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Written Answers to Questions
Wednesday 23 March 2011
Wales
Ministerial Policy Advisers
Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much her Department has spent on (a) salaries and (b) pension entitlements for special advisers in the financial year 2010-11 to date. [46568]
Mr David Jones: Information is available on the Cabinet Office website at:
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/special-adviser-data-releases
The estimated pay bill includes pension costs, and details of pension arrangements are set out in the “Model contract for Special Advisers”.
Northern Ireland
Economic Situation
12. Christopher Pincher: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent discussions he has had with Ministers in the Northern Ireland Executive on economic development in Northern Ireland. [47503]
Mr Paterson: I have had extensive discussions with the First and Deputy First Ministers, the Finance Minister and the Enterprise Minister on proposals to develop and rebalance the Northern Ireland economy.
The consultation paper the Government publishes tomorrow will be a genuine team effort. I pay tribute to the work of Northern Ireland Executive Ministers on these crucial proposals.
13. Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues on measures to promote economic growth in Northern Ireland. [47504]
Mr Paterson: I have had intensive discussions with the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, my hon. Friend the Member for South West Hertfordshire (Mr Gauke), on consultation proposals to rebalance the Northern Ireland economy and promote investment.
I pay tribute to the excellent work undertaken by my ministerial colleagues in the Treasury on these crucial proposals to boost growth.
Corporation Tax
14.
Nic Dakin:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on corporation
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tax policy in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement. [47505]
Mr Paterson: I have had extensive discussions with ministerial colleagues in the Treasury on measures to rebalance the Northern Ireland economy.
The Government consultation paper published tomorrow will outline the potential for the devolved Administration to be given powers to reduce the corporation tax rate in Northern Ireland.
Royal Irish Regiment and Irish Guards
15. Mr Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Defence on steps to mark the return to Northern Ireland of the Royal Irish Regiment and the Irish Guards from operational deployment in Afghanistan. [47506]
Mr Paterson: I would like to take the opportunity to acknowledge the exceptional efforts and sacrifices of the Royal Irish Regiment and Irish Guards in Afghanistan, in particular Lance Corporal Stephen McKee from 1st Battalion the Royal Irish Regiment who was killed on 9 March 2011.
I am aware that the Ministry of Defence are in the early planning stages for several events both in Northern Ireland and in GB and will give any such events my full support.
Credit Unions: Northern Ireland
Naomi Long: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent discussions he has had with the (a) Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and (b) Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment in the Northern Ireland Executive on the (i) funding of credit unions in Northern Ireland and (ii) allocation of funding through the Growth Fund. [48165]
Mr Paterson: As the subject matter of the Credit Unions (Northern Ireland) Order 1985 is a devolved matter I have not held any such discussions to date, although I would be prepared to raise these matters with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, my right hon. Friend the Member for Chingford and Woodford Green (Mr Duncan Smith), if asked to do so by the Northern Ireland Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment.
Social Security is also a devolved matter in Northern Ireland. The Financial Inclusion Fund (FIF) which ends in March 2011 pays for the Department for Work and Pensions Growth Fund. The Northern Ireland Executive has already received consequentials under the Barnett formula in respect of the FIF.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Animal Welfare: Finance
Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her Department's funding allocation for animal health is for each of the next four financial years. [44831]
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Mr Paice: The SR10 programme funding allocation for animal health and welfare for the next four financial years is as follows:
|
|
Allocation (£ million) |
Biodiversity
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent estimate she has made of the number of globally-threatened species present in (a) the UK, (b) England and (c) the UK Overseas Territories in each of the last five years. [45991]
Richard Benyon: Yearly estimates of globally threatened species present in the UK, England and the UK Overseas Territories (UKOTs) are not undertaken but the best available information is that there are:
(a) UK: 194 (2005-10)
(b) England: 54 (2010)
(c) UKOTs: 517 (2008).
Dairy Farming
Dan Byles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the financial effects on dairy farmers of the implementation of the provisions of the European Clean Water Directive in respect of the storage of slurry. [47632]
Richard Benyon: The financial effect on the dairy sector of the need to construct slurry storage under the Nitrates Pollution Prevention Regulations 2008 was estimated at that time to be between £15.9 million and £20.7 million. The nitrates directive (a key measure to implement the water framework directive) is implemented in England by the nitrates pollution prevention regulations.
As the total area of land eventually designated as Nitrate Vulnerable Zones comprises 62% of England, rather than the 70% on which the 2008 estimates were based, the actual financial impact is likely to have been less than suggested above.
The estimate is for England only, as this is the extent of the coverage of the regulations.
Departmental Public Bodies
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 16 March 2011, Official Report, columns 9-10WS, on the public bodies reform programme, what estimate she has made of the savings to her Department net of costs incurred in the assumption of additional departmental responsibilities to accrue from (a) the abolition of 24 public bodies within her Department's area of responsibility and (b) the change in function of seven such bodies. [48142]
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Richard Benyon [holding answer 21 March 2011]: On 16 March 2011, Official Report, column 9WS, the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General (Mr Maude) issued a written ministerial statement updating Parliament on progress on public bodies reform. That statement also announced that Departments estimate that cumulative administrative savings of at least £2.6 billion will flow from public bodies over the spending review period.
DEFRA anticipates net planned administrative savings from structural reforms of our public bodies over the spending review period of approximately £18.58 million. In addition to this, we anticipate that cumulative planned administrative reductions from all DEFRA's public bodies will be approximately £250.93 million over the spending review period in real terms.
DEFRA published spending review allocations for its arm's length bodies on our external website on 20 December 2010.
Plantations: Carlisle
John Stevenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has for the future of High Stand Plantation in Carlisle constituency. [47885]
Mr Paice: High Stand Plantation 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. It is being managed in accordance with an approved forest design plan which sets out the long-term vision for the wood, including detailed felling and restocking plans for at least a 10-year period.
Severn Estuary: Land
Mr Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many permissions have been given by the Environment Agency for the conversion of land on the Severn Estuary into wetland in each of the last five years; to whom each such permission was given; on what date; and if she will make a statement. [47557]
Richard Benyon: Flood defence consent is not required for the conversion of land into wetland, unless there is a structure involved or works are proposed within eight metres of the landward toe of a sea defence. Conversion of land to wetland would be subject to the planning process administered by the local planning authority.
The following table provides details of the two flood defence consents for structures that have been issued where land has been converted to wetland habitat through managed realignment or compensatory works.
| Flood defence consent | Description | Date granted | Granted to |
|
Realignment of tidal defence and creation of marginal habitat |
|||
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Attorney-General
Departmental Procurement
Stephen Barclay: To ask the Attorney-General in how many procurement projects with a monetary value greater than (a) £10 million, (b) £50 million and (c) £100 million (i) the Law Officers’ Departments and (ii) the agency for which he is responsible were engaged in the latest period for which figures are available. [45543]
The Solicitor-General: During financial years 2009-10 and 2010-11 only one new procurement project has been undertaken by the Law Officers’ Departments which involved costs over £10 million.
In October 2009, the CPS signed a three year extension of its ongoing contract with Information and Communications Technology (ICT) suppliers Logica and Global Crossing to supply information technology and telecommunications services until 2015. The cost of this contract extension was £125 million.
Departmental Rail Travel
Mr Godsiff: To ask the Attorney-General how many and what proportion of civil servants in the Law Officers’ Departments are entitled to travel first class by rail within the UK. [46777]
The Attorney-General: Civil servants employed by the Law Officers Departments have limited entitlement to travel by first class rail within the UK. It is expected that all travel should be undertaken by the most efficient means to ensure value for money.
However, it is accepted that in some exceptional circumstances a first class ticket may cost less than standard class or represent better value for money, or there may be a genuine business, security or disability need. In such rare instances, first class travel would only be permitted following approval by a senior manager.
Serious Fraud Office
Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Attorney-General what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on proposals to separate the investigation and prosecution functions of the Serious Fraud Office; and if he will make a statement. [47340]
The Solicitor-General: The Attorney-General and I regularly have wide-ranging discussions with the Secretary of State for the Home Department and with Home Office Ministers to consider criminal justice matters. These discussions cover, among other things, the coalition Government’s commitment to tackle white collar crime, including those investigated and prosecuted by the Serious Fraud Office, as seriously as other crime.
Communities and Local Government
Affordable Housing
Nicola Blackwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he is taking to increase the availability of affordable housing (a) in Oxford and (b) nationally. [47959]
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Grant Shapps: In England we are investing nearly £4.5 billion in new affordable housing to help deliver up to 150,000 affordable homes. We expect providers of affordable housing and local authorities to work closely to identify the level of provision needed in their areas.
The location, number and availability of affordable housing will be dependent on agreements between providers and the Homes and Communities Agency, in consultation with local authorities.
Bowling: Facilities
John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent representations he has received on the safeguarding of facilities for crown green and lawn bowling. [48524]
Robert Neill: Since May 2010, my Department has received one representation relating to safeguarding a bowling green. In the light of a proposal to sell the land by its owners, a committee member of a bowling club requested comments on protection of the green through planning policy and on the Localism Bill's community right to buy provisions.
Community Development
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) whether the community right to build programme will include (a) renovations and (b) continuations of previously halted building projects; [47895]
(2) when he expects the community right to build programme to begin operation. [47896]
Grant Shapps: The community right to build proposals are contained in the Localism Bill introduced to Parliament on 13 December 2010. The Bill’s enactment will give certain community organisations in rural and urban areas the right to bring forward a community right to build order allowing certain types of small scale development on a specific site to take place providing it meets prescribed criteria, has been subject to independent testing and has received majority support in a community referendum. Any benefits generated from developments under the community right to build will stay within the community and be used for the community’s benefit. It will be for communities to identify suitable land, sources of finance and secure support for their proposals. We hope to achieve Royal Assent on the Localism Bill as soon as parliamentary time allows.
Where renovations or the continuation of projects require planning permission, it would, in principle, be possible for community right to build orders to give permission for such projects, subject to the proposals meeting the requirements set out in the Bill and receiving a positive vote at referendum.
Disabled Facilities Grants
Mr Raynsford: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the potential demand for disabled facilities grants. [47985]
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Andrew Stunell: The Department for Communities and Local Government has commissioned the Building Research Establishment in 2009 to research and evaluate the potential demand for Disabled Facilities Grants. Details of the research are available on the Department for Communities and Local Government website:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/housing/dfgallocationmethodology
First-time Buyers
Nicola Blackwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps his Department is taking to help first-time home buyers. [47958]
Grant Shapps: The Government are committed to helping those who aspire to own their own home. At Budget we announced £210 million to support a new FirstBuy: HomeBuy scheme in England. Co-funded with house builders FirstBuy, it will help over 10,000 first-time buyers who are struggling to purchase a home because of large deposit requirements to buy a newly built home over the next two years.
I have also recently held a summit bringing together key players in the housing industry calling on them to work more closely together to help aspiring first-time buyers.
I am pleased to see that progress has been made and those on the front line of building homes and providing mortgages are stepping up their efforts to help aspiring first-time buyers get a foot on the ladder by developing new products that meet the challenges faced by first-time buyers.
Culture, Media and Sport
Departmental Hospitality
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much his Department has spent on the contents of Ministerial drinks cabinets since 12 May 2010. [48405]
John Penrose: There are no ministerial drinks cabinets in the Department.
Arts Council England
Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much funding Arts Council England allocated per head of population in the Skipton and Ripon constituency in the latest period for which figures are available. [47898]
Mr Vaizey: Arts Council England estimates a spend of £2.96 per head in Skipton and Ripon during 2009-10.
Additionally, a number of organisations funded by the Arts Council tour their work in the constituency: their funding is not represented in this total.
Julian Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much funding Arts Council England allocated per head of population in the (a) Craven local authority area, (b) Harrogate
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local authority area and
(c)
North Yorkshire county council authority area in the latest period for which figures are available. [47899]
Mr Vaizey: Arts Council England estimates spend in 2009-10 at £4.01 per head in Craven, £1.95 per head in Harrogate and £6.09 per head in North Yorkshire.
Additionally, a number of organisations funded by the Arts Council tour their work in the constituency, though their funding is not represented in the figure above.
Bowling
John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether he has made an estimate of the number of (a) crown green bowling and (b) lawn bowling facilities that have closed in England in each of the last five years. [48525]
Hugh Robertson: Neither the Department nor Sport England holds the information requested.
Digital Broadcasting: North Yorkshire
Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much his Department allocated to promoting digital television switchover in North Yorkshire in the latest period for which figures are available. [47900]
Mr Vaizey: Digital UK, the independent, not-for-profit company leading the implementation of the digital TV switchover across the UK, is responsible for co-ordinating the process and informing viewers about switchover—when it is happening in their area and what they need to do in order to be ready.
Digital UK’s communication budget is funded from a ring-fenced proportion of the BBC licence fee. The cost of the core information campaign is typically £3.80 per household. This includes advertising, roadshows, community outreach, a contact centre and website. There are estimated to be around 2.6 million households in the Yorkshire TV region.
Latest research carried out for Digital UK in the Yorkshire TV region shows that awareness of switchover was measured at 94% and three quarters of households (74%) are watching digital TV on all their sets.
Humanitarian Assistance
Tessa Jowell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much his Department budgeted for humanitarian assistance to people in the UK affected by major incidents in (a) 2009-10 and (b) 2010-11. [48073]
John Penrose: The Humanitarian Assistance Unit budget was £500,000 in each of the years 2009-10 and 2010-11.
Tessa Jowell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether any resources have been allocated to his Department’s Humanitarian Assistance Unit to support UK nationals affected by the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. [48075]
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John Penrose: The Department has not allocated any resources to support UK nationals affected by the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Any support necessary is being co-ordinated by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
Tessa Jowell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether any resources have been allocated to his Department’s Humanitarian Assistance Unit to support UK nationals affected by the situation in Libya. [48076]
John Penrose: The Department has not allocated any resources to support UK nationals affected by the situation in Libya. Any support necessary is being co-ordinated by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
Olympic Games 2012
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport which Minister is to propose the Olympic Truce resolution at the General Assembly of the United Nations. [48082]
Hugh Robertson: The UK will introduce an Olympic Truce resolution in the UN General Assembly session beginning in September 2011. No decision has yet been made about who will introduce the resolution.
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the number of special event orders needed in each London borough to facilitate the holding of events to celebrate the London 2012 Olympics; and if he will make a statement. [48528]
Hugh Robertson: Work to compile a calendar of major events which are planned to take place in London in 2012 is well under way. A large number of boroughs, event organisers, cultural institutions and other organisations have registered information which will be shared with relevant public agencies to help with resource planning. Following evaluation, detailed discussions with boroughs and event organisers about planning can begin from summer 2011.
Tourism
Dr Wollaston: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the effect of his tourism strategy on (a) seaside towns, (b) rural communities and (c) Dartmoor National Park and other areas of outstanding natural beauty. [47528]
John Penrose: Over the next four years we are aiming to attract 4 million extra visitors to Britain adding £2 billion additional expenditure and creating 50,000 jobs through the new £100 million overseas tourism marketing fund.
In measurable terms we should increase the proportion of UK residents who holiday in the UK to match those who holiday abroad each year. For longer stays (four nights or more) this would mean 29% of travellers holidaying in Britain rather than just 20% today (creating 4.5 million extra domestic trips each year, £1.3 billion more spend and 26,000 new jobs). And if we can
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replicate this scale of improvement for shorter stays as well, we will create a further £750 million of spend and 11,000 new jobs.
I am afraid we have not broken these figures down into the particular categories suggested in this question.
Business, Innovation and Skills
Departmental Hospitality
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much his Department has spent on the contents of ministerial drinks cabinets since 12 May 2010. [48413]
Mr Davey: There has been no purchases made for this purpose.
Business Link
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has for future funding of Business Link; and if he will make a statement. [48318]
Mr Prisk: The Government’s plans for modernising the provision of publicly funded support, information and advice for business were set out in the ‘Bigger, Better Business’ pamphlet published on 5 January 2011. The regional Business Link advisory service will close by the end of November this year. The Businesslink website will continue and be enhanced, supported by a new national contact centre for those who cannot access the information they need on the website.
Following the spending review, the nine Regional Development Agencies will receive £92 million for 2011/12 to fund the regional Business Link advisory service’s core information, diagnostics and brokerage offer.
www.businesslink.gov.uk
is a matter for HM Revenue and Customs, who outsource the provision. The new national contact centre is subject to a tendering exercise.
Micro-business: Statutory Rights
Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the level of savings to the public purse which will result from a reduction in administration costs through exempting micro businesses from regulations on (a) maternity rights, (b) right to request flexible leave, (c) removal of the default retirement age and (d) flexible parental leave. [48219]
Mr Davey [holding answer 22 March 2011]: On (a) and (d), the Government have no plans to exempt micro-businesses from current statutory maternity or parental leave provisions.
On (b), the Government have recently announced that they are going to repeal—for all employers—the regulations extending the right to request flexible working to parents of 17-year-olds, which were due to come into force on 6 April. This extension would have imposed no
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burdens on the public purse; but would have imposed a total administrative cost of £456,000 per annum on employers.
On (c), the Government are committed to removing the default retirement age, including the associated administrative procedures. We do not intend to provide for a default retirement age applicable only to micro businesses. We estimate a net benefit to the public purse from the implementation of this policy of over £120 million per annum.
Companies House: Enforcement
Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the outcome was of the investigation into the enforcement by Companies House of the provisions of sections 409 and 410 of the Companies Act 2006 in respect of the submission by businesses of lists of their subsidiary companies; what steps he is taking to ensure enforcement of the legislation; and what assessment he has made of the effect on this activity of the proposed reduction in staff numbers at Companies House. [48929]
Mr Davey: Companies House is currently responding to complaints about the failure of certain companies to disclose the required details of their overseas subsidiaries. In accordance with their established practice Companies House will seek to secure compliance with the legislation rather than embark immediately on retributive action.
Prosecution is an option that would normally only be undertaken in the light of a persistent and wilful failure to comply with the legislation and would be subject to the normal considerations under the Crown Prosecution Service guidelines.
The proposed reduction in staff numbers at Companies House will not have any effect on this activity.
Dairy Products
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans his Department has to support the development of export markets for UK dairy producers (a) in the Far East and China and (b) elsewhere. [48522]
Mr Prisk: The full range of UKTI services, including access to trade fairs and support delivered in the regions and by overseas Posts, is open to all eligible UK based companies seeking to develop export markets, including those in the dairy sector. UKTI commercial staff in China have, for example, recently assisted the dairy industry to pursue animal health and geographical indications issues with the Chinese authorities.
Departmental Assets
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether receipts from the sale of assets owned by regional development agencies are reflected in the spending plans of his Department for (a) 2012-13 and (b) 2013-14. [47416]
Mr Prisk
[holding answer 17 March 2011]: The spending review settlement for regional development agencies (RDAs) is net of receipts and anticipates £61.5 million of receipts in 2012/13 and £43.5 million in 2013/14.
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These figures include income from different sources, including asset sales forecast to occur in the normal course of business. These receipts, along with the resources provided by the spending review, will fund the spending required to complete existing RDA legal commitments in respect of projects already under way.
Departmental Expenditure
Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what expenditure (a) his Department and (b) each public body sponsored by his Department incurred on engaging external audit services in each of the last three years; and to which service providers such payments were made in each year. [43756]
Mr Davey: The notional and actual fees for auditing the core Department's accounts, and the consolidated accounts of the Department (and the name of the provider), are included in the Department's annual report and accounts which are published each year on the BIS website. Fees for the Department's executive agencies and public bodies sponsored by the Department would be published in the annual accounts of each body.
Expenditure on other external audit services is not held centrally and could be collated only at disproportionate cost.
East of England Development Agency
Mr Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what options he is considering for the disposal of the assets and liabilities of the East of England Development Agency; and on what date after receipt of its assets and liabilities plan he proposes to issue his conclusions. [46808]
Mr Prisk [holding answer 17 March 2011]: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Gloucester (Richard Graham) on 9 March 2011, Official Report, column 1183W. The East of England Development Agency has submitted a detailed assets and liabilities plan, which is currently being scrutinised by Government. Information will be made available in due course, once in-principle decisions have been made on appropriate methods of disposal for particular types of assets.
Environment Protection: Employment
Tristram Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to support growth in levels of employment in (a) remanufacturing and (b) other environmental industries. [45203]
Mr Prisk:
Remanufacturing is an important feature of the move to a low carbon economy. Any process which reduces costs, waste and carbon emissions, whilst meeting demand and serving the economy, is to be welcomed. Job creation must though come from the private sector. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills,(BIS), working with the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), is carrying out a review of energy intensive sectors, such as iron, steel and
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aluminium, which will consider how remanufacturing—and recycling—will play a role in ensuring the future competitiveness of these sectors in the low carbon economy. In the revised waste framework directive the waste hierarchy is now a priority order providing a strong driver to encourage greater reuse and recycling.
We are also working to create a Green Economy Roadmap which is a joint initiative between BIS, DECC and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, to provide clarity to business on the green economy, the Government’s policy intentions and the implications for business over the next 10 years. We will be publishing details later in the year.
Environment Protection: Investment
John Stevenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to encourage businesses to invest in environmental projects. [47288]
Mr Prisk [holding answer 22 March 2011]: The Department is developing a Green Economy Roadmap with colleagues from the Department of Energy and Climate Change and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which will provide greater clarity to businesses on the opportunities, requirements and implications as we green our economy.
Higher Education: Finance
Dr Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the reputational effects of the use of funds from (a) Libya, (b) former Nazi sources and (c) other oppressive regimes by UK universities; and if he will make a statement. [47581]
Mr Willetts: Universities are autonomous institutions. Each will set its own standards for, and assess the reputational effect of, the acceptance and use of donations. As charities, all English universities should follow guidance on the receipt of donations from the Charity Commission and any additional guidance from the Higher Education Funding Council for England in its role as principal regulator under the Charities Act 2006.
The Department does not hold information on the provenance of donations to universities in England and has made no central assessment of reputational effects.
Dr Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will (a) draw-up and (b) promulgate a code of practice for higher education establishments in respect of the use of funds from oppressive regimes for sponsorship of (i) studentships and (ii) academic posts. [47583]
Mr Willetts: Higher education institutions (HEIs) are autonomous institutions and are charities. The regulator of charities in England and Wales is the Charity Commission and, if a relevant English HEI, the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), as principal regulator under the Charities Act 2006.
As a charity, each HEI will set its own standards for the acceptance of donations and must apply its income to deliver its charitable purposes for the public benefit. In doing so, HEIs need to give due notice to guidance
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on the receipt of donations and public benefit published by the Charity Commission and HEFCE. The Department does not plan to issue additional guidance.
Micro-business: Regulation
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what meetings (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department have had with interested parties on micro-business regulation. [48319]
Mr Prisk: Ministers have regular meetings with business representative bodies. The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills has established an Entrepreneurs' Forum which met in January for the first time. A Small Business Economic Forum has also been established, which met in October 2010 and January.
I met with the Federation of Small Businesses, Institute of Directors and Confederation of British Industry most recently on 14 March.
Northwest Regional Development Agency
Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he has made an assessment of the effect on the economy of the Northwest Regional Development Agency’s rural development programme. [45798]
Mr Paice: I have been asked to reply.
The Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) currently delivers axes 1 and 3 of the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) in the north-west region, in line with a Regional Implementation Plan. The RDPE has recently been subject to a Mid Term Evaluation which examined its progress for England as a whole against a wide range of indicators, including the impact of the programme on the rural economy to the extent that this was observable at the mid-term stage. The evaluation included a case study on the implementation of the RDPE in the north-west of England (including those elements delivered by the NWDA). The Mid Term Evaluation will be published shortly.
Overseas Trade
Mr Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills which foreign-owned companies based in (a) Brazil, (b) Russia, (c) India and (d) China have made the largest contributions to the UK economy in the latest period for which figures are available. [48342]
Mr Prisk: UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) is the Government department responsible for attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) to the UK, and enhancing the competitiveness of companies in the UK through overseas trade and investment. UKTI does not collect data which show the respective economic contribution to the UK economy of individual foreign-owned companies. UKTI does record the number of FDI projects entering the UK each year, together with the investing companies' estimates of associated jobs and (where made available) capital expenditure for the first three years of each FDI project. Companies are not required to provide capital expenditure data, and data gathered are therefore a partial data set.
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Within the overall total for the UK, the figures for the latest period (financial year 2009-10) for Brazil, India and China are shown in the following table. There
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were no UKTI-recorded FDI projects from Russia that year.
| Market | UKTI-recorded FDI projects | Number of new jobs | Number of s afeguarded Jobs | Total number of associated jobs | Capital investment estimates , where supplied ( £ million ) | Number of projects for which capital investment estimates supplied |
| Source: UKTI | ||||||
Professional Organisations
Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will assess the merits of introducing mandatory membership of independent professional bodies for professionals working in those employment sectors within his remit. [44187]
Mr Hayes: Professional standards, including occupational licensing, can be a powerful way of raising ambition in skills and training provision contributing to greater productivity and growth in a sector. They can also be effective in addressing wider product market failures including consumer protection and health and safety. In “Skills for Sustainable Growth” the Government made the commitment to encourage and support the development of new industry-led professional standards. Employers are best placed to decide on the specifics of any approach themselves, such as whether membership of a professional body should be mandatory or otherwise.
In the further education (FE) sector the Government will continue to support measures to ensure that we have a professionally-qualified teaching workforce. Current regulations require all FE teachers working in the publicly funded part of the sector to be members of the independent Institute for Learning established by teachers in FE themselves in 2002. The Government remain fully committed to the professional status of the FE teaching work force.
Regional Development Agencies: Finance
Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the monetary value is of the residual assets of regional development agencies that have been transferred to the Homes and Communities Agency. [48833]
Mr Prisk: No residual RDA assets have yet been transferred to the Homes and Communities Agency.
Justice
Court Orders
Mr Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many applications for enforcement orders in respect of contact orders under section 8 of the Children Act 1989 were granted to parents in 2009. [48502]
Mr Djanogly: There was a total of 42 enforcement orders made in respect of contact orders in the county courts and family proceedings courts of England and Wales, in 2009. However, information about to which party contact orders are issued is not held centrally.
Legal Advice and Assistance
Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many family law matter starts the Legal Services Commission allocated when the initial results of the 2010 family law tender were announced; and how many such starts each successful bidder (a) returned or (b) reduced following the abandonment of the tender. [48460]
Mr Djanogly: As the tender for family services was quashed by the administrative court, no matter starts awarded could be returned or reduced under the new contract following the order quashing the tender.
Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many complaints the Legal Services Commission has recorded from (a) members of the judiciary, (b) hon. Members, (c) legal services providers and (d) others about its tender process for the family law contract; when each was received; and how each was (i) recorded and (ii) subsequently handled by the Commission. [48461]
Mr Djanogly: The LSC received 149 letters in relation to the family tender between 12 July 2010 and 22 November 2010. 43 of these were recorded as complaints.
Of the 43 recorded as complaints the following breakdown can be provided: (a) five from the judiciary; (b) 12 from MPs; (c) 18 from providers; (d) eight from others including three from provider representative bodies. They were all recorded on a central log and responded to by post or e-mail.
Legal Services Commission: Complaints
Rosie Cooper:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many complaints the Legal Services Commission has (a) received and (b) recorded and dealt with within (i) three, (ii) 10 and (iii) 14 working days of receipt (A)
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since the appointment of its current chief executive and (B) in respect of the family law tender process conducted in 2010. [48459]
Mr Djanogly: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.
Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what guidance the Legal Services Commission follows in determining what constitutes a complaint made (a) to the Commission and (b) about its services; and what arrangements were made to (i) advise and (ii) train (A) the chairman, (B) the Chief Executive, (C) other personnel in the chief executive’s office and (D) the legal director of the Commission in its complaints procedures. [48462]
Mr Djanogly: The LSC defines a complaint in its customer service standards as:
“Any communication received by the Legal Services Commission that expresses a negative comment regarding the Commission and the service we provide.”
As part of its commitment to customer service, the LSC has communicated its complaints guidance to all staff. All managers are expected to ensure that their teams are aware of the complaints procedures, and an online customer service training course is available for this purpose.
The chairman is responsible for ensuring that the LSC is delivering high standards of regularity and propriety, including ensuring that a robust complaints procedure is in place.
The chief executive is responsible for the day-to-day operations and management of the LSC, including ensuring that effective procedures for handling complaints about the LSC are maintained and made widely known within the LSC. The chief executive, the legal director and personnel in the chief executive’s office are fully conversant with the complaints procedures.
Prisoners: Mass Media
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 16 March 2011, Official Report, column 463W, on prisoners: mass media, which (a) external and (b) internal stakeholders were consulted on the production of PSI 37/2010. [48467]
Mr Blunt: The external stakeholders consulted on the draft Prison Service Instruction (PSI) 37/2010 Prisoners’ Access to the Media prior to publication were the prisons and probation ombudsman, Her Majesty’s chief inspector of prisons, the Independent Monitoring Boards Secretariat and the Youth Justice Board.
In addition, a wide range of colleagues in the Ministry of Justice and National Offender Management Service were invited to comment. This included those responsible for the victim liaison scheme.
Work-based Stress
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what arrangements are in place in his Department to (a) reduce levels of work-based stress and (b) provide assistance to staff diagnosed with such stress. [48202]
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Mr Djanogly: Ministry of Justice policies mandate that:
An assessment is made of the risks to employee health from stress and other psychological hazards;
procedures are implemented to manage and mitigate those risks, and
support is provided for staff experiencing stress or psychological harm as a result of their work.
Managers and staff share responsibility for assessing and managing stress at work. MoJ provides detailed guidance on how these actions should be carried out and the arrangements which should be followed; this also applies with regard to staff who are exposed to potentially traumatising incidents.
Managers and staff have access to support through occupational health and employee assistance services, which include confidential counselling and other psychological therapeutic interventions as appropriate. Managers must consider referral to occupational health services in all cases where staff are absent through sickness with stress-related problems.
Defence
Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations
Mr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had on increasing the area of secure zone in Afghanistan beyond Kabul. [47385]
Dr Fox: The main effort of Afghan and international forces remains in southern Afghanistan, and UK forces continue to play a key role in the central Helmand area. Expansion of security within Kabul and surrounding provinces has also been an important part of the campaign and where significant progress has been made in recent months as General Petraeus and I discussed on my last visit to Afghanistan.
Mr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department is taking to prepare for any spring offensive by the Taliban in Afghanistan. [47386]
Dr Fox: The Ministry of Defence has recently completed a review of deployed forces and judges that force levels and posture are robust enough to deal with any spring offensive by the Taliban in UK areas of operation. The high tempo and aggressive operations carried out over the winter months to disrupt the Taliban will continue.
Mr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate his Department has made of the likely force density of UK troops in Afghanistan in 2015. [47387]
Dr Fox: The Prime Minister has given a clear public commitment that there will not be British troops in a combat role or in Afghanistan in significant numbers in 2015. However, the UK will continue to have an enduring relationship with Afghanistan based on trade, aid and development, and on training Afghan troops and building that capacity for the future.
The Ministry of Defence is considering options for our military contribution post-2015; no decisions have yet been taken.
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Mr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of trends in the performance of the Afghan National Security Forces. [47429]
Dr Fox: The International Security Assistance Force and the Afghan Government are involved in a continual assessment process that looks at the performance and capabilities of the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF). As I explained to the House on 14 February 2011, Official Report, columns 732-35, there have been significant advances in both the size and capabilities of the ANSF.
Both the Afghan national army and Afghan national police met their growth objectives for 2010, and are on track to meet the targets for 2011, agreed at the Kabul conference last year.
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects the new runway at Camp Bastion to enter into service; and what types of aircraft he expects it to be able to accommodate. [48069]
Nick Harvey: The new runway at Bastion opened on 10 February 2011 and routine flying commenced on 1 March 2011. It is suitable for strategic air transport aircraft.
Armed Forces: Health Services
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to improve the assistance given to soldiers to prepare them for life upon return from tours of duty. [45857]
Mr Robathan: The Ministry of Defence has made, and continues to make, significant progress in managing operational stress and the transition back to life at home through a number of initiatives. Key among these are that:
Trauma risk management is standard practice across all three services to manage traumatic stress through peer mentoring throughout the operational deployment.
Prior to returning to their home base, all personnel who have been deployed for more than 30 days will undergo ‘decompression’ in Cyprus to improve the quality of homecoming.
Each service has specific recovery capabilities designed to manage injured personnel and bring them back to full fitness for operations or to prepare them for civilian life.
In addition, there is an ongoing programme of independent research to generate a deeper understanding of mental health issues. Those returning home after an operational deployment will also have access to the welfare support services, such as chaplaincy and confidential support lines, which are also available to armed forces personnel other than those returning from deployment.
Army: Military Bases
Mr Jim Murphy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the changes to existing UK bases required in order to accommodate troops scheduled to return from Germany under the recommendations of the Strategic Defence and Security
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Review; and what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of such changes. [47606]
Nick Harvey: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave him and the hon. Member for Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport (Oliver Colvile) on 16 March 2011, Official Report, column 361W.
Departmental Disclosure of Information
Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many staff of his Department have been questioned as part of the inquiry established to determine responsibility for the unauthorised disclosure of the letter from the Secretary of State to the Prime Minister published in T he Daily Telegraph on 28 September 2010; [47913]
(2) when he expects the inquiry to determine responsibility for the unauthorised disclosure of the letter from the Secretary of State to the Prime Minister published in The Daily Telegraph on 28 September 2010 to report; [47914]
(3) what progress his Department has made in establishing responsibility for the unauthorised disclosure of the letter from the Secretary of State to the Prime Minister published in The Daily Telegraph on 28 September 2010; [47915]
(4) how much the inquiry established to determine responsibility for the unauthorised disclosure of the letter from the Secretary of State to the Prime Minister published in The Daily Telegraph on 28 September 2010 has cost to date; [47916]
(5) whether the inquiry established to determine responsibility for the unauthorised disclosure of the letter from the Secretary of State to the Prime Minister published in The Daily Telegraph on 28 September 2010 has reported any interim findings; and if he will make a statement. [47917]
Dr Fox [holding answer 21 March 2011]:The Ministry of Defence investigation is ongoing. I am not prepared to comment further, nor to speculate when the inquiries may be complete.
Departmental Public Expenditure
Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what discussions he has had with the Comptroller and Auditor General on the methodology of the National Audit Office for calculating the unfunded liability in his Department’s budget over the next 10 years; [47337]
(2) what discussions he has had with the Comptroller and Auditor General on the estimate by (a) the National Audit Office and (b) his Department of the unfunded liability in his Department’s budget over the next 10 years. [47338]
Dr Fox: In the future, as part of implementing the recommendations of the Gray Report, we plan to provide, in conjunction with the National Audit Office, an annual statement of the affordability of the equipment programme against the Defence budget. Officials continue to discuss with the National Audit Office how this might best be achieved.
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HMS Gannet
Mr Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) payroll and (b) running costs of the HMS Gannet search and rescue flight were in (i) 2008-09 and (ii) 2009-10; and what the estimate is of such costs in 2010-11. [47892]
Nick Harvey: The payroll and running costs incurred by Navy Command in respect of HMS Gannet search and rescue flight are provided in the following table:
| £ | |||
|
|
FY 2008-09 | FY 2009-10 | FY 2010-11 (1) |
| (1) Financial year 2010-11 year to date figures have been extrapolated. | |||
These figures reflect costs attributed directly to HMS Gannet’s unit identification number: other costs such as IT and utilities may be incurred by the establishment but are not separately identifiable. Similarly, costs for Engineering Support to HMS Gannet fall to RNAS Culdrose under the Aviation Engineering Multi Activity Contract and are not separately identifiable. Receipts reflect search and rescue income from the Maritime Coastguard Agency and Scottish Ambulance Service.
Indonesia: Foreign Relations
Mr Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the state of defence and security relations between the UK and Indonesia; and if he will make a statement. [47333]
Nick Harvey: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Mid Sussex (Nicholas Soames) on 28 February 2011, Official Report, columns 80-81W.
Nuclear Weapons
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects the logistics plan for implementing the reduction in nuclear weapons numbers announced in the Strategic Defence and Security Review to be completed; when it is intended to commence the return of warheads to the Atomic Weapons Establishment for decommissioning; and when the reduction in stockpile size will be complete. [47825]
Dr Fox: I will write to the hon. Member.
Rescue Services: Helicopters
Mr Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many search and rescue helicopters are in operation (a) nationally and (b) at each base; on which date each helicopter was first used; and if he will make a statement. [47890]
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Nick Harvey: UK Search and Rescue (SAR) helicopter capability is provided from a pool of 38 military and seven civilian operated helicopters based at 12 SAR bases, each of which is required to field at least one helicopter to incidents during their operating hours.
Details of the SAR stations at which dedicated SAR helicopters are based and first dates of entry into service as are shown in the following table:
| Station | Number of aircraft at each station | In-service date |
| (1) Indicates brace | ||
For military SAR helicopters dates of entry into service are for the particular fleets of aircraft. Military SAR helicopters not dedicated to UK SAR tasks will undertake other military tasks, SAR training or depth maintenance.
Strategic Defence and Security Review
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the new employment model announced in the strategic defence and security review; what assessment he has made of the likely effects of the implementation of the model on (a) former and (b) current service personnel; what timetable he has set for the introduction of the model; and whether the introduction of the model will have any consequences for his Department’s budget. [45916]
Mr Robathan: The new employment model (NEM) programme aims to examine how we might strike a better balance between the requirements of service and the demands placed on service personnel and their families, adjusting where necessary to promote greater stability in service life while continuing to recognise the impact of mobility.
Detailed work is due to commence in April 2011 and report in the summer of 2012. The intent is that policy changes will be implemented from April 2014, but it is too early at this stage to quantify the potential budgetary impact. We do not anticipate that any changes will affect service personnel who leave prior to the introduction of the NEM.
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Third Sector
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what account he has taken of the compact between the Government and civil society in policy development. [42602]
Dr Fox: The compact between the coalition Government and civil society organisations was agreed and launched on 16 December 2010. It was accompanied for the first time by guidance on accountability and transparency, ensuring that Government Departments as well as civil society organisations are clear about the level of commitment and the implications for not following the compact. The Cabinet Office considers policy that is relevant to civil society organisations from a compact perspective, ensuring that it is adhered to, and where it is not possible for whatever reason, that this is explained to the sector in an open and transparent manner.
Work and Pensions
Departmental Hospitality
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department has spent on the contents of ministerial drinks cabinets since 12 May 2010. [48400]
Chris Grayling: This Department does not have any ministerial drinks cabinets so has spent nothing on their contents.
Autism
Mr Brine: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to take into account the needs of people with autism in designing the assessment procedure for the personal independence payment. [44821]
Maria Miller: The assessment is being developed in collaboration with an independent group of specialists in health, social care and disability, including disabled people. We know it is essential that it accurately captures the needs of disabled people with autistic spectrum disorders and this is something that the development group is considering. For example, they believe that the new assessment should explicitly take account of the impact of a health condition or impairment, including autistic spectrum disorders, on an individual’s ability to communicate. This would set it apart from the current DLA assessment. Both I and departmental officials have met with the National Autistic Society to discuss our reform proposals and to seek their views on how the new benefit can best support those with autism. We will continue to work with disabled people and their organisations as the detail of the assessment criteria and its operation is developed and tested.
Child Support
Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will undertake research to establish the number of children who live in separated families for whom effective arrangements are in place. [39083]
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Maria Miller: The Department for Work and Pensions regularly reviews its research requirements. Specific research proposals are considered under a range of criteria, including evidence priorities and value for money.
The Green Paper ‘Strengthening families, promoting parental responsibility: the future of child maintenance’ has set out the coalition Government's vision for child maintenance. The research required to support these proposed policies will be considered against the wider departmental requirements.
Currently more than three million children live in separated families and around 50% do not receive child maintenance.
Childcare
Mr Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people he expects to receive payments for childcare from the public purse to cover (a) 90 per cent. or more, (b) 80 per cent. or more and (c) 70 per cent. or more of the cost of childcare in each of the next four years. [46406]
Maria Miller: The information available is in the table. It covers the number of households we expect to benefit from the child care element of tax credits in the current and next three years.
The child care element of tax credits in 2010-11 covers up to 80% of child care costs of up to £175 a week for one child and £300 a week for two or more children. From April 2011 the proportion is 70%.
Some families may have a lower proportion of their costs covered because either their costs exceed the maximum limits supported in tax credits, or because they are on the taper so have had some of their support tapered away. We cannot estimate the number of families in this position as we do not know the proportion of costs that the amounts paid out represent for all families.
Some of these families will be able to disregard child care payments from their earnings in housing benefit and council tax benefit. Where this is the case they can see over 90% of their costs covered. Administrative data showing the number of people benefiting from the additional disregard in those benefits are not available.
|
|
Households benefiting from the child care element of tax credits |
We are currently unable to offer the requested information for estimates after the introduction of the universal credit in 2013. As the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions said at Second Reading of the Welfare Reform Bill, we will be supporting the costs of child care with an additional element in the universal credit and we will invest at least the same amount of money as in the present system. More detailed proposals are under consideration and will be announced during passage of the Bill.
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Ministerial Policy Advisers
Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department has spent on (a) salaries and (b) pension entitlements for special advisers in the financial year 2010-11 to date. [46567]
Chris Grayling: The Government publish, on a quarterly basis, the names of special advisers by Department, including each special adviser's pay band, and actual salary where this is £58,200 or higher, together with details of special advisers' pay ranges. The latest list, which includes an estimate of the total pay bill and pension costs for 2010-11, was published on the Cabinet Office website on 10 March 2011:
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/special-adviser-data-releases
Details of pension arrangements are set out in the Model contract for Special Advisers also published on the Cabinet Office website.
Disability Living Allowance
Margaret Curran: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the likely number of people affected by his proposal to change the qualifying period for disability living allowance from three months to six months. [35509]
Maria Miller: On 6 December 2010 we launched a consultation on the reform of disability living allowance with the key proposal of a new benefit, to be known as personal independence payment, which will be introduced from 2013. The consultation proposed that the personal independence payment will have a six month qualifying period and a six month prospective test. The consultation closed on 14 February.
The personal independence payment is designed to support individuals with long-term conditions. Other support is available to provide necessary financial support, such as NHS travel costs, free prescriptions, aids, and adaptations provided by the NHS or the local authority and through a range of social security benefits depending on their circumstances during this period, including access to employment and support allowance. As for disability living allowance, claims for personal independence payment may be made during the qualifying period meaning that dependent upon the nature of the impact of their disability claimants may not have to wait six months before payment can start.
As the new assessment for personal independence payment has not yet been finalised no estimate is available for the numbers who will receive the new benefit and therefore will be affected by the change to the qualifying period.
Margaret Hodge: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many applications for the mobility component of disability living allowance were made by residents of care homes in the London borough of Barking and Dagenham in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [47241]
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Maria Miller: We are unable to say how many residents of care homes in the London borough of Barking and Dagenham have applied for the mobility component of disability living allowance in each of the last five years.
This is because our management information systems do not provide us with details of customers living in care homes or which council district they live in. Although this level of detail is held on the person’s records we estimate that there would be a disproportionate cost to the Department in having to extract this information.
Employment and Support Allowance
Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for what period of time people eligible for employment and support allowance (ESA) will receive additional transitional payments where their incapacity benefit payments are more than their newly-assessed ESA rate. [48188]
Chris Grayling: People who move from old-style incapacity benefits to employment and support allowance will receive transitional protection payments if the level of employment and support allowance they receive is less than their incapacity benefits payments. This is to ensure that potentially vulnerable customers do not lose out as a result of the reassessment.
Transitional payments will continue to be made until April 2020. Transitional payments will cease earlier if the annual uprating of employment and support allowance means that the amount of employment and support allowance to which a customer is entitled becomes equal to their previous award of incapacity benefits. If this was to happen before 2020, the customer would no longer need a transitional allowance.
If a customer ceases to be entitled to employment and support allowance, for example if they become well enough to get a job, they will no longer be entitled to a transitional payment.
Employment Rights
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people worked on the enforcement of employment rights and related protections in the Health and Safety Executive in each of the last five years; how many people he expects to work on such matters in that body in each of the next three years; and if he will make a statement. [47438]
Chris Grayling: The information requested is not available in the specified format. The HSE currently has nine authorised working time officers, whose role includes handling complaints received about provisions under the Working Time Regulations 1998 that the HSE enforce. In addition, HSE inspectors are authorised to enforce the same provisions. We do not envisage any significant change to the resources devoted to this work over the next three years.
Poverty and Social Exclusion
Priti Patel:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) with reference to the conclusions of the 3037th Employment, Social, Health and Consumer Affairs Council meeting on the European Platform against Poverty and Social Exclusion, what assessment
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he has made of the likely effect on the UK of the implementation of the European framework for social and territorial cohesion; [46854]
(2) whether the Employment Council conclusions on the European Platform against Poverty and Social Exclusion require the UK to finalise national targets on social inclusion and poverty; what assessment he has made of the effect on the UK of the actions expected of member states; and if he will make a statement. [46860]
Chris Grayling: The Council Conclusions on the European Platform against Poverty and Social Exclusion carries forward the June 2010 European Council Conclusions on the Europe 2020 Strategy for Jobs and Growth, which ask member states to finalise their national targets taking into account individual starting positions, national circumstances and national decision-making procedures.
The Child Poverty Act sets clear targets for the Government in respect of child poverty. This will be our contribution to the EU wide target on poverty and social exclusion in the National Reform Programme which will be submitted to the Commission in April 2011.
I also refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to her question number 44416 on 9 March 2011, Official Report, column 1080W.
Remploy
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was spent by Remploy on hotel and conference facilities in each year since 2005. [41494]
Maria Miller: To ensure Remploy can continue to operate its Modernisation Plan funding and to reflect the fiscal constraints faced by Government since May 2010 the organisation has either not attended or curtailed their presence at nine conference/exhibitions. A balance will be struck between the need to promote the organisation’s work and the need for fiscal constraint.
Remploy are in discussions with DWP and Buying Solutions to explore how they may use Government hotel and travel booking services to make further savings on expenditure. Buying Solutions is the professional buying organisation that provides central procurement services as part of the efficiency and reform group of the Cabinet Office.
The information that is available is provided in the following table.
| £ | |||||
|
|
2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 |
| 1 Prior to 2009, Remploy did not record expenditure on hotels separately, when an automated expenses system was introduced in the company. For the years 2005-06 to 2007-08, the table therefore provides overall expenditure under the travel classification which includes hotels and meals. | |||||
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Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people Remploy employment services has assisted to find (a) part-time and (b) full-time employment lasting more than (i) three months, (b) six months and (iii) a year in each of the last five years. [43119]
Maria Miller: Full-time job starts are counted on vacancies of 16 hours or more per week. Part-time job starts are for vacancies offering less than 16 hours per week.
The figures shown include the full range of services delivered through Remploy Employment Services including Workstep and Work Choice that replaced Workstep in October 2010.
Please note that numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10, therefore the totals may not add up due to rounding.
The information requested is provided in the following table:
Social Security Benefits
Mr Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to his Department's impact assessment on fraud penalties and sanctions, how many cases resulting in (a) a £350 minimum fine and (b) a £50 civil penalty he expects there to be in each year to 2014-15. [46410]
Chris Grayling: Estimates of the number of cases resulting in (a) a £350 minimum fine and (b) a £50 civil penalty are set out in the following table. These take into account historical sanction data, increasing the number of fraud investigators, improving use of data and analytics and introducing a penalty for attempted fraud. The measures will be introduced in 2012.
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|
|
2012-13 | 2013-14 | 2014-15 |
| (1) This figure includes those who will have a fixed £350 penalty where the overpayment is up to £700, as well as those above this where the penalty will be 50% of the benefit overpayment, subject to a maximum of £2,000. Note: Figures are rounded to the nearest thousand. | |||
Social Security Benefits: Children
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will assess the effect on levels of access by children to payments under (a) the proposal made of payment to couple families with children and (b) the existing tax credit system. [47092]
Maria Miller: The universal credit award is intended to be paid as a single amount per household, including couple households. We are allowing members of the couple to decide between them whether the money goes into a joint account or if it is received by one or other of them. It is then for the household to decide who in the family has access to funds and how any money, including benefit income and wages, is used to budget for household costs. There may be exceptional cases that require state intervention to ensure that the rest of the family, including the children, benefit from the payment: we are considering the best ways of providing support in those cases.
In the current tax credit system, certain elements are paid to the parent who is identified as the main carer for the children but the way in which funds are actually used will similarly depend on household management of finances.
Social Security Benefits: Pay Methods
Sarah Newton: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in each postcode area of Truro and Falmouth constituency were paid benefits of each type by girocheque in the latest period for which figures are available. [47816]
Chris Grayling: The information is not available in the format requested as data are not held by postcode areas and relate to benefit accounts rather than people.
As at September 2010, there were 410 pension or benefit accounts paid by cheque in the Truro and Falmouth constituency. These were made up of 180 state pension and/or pension credit accounts, and 220 other benefit accounts.
Due to the very small numbers involved, it would be inappropriate to break down figures any further as this could potentially compromise the privacy of individual customers.
Work-based Stress
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what arrangements are in place in his Department to (a) reduce levels of work-based stress and (b) provide assistance to staff diagnosed with such stress. [48192]
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Chris Grayling: The DWP has suitable and sufficient policies and arrangements in place to tackle work-related stress.
Preventative measures include:
The Department’s Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) which provides staff and managers with a range of support services including workshops and awareness training on, among other things:
preventing pressure becoming stress
developing strategies to cope with change
building resilience
The DWP ‘live well work well’ well-being programme which provides employees with a wealth of on-site and on-line help and advice on identifying, and practical ways to reduce, work related stress.
Organisationally, the Annual Staff Survey identifies work-related stress with managers responsible for creating focus groups and improvement action planning for their teams to deal with specific issues identified.
Individually, line managers are trained to identify and manage stress and are required to complete individual stress risk assessments for their staff where appropriate.
The EAP also provides access to a free 24 hour helpline, including information and counselling, to support individuals with stress related issues.
The Department’s Occupational Health service also provides advice to managers and employees, from professional occupational health clinicians, to help the employee manage their condition better at work or to return to work from sick leave. This would include advice on practical adjustments or additional measures that can be taken to support the employee.
Unemployment: Bexley
Mr Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of people in Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency who have been out of work for more than 12 months. [36205]
Chris Grayling: This is a matter for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), however I have been asked to reply.
The ONS compiles unemployment statistics for local areas from the Annual Population Survey following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions. However, due to sample size, estimates of unemployment for the requested duration and geography are not available. As an alternative the ONS have provided the number of persons claiming jobseeker’s allowance for the Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency.
There were 250 people resident in Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency in receipt of jobseeker’s allowance for over 12 months in January 2011.
National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
Universal Credit
Mr Bain:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the cost in administration incurred in dividing payments of universal credit
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between both partners in couple households in the first two years of its operation. [46771]
Chris Grayling: One of the key aims of universal credit will be to significantly reduce the administration costs. We are at the moment designing the detailed processes so it is not yet possible to estimate the administrative costs associated with a universal credit payment.
Universal Credit: Equality
David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the effect of the introduction of universal credit on equality between men and women. [48176]
Chris Grayling: We published a universal credit equality impact assessment on 8 March 2011, this is available on the Department for Work and Pensions website:
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/eia-universal-credit-wr2011.pdf
Welfare State: Reform
Mr Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) with reference to paragraph 31 of his Department’s impact assessment on conditionality measures in the Welfare Reform Bill what assessment he has made of potential future trends in the number of (a) sanctions and (b) disentitlement decisions; [46381]
(2) with reference to his Department’s impact assessment on conditionality measures in the Welfare Reform Bill, how many people he estimates will receive a benefit sanction under each level of financial penalty in each year to 2015-16. [46385]
Chris Grayling: The Welfare Reform Bill sets the framework for changes to the application of sanctions under existing benefits and also introduces a framework for the application of conditionality and sanctions under universal credit. These reforms will elicit behavioural responses that are difficult to predict. Consequently, the Department has not forecast the number of benefit sanctions or disentitlements.
However, the Department does hold data on the annual number of sanctions and disentitlements received by jobseeker’s allowance (JSA) claimants. In 2009-10 there were:
159,950 decisions to impose a sanction;
331,230 decisions to disentitle (eg for claimants who fail to actively seek or be available for work);
Totalling 491,180 sanction and disentitlement decisions.
Winter Fuel Payments
Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many winter fuel payments were made to households in (a) England, (b) the North East, (c) Teesside and (d) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency in each of the last 10 years. [47746]
Steve Webb: The information that is available is in the table.
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| The number of households receiving a winter fuel payment | ||||
|
|
England | North East Government office region | Tees Valley | Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland parliamentary constituency |
| Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest five up to 2004-05 and from 2006-07 onwards to the nearest 10. 2. Figures for 2009-10 are based on May 2010 parliamentary constituency boundaries. 3. Household figures for 2005-06 have been withdrawn pending a review of the figures. The revised figures will be placed in the Commons Library shortly. 4. Household figures are not available prior to 2002-03. 5. Data for England are the sum of the English Government office regions. 6. Data for Tees Valley are the sum of Darlington, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland and Stockton authorities. 7. The latest figures for winter fuel payments are published at: http://statistics.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=wfp Source: DWP Information Directorate 100% data | ||||
Yorkshire and the Humber
Mr Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what plans he has to reduce the number of staff in the employment service in Sheffield in the next three years; and what information on this his Department has made available to hon. Members; [47710]
(2) how many (a) (i) compulsory and (ii) voluntary redundancies and (b) early releases his Department intends to implement in (A) Sheffield and (B) Yorkshire and the Humber in the next three years; [47711]
(3) what information his Department has given to staff of his Department in (a) Sheffield and (b) Yorkshire and the Humber in relation to (i) the non-filling of existing vacancies, (ii) compulsory redundancy and (iii) voluntary redundancy, severance or early release; and if he will make a statement. [47712]
Chris Grayling: The 2010 spending review settlement will result in the Department’s core budget being reduced by 26% in real terms over the four years to 2014-15, although, the Department will receive substantial extra resources to deliver a range of new measures.
This outcome is likely to result in staffing being reduced in some areas of the Department and increased in others, and at different rates. More detailed work is under way to allocate resources to the different parts of the Department, develop more detailed plans and assess the resulting staffing levels. Work on the future staffing position will also take account of estimated staff turnover rates and the potential for internal and external redeployment. It is not therefore possible to provide estimates of future staff numbers or potential redundancies in Sheffield or the wider Yorkshire area at this stage.
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There have been departmental wide communications on the spending review settlement and potential impacts on overall staff numbers. There have been no additional formal communications specific to Sheffield or Yorkshire and the Humber.
Transport
ATOL Scheme
Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will estimate the proportion of those buying flight-based holidays who will be protected under the revised ATOL scheme. [43147]
Mrs Villiers: The Civil Aviation Authority administers the ATOL scheme and estimate that in 2009-10 some 21 million holiday makers were protected by it.
On 3 February 2011, I announced to the House the Government’s in principle decision to reform ATOL to improve protection for consumers in a changing holiday market. The reforms would extend the ATOL scheme to Flight Plus holidays sold by travel agents and tour operators. Such trips closely resemble package holidays but are not covered by the existing legal definition and so currently fall outside ATOL.
Subject to consultation, the intention is for the reforms to be implemented by new secondary legislation in late 2011 or early 2012. It is estimated that, over time, this will ensure around an additional 6 million holidays per year benefit from full ATOL protection.