dr Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on the White Paper on trade and investment for growth for the purposes of ensuring that the Export Credits Guarantee Department supports international development aims. [45053]
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Mr O'Brien: Drafting of the White Paper on Trade and Investment for Growth was led by the Department for International Development (DFID) and Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) joint trade policy unit. The Secretary of State for International Development and the Business Secretary, as well as other DFID and BIS Ministers, had many discussions on the range of issues contained within the White Paper.
The Exports Credit Guarantee Department (ECGD) pilot schemes announced in the White Paper largely focus on supporting small and medium-sized enterprises in the UK. DFID will continue to fully engage with ECGD by providing case-by-case assessments of these and ongoing ECGD transactions where they relate to the poorest countries. This practice is in line with Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) guidelines and ensures that ECGD-backed lending supports the financial future and long-term prospects of developing countries.
Nigeria: Corruption
Pauline Latham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much funding his Department has provided to Nigeria for the purposes of tackling corruption. [45141]
Mr O'Brien: Through the security, justice and growth programme, the Department for International Development's support to anti-corruption agencies in Nigeria totalled £500,000 between 2006 and 2010. This support was complemented by support to public financial management as well as strong anti-corruption measures within all our other programmes.
The new Justice for All programme started in November 2010. It will increase support to a range of anti-corruption agencies and civil society in Nigeria. The main aim is to build on the successes achieved on anti-money laundering as well as improving the success rate of the judiciary in dealing with corruption cases.
Pauline Latham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much funding his Department has allocated to the Nigerian Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in each year since 2005. [45142]
Mr O'Brien: The Department for International Development (DFID) has provided £250,000 to support the Nigerian Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) between 2006 and 2010. A breakdown of support in each calendar is as follows.
| Calendar year | Amount (£) |
This support was part of the security, justice and growth programme, managed by the British Council. No funds were given directly to EFCC. The support
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focused on two areas: setting up and running a training course for corruption investigators and strengthening the work of the Financial Intelligence Unit.
Cabinet Office
Departmental Relocation
Simon Kirby: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will bring forward proposals to relocate (a) staff and (b) offices of his Department to Brighton; and if he will make a statement. [43467]
Mr Maude: The current plans for the Estate Rationalisation of the Cabinet Office estate do not include the relocation of staff or offices to Brighton.
Census
Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps he has taken to facilitate meetings between the Office for National Statistics and hon. Members to discuss potential issues which may arise during the conduct of the 2011 Census. [44201]
Mr Maude: The Office for National Statistics is responsible for carrying out the 2011 census in England and Wales on 27 March 2011. The National Statistician has already written to all MPs on the census, providing them with key information and seeking their full support to ensure a strong response from the public.
Mr Knight: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will bring forward proposals to cancel or postpone the 2011 census. [44252]
Mr Maude: This Government have concluded that it is essential that the 2011 census goes ahead on 27 March 2011 to meet UK and international data requirements.
Departmental Billing
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what proportion of invoices from suppliers his Department paid within 10 days of receipt in January and February 2011. [45065]
Mr Maude: The number of compliant invoice payments made to suppliers by the Department for January and February 2011 are as follows:
|
|
Proportion of invoices paid in percentage terms |
Departmental Food
Mr Bain: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) when he expects his Department to meet the Government's commitment to source food that meets British or equivalent standards of production; [43326]
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(2) when he expects the Prime Minister's Office to meet the Government's commitment to source food that meets British or equivalent standards of production. [43313]
Mr Maude: The Prime Minister's Office is an integral part of the Cabinet Office.
The vast majority of food procured for catering and hospitality purposes across the Cabinet Office's central London estate is provided by our facilities management providers (FMPs). All meat purchased by our FMPs meat suppliers are in line with RSPCA Freedom Food standards, Assured Food Standards and Quality Pork Standard.
The Cabinet Office actively encourages its FMPs to implement the public sector food procurement initiative wherever practical and viable. They are also obliged to take account of and support the Government's sustainable food policies and, where possible, to source food that meets British or equivalent standards of production.
Departmental Leaseback Arrangements
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 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. [45064]
Mr Maude: The Cabinet Office has not sold and leased back any assets over the last 12 months.
Departmental Manpower
Natascha Engel: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many staff of his Office will be working on (a) the introduction of a public reading stage for Bills and (b) the introduction of a public reading day within a Bill's Committee stage. [41656]
Mr Maude: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 7 March 2011, Official Report, column 740W, by the Leader of the House of Commons.
Mr Redwood: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many (a) actual and (b) full-time equivalent staff have left his Department's employ since May 2010. [42309]
Mr Maude: The number of actual and full-time equivalent staff who have left the Cabinet Office between 1 May 2010 and 31 January 2011 is as follows:
Headcount: 264
Full-time equivalent: 255.47
Of the 264 who left the Department 69, (26%) were staff returning to their parent organisation at the end of a period of loan or secondment, 22 (8%) were staff moving to another Department as a result of machinery of government changes and 26 (10%) were staff who have transferred to another Department under a loan agreement.
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Mr Redwood: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many (a) actual and (b) full-time equivalent staff his Department employed at the latest date for which figures are available. [42390]
Mr Maude: The number of actual and full-time equivalent civil servants employed by the Cabinet Office at the latest date available, 30 September 2010, is published by the Office for National Statistics at the following address:
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_labour/Table6AllDepts.xls
Headcount and full-time equivalent numbers at that date were:
Headcount: 1,670
Full-time equivalent: 1,620.
Mr Redwood: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many (a) actual and (b) full-time equivalent staff were employed by his Department in May 2010. [42406]
Mr Maude: The number of actual and full-time equivalent civil servants employed by the Cabinet Office at 31 May 2010 is as follows:
Headcount: 1,344
Full-time equivalent: 1,304.95.
Departmental Pay
Caroline Flint: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) if he will take steps to ensure that his published departmental organisational chart includes the names and responsibilities of all staff paid over £58,200 per annum in his Department and in the non-departmental public bodies and agencies for which he is responsible; [43546]
(2) if he will take steps to ensure that the published organisational chart for the Prime Minister's Office includes the names and responsibilities of all staff paid over £58,200 per annum. [43526]
Mr Maude: The Prime Minister's Office forms part of the Cabinet Office.
The Government have for the first time published organisational charts which disclose the salary of all directors and above, including for the Prime Minister's Office. The level of salary disclosure in the organisational structure charts already helps enable the public to hold Departments to account for their use of public funds.
There are no current plans to extend the scope of salary disclosure when structure charts are updated.
Departmental Procurement
Mr Raab: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the cost to the public purse was of the (a) procurement and (b) outsourcing function of (i) his Department and (ii) each (A) agency, (B) non-departmental public body and (C) non-ministerial department for which he is responsible in the last financial year for which figures are available. [43949]
Mr Maude: The costs are as follows. In all cases the outsourcing function is covered by the procurement function; not as a discrete function.
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| Year ended 31 March 2010 | ||
|
|
Organisation | £000 |
EU Budget
Austin Mitchell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what payments account for the difference between the UK's net contribution to the EU budget in 2009 and the UK's current account balance with EU institutions in 2009. [43943]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated March 2011:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question to asking what payments account for the difference between the UK's net contribution to the EU budget in 2009 and the UK's Current Account balance with EU institutions. (43943)
Annual data for 2009 on the UK's transactions with the EU, including the UK's current account balance with EU institutions, are published in the UK Balance of Payments (Pink Book) 2010:
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/product.asp?vlnk=1140
The data published in the Pink Book are consistent with the concepts and definitions in the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Balance of Payment's Manual version 5 (BPM5) which is the internationally agreed framework for the compilation and presentation of Balance of Payments statistics. The UK's current account transactions with EU institutions in 2009 are published in Pink Book 2010, table 5.1, pp 78-80, and are largely based on HM Treasury data on UK transactions with the EU, as published in the White Paper (table 3.1, p21).
Some of the HM Treasury data are incorporated directly into the Pink Book, for example, figures for abatement receipts and VAT based contributions. However, some of the HM Treasury data need to be modified prior to incorporation, for reasons such as to bring the figures onto an accruals basis and to present them on a calendar year, rather than a financial year basis. Additionally, some of the HM Treasury data feed into the UK's capital account, rather than the current account, for example, receipts from the Agricultural Fund for Regional Development and European Regional Development Fund. These are shown in the Pink Book 2010, table 6.1, p. 85. Total official transactions between the UK and institutions of the EU (including current and capital account transactions) are published in the Pink Book 2010, table 9.9, p.161.
Government Departments: Construction
Naomi Long:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer to the right hon. Member for Stirling of 26 July 2010, Official Report, column 738W, on Government Departments: construction, what
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progress the Office of Government Commerce has made in its review of common minimum standards for construction. [45649]
Mr Maude: The update of the content of the common minimum standards is now under way. It is planned to be complete this summer. This will enable the new CMS to reflect fully the Government's wider strategies for procurement, construction, the environment and health and safety. Once ready, the revised CMS will replace the existing version on the Department's website.
Government Departments: Travel
Simon Kirby: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what progress has been made on his Department’s plans to implement new standard guidance on Government travel policies; and when he expects to issue this new guidance. [43086]
Mr Maude: Since May 2010, this Government have saved £50 million by avoiding travel and a further £50 million through reducing the cost of travel (use of advance tickets, reduction in first class travel).
To ensure that the reduction on travel spend is sustainable, the efficiency and reform group within the Cabinet Office, is in the process of finalising guidance on travel policy principles for Government Departments to adopt. The guidance has been prepared in consultation with Departments and key suppliers to Government. The plan is to publish the guidance in the first quarter of the new financial year to support the new travel spending controls.
Furthermore, work is under way to develop a centralised supply strategy to enable central Government to purchase travel services, including rail travel and hotel accommodation, at the best prices. The strategy will support the travel policy to ensure that Government Departments keep travel expenditure to a minimum. The use of online booking systems is a key element of this strategy as they provide the best access to advance, and therefore cheaper, fares and rates.
Paul Maynard: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate he has made of the extent of work-related travel undertaken by civil servants between (a) Manchester and Leeds, (b) Liverpool and Leeds and (c) Liverpool and Manchester in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [43090]
Mr Maude: The Cabinet Office does not have offices in Leeds, Liverpool or Manchester, and the level of work-related travel between these cities is negligible.
Buying Solutions, an executive agency of the efficiency and reform group in the Cabinet Office, has an office in Liverpool. The level of work-related travel to Manchester or Leeds is negligible.
Government Efficiency Review
Simon Kirby: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what progress has been made in implementing the recommendations of the efficiency review led by Sir Philip Green. [43087]
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Mr Maude: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by Lord Taylor of Holbeach on 27 January 2011, Official Report, House of Lords, column WA196. Sir Philip’s recommendations have been incorporated into ongoing programmes within the efficiency and reform group.
Simon Kirby: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether he plans to implement the recommendation of the efficiency review by Sir Philip Green on the use of communications-based alternatives to travel such as video conferencing by civil servants. [43088]
Mr Maude: The controls this Government have put in place to manage down demand in travel has already saved £50 million by avoiding travel and a further £50 million through reducing the cost of travel (use of advance tickets, reduction in first class travel). Through new travel policies, that are currently being developed, Departments will be required to address the need for travel by considering firstly teleconferencing or then videoconferencing, prior to undertaking any journey.
Meetings: Public Expenditure
Bob Stewart: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the cost to the public purse has been of holding meetings of the Cabinet outside of London in respect of each such meeting held since May 2010. [45399]
Mr Maude: Two Cabinet Office meetings outside London have been held since May 2010:
1. In Bradford on 29 June 2010 at a total cost of £3,029 (excluding VAT)
2. In Derby on 7 March 2011. The full costs of this event are not yet known but are expected to be similar or lower to those of the Bradford event.
Social Conditions
Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many times richer the richest 20% are than the poorest 20% in each year of the last 10 years. [44207]
Chris Grayling: I have been asked to reply.
Estimates of the ratio of the share of income of the top and bottom 20% of the income distribution are available from the Households Below Average Income report published annually.
| Table 1: Ratio of top quintile (richest 20%) income share to bottom quintile (poorest 20%) share, 1998-99 to 2008-09 | ||
|
|
Before housing costs | After housing costs |
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| (1 )GB. (2 )UK. Notes: 1. These statistics are based on households below average income (HBAI) data sourced from the Family Resources Survey (FRS). This uses disposable household income, adjusted using modified OECD equivalisation factors for household size and composition, as an income measure as a proxy for standard of living. 2. All estimates are based on survey data and are therefore subject to uncertainty. Small differences should be treated with caution as these will be affected by sampling error and variability in non-response. 3. The reference period for households below average income figures are single financial years. 4. Disposable incomes have been used to answer the question. This includes earnings from employment and self-employment, state support, income from occupational and private pensions, investment income and other sources. Income tax, payments, national insurance contributions, council tax / domestic rates and some other payments are deducted from incomes. 5. Figures are for the United Kingdom from 2002-03 onwards. Earlier years are for Great Britain only. 6. Figures have been presented on a before housing cost and an after housing cost basis. For before housing costs, housing costs (such as rent, water rates, mortgage interest payments, buildings insurance payments and ground rent and service charges) are not deducted from income, while for after housing costs they are. 7. These statistics are publicly available in the Households Below Average Income Report, Table 2.2ts page 25-26, on the DWP website: http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/hbai/hbai_2009/index.php?page=contents | ||
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Energy and Climate Change
Biofuels: Finance
Stephen McPartland: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much funding from the public purse has been provided to biomass projects since the introduction of the renewables obligation. [45493]
Gregory Barker: DECC holds funding information only for those schemes that transferred to the Department on its formation in 2008 or were later set up by DECC. The following table gives the expenditure under the renewables obligation for dedicated electricity generation and the electricity output of combined heat and power (CHP) plants. For the grant schemes, funding was given to CHP plants as a whole, rather than to the separate electricity and heat outputs.
| Funding paid to biomass electricity and combined heat and power projects | |||||||||
| £ million | |||||||||
| Type of funding | Feedstock/Technology | 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 |
| (1 )“Other” covers a range of technologies such as anaerobic digestion, gasification and pyrolysis, using biomass and waste. | |||||||||
Biofuels: Wood
Stephen McPartland: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent estimate he has made of the contribution to the Government's renewables target of burning wood for biomass. [45421]
Gregory Barker: Our analysis suggests that biomass heat and electricity could provide about 4.5% of overall energy demand by 2020. This would not all be met by burning wood—other biomass feedstocks include a broad range of wastes (eg food and municipal waste, landfill and sewage gas), residues such as straw, perennial energy crops such as miscanthus, and second generation technologies that do not require combustion. We do not have specific expectations for each particular biomass feedstock type but expect that burning wood from imported and domestic sources, preferably waste wood, will make a significant contribution to biomass heat and electricity generation in the UK by 2020.
We are introducing sustainability criteria for the use of imported and domestic biomass to generate electricity under the renewables obligation from April this year. These criteria require a minimum greenhouse gas emissions saving of 60% compared to fossil fuel and include restrictions on the use of materials from land that is important on carbon or biodiversity grounds. We intend to do the same next year for heat generation under the renewable heat incentive.
Departmental Food
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will estimate the proportion of the seafood procured for (a) his Department and (b) the non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible that (i) was on the 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. [45031]
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Gregory Barker: DECC's main Department receives its catering services through the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). No such estimate of the proportion of seafood procured has been made. However, DEFRA's new catering contract, which DECC currently intends to utilise, will commence in April and stipulates that the contractor shall ensure that the fish is supplied from sustainable sources and in compliance with the Government buying standard for food and catering when established and as amended from time to time.
DECC does not hold information centrally on its non-departmental public bodies procurement of fish. However, the NDPBs’ which can readily provide this information, and have catering contracts, have not procured any fish on the Marine Conservation Society's list of fish to avoid and have 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.
Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many (a) special advisers and (b) policy advisers work for (i) him and (ii) Ministers in his Department; and what the salary of each is. [45671]
Gregory Barker: The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change has two special advisers working for him. They are paid in accordance with the special advisers pay bands which can be viewed at:
http://data.gov.uk/dataset/special-adviser-paybands
and where the salary is more than £58,200 the salary details can be viewed at:
http://data.gov.uk/dataset/special-advisers
There are no policy advisers working in ministerial offices.
Departmental Postal Services
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department has spent on motorcycle or bicycle couriers since his appointment. [45530]
Gregory Barker: Since the beginning of May 2010 until February of 2011 the Department of Energy and Climate Change spent £4,166.73 on courier services. It is not possible to identify motorcycle or bicycle courier services from those delivered by other modes of transport without incurring the disproportionate cost of locating and scrutinising individual invoices.
Departmental Press
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what meetings each of his special advisers has had with each member of the Parliamentary Lobby since their appointment. [45531]
Gregory Barker: Special advisers' contact with the media is carried out in accordance with the code of conduct for special advisers.
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Departmental Travel
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department has spent on (a) car, (b) taxi, (c) rail, (d) aeroplane, (e) helicopter, (f) ferry and (g) minibus or coach travel since his appointment. [45538]
Gregory Barker: Since the beginning of May 2010 until February 2011 the Department of Energy and Climate Change has incurred the following travel costs:
(a) car hire (including any mileage): £155,889;
(b) taxi hire: £50,205;
(c) rail: £322,399;
(d) air: £619,672.
We have no record of any helicopter or ferry travel. Some minibus or coach travel may be included in the total for taxi travel but is not recorded separately. To provide this information would incur disproportionate costs.
Energy: Housing
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what timetable he has set for the improvement of the energy efficiency of privately-owned housing in bands F and G; and if he will make a statement. [45648]
Gregory Barker: The Green Deal has the potential to improve the energy efficiency of properties across all housing tenures. In particular, we envisage the Green Deal will benefit lower band housing, as these properties have the biggest gains to make through installation of basic energy efficiency measures.
There are no current plans to specifically target owner-occupied properties in bands F and G. However, if we do not see progress in the private rented sector under the Green Deal, we intend to use powers in the Energy Bill to require improvements in the worst performing rental properties.
Energy: Listed Buildings
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he has plans to improve the energy efficiency of listed buildings. [45609]
Gregory Barker: Improving the energy efficiency of listed buildings will be more challenging within the constraints imposed by listing. However, the Green Deal will support a whole suite of measures, including many that improve energy efficiency without affecting the appearance or fabric of a property.
Green Deal assessments are likely to include behavioural changes that can help reduce energy usage in all buildings, and these can make a significant impact before the need to make any fabric alterations.
Solar Photovoltaic Sector
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the number of jobs created in the solar photovoltaic sector in (a) Brighton and Hove and (b) the UK since the date of implementation of the feed-in tariff scheme. [43507]
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Gregory Barker: The Department does not hold estimates on the number of jobs created in the solar photovoltaic (PV) market in Great Britain or the area mentioned. However, the Renewable Energy Association (REA) have provided the following job specific numbers in the solar industry:
(i) Increase from 3,000 in January 2010 to over 10,000 in January 2011;
(ii) Predicted to increase to 17,000 by spring 2011;
(iii) By January 2012, an expected 30,000 will be employed in the solar industry.
Third Sector
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department are participating in volunteering activities as part of his Department’s involvement in the big society initiative. [42665]
Gregory Barker: My right hon. and hon. Friends and I are actively involved with numerous charities on a private basis, including those detailed in the list of Ministers’ interests recently published by the Cabinet Office.
I would also refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 9 March 2011, Official Report, column 1076W.
Video-conferencing
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what proportion of his Department's (a) external and (b) internal meetings were conducted using teleconferencing technology in the latest period for which figures are available. [45490]
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Gregory Barker: The Department does not hold centrally information on how many meetings, internal or external, that take place, therefore any proportion using teleconferencing technology cannot be calculated. The Department does have video and audio conferencing facilities and makes regular use of them.
Water Supply: Carbon Emissions
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent estimate he has made of the (a) proportion and (b) total amount of carbon dioxide emissions in the UK generated through the treatment and pumping of drinking water and waste water; and if he will bring forward proposals to amend the Energy Bill to include measures aimed at increasing water efficiency. [44638]
Gregory Barker: Emissions from the energy use for treatment and pumping of drinking and waste water are not explicitly estimated within the UK greenhouse gas inventory, but these emissions are included in the overall totals. This is compliant with international reporting guidelines.
Using energy consumption data, it has been possible to estimate carbon dioxide emissions from industrial energy consumption from the collection, purification and distribution of water for 2008, and these are estimated to be 3.34 Mt. This is equivalent to 0.6% of total 2008 UK carbon dioxide emissions (excluding land use, land use change and forestry). The derivation of this estimate is shown in the following table:
| Carbon dioxide emissions based on industrial energy consumption from collection, purification and distribution of water for 2008 | ||||
| Fuel type | Quantity (thousand tonnes of oil equivalent) | Quantity kWh—gross calorific value | CO 2 emission factor (kg /kWh) | CO 2 emitted (Mt) |
| Note: The emission factor for electricity consumed is used. Source: Energy Consumption in the UK Industrial tables 2010 update table 4.6a: http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/statistics/publications/ecuk/ecuk.aspx 2010 Guidelines to DEFRA/DECC’s GHG Conversion Factors for Company Reporting: http://ww2.defra.gov.uk/environment/economy/business-efficiency/reporting/ | ||||
Estimates have been provided for 2008 as emission factors for 2009 are not yet available.
Plans in the Energy Bill for a ‘Green Deal’ represent an opportunity to bring together energy and water saving in the home, as well as community spaces and businesses, with no up-front cost to consumers as they pay the costs back through their energy bill. DEFRA is working with DECC on plans which include hot water efficiency measures in the ‘Green Deal’, where the energy saved from heating water is reflected in savings on the energy bill.
While water efficiency measures do not appear on the face of the Bill itself, the policy document accompanying the Green Deal does refer to water efficiency:
http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/legislation/energybill/1010-green-deal-summary-proposals.pdf
Wind Power: Manufacturing Industries
Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what arrangements will be made for delivery of his Department's programme to support the establishment of offshore wind manufacturing at port sites after the end of the Grant for Business Investment scheme. [44307]
Charles Hendry:
Support for the establishment of offshore wind manufacturing at port sites will be available from April 2011 to March 2015 and will be delivered through the Grant for Business Investment (GBI) scheme, a state-aid cleared scheme which will continue to be utilised to assess applications for this funding in England for the full period that the support is available. On
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1 February 2011 the Government announced that the GBI scheme is closed for new applications, except for large exceptional projects and applications to DECC
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for support for major offshore wind manufacturing investments, which will therefore continue to be administered through this scheme.