Youth Sport Trust
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what discussions Ministers in his Department had with the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport on the work of the Youth Sport Trust. [27406]
Tim Loughton: Ministers have had a number of discussions with their ministerial colleagues at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, about the Government’s new approach to PE and sport including the role of the Youth Sport Trust.
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Our key proposals were set out in the Secretary of State’s letter of 20 October 2010 to Baroness Campbell. These include: the ending of ring-fenced funding for school sport partnerships, the Government’s commitment to encourage more competitive school sport through the creation of Olympic and Paralympic-style competitions, and to stop commissioning further work from the Youth Sport Trust beyond March 2011.
Energy and Climate Change
British Coal Corporation
Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 14 March 2011, Official Report, column 109W, on departmental procurement, what estimate he has made of (a) the cost to the public purse of and (b) services to be provided under the contract for legal support, advice and claims handling associated with the former British Coal Corporation; and what services he expects to be provided. [49504]
Gregory Barker: The Department's modelling assumptions for the procurement were that the cost of the contracted services would be a maximum of c£5 million per annum. This reflected certain assumptions on the scale of work to be undertaken in the light of two ongoing group litigation actions; other generic legal advice on British Coal health related liabilities and volumes of personal injury claims (both litigated and non-litigated) received against the Department standing in the place of British Coal. The contract is for a five-year period and consequently has a total estimated maximum value of c£25 million subject to the scale of work required.
The services to be provided are as follows:
(i) legal advice and support for managing the Department's liabilities resulting from the former British Coal and its subsidiaries including:
(a) leading the Department's defence in relation to the conduct of major litigation currently focused on a Group action for osteoarthritis of the knee amongst miners and a Group action for a number of cancer and respiratory claims from workers at a Phurnacite production plant in South Wales;
(b) providing strategic legal advice on the health liabilities of British Coal;
(c) providing advice in relation to matters which may impact upon a wide range of policy areas associated with British Coal liabilities; and
(d) managing individual litigated claims; and
(ii) claims handling for non-litigated claims (including claims for noise induced hearing loss) and other processing of claims related work.
The service provider is required to cover all legal advice and claims handling in England and Wales and in Scotland.
Carbon Sequestration
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many carbon sequestration and storage projects his Department expects to support in the period of the comprehensive spending review. [49276]
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Charles Hendry: The Government are committed to providing public funding from general taxation for four carbon capture and storage demonstration projects. In the spending review we confirmed up to £1 billion for the capital costs of the first demonstration project. The timing of the provision of funding for the additional three projects will be dependent on the arrangements for providing that funding and the build schedule of the projects selected to receive funding.
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his policy is on the placing of a levy on energy supply companies to fund carbon capture and storage projects. [49297]
Charles Hendry: The Budget document published on 23 March 2011 stated that we will not proceed with a specific levy for carbon capture and storage projects. Our commitment to four demonstration projects will be funded through general taxation.
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the proportion of funding for carbon sequestration and storage projects which will be provided by (a) his Department and (b) other sources in the comprehensive spending review period. [49428]
Charles Hendry: The Budget document published on 23 March 2011 stated that the Government’s commitment to four demonstration projects will be funded through general taxation. In the spending review period commencing April 2011, we have confirmed up to £1 billion for the capital costs of the first demonstration project. The timing of the provision of funding for the additional three projects will be dependent on the arrangements for providing that funding and the build schedule of the projects selected to receive funding.
Some CCS demonstration projects may also receive funding under the European Commission’s new entrants reserve funding mechanism for CCS projects of up to 50% of their eligible costs.
Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 14 March 2011, Official Report, column 109W, on departmental procurement, on what date the project for carbon capture and storage commenced. [49503]
Charles Hendry: The then Department of Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) published the Project Information Memorandum and Pre-Qualification Questionnaire for the “Competition for a Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage Demonstration Project” on 19 November 2007.
The project is currently under negotiations, with contract signature expected before the end of 2011.
Departmental Local Government Finance
Mr Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much each local authority received from each (a) revenue and (b) capital funding stream from his Department in (i) 2010-11 and (ii) 2011-12; how much funding his Department allocated from each such stream in each year; and what the change was in the level of funding in each such stream between those years in (A) cash and (B) real terms. [49257]
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Gregory Barker: In 2010-11 the Department of Energy and Climate Change provided £3.8 million of funding to seven councils who applied for grants from schemes run by the Department. £2 million of this was provided under the Low Carbon Communities Challenge initiative. A further £1.6 million was provided for the safe management of radioactive waste, with the remainder going towards low carbon and renewable capacity assessments.
These figures do not include any funding which local authorities or councils may have applied for under our various low carbon schemes administered by DECC's appointed delivery partners. It would incur disproportionate costs to obtain this information from delivery partners.
No specific funding has been allocated to local authorities in 2011-12. The Department will continue to offer grants and loans under various schemes for which local authorities may elect to apply.
Public Bodies Reform Programme
Tessa Jowell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate his Department has made of the level of savings which will accrue from the abolition of the Renewables Advisory Board. [48707]
Gregory Barker: I refer the right hon. Member to the written ministerial statement issued by the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, my right hon. Friend the Member for Horsham (Mr Maude), on 16 March 2011, Official Report, columns 9-10WS, updating Parliament on progress on public bodies reform. That statement also announced that departments estimate cumulative administrative savings of at least £2.6 billion will flow from public bodies over the spending review period.
I estimate net overall administrative savings from the closure of the Renewables Advisory Board of £200,000 per annum over the spending review period.
This is our best current estimate of planned net savings to emerge from these reforms and is dependent upon the individual timetables for implementation—many of which require the Public Bodies Bill and subsequent secondary legislation.
Tessa Jowell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate his Department has made of the level of savings which will accrue from the abolition of the Advisory Committee on Carbon Abatement Technologies. [48708]
Gregory Barker: On 16 March 2011, Official Report, columns 9-10WS, the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, my right hon. Friend the Member for Horsham (Mr Maude), issued a written ministerial statement updating Parliament on progress on public bodies reform. That statement also announced that departments estimated that cumulative administrative savings of at least £2.6 billion would flow from public bodies over the spending review period.
I anticipate net overall administrative savings for the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) of £1,000 per year over the spending review period as a result of the abolition of the Advisory Committee on Carbon Abatement Technologies.
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Departmental Travel
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change on how many occasions he has travelled by London underground on official business since his appointment. [48350]
Electricity: Meters
Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what reports he has received on the progress of the European Commission’s Task Force on Smart Grids. [47638]
Charles Hendry: In October, the European Commission’s task force for the implementation of smart grids presented my officials with provisional conclusions on the following topics: standards and interoperability, data protection and handling, and roles and responsibilities.
We look forward to receiving the final reports in June 2011 which will help inform our discussion in the smart grid forum which we are co-chairing with Ofgem.
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Energy: National Policy Statements
Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he plans to designate National Policy Statement EN-5 in respect of electricity networks infrastructure. [49585]
Charles Hendry: The Government are committed to bringing forward the energy National Policy Statements, including EN-5, for approval and designation as soon as possible. We are currently considering the nuclear National Policy Statement in light of the nuclear crisis in Japan before proceeding with the ratification process for EN-5 and the other energy National Policy Statements.
Feed-in Tariffs
Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many installations of (a) up to 50kW, (b) 51 kW to 1MW, (c) 1MW to 2MW, (d) 2MW to 3MW, (e) 3MW to 4MW and (f) 4MW to 5MW are participating in the feed-in tariff scheme. [48181]
Gregory Barker: The following table shows the number of installations participating in the feed in tariff scheme, disaggregated by the above installed capacity bands, and technology, as at 31 December 2010.
|
|
Solar photovoltaics | Wind | Hydro | MicroCHP | Anaerobic digestion | Total |
Fuels: Prices
Mr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what objectives set for his Department are designed to secure the lowest fuel costs for domestic consumers. [49094]
Charles Hendry: DECC published its business plan in November 2011. This plan sets out the priorities for the Department which include the reduction of household energy use through the Green deal and to reform the energy market and work internationally to ensure the UK has a diverse, safe, secure and affordable energy system.
A copy of the departmental business plan can be found online at:
http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/about/business_plan/business_plan.aspx
Hinkley Point C Power Station
Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will remove the site at Hinkley Point in Somerset from the list of locations for siting of the new generation of nuclear reactors. [49610]
Charles Hendry: The Nuclear National Policy Statement will contain a list of the sites that are potentially suitable for deployment of new nuclear power stations by 2025. The Government recently consulted on the revised draft Nuclear National Policy Statement including whether Hinkley Point is a potentially suitable site. We are now considering the responses to the consultation. The Nuclear National Policy Statement will also be considered in light of the emerging events in Japan.
Methane: Landfill
Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (1) what his estimate is of the extent of the remaining unexploited landfill gas resources in the UK; [49618]
(2) what recent estimate he has made of the level of methane generated by landfills which is converted into renewable energy. [49619]
Gregory Barker: The UK Greenhouse Gas Inventory 2010 estimates methane generated from landfills in 2008 as 3642 Kt, of which an estimated 1164 Kt was utilised for renewable energy generation. Therefore, there remained an estimated 2478 Kt methane emitted from landfills in the UK in 2008 that was not utilised.
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Further information is set out in Table A 3.8.3, Annex 3.8, UK Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report 2010. A copy of this document can be viewed at:
http://www.naei.org.uk/report_link.php?report_id=593.
Nuclear Power Stations: EU Action
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the nature is of the stress tests of operational nuclear power plants agreed at the special meeting of EU member state energy Ministers, nuclear safety regulators and operators and vendors of nuclear power plants on 15 March 2011. [49733]
Charles Hendry: At the specially convened EU meeting in Brussels on 15 March 2011 there was a general consensus that a measure to “stress test” EU nuclear power plants would be sensible and prudent. The European Council meeting on the 25 March also agreed to the proposal for “stress tests” and asked the European Commission and National Regulators to develop the criteria on the basis of the lessons to be learned from Japan.
Power Stations: Carbon Emissions
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what criteria he plans to put in place to monitor the emissions performance standards for new power plants. [49278]
Charles Hendry: The Electricity Market Reform consultation contained proposals to introduce an Emissions Performance Standard (EPS), targeted at preventing the construction and operation of new, unabated coal-fired power stations. The consultation closed on 10 March, and we are now in the process of analysing responses.
We will now continue to work with stakeholders to develop the shape of reforms which we will take forward as final recommendations in a White Paper before summer recess.
Renewable Energy: Feed-in Tariffs
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what discussions he has had with the devolved administrations on his decision to undertake a consultation on the fast-track review of feed-in tariffs for small-scale low-carbon electricity. [48878]
Gregory Barker: The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, my right hon. Friend the Member for Eastleigh (Chris Huhne), has consulted with Ministers in the Scottish and Welsh Assembly Governments on proposals to begin the early review of FITs and on the fast track review proposals. There has also been contact on these proposals at official level. The Feed-in Tariff scheme does not apply in Northern Ireland.
Solar Power
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department is taking to maintain levels of employment in the solar photovoltaic manufacturing sector; and if he will make a statement. [48883]
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Gregory Barker: We are committed to ensure that the Feed-in Tariffs (FITs) scheme continues to be a success. Factors such as levels of employment will be considered as part of the comprehensive review of the scheme.
Solar Power: Feed-in Tariffs
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his Department's estimate is of the number of (a) school, (b) hospital, (c) other public building and (d) other community building solar photovoltaic projects between 50 and 100 kilowatts that will be installed under the feed-in tariff scheme before 1 August 2011. [48879]
Gregory Barker: The Department does not currently hold this information.
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (1) on what date he expects the first solar farm greater than one megawatt to be (a) installed, (b) grid connected and (c) commissioned under his Department's feed-in tariff scheme; [48880]
(2) what his estimate is of the number of solar farms greater than one megawatt that will be installed and commissioned before 1 August 2011. [48882]
Gregory Barker: The Department is aware of nine solar photovoltaic (PV) projects over 1MW receiving planning permission over the period between September 2010 and the announcement of the review of the Feed-in Tariffs (FITs) scheme on 7 February.
The actual commissioning date for these and any other such projects will depend on a range of factors independent of the FITs scheme.
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his Department's estimate is of the change in the number of jobs in the solar industry which will result from the changes proposed in the fast-track review of feed-in tariffs for small-scale low-carbon electricity. [48881]
Gregory Barker: The Department does not hold this information at present, but we will be looking at issues of this kind as part of the comprehensive review of the Feed-in Tariffs (FITs) scheme.
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether solar photovoltaic installations which are under construction but have not received accreditation by 1 August 2011 will receive the current tariffs under the Feed-in Tariff scheme. [48884]
Gregory Barker: Under the Feed-in Tariffs (FITs) scheme, the eligibility date is set out in the modifications to the Standard Conditions of Electricity Supply Licences made by the Secretary of State under section 42(3) of the Energy Act 2008. The eligibility date is defined as the later of:
i) receipt by Ofgem or, in the case of wind, solar PV and hydro schemes up to 50kW, a licensed FITs supplier, of an application for accreditation and registration. This application must include a range of information, including a generation meter reading.
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ii) Commissioning date.
iii) the launch of the FIT Scheme (1 April 2010).
Application of the regulation is the responsibility of Ofgem.
Wind Power
Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he is taking to ensure sufficient supply chain capacity to meet his targets for the construction of offshore wind power installations. [48184]
Charles Hendry: The development of the offshore wind sector, and the associated supply chain and wider service market that will support it, creates significant potential for UK employment and economic growth. While we have no technology-specific targets, the Government recognise that offshore wind is a key technology for meeting our 2020 renewables target.
We recognise that providing sufficient confidence to wind farm developers is key to the development of the UK renewables sector, and will enable the early investment in the expansion that will be needed in supply chain capacity.
The Renewables Obligation (RO) is currently the Government’s main mechanism for incentivising large scale renewable electricity. By way of the Renewables Obligation (Amendment) Order 2011, from 1 April 2011 we are introducing phasing for offshore wind generation stations, allowing developers to phase the support they receive under the RO, with each phase receiving the full 20 years of RO support for RO stations. This will better reflect the construction programme of offshore wind stations.
The recent Electricity Market Reform consultation set out proposals for a new support scheme for all low carbon technologies. We are committed to supporting investment in renewables and therefore have also consulted on the best way to transition from the RO to the new scheme. A White Paper, setting out legislative proposals to implement the new electricity arrangements as well as more details on the planned transition from the RO will be published later this year.
We have also put in place an innovative regulatory regime for offshore electricity transmission, so that the connections to offshore wind farms can be delivered in a cost-effective, timely and secure manner. A key element of the regime is the competitive tender process run by Ofgem to appoint Offshore Transmission Owners. We consider that this will deliver cheaper and timelier offshore grid connections, encourage innovation through competition and enable new entrants to compete in the market.
In addition, in October 2010 the Department has committed up to £60 million to support offshore wind manufacturing infrastructure at port sites, to meet the needs of offshore wind manufacturers looking to locate new facilities within the assisted areas in England.
Dr Phillip Lee: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will bring forward proposals to ensure that power utility companies auction power contracts for renewable sources for the purpose of aiding stability in future revenues to investors in wind farm projects. [49106]
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Charles Hendry: The Government published proposals in the electricity market reform consultation in December 2010 to reform the electricity market arrangements to meet our decarbonisation and security of supply goals in a cost-effective way. We will publish final reforms in a White Paper before summer recess.
Dr Phillip Lee: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department plans to take to support the UK offshore wind industry in the next (a) five, (b) 10, (c) 15 and (d) 20 years. [49107]
Charles Hendry: The Department has put in place a number of steps to support the offshore wind industry.
The renewables obligation (RO) is currently the Government's main mechanism for incentivising large scale renewable electricity. By way of the Renewables Obligation (Amendment) Order 2011, from 1 April 2011 we are introducing phasing for offshore wind generation stations, allowing developers to phase the support they receive under the RO, with each phase receiving the full 20 years of RO support for RO stations. This will better reflect the construction programme of offshore wind stations.
The recent electricity market reform (EMR) consultation set out proposals for a new support scheme for all low carbon technologies. We are committed to supporting investment in renewables and therefore have also consulted on the best way to transition from the RO to the new scheme. A White Paper, setting out legislative proposals to implement the new electricity arrangements as well as more details on the planned transition from the RO will be published later this year.
We have also put in place an innovative regulatory regime for offshore electricity transmission, so that the connections to offshore wind farms can be delivered in a cost-effective, timely and secure manner. A key element of the regime is the competitive tender process run by Ofgem to appoint offshore transmission owners (OFTOs). We consider that this will deliver cheaper and timelier offshore grid connections, encourage innovation through competition and enable new entrants to compete in the market.
Further, in October 2010 we announced that we will commit up to £60 million to support offshore wind manufacturing infrastructure at port sites, to meet the needs of offshore wind manufacturers looking to locate new facilities within the Assisted Areas in England.
Dr Phillip Lee: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will bring forward proposals for a main cluster or region to serve as a main support area for offshore wind farms. [49108]
Charles Hendry: The development of the offshore wind sector has significant potential for employment and economic growth at UK coastal locations, and the Department has committed up to £60 million to support offshore wind manufacturing infrastructure at port sites, to meet the needs of offshore wind manufacturers looking to locate new facilities in England.
However it is for manufacturers, developers and operators, not Government, to decide where the best locations are for their activities from a business perspective.
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Northern Ireland
Credit Unions
Naomi Long: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much of the funding allocated to encourage the growth of credit unions will be spent in Northern Ireland. [48166]
Steve Webb: I have been asked to reply.
The Department for Work and Pensions has allocated funding of £73 million to expand and modernise third sector organisations from within its own departmental allocation. It is not within our remit to fund provision in Northern Ireland.
During April to September the Department will manage a feasibility study to examine the scope and the options for the modernisation and expansion of the sector.
Credit unions and other community financial institutions that already hold a contract with the Department will have the opportunity of extending those contracts, subject to selection criteria, during this time.
Following feasibility testing, decisions will be made on the way forward and a further announcement will be made.
Business, Innovation and Skills
Boarding Schools
Mr Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether his Department provides financial assistance to his officials for boarding school fees for their children. [48515]
Mr Davey: In the event of a member of staff being posted overseas the Department can provide an additional living cost allowance. This includes a contribution towards basic school fees in the country of posting. The last claim for such fees was paid in 2007. There is no provision to provide financial assistance for boarding school fees in the United Kingdom.
Departmental Food
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 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. [45043]
Mr Davey: The Department’s conference and catering contractor Baxterstorey use two fish suppliers.
In 2010 fish supplied from one supplier were 98% compliant to the Marine Conservation Society’s red list (2% non compliance based on purchase of plaice); during 2011 this has risen to 98.5%.
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In 2010 and 2011 fish supplied from the other supplier were 99% compliant to the Marine Conservation Society’s red list (1% non compliance based on purchase of plaice and marlin loin.)
The purchase of plaice and marlin has its own internal sustainable logic as plaice is listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list as a species of least concern and marlin is not listed at all (therefore no concern of sustainability.)
Baxterstorey’s current fish procurement processes include:
Not purchasing any species cited as endangered on the IUCN’s red list:
www.iucn.org
Working only with suppliers that have a strong focus on sustainable fishing practices;
Actively promoting seasonal and sustainable purchase since 2004
promoting to our chefs website tools such as:
www.fishonline.org/advice/eat/
(Marine Conservation Society) and now using the good catch manual for advice and regional/seasonal species knowledge;
Engaging with local UK fishermen working alongside organisations such as Good Catch/Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and suppliers who have been at the forefront of the sustainable fisheries movement;
Remain focused on all aspects of sustainable seafood including animal welfare (e.g. support the use of responsibly farmed Salmon such as Freedom Food accredited farmed salmon from Scotland which is monitored by the RSPCA);
Only supply tinned tuna that is sustainably and bio diversity sensitively fished; and
Worked alongside the MSC to secure funding via DEFRA greener living fund which is enabling the MSC to further promote its sustainable options to the food service industry.
I have approached the chief executives of the Insolvency Service, Companies House, the National Measurement Office, the Intellectual Property Office and the Skills Funding Agency and they will respond to the hon. Member directly.
Information for the Department’s non-department public bodies is not held centrally and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
Letter from John Alty, dated 21 March 2011:
I am responding in respect of the Intellectual Property Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled 3(rd) March 2011, to the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
The Intellectual Property Office, an operating name of the Patent Office, does not directly procure seafood.
Letter from Geoff Russell, dated 8 March 2011:
Thank you for your parliamentary question addressed to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills asking the Skills Funding Agency (the Agency) to estimate the proportion of seafood it has procured that was (i) 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.
Please be advised that the Agency does not directly purchase fish. Its caterers are committed to responsible sourcing and all fish products are sourced within UK and international regulatory guidelines.
Letter from Stephen Speed, dated 7 March 2011:
The Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has asked me to reply to your question, if he will estimate the proportion of the seafood procured for (a) his
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Department, (b) its agencies and (c) the non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible that was (i) 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.
The Insolvency Service Executive Agency of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills procured no fish on the Marine Society’s list from 2010 to date.
Letter from Gareth Jones, dated 16 March 2011:
I am replying on behalf of Companies House to your Parliamentary Question tabled 3 March 2011, U1N45043 to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.
Companies House does not procure seafood directly but our contracted catering provider only sources fish from approved suppliers.
Letter from Peter Mason, dated 17 March 2011:
I am responding in respect of the National Measurement Office (NMO) to your Parliamentary Question tabled 03 March 2011, asking the Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to estimate the proportion of the seafood procured for its Department, Agencies and non-departmental public bodies that was (i) 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 species certified by the Marine Stewardship Council in (A) 2010 and (B) 2011 to date.
NMO has responsibility for its site in Teddington that also houses the National Physical Laboratory (NPL), a Government Owned Contractor Operated body. We provide restaurant and hospitality facilities for NPL and NMO through a total facilities
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management contract. We have received verbal assurance from the catering sub-contractor, Baxter-Storey, that (i) no fish provided were on the list to avoid, and (ii) we have also complied with the sustainability standards mentioned above, for both the periods (A) and (B) above.
Employment: Mothers
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will estimate the proportion of mothers of children aged between nine and 12 months in each region who were in (a) full-time and (b) part-time work in each of the last five years. [48248]
Mr Hurd: I have been asked to reply.
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 asking the proportion of mothers of children aged between nine and twelve months in each region who were in a) full-time and b) part-time work in each of the last five years. (48248)
The figures requested come from the Annual Population Survey (APS) household datasets. The attached table shows estimates of women aged 16 to 64, with children aged nine to twelve months, by Government Office Region for 2005 to 2009.
As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty as different samples give different results.
| Table: Percentage of mothers (1) , whose youngest child is aged 9 to 12 months, in full and part-time employment January to December 2005-09 | ||||||||||
| Percentage | ||||||||||
|
|
2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
| (1 )Aged 16 to 64 (2) Estimates are considered unreliable for practical purposes. This is because of small sample sizes. Source: APS household dataset | ||||||||||
Further Education: Greater London
Mr Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many (a) full-time and (b) part-time lecturers were employed in the further education sector in Greater London in each of the last three years. [47980]
Mr Hayes: The numbers of full and part time further education teaching staff employed in Greater London in each of the last three years are set out in the following table:
| 2007/08 | 2008/09 | 2009/10 | ||||
|
|
Full time | Part time | Full time | Part time | Full time | Part time |
| Note: Mode was unknown for 52 staff in 2007/08 and 65 staff in 2008/09. These staff have been excluded from the table. Source: Staff Individualised Record (SIR) Data. | ||||||
The occupational category “providing teaching and promoting learning” is used to derive the primary role
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of each member of staff from the proportion of time that a member of staff spends on this activity. This definition varies slightly to that used in the annual SIR report so staff numbers may vary slightly between these sources.
Higher Education: Business
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 21 March 2011, Official Report, columns 876-81W, on higher education, what the monetary value is of university spin-offs established with funding from his Department and its predecessors in the last five years; how many jobs have been created in such spin-offs in that period; and if he will make a statement. [49291]
Mr Willetts: The Department does not systematically collect information on the monetary value of all university spin-offs established or the number of jobs created in such spin-offs.
Estimates of turnover, external investment and employment in active spin-off firms are collected by the Higher Education-Business and Community Interaction survey (HE-BCI), which is currently conducted by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).
Table 1 shows (a) the numbers of active spin-off firms; (b) estimated current employment of all active firms; (c) estimated current turnover of all active firms; and (d) estimated external investment received for UK higher education institution (HEI) in the last five years.
| Table 1 : University spin-offs, 2005-06 to 2009-10 (1,2,3) | ||||
|
|
Number of active firms | Estimated current employment of all active firms (FTE) | Estimated current turnover of all active firms (£000, cash terms) | Estimated external investment received (£000, cash terms) |
| (1) Spin-offs include those with some HEI ownership. (2) 2005-06 to 2007-08 data collected by HEFCE (Higher Education Funding Council for England); 2008-09 to 2009-10 by HESA. (3) Active firms may include those older than five years old. (4 )Not available.Source : Higher Education-Business and Community Interaction survey (HE-BCI). | ||||
Horticulture: Qualifications
Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many degree courses in horticulture there were in (a) 2000-01 and (b) 2010-11. [49765]
Mr Willetts: The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) collects information on students in UK Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). The most recent data available cover the 2009/10 academic year; figures for 2010/11 will be available in January 2011.
HESA uses the Joint Academic Coding System (JACS) to code a student's subject of study. Horticulture is not explicitly listed as a category within the JACS coding system, but falls within the principal subject of agriculture. The subject groups, as well as the way in which students were assigned to their subject of study, changed in 2002/03, making earlier figures incomparable. Therefore,
28 Mar 2011 : Column 176W
figures for 2002/03 and 2009/10, which are calculated on the same basis, have been provided.
In 2009/10, 37 HEIs reported a total of 3,450 students as studying first degrees in agriculture. The comparable figures for 2002/03 were 40 HEIs with 3,635 first degree agriculture students. More than one agriculture-related degree course may be taught at any of these institutions.
Knowledge Transfer Partnerships
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent assessment he has made of the operation of (a) knowledge transfer partnerships, (b) knowledge transfer networks, (c) collaborative research and development funding and (d) the Small Business Rescue Initiative; how much his Department has allocated to each initiative in each of (i) the last five years and (ii) the next three years; and if he will make a statement. [47450]
Mr Willetts: Knowledge Transfer Partnerships, Knowledge Transfer Networks and Collaborative R&D are subject to a comprehensive but proportionate prior assessment and ex-post evaluation of their impact and value for money. These assessments follow a comprehensive set of criteria as outlined in the HM Treasury (HMT) Green Book. This involves two steps: identifying the rationale for Government intervention, and; applying cost benefit analysis to show that the intervention is additional, non-distortionary and value for money.
Assessments include periodic monitoring surveys the last of which took place in 2007 for Knowledge Transfer Partnerships, 2006 for Knowledge Transfer Networks, and 2009 for Collaborative R&D. Furthermore, the Technology Strategy Board, which has overall responsibility for delivery, has reviewed Knowledge Transfer Partnerships in 2010, Knowledge Transfer Networks in 2008 and Collaborative Research and Development is currently under review.
The Small Business Research initiative has only been in operation since April 2009. While it is still too early for a full review, an initial analysis was carried out by NESTA in June 2010.
The Department in 2006/07, and in subsequent years the Technology Strategy Board, has allocated the following funding to each initiative (the figures do not take into account other sources of funding):
| Initiative | £000 |
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Funding levels for 2010/11 have yet to be finalised and future spend cannot be specified at this stage either as the different interventions are often used in concert to deliver programmes prioritised by the Technology Strategy Board.
Public Houses: Manpower
Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will estimate the change in the number of jobs in the beer and pub industry and its supply chain over the last three years. [48847]
Mr Hurd: I have been asked to reply.
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 recent Parliamentary Question asking for an estimate in the change in the number of jobs in the beer and pub industry and its supply chain over the last three years. (48847)
Annual statistics on the number of employees are published by ONS in its annual employment statistics from the Business Register Employment Survey (BRES). These figures detail the number of employees and exclude the self employed. An estimate of jobs, which includes self employed, would only be available through the Labour Force Survey but, due to BRES having a superior level of accuracy of industrial classification ONS has used the latter as its source for the information provided in the following table. The latest period to which figures are available is 2009.
Table 1 provides information showing the numbers of employees engaged in the industries ‘manufacturing of beer’ and ‘public houses and bars’ in Great Britain for 2008 and 2009.
| Table l: Number of employees in Great Britain for defined industries | ||
| Thousand | ||
| Period | ||
| 5-digit Standard Industrial Classification | 2008 | 2009 |
Technology Strategy Board
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 3 March 2011, Official Report, column 604W, on Technology Strategy Board, on what date he plans to publish the core budget for the Technology Strategy Board for 2011-12; and if he will make a statement. [49537]
Mr Willetts: The Technology Strategy Board will be formally notified of its allocation for the spending review period by the end of this month.
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Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills to how many businesses the Technology Strategy Board has provided funds in each of the last five years; and to how many businesses he estimates it will provide funds in each of the next three years. [49538]
Mr Willetts: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 21 March 2011, Official Report, column 887W. This gives the full years’ figures to date. The Technology Strategy Board has only been operational since July 2007.
Trade Unions: Training
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 4 March 2011, Official Report, columns 720-2W on trade unions: training, how many courses provided by trade unions received funding from the public purse in each year for which figures are available; what the titles of such courses were; and how much funding was provided for each such course. [48395]
Mr Hayes: The Government have provided funding to trade unions to support a number of programmes but do not keep a central record of expenditure. The main source of Government funding over recent years to support trade union learning activity has been from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
This Department provides funding to support the Union Learning Fund (ULF) and unionlearn, the TUC’s learning and skills organisation, which administers ULF on behalf of the Department.
Trade unions are invited to submit proposals for ULF funding on an annual basis against a prospectus which clearly sets out the aims and objectives of ULF and the priorities for that year which are agreed with this Department. ULF is not used to fund the provision of education or training courses but enables trade unions and their union learning representatives to provide advice, guidance and support in order to help workers, particularly those with low skills, access learning opportunities to improve their skill levels. The ULF prospectus for 2011-12 was published on the unionlearn website in December 2010 and a copy will be placed in the Library of the House.
This Department has also funded three rounds of the Union Modernisation Fund, a grant scheme designed to support innovative projects to help unions adapt to changing labour market conditions. Training programmes for union officers and representatives were provided as part of some of these projects.
A number of trade unions have received funding to support workforce development activity, which may have included the provision of training courses, at a regional level from either the skills funding agency (SFA, formerly the Learning and Skills Council) or a regional development agency (RDA).
Detailed information, including the titles and costs of courses supported under the Union Modernisation Fund or through SFA/LSC and RDA regional workforce development activity is not held centrally by the Department. To collate and research this information would exceed the disproportionate cost threshold.
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Health
Accident and Emergency Departments
Hazel Blears: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment his Department made of the merits of the recommendations of the National Audit Office's report on major trauma care in England; [49173]
(2) whether his Department has taken steps to implement the recommendations of the National Audit Office's report on major trauma care in England. [49174]
Mr Simon Burns: The Department and the national health service accepted the recommendations of the National Audit Office's report “Major trauma care in England” and are working to implement them in full. Strategic health authorities are leading the development of Regional Trauma Networks for major trauma care and the Department is assisting them in this process. Four networks are already in operation in London and further networks will start operating to cover the whole of England during the financial year 2011-12.
Allergies
Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many allergy (a) consultants and (b) training posts there are in the NHS. [49208]
Paul Burstow: The information requested is given in the following table, together with information on doctors in immunology who also provide services to allergy patients.
| Hospital and community health services: medical and dental staff within the allergy and immunology specialties by grade, England at 30 September 2010 | |||
| Numbers (headcount) (1) | |||
|
|
Total allergy and immunology | Allergy | Immunology |
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| (1) The new headcount methodology for 2010 data is not fully comparable with previous years data due to improvements that make it a more stringent count of absolute staff numbers. Further information on the headcount methodology is available in the 2010 Census publication: An overview of the NHS workforce including medical, non-medical and GP staff at an England level and by SHA The NHS Information Centre (2) Doctors in training and equivalents refers to the registrar group, senior house officer, foundation year 2, house officer and foundation programme year 1, other doctors in training and other staff at these grades that do not hold an educationally approved training post. Data Quality: The NHS Information Centre for health and social care seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data but responsibility for data accuracy lies with the organisations providing the data. Methods are continually being updated to improve data quality. Where changes impact on figures already published, this is assessed but unless it is significant at national level figures are not changed. Impact at detailed or local level is footnoted in relevant analyses. Source: The NHS Information Centre for health and social care. Medical and Dental Workforce Census | |||
Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his most recent estimate is of the number of people with a condition that requires the help of an allergy specialist for diagnosis and management. [49209]
Paul Burstow: The information requested is not held centrally. In 2009-10, there were some 97,000 out-patient visits, including 39,000 first attendances, to out-patient clinics in the specialties of allergy, clinical immunology and allergy, and paediatric immunology and allergy. However, many patients with allergies will be managed in primary care or by specialists in other disciplines and estimates of the numbers concerned are not routinely available centrally.
Estimates of the prevalence of the most common or serious allergic conditions (asthma, rhinitis, eczema, anaphylaxis, food allergy, drug allergy) were presented in a supporting document to the Department’s “Review of services for allergy” (2006).
Allergies: Food
Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department plans to take to improve knowledge of allergies among GPs in order to implement guidelines of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence on the effective diagnosis of food allergy in a primary care setting. [49514]
Paul Burstow: All doctors, including general practitioners (GPs), are responsible for maintaining the knowledge and skills needed for their clinical practice and for keeping abreast of important new guidance such as that in guidance from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). In addition, GPs have access to guidance from sources such as “Clinical Knowledge Summaries” and Patient UK which cross-refer to NICE guidance as appropriate.
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Autism: Carers
Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to improve the support available to individuals with autism and their carers. [49218]
Paul Burstow: Important steps have already been taken to improve the support available to individuals with autism and their carers, through the Government's firm commitment to drive forward the adult autism strategy, “Fulfilling and Rewarding Lives: the strategy for adults with autism in England” (3 March 2010) and to tackle the disadvantages which people with autism and their families often face.
This Government launched the new autism statutory guidance for health and social care, “Implementing Fulfilling and Rewarding Lives” (17 December 2010) to assist these bodies to develop services that support and meet the locally identified needs of people with autism and their families and carers and enable local transparency and accountability.
Copies of both documents have already been placed in the Library.
Birth Certificates: Babies
Brandon Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department issues guidance to NHS practitioners on the issuing of birth and death certificates for (a) babies born at under 22 weeks of pregnancy and (b) non-viable neonates. [49011]
Anne Milton: The Births and Deaths Registration Act 1953, as amended, provides for the doctor or midwife who is present at a stillbirth or examines the body of a stillborn child to issue a medical certificate of stillbirth and for that stillbirth to be registered. A stillbirth is defined by the above Act as a child born dead after 24 weeks’ gestation (the legal age of viability). A certificate of stillbirth and a certificate for burial or cremation are issued by the registrar.
If a baby is born alive at any gestation a birth certificate will be issued. However, if the baby dies within 28 days of birth, the doctor who saw the baby before death issues a certificate certifying the death. This certificate must always be issued, even if the baby lived for only a few minutes.
The birth of a baby born before 24 weeks who did not breathe or show any signs of life, cannot legally be registered. However, when a baby is born dead before 24 weeks, hospitals may issue a local certificate to commemorate the baby's birth.
Childbirth
Brandon Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance is issued to NHS practitioners on the medical assessment and treatment of babies born (a) between 22 and 25 weeks, (b) at under 22 weeks and (c) at under 21 weeks of pregnancy; and when this guidance was last reviewed. [49012]
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Anne Milton: The Government have not issued specific guidance on the treatment of extremely premature babies. Clinical interventions in such situations are made on a case-by-case basis by the health care staff concerned.
To assist in these situations, the British Association of Perinatal Medicine published guidance in October 2008 entitled “The Management of Babies born Extremely Preterm at less than 26 weeks of gestation: A Framework for Clinical Practice at the time of Birth”, which is based on the latest evidence and best practice. The guidance can be found at:
www.bapm.org/media/documents/publications/Approved% 20manuscript%20preterm%20final.pdf
The British Association of Perinatal Medicine standards are recommended rather than mandatory.
Departmental Freedom of Information Requests
Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the answers of 1 July 2008, Official Report, column 862W, and 1 September 2008, Official Report, column 1676W, on departmental freedom of information, if he will place in the Library a copy of the response to each request to his Department under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 for information on (a) abortion, (b) contraception, (c) reproductive health issues and (d) euthanasia where the request was agreed to and answered in (i) full and (ii) part since October 2010; and if he will make a statement. [48966]
Mr Simon Burns: Copies of the information requested by the hon. Member have been placed in the Library.
Public Bodies Reform Programme
Tessa Jowell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what estimate his Department has made of the level of savings which will accrue from the abolition of the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition; [48636]
(2) what estimate his Department has made of the level of savings which will accrue from the abolition of the National Joint Registry Steering Committee; [48637]
(3) what estimate his Department has made of the level of savings which will accrue from the abolition of the National Information Governance Board for Health and Social Care; [48638]
(4) what estimate his Department has made of the level of savings which will accrue from the abolition of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation; [48639]
(5) what estimate his Department has made of the level of savings which will accrue from the abolition of the Independent Advisory Group on Sexual Health and HIV; [48642]
(6) what estimate his Department has made of the level of savings which will accrue from the abolition of the Human Genetics Commission; [48644]
(7) what estimate his Department has made of the level of savings which will accrue from the abolition of the Genetics and Insurance Committee; [48648]
(8) what estimate his Department has made of the level of savings which will accrue from the abolition of the Gene Therapy Advisory Committee; [48650]
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(9) what estimate his Department has made of the level of savings which will accrue from the abolition of the Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs; [48661]
(10) what estimate his Department has made of the level of savings which will accrue from the abolition of the Advisory Committee on Dangerous Pathogens; [48662]
(11) what estimate his Department has made of the level of savings which will accrue from the abolition of the Advisory Committee on Borderline Substances. [48663]
Mr Simon Burns: The current running costs of advisory non-departmental public bodies are small and the opportunities for savings are corresponding in size. Once the changes signalled in the Public Bodies review are enacted, these committees, if not abolished, will be reconstituted as either committees of experts or stakeholder advisory groups, and are likely to incur similar running costs.
Tessa Jowell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what estimate his Department has made of the level of savings which will accrue from the abolition of the Independent Review Panel for the Advertising of Medicines; [48640]
(2) what estimate his Department has made of the level of savings which will accrue from the abolition of the Independent Review Panel on the Classification of Borderline Products; [48641]
(3) what estimate his Department has made of the level of savings which will accrue from the abolition of the Herbal Medicines Advisory Committee; [48646]
(4) what estimate his Department has made of the level of savings which will accrue from the abolition of the Committee on the Safety of Devices; [48653]
(5) what estimate his Department has made of the level of savings which will accrue from the abolition of the Advisory Board on the Registration of Homeopathic Products. [48665]
Mr Simon Burns: The current running costs of advisory non-departmental public bodies are small and the opportunities for savings are corresponding in size. Once the changes signalled in the Public Bodies review are enacted, these committees will be reconstituted as committees of experts, and are likely to incur similar running costs.
Tessa Jowell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what estimate his Department has made of the level of savings which will accrue from the abolition of the Human Tissue Authority; [48643]
(2) what estimate his Department has made of the level of savings which will accrue from the abolition of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority; [48645]
(3) what estimate his Department has made of the level of savings which will accrue from the abolition of the Health Protection Agency; [48647]
(4) what estimate his Department has made of the level of savings which will accrue from the abolition of the General Social Care Council; [48649]
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(5) what estimate his Department has made of the level of savings which will accrue from the abolition of the Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence; [48652]
(6) what estimate his Department has made of the level of savings which will accrue from the abolition of the Appointments Commission; [48658]
(7) what estimate his Department has made of the level of savings which will accrue from the abolition of the Alcohol Education and Research Council; [48659]
(8) what estimate his Department has made of the level of savings which will accrue from the change in function of Monitor. [48772]
Mr Simon Burns: The Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, my right hon. Friend the Member for Horsham (Mr Maude), issued a written ministerial statement on 16 March 2011, Official Report, column 9WS, updating Parliament on progress on Public Bodies reform. That statement also announced that Departments estimate cumulative administrative savings of at least £2.6 billion will flow from public bodies over the spending review period.
The Department is currently working with its executive non-departmental public bodies (ENDPBs), to agree business plans and budgets for 2011-12 onwards. This process has not been concluded, therefore we are not in a position to provide savings estimates for individual ENDPBs.
However from a baseline of 2010-11 plans, the Department has reduced annual grant in aid contribution to its ENDPB core services by £67 million.
This is our best current estimate of planned savings to emerge from these reforms. They are dependent upon individual timetables for implementation and linked to the wider modernisation of the health system. The savings in many instances also require the passage of the Health and Social Care Bill and the Public Bodies Bill and subsequent secondary legislation.
Tessa Jowell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what estimate his Department has made of the level of savings which will accrue from the abolition of the Expert Advisory Group on AIDS; [48651]
(2) what estimate his Department has made of the level of savings which will accrue from the abolition of the Committee on the Mutagenicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment; [48654]
(3) what estimate his Department has made of the level of savings which will accrue from the abolition of the Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment; [48655]
(4) what estimate his Department has made of the level of savings which will accrue from the abolition of the Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants; [48656]
(5) what estimate his Department has made of the level of savings which will accrue from the abolition of the Committee on Carcogenicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment; [48657]
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(6) what estimate his Department has made of the level of savings which will accrue from the abolition of the Advisory Group on Hepatitis; [48660]
(7) what estimate his Department has made of the level of savings which will accrue from the abolition of the Advisory Committee on Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare Associated Infection. [48664]
Mr Simon Burns: The current running costs of advisory non-departmental public bodies are small and the opportunities for savings are corresponding in size. Once the changes signalled in the Public Bodies review are enacted, these committees will be reconstituted as committees of experts, and are likely to incur similar running costs.
Drugs: Parents
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he holds on the number of children living in households in which a parent is dependent on (a) alcohol and (b) hard drugs. [48482]
Anne Milton: Information on the number of children living in households in which a parent was dependent on alcohol and drugs is not available.
However, the 2007 “Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey” (APMS) provides information on the percentage of adults who live with one or more of their children, step children, foster children or children-in-law and who are dependent on (a) alcohol and (b) drugs.
In the survey, 3.8% of people aged 16 or over reported being dependent on alcohol, where dependency is defined as a score of 16 or more on the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test. Of those adults, 29% lived in a household with one or more of their children, step children, foster children or children-in-law.
3.3% of people aged 16 or over reported being dependent on drugs. The drugs covered were cannabis, amphetamines, cocaine, crack, ecstasy, heroin/methadone, tranquillisers and volatile substances, but excluded LSD, magic mushrooms, amyl nitrite, and anabolic steroids, (as these types of drugs are less associated with the development of dependency). Of those adults, 27% lived in a household with one or more of their children, step children, foster children or children-in-law.
The following table breaks down the number of children per household.
| Number of their children, step children, foster children or children-in-law living in the household | Alcohol | Drugs |
| Source: APM5, 2007 | ||
Given that some households contain more than one dependent adult, this information cannot be used to estimate the number of children living in households in which an adult was dependent on (a) alcohol and (b) drugs, as double counting would occur.
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Epilepsy: Drugs
Jacob Rees-Mogg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 21 March 2011, Official Report, columns 769-70W, on epilepsy: drugs, if he will discuss with representatives of Bath and North East Somerset Primary Care Trust the use of stiripentol for the treatment of Dravet syndrome. [49246]
Paul Burstow: This is a matter for Bath and North East Somerset Primary Care Trust (PCT).
In making funding decisions on individual treatments, PCTs are expected to take account of the available evidence.
General Practitioners
Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what arrangements he plans to make to reimburse GPs who meet quality standards under his proposals for GP commissioning. [49110]
Mr Simon Burns: The Government have proposed that consortia that achieve high quality outcomes from the resources available to them should receive a ‘quality premium’, which the consortia can then disburse between the general practitioners’ (GP) practices that are members of the consortia.
We will discuss further with the profession how to develop these arrangements so that they create the right incentives for collaborative work between practices to improve quality and outcomes and enable GPs to make the right clinical judgments for individual patients.
Grahame M. Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has made an assessment of any relationship between the size of population covered by a GP commissioning consortium and the running costs per head of population of commissioning healthcare. [49315]
Mr Simon Burns: The impact assessment of the Health and Social Care Bill assesses the benefits, costs and risks of implementing the policies proposed in the NHS White Paper Equity and Excellence that require primary legislation. Annex A of the impact assessment covers the proposals on general practitioner (GP) commissioning. It highlights the potential risk of higher transaction costs should GP consortia, on average, commission services on behalf of populations smaller than primary care trusts. It also indicates that there is no consensus on a minimum size to handle the risk and that any risk could be shared through consortia working collaboratively or securing commissioning support from other organisations.
Grahame M. Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the per patient management allowance budget for GP consortia will be uniform across England. [49316]
Mr Simon Burns: The expectation is that general practitioner (GP) consortia will have an allowance for running costs that could be in the range of £25 to £35 per head of population by 2014-15. We will not determine the exact amount until further work has been undertaken with pathfinders. The NHS Commissioning Board will be responsible for determining exactly how the available resources for running costs are distributed between consortia.
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Health Services: Freedom of Information
Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received on the potential use by private and voluntary providers of health care of information secured from public sector competitors under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. [48843]
Mr Simon Burns: The Department is not aware of any representations having been made. The information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Health Services: Overseas Visitors
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much he estimates is owed to NHS bodies (a) in London and (b) nationally by overseas visitors. [49295]
Anne Milton: The following table shows the total audited losses in respect of bad debts and claims abandoned for overseas visitors in 2009-10 for national health service bodies in London and in England. The table does not include monies owed that NHS hospitals are still in the process of recovering, which is not available centrally.
| £ | ||
|
|
London | England |
| Note: We do not collect data from NHS foundation trusts so figures exclude these sites. Source: NHS Trust Audited Summarisation Schedules. | ||
Medical Records: Data Protection
Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he plans to take to protect patient confidentiality under his proposed changes to the structure of the NHS. [49129]
Mr Simon Burns: Patient confidentiality, as with other aspects of good information governance, is the responsibility of every local organisation and this will not change even where structures do. All bodies providing national health service services are required to evidence their performance in this area annually. The Department provides a code of practice, supporting guidelines in the Information Governance Toolkit, a web-based resource, and free e-learning and other training resources. Sir David Nicholson, the NHS Chief Executive, has written to NHS Chief Executives to stress the importance of maintaining good information governance practice throughout the period of transition.
Mental Health: Children
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what support his Department offers to parents of children diagnosed with (a) emotional, (b) behavioural and (c) mental health conditions. [48614]
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Paul Burstow: The national health service provides support to parents whose children are receiving treatment for mental health conditions, including emotional and behavioural problems. This can take several forms e.g. parent therapy, family therapy and support while their child is receiving therapy or medication. The only exceptions would be the small number of cases where the young person is competent to make their own decisions, and they decide that they do not want their parents involved, and the young person does not pose a danger to themselves or others.
The refreshed carers strategy “Recognised, Valued and Supported: Next steps for the Carers Strategy” sets out the actions that the Government will take over the next four years to ensure the best possible outcomes for carers and those they support. These include supporting those with caring responsibilities to identify themselves as carers at an early stage, recognising the value of their contribution and involving them from the outset, both in designing local care provision and in planning individual care packages.
New funding of £6 million has been made available to identify and support carers and an additional £400 million has been announced to provide breaks for all carers.
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time was for referrals to the child and adolescent mental health service in each primary care trust area in each of the last five years. [48615]
Paul Burstow: This information is not collected by the Department.
“The Operating Framework for the NHS in England in 2011/12” stated that national health service organisations should pay particular attention to groups with specific needs including child and adolescent mental health services.
We are investing funds to expand access to psychological therapies to children and young people. This will enable the development and initiation of a stand-alone programme to extend access to psychological therapies for children and young people building on learning from the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme. The programme will include a range of evidence-based therapies including cognitive behavioural therapy and therapy that works directly with parents.
This will mean that children and young people with a mental health problem such as depression, anxiety or conduct disorder will have better access to National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence approved psychological therapies, alongside any medical treatment they may need from their general practitioner or specialist. It will also mean that their parents will receive relevant support. “Talking Therapies: a four-year plan of action” was published as a supporting document to the Government’s mental health strategy “No health without mental health: a cross-government mental health outcomes strategy”.
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of people diagnosed with chronic depression were referred to a specialist for NHS treatment in the latest period for which figures are available. [48616]
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Paul Burstow: This information is not held centrally in the form requested.
NHS
John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what estimate his Department has made of the average time taken to complete procurement processes conducted by NHS bodies for goods or services worth more than £100,000 in the latest period for which figures are available; [48602]
(2) what proportion of contracts for goods and services issued by the NHS and worth £100,000 or above were awarded to small and medium-sized enterprises in the latest period for which figures are available; [48603]
(3) what estimate his Department has made of the number of contracts awarded by NHS institutions above the value of £100,000 that have been subject to legal challenge in each of the last three years; [48605]
(4) what estimate his Department has made of the number of NHS tender processes for goods or services worth more than £100,000 which have been abandoned or recommenced due to legal challenge or representation in each of the last three years. [48606]
Mr Simon Burns: National health service bodies (whether NHS trusts, NHS foundation trusts or primary care trusts) are independent corporate bodies responsible and accountable for conducting their own procurement or tender exercises. This includes taking legal advice as appropriate. The Department itself does not hold any information centrally on such local procurement or tender exercises.
Grahame M. Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what recent assessment he has made of the level of public satisfaction with the NHS; and if he will make a statement; [48825]
(2) whether his Department has commissioned polls to establish public opinion on the NHS since his appointment. [48837]
John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has commissioned from Ipsos MORI on public attitudes to the NHS in the last three years; and whether the outcomes of each such piece of research have been published. [48604]
Owen Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) when his Department last (a) commissioned and (b) received polling data on public or patient satisfaction
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with the NHS; and whether these data have been published; [49004]
(2) if he will publish the results of the most recent opinion polls commissioned by his Department to measure patient and public satisfaction with the NHS. [49005]
Mr Simon Burns: Since 2000, the Department has commissioned, from Ipsos MORI, tracking surveys of public attitudes towards the national health service and social care. Every tracking survey received by the Department has been published.
I refer the hon. Members to the written answer given to the hon. Member for Leicester West (Liz Kendall) on 3 December 2010, Official Report, column 1074W, which explained that the reports for 2008 to 2010 were being placed in the Library. Future surveys will be published in line with the Department’s freedom of information publication scheme.
NHS Blood and Transplant
Gordon Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will assess the potential effect on donor goodwill of any proposal to remove NHS Blood and Transplant from the public sector. [49166]
Anne Milton: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave the hon. Member for Easington (Grahame M. Morris) on 8 March 2011, Official Report, column 991W.
NHS Blood and Transplant monitors donor attendance, experience and satisfaction on a regular basis.
NHS: Private Sector
John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the cost to the NHS of treatment carried out by the private sector on behalf of the NHS in respect of (a) learning difficulties, (b) mental illness, (c) maternity care, (d) general and acute care, (e) accident and emergency service provision, (f) community health services and (g) other contracted services in the latest period for which figures are available. [49312]
Mr Simon Burns: The following table shows expenditure by national health service commissioners (primary care trusts) in England on the purchase of NHS treatment from non-NHS bodies for 2009-10, broken down by sector and the medical specialities requested; information is also held on expenditure on primary healthcare and revenue grants to local authorities (LAs) and private sector contractors and bodies to fund capital projects.
| 2009-10 Purchase of healthcare from non-NHS bodies | ||||
| £000 | ||||
|
|
Independent sector treatment centres | Other private sector providers | Voluntary sector | Other including local authorities |
28 Mar 2011 : Column 191W
28 Mar 2011 : Column 192W
|
Grants (revenue) to LAs and private sector to fund Capital Projects |
||||
| Source: Audited summarisation schedules of primary care trusts 2009-10. | ||||