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Written Answers to Questions
Thursday 31 March 2011
Leader of the House
Independent Commission on Banking
Mr Umunna: To ask the Leader of the House if he will take steps to ensure a debate on the interim findings of the Independent Commission on Banking after 11 April 2011. [50132]
Sir George Young: I have no plans to provide time for a debate on this subject. As the Chancellor has previously stated, the Government are not going to pre-empt in any way the conclusions that the Independent Commission on Banking may come to in its final report or the Government’s response.
Northern Ireland
Public Inquiries
Mr Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the cost to his Department was of public inquiries in each of the last 10 years. [49901]
Mr Paterson: The four Northern Ireland public inquiries established by the previous Government have cost a total of £301.1 million over the last 10 years.
The Bloody Sunday Inquiry closed in June 2010 and cost a total of £191.5 million. The Billy Wright Inquiry closed in September 2010 and cost £30.5 million. The Robert Hamill Inquiry closed in February 2011 and cost £33.0 million. The Rosemary Nelson Inquiry has cost £46.1 million to date. Detailed costs relating to the Bloody Sunday and Billy Wright Inquiries, broken down by year, are available on the Northern Ireland Office website:
www.nio.gov.uk
Victims Support
Mr Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many meetings he has had with victims' representatives since his appointment. [49899]
Mr Paterson: I have had 23 formal meetings with a range of victims' groups and other victims' representatives from across the community in Northern Ireland, as well as groups representing victims in Great Britain since my appointment.
The Minister of State has also had a similar number of such meetings since his appointment.
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Justice
Bribery Act 2010
Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Orpington (Joseph Johnson) of 15 February 2011, Official Report, columns 750-1W, on what date he expects (a) guidance on the implementation of the Bribery Act 2010 to be published and (b) the Bribery Act 2010 to be implemented. [49701]
Mr Djanogly: I refer the hon. Member to the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice’s written ministerial statement of 30 March 2011, Official Report, column 21WS.
Courts: Closures
Mr Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) what steps he is taking to ensure that the work of the family courts is not affected by the closure of family court venues; [50251]
(2) whether family court proceedings will be kept separate from proceedings on criminal cases following the completion of planned court closures in Wales and England; [50252]
Mr Djanogly: HMCS will carefully manage the transfer of workload and administration of cases using the detailed implementation plans that are being developed for each court that is closing.
Over recent years HMCS has been pursuing a Unified Family Court policy which has taken the majority of Family Proceedings Court hearings out of magistrates courts buildings and into the county courts. The court estate already contains a number of co-located courts that include both magistrates and county courts and Crown and county courts and to a smaller extent all three. There will be some additional co-location of criminal and family jurisdictions in magistrates and county courts as a result of court closures. However, there are operational advantages to co-location and so long as suitable arrangements are made, such as segregated facilities or separate days for family and criminal matters, HMCS will seek to increase the flexibility of court buildings and provide multi-jurisdictional services.
Domestic Violence
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) what recent assessment he has made of the outcomes of the Integrated Domestic Abuse Programme; and if he will make a statement; [49743]
(2) what recent estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of the Integrated Domestic Abuse Programme; and if he will make a statement. [49755]
Mr Blunt: Positive shifts in attitudes and beliefs are made by participants over the course of the Integrated Domestic Abuse Programme, and research is planned to look at the impact of perpetrator programmes on reoffending rates.
The funding for the supervision of offenders and the delivery of programmes in the community is part of the general grant given to probation trusts. The costs will
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vary and depend on a number of factors including the risk presented by the individual, the level of supervision required, and the arrangements for delivery in the particular area. It is not possible to accurately disaggregate the cost of this work. However, work is in hand to ensure that all offender services delivered in the community are properly specified and costed so that commissioners can ensure resources are targeted effectively to protect the public and reduce reoffending.
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent assessment has been made of the effectiveness of restorative justice in cases of domestic violence; and if he will make a statement. [49746]
Mr Blunt: The use of restorative justice conferencing for domestic abuse cases is contentious as it has implications for the safety of victims. Current guidelines do not encourage this approach in domestic violence cases, with victim-offender mediation pointing to the risks for victims.
An alternative approach is the Integrated Domestic Abuse Programme (IDAP), a programme for convicted offenders aimed at tackling physical and psychological domestic abuse, and linked behaviour issues such as control and misuse of power. It also provides support for victims and their families and, where appropriate, the victim may play a role in demonstrating the impact and consequences of the abuse as part of an offender's rehabilitation.
More generally, the Ministry of Justice assessment of general restorative justice evidence suggests that restorative justice can, in appropriate cases, have a positive impact on the offender's likelihood of re-offending in the future as well as providing more positive outcomes for victims. As set out in the recent MoJ Green Paper on "Breaking the Cycle", we are committed to increasing the range and availability of restorative justice approaches and to give victims a greater chance of seeking reparation for the crimes committed against them. We are looking at how we can make restorative justice a fundamental part of the sentencing process.
Prison Service: Pay
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 16 February 2011, Official Report, column 796W, on the Prison Service: ICT, whether the Director of Corporate Affairs of HM Prison Service received a bonus in respect of performance in 1999-2000 (a) in that year and (b) subsequently. [49802]
Mr Blunt: Records from the Home Office Pay Service (HOPS) date back to July 2001 and there is no indication of a bonus payment in respect of performance made to the Director of Corporate Affairs since July 2001.
Prisons: Private Sector
Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 3 March 2011, Official Report, column 577W, on prisoners, how many projects in prisons run by the private sector remunerate prisoners for work they do; and how many prisoners are participating in each such project. [49768]
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Mr Blunt: Prisoner remuneration for work is devolved to governors, and in the private estate, to directors of prisons. Central records of local pay scales and, for the private sector, the amount of prisoners involved in specific initiatives are not kept and could be gained only at disproportionate cost.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Afghanistan: Females
Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will provide support to the work of (a) Malalai Joya and (b) other Afghan human rights activists in publicising the situation of women in Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement. [50068]
Alistair Burt: We continue to work closely with a wide range of Afghan women’s rights advocates to improve the status of women in Afghanistan through funding and capacity building support. Malalai Joya visited the UK in October 2008 to discuss human rights with UK Government officials.
British Nationals Abroad: Homicide
Jackie Doyle-Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will establish in his Department a specialist team to support those bereaved by homicides of UK nationals overseas. [45234]
Mr Jeremy Browne: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has no plans to establish a specialist team to support those bereaved by homicides of UK nationals overseas and intends to continue to provide support through its existing country casework teams. Country casework teams work closely with other organisations such as the Victim Support National Homicide Service, and I have met non-governmental organisations such as Support After Murder and Manslaughter Abroad and Missing Abroad to ensure that our support meets the needs of bereaved families.
Public Bodies Reform Programme
Tessa Jowell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what estimate his Department has made of the level of savings which will accrue from the abolition of the Government Hospitality Advisory Committee on the Purchase of Wine; [48666]
(2) what estimate his Department has made of the level of savings which will accrue from the abolition of the Diplomatic Service Appeals Board; [48667]
(3) what estimate his Department has made of the level of savings which will accrue from the abolition of the Caribbean Board; [48668]
(4) what estimate his Department has made of the level of savings which will accrue from the change in function of the UK-India Round Table; [48770]
(5) what estimate his Department has made of the level of savings which will accrue from the change in function of the Foreign Compensation Commission. [48771]
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Mr Lidington: On 16 March 2011, Official Report, column 9-10WS, the Minister for the Cabinet Office issued a written ministerial statement 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 change in function of the UK-India Round Table over the spending review period of £80,000.
The Foreign Compensation Commission has not changed its function. While it is anticipated that the reform process will generate efficiencies or cost savings, at the current time no estimate of the potential level of either has been made.
The Government Hospitality Advisory Committee on the Purchase of Wines is no longer a non-departmental public body and its members did not receive any salary for their role.
The Diplomatic Service Appeals Board has been formally wound up and only incurred costs when it heard a case. Each case costs approximately £6,000 and we estimate on average we had one case per year.
The abolished Caribbean Board did not incur any costs over the past two years. There was no budget planned for it, and therefore its abolition did not generate any savings.
League of Arab States
Mr Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what occasions (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have been in contact with (i) Arab League officials and (ii) the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States since the beginning of 2011. [47766]
Mr Hague: Both officials and Ministers are in regular contact with the Arab League. The Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Alistair Burt) spoke to Amr Moussa on 22 March 2011. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister spoke to him on 21 March 2011 and I spoke to him most recently on 16, 19 and 26 March 2011.
Mumbai: Terrorism
Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department has taken to provide compensation to British nationals involved in the Mumbai terrorist attacks in 2008. [43824]
Mr Bellingham: Lead responsibility for ensuring provision of support services and compensation to victims of violent crime rests with the Ministry of Justice.
Previous proposals for compensating victims of terrorism overseas are being considered alongside a review of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme and wider victims’ services by the Ministry of Justice.
Somalia: Piracy
Mr Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has assessed the merits of seeking international agreement to declare the sea off the coast of Somalia a conflict zone. [49477]
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Mr Bellingham: Somali pirates are engaged in the criminal act of piracy as defined by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. The UK does not regard the operation of pirates off the coast of Somalia as meeting the criteria for an armed conflict. Naval forces in the region are conducting law enforcement operations to take robust action against pirates, including detention and prosecution of pirates and the seizure and disposal of piratical equipment in accordance with the requirements of international law, including customary international law of the sea and the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
The area remains high risk to merchant shipping and the Government work closely with international partners and the international shipping industry to ensure this is as widely understood as possible and necessary precautions are taken. On 16 December 2010, the Lloyd’s Joint War Committee added the Indian Ocean/Arabian Sea/Gulf of Aden/Gulf of Oman/Southern Red Sea to the Hull War, Strikes, Terrorism and Related Perils Listed Areas. This increases the insurance requirement for all merchant shipping transiting this area. Industry agreed Best Management Practice has also defined the region as a high risk area, recommending strongly the implementation of increased protection measures for all ships transiting it. In February 2011, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office changed its travel advice to advise against all but essential travel in the area by yacht and leisure craft.
Mr Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for what reason he announced that additional funding would be provided to tackle piracy by issuing a press release rather than in a written ministerial statement or in a written answer to a parliamentary question. [49506]
Mr Bellingham [holding answer 28 March 2011]:The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), referred at “The Times Summit” on Africa on 22 March to the Government’s provision of £6 million of support during this year for continued building-up of the counter-piracy capacity of regional countries in the Indian Ocean area. This implements the Government’s existing counter-piracy assistance policy as outlined in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Morecambe and Lunesdale (David Morris) on 5 July 2010, Official Report, column 31W. The cumulative total of £6 million represents a total of 12 separate piracy-related projects taken forward recently in Kenya, the Seychelles and in Somalia itself, including support for courts, prisons, police and coastguard. One project related to the gift of an advanced surveillance camera to the Seychelles coastguard, which was handed over on 24 March and enables more effective surveillance of pirate activity and now provides evidence-standard photography for use in prosecutions. Collectively this represents an important reaffirmation of the UK’s commitment to provide comprehensive political, military and capacity building support to our partners in the region in their fight against piracy. I will write to the right hon. Member with more details of these projects, and will place a copy in the Library of the House, along with a copy of the Secretary of State’s speech on Africa.
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Yemen: Politics and Government
Mr Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the situation in Yemen; and if he will make a statement. [47560]
Mr Hague: The situation in Yemen is fragile and serious. Over 50 protestors were killed and hundreds wounded in Sana'a on 18 March. In a statement on the same day I expressed my utter condemnation of violence and called for those responsible immediately to cease this brutal reaction to protests and to be held accountable for their actions. Such violence undermines the opportunities for dialogue between all parties in Yemen. The subsequent declaration of a state of emergency does not absolve the Government of Yemen.
In response to the increase in violence, a number of senior Yemeni ministers, ambassadors and military figures have resigned, expressed their support for the protestors and called for an early and peaceful transition of power.
The Government of Yemen must take urgent action to build trust with the opposition and with the protesters. Without this trust, no agreement can be reached. It is vital that President Saleh and the opposition agree on a politically inclusive and democratic process and an orderly transition to find a lasting settlement.
Our travel advice currently advises against all travel to Yemen and recommends that all British nationals in Yemen leave now by commercial means.
Defence
Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many RAF aircraft movements there were between Camp Bastion and Kandahar Airbase for each type of aircraft in each of the last 12 months; what cargo was shipped in each such case; and what the cost to the public purse was of such movements in each such month. [48070]
Nick Harvey: Information on numbers of RAF helicopter movements per month and what freight was shipped on each such air movement between Bastion Airfield and Kandahar is not held.
Information on numbers of RAF fixed wing aircraft movements per month and what freight was shipped on each such air movement between Bastion Airfield and Kandahar Airfield prior to September 2010 is not held.
The numbers of movements of RAF fixed wing aircraft between Bastion Airfield and Kandahar Airfield for each month since September 2010 is as follows:
| Number of RAF fixed wing aircraft movements | |
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The average total monthly marginal cost of these moves was £310,000.
Marginal cost is cost which would not have been incurred had the moves not occurred, the majority of which is the cost of fuel.
Information on what freight was shipped on each such RAF fixed wing air movement between Bastion Airfield and Kandahar Airfield from September 2010 is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether any helicopters and their crews deployed in Afghanistan will be redeployed as part of Operation Odyssey Dawn; and if he will make a statement. [49737]
Nick Harvey: There are currently no plans to redeploy UK helicopters or their crews from Afghanistan to support operations in Libya.
Armed Forces: Housing
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will take steps to ensure that the level of the food and incidentals allowance to which military personnel who are required to live in private rented accommodation because of lack of accommodation within military bases are entitled to is maintained. [49628]
Mr Robathan [holding answer 28 March 2011]: The food and incidentals allowance (FIA) is being continued but will be reduced from £12.41 to £8.50 per day from 1 May 2011. This is largely as a result of basing the estimated cost of the ‘food basket’, which is used to fix the value of FIA, more closely on prices experienced across the UK.
Departmental Theft
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 24 March 2011, Official Report, column 1227W, on departmental theft, whether he has taken steps to ensure that equipment with a military use stolen from his Department does not fall into enemy hands. [50154]
Mr Robathan: All allegations of theft of military equipment are carefully examined and where appropriate the necessary resources, including the Ministry of Defence police, are allocated to investigate the loss, and wherever possible recover the equipment.
The Ministry of Defence has recently set up a Defence Crime Board to provide strategic direction and initiatives aimed at combating the harm done to Defence by crime.
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 24 March 2011, Official Report, column 1227W, on departmental theft, from which of his Department's sites items of a monetary value of £100 or more have been taken without authorisation since his appointment. [50155]
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Mr Robathan: Information regarding the locations of alleged thefts of departmental property recorded on the Ministry of Defence Police crime database, over the value of £100 within the UK, will be placed in the Library of the House.
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 24 March 2011, Official Report, column 1227W, on departmental theft, from which site or sites the money intended as compensation was taken; what sums were to be disbursed from this money; and who the intended recipients of such compensation were. [50156]
Mr Robathan: Three Ministry of Defence (MOD) cheques for compensation-related matters were dispatched to a non-MOD site in London. The cheques were for £60,000, £16,500 and £8,000. I am not able to identify the location of the offence, nor the degree of losses, as the investigation is ongoing. Nor am I able to identify the intended recipients for privacy and Data Protection reasons. However, I can confirm that neither the intended recipients nor the MOD has suffered a financial loss as a consequence.
HMS Ark Royal
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department expects to save through the decommissioning of HMS Ark Royal in each financial year until 2020. [49912]
Peter Luff: Savings from the withdrawal from service of HMS Ark Royal are estimated at £10 million in financial year 2011-12, £25 million in 2012-13, £35 million in 2013-14, £35 million in 2014-15 and broadly £30 million each year thereafter.
HMS Illustrious
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) when HMS Illustrious is due to return to service; [49910]
(2) on what date HMS Illustrious was taken out of service. [49911]
Peter Luff: HMS Illustrious left operational service in January 2010, and entered her docking period in Rosyth in March 2010. She is scheduled to return to operational service in spring 2012, to assume her landing platform helicopter role.
Navy
Mr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for future deployment of the Royal Navy in (a) collaborative operations and (b) core responsibilities. [49104]
Nick Harvey: It is not our policy to provide details of future deployments as to do so would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.
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Operation Ellamy
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service personnel have participated in Operation Ellamy to date. [49920]
Nick Harvey [holding answer 30 March 2011]: As at 29 March 2011, the number of service personnel participating in Operation Ellamy overseas was 1,400, rounded to the nearest 100.
The precise number of personnel participating in Operation Ellamy will fluctuate on a daily basis for a variety of reasons, including the roulement of forces, visits and a range of other factors. We do not, therefore, publish specific figures for personnel deployed in support of operations.
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what equipment and capabilities from (a) the Royal Navy, (b) the Royal Air Force and (c) the Army have been deployed in Operation Ellamy. [49922]
Nick Harvey [holding answer 30 March 2011]: The Royal Navy has deployed Type 22 and Type 23 Frigates (HMS Cumberland and HMS Westminster respectively), with a Royal Marine Fleet Standby Rifle Troop onboard. A Trafalgar Class submarine has also been deployed.
The Royal Air Force has deployed a Nimrod R1, Sentinel reconnaissance aircraft and the E3D Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft: Tornado GR4 ground attack aircraft have been deployed to support strike operations in support of the UN Security Council Resolution (1973) No Fly Zone. Typhoon aircraft have also been deployed to enforce the No Fly Zone. VC10, Tristar, C130, C17, HS125 and HS146 aircraft have been deployed for logistic support including air-to-air refuelling.
The Army has deployed forward elements of 30 Signal Regiment and Lead Air Support Squadron to Italy for communications and engineering support respectively.
Piracy
Mr Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions his Department has had with (a) the International Maritime Organisation, (b) Shrivenham Defence College, (c) the International Institute for Strategic Studies, (d) Newport News and (e) other external bodies on naval doctrine concerning the threat of piracy. [49461]
Nick Harvey: The Development, Concepts and Doctrine Centre, located with the Defence Academy at Shrivenham, is integral to the Ministry of Defence and its work informs development of naval doctrine. The Department also has good links with the International Maritime Organisation, the International Institute for Strategic Studies, the US Maritime Warfare Development Organisations and other international bodies, including NATO and the EU, and conducts routine liaison including on the issue of counter piracy.
Somalia: Piracy
Mr Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will assess the relevance of the UK maritime doctrine to the situation of piracy off the coast of Somalia and in the western Indian Ocean. [49476]
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Nick Harvey: UK maritime doctrine is at the forefront of both the UK and NATO efforts to counter piracy off the coast of Somalia and in the Indian Ocean and is reflected in NATO established doctrine contained in EXTAC 789, which is kept under regular review. Recognised as a lead NATO nation in this area, the UK recently took over ownership of this NATO publication which is widely employed by the Royal Navy alongside UK standard operating procedures for boarding operations.
EXTAC 789 is amended on a regular cycle and discussed annually at the NATO maritime operations working group.
Culture, Media and Sport
Creative Industry Council
Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport who the (a) members and (b) Chair will be of the Creative Industry Council announced in the 2011 Budget; and what its remit will be. [49883]
Mr Jeremy Hunt [holding answer 29 March 2011]: I anticipate that the members of the Council will contain a representation of the key sub sectors and trade associations from across the creative industries. Currently the Council is co-chaired by myself and the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.
Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether the Creative Industry Council announced in the 2011 Budget will be led by industry or by Government. [49884]
Mr Jeremy Hunt [holding answer 29 March 2011]:The purpose of the council is to provide a forum which can act as a voice for industry both within Government and outside, including in the financial sector. To that end the agenda needs to be led by industry as they are best placed to identify the most pressing problems facing the sector.
Departmental Domestic Visits
Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many (a) arts and cultural performances and (b) competitive sports events he has attended in an official capacity since his appointment. [48796]
Mr Jeremy Hunt [holding answer 24 March 2011]: Since my appointment I have attended 11 arts and cultural performances and eight competitive sports events in an official capacity.
Museums: Finance
Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will put in place mechanisms to monitor the effect on admission charges to local and regional museums of changes in funding to (a) local authorities, (b) regional development agencies and (c) higher education institutions; and if he will publish the outcomes of such monitoring. [49948]
Mr Jeremy Hunt
[holding answer 30 March 2011]: The Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA)
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monitor the overall effects of changes in local government funding to local and regional museums, particularly the effects of local government funding changes on the museums funded through the MLA’s Renaissance in the Regions programme. There are no plans to publish data on the specific impact of changes in funding from local authorities, regional development agencies and higher education institutions on the price of admission to local and regional museums.
Third Sector
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department are participating in volunteering activities as part of his Department’s involvement in the Big Society initiative. [42656]
Mr Jeremy Hunt: I and my Department’s Ministers are actively involved with numerous charities on a private basis as detailed in the list of Ministers’ interests, recently published by the Cabinet Office, as well as our involvement in local voluntary activities in our constituencies.
Youth Sport Trust Young Ambassadors
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether Ministers in his Department plan to meet Youth Sport Trust Young Ambassadors when they deliver their petition against changes in his Department's expenditure. [27412]
Tim Loughton: I have been asked to reply.
I was very pleased to have been able to meet the Young Ambassadors when they delivered their petition about funding for school sport. In addition, I had a further, very productive, meeting with the Young Ambassadors steering group at the House of Commons on 21 February 2011.
Work and Pensions
Child Poverty
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many children in each ethnic group were living in poverty in each of the last 10 years. [48478]
Maria Miller: Estimates of the number and proportion of children living in poverty are published in the Households Below Average Income (HBAI) series. HBAI uses household income adjusted (or ‘equivalised’) for household size and composition, to provide a proxy for standard of living. The latest available data cover 2008-09.
Due to small sample sizes involved, estimates by ethnic group are based on a three year average.
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| Percentage of children living in relative poverty before housing costs (BHC) by ethnic group of head of household | |||||
| Percentage of children | |||||
| Period | White | Black and Black British | Indian | Pakistani/ Bangladeshi | All other categories |
| Notes: 1. These statistics are based on Households Below Average Income (HBAI) data sourced from the Family Resources Survey (FRS). These use disposable household income, adjusted using modified OECD equivalisation factors for household size and composition, as an income measure as a proxy for standard of living. 2. All estimates are based on survey data and are therefore subject to uncertainty. Small differences should be treated with caution as these will be affected by sampling error and variability in non-response. 3. The reference period for Households Below Average Income figures are single financial years. Due to small sample sizes involved, estimate by ethnic group are based on three year averages. 4. From 2001-02 it is possible to split the ethnic groups further. It is not possible to separate out definitional and real effects. 5. The ‘all other categories’ group includes mixed, Chinese and other. 6. Data up to 2001-02 correspond to Great Britain, while data from 2002-03 correspond to the United Kingdom. 7. These statistics are based on incomes before housing costs. 8. Relative poverty is defined as: children living in households with less than 60% of contemporary median household income. 9. These statistics are publicly available in the Households Below Average Income report on the DWP website: http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/hbai/hbai_2009/index.php?page=contents Table 4.5, page 74 for latest three-year average. Source: Households Below Average Income, DWP | |||||
Departmental Public Consultation
Alok Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many public consultations his Department and its predecessors have conducted in each of the last 10 years; for how long each consultation was open; how many responses were received to each consultation; and what the cost to the public purse of conducting each consultation was. [46590]
Chris Grayling: The information is not held centrally in the Department, and could be provided only partially, and at disproportionate cost.
This Department publishes consultation information on its website which can be accessed at:
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/consultations/
This website contains information about consultations undertaken, and any published responses, from 2009 to date. This will show each consultation and how long it was open for. Consultation responses, where published, will show the number of responses received in that consultation. We do not quantify costs of consultations, primarily because the main cost in most cases is that of the staff time involved.
Earlier consultations are archived at:
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/publications/publications-archive/consultations-papers/
It is possible to request published consultations and responses on an individual basis.
Disability Living Allowance
Margaret Curran: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people with each disability are in receipt of an indefinite award of disability living allowance. [39400]
Maria Miller: The information requested is contained in the following table:
| Number of indefinite awards of disability living allowance in payment by main disabling condition—May 2010 | ||
| Condition | All awards | Indefinite awards |
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| Notes: 1. Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest 100. 2. Totals show the number of people in receipt of an allowance, and exclude people with entitlement where the payment has been suspended, for example if they are in hospital. 3. Where more than one disability is present only the main disabling condition is recorded. 4. A diagnosed medical condition does not mean that someone is automatically entitled to DLA. Entitlement is dependent on an assessment of how much help someone needs with personal care and/or mobility because of their disability. These statistics are only collected for administrative purposes. 5. The preferred statistics on benefits are now derived from 100% data sources. However, the 5% sample data still provide some detail not yet available from the 100% data sources, in particular, more complete information on the disabling condition of DLA claimants. DWP recommends that, where the detail is only available on the 5% sample data, or disabling condition (DLA) is required, the proportions derived should be scaled up to the overall 100% total for the benefit. Source: Department for Work and Pensions, Information Directorate. DLA figures are from 5% sample data. | ||
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer or 18 March 2011, Official Report, column 739W, on disability living allowance, what discussions he has had with (a) the Secretary of State for Education and (b) the devolved Administrations on (i) the introduction of a single assessment process for a child’s social care, health and special educational needs and (ii) the use of such a process for personal independence payments. [49162]
Maria Miller: I have had discussions with the Minister with responsibility for children and families about the best approach to exploring a single assessment process and education, health and social care plan and I have also agreed to explore whether the single assessment process might also be used to support claims for disability living allowance and personal independence payment.
I have written to the Deputy Minister for Social Services in the Welsh Assembly Government and the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing in the Scottish Government about disability living allowance reform. In addition, officials at the Department for Work and Pensions are in regular contact with their counterparts in the territorial offices as work on reform of disability living allowance and its replacement with personal independence payment progresses. Officials from the territorial offices are members of the Cross Whitehall Working Group on reform of disability living allowance and have been sent updates.
Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of people in (a) the UK, (b) England, (c) the North East and (d) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency who will have their disability living allowance (i) reduced and (ii) removed as a result of his Department's planned welfare reforms. [49306]
Maria Miller:
Support in personal independence payment will be focussed on those who face the biggest barriers to independent living. The assessment is being developed and at this stage, and therefore an assessment is not
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available of the impact changes could have on existing disability living allowance, or future recipients. We are working with disabled people and organisations that represent them on the detailed design and delivery of personal independence payment and the outcomes from this work will be reflected in updates to the impact assessment for this change. We have already announced that personal independence payment will be a non taxable, non means-tested benefit payable to people in and out of work.
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will assess the effects on the ability of care home residents to participate in community activities of removing the mobility component of disability living allowance; and if he will make a statement. [49891]
Maria Miller: The Government have listened to charities and other stakeholders and will not remove the mobility component of the disability living allowance for people funded by the state in residential care in October 2012.
The needs of care home residents will be considered at the same time as other current and future recipients of DLA as part of the wider reform of DLA. The Government remain fully committed to supporting disabled people.
Disability: Motor Vehicles
Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what assessment he has made of the eligibility criteria for road tax exemptions for vehicles adapted for use by disabled people; [49487]
(2) if he will review legislation on the exemption from road tax of adapted vehicles for disabled people over the age of 65 years who are ineligible for disability living allowance. [49525]
Justine Greening: I have been asked to reply.
Vehicle excise duty exemptions are available to mobility scooters, recipients of the disability living allowance higher rate mobility supplement and organisations devoted to the care of disabled people. The eligibility criteria for exemption are consistent with the welfare policies inherited from the previous Government.
A consultation on disability living allowance reform closed on 18 February 2011 and the Government will publish a response shortly. Vehicle excise duty and associated exemptions are kept under review.
Employment Schemes
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the number of persons in (a) Glasgow, (b) Scotland and (c) Great Britain who will participate in the Work Programme in each of the next four financial years. [47015]
Chris Grayling: We have provided volumes for each contract package area but have not included further geographical breakdowns. Therefore we do not have Work Programme volumes for Glasgow.
The following table includes the number of customers expected to join the Work Programme in Scotland and Great Britain.
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|
|
Scotland | Great Britain |
| Note: Figures for 2011-12 are based on a full year of volumes assuming contracts begin in April 2011; a later contract start date will result in lower volumes. | ||
However, the number of people actually supported by Work Programme providers will be more than the number of customers starting the Work Programme in any one year because customers are supported for two years.
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For example, in 2012-13 Work Programme providers are expected to be supporting a total of 1,170,000 customers across Great Britain: 605,000 customers who are expected to join the Work Programme in 2011-12 and are in their second year on the Work Programme, and 565,000 customers who are expected to join the Work Programme in 2012-13 and are in their first year on the Work Programme.
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of clients on each fit for work pilot scheme has been diagnosed with each type of illness. [48475]
Chris Grayling: The information is in the table:
| Main health condition of fit for work service clients by pilot | |||
| Percentage | |||
| Main health condition reported by clients | |||
| Fit for work service pilot | Main health conditions | Musculoskeletal disorders | Other conditions |
| Notes: 1. Figures have been rounded to the nearest whole figure and may not sum due to rounding. 2. Figures cover the period April 2010 to February 2011. 3. ‘Other conditions’ include cardiovascular conditions, respiratory diseases, injuries, neurological conditions, obesity and conditions not recorded. Source: Management Information on Fit for Work Services. | |||
Employment Schemes: Cancer
Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what provision he plans to put in place for people recovering from cancer who remain unable to return to work for longer than a year from the start of their treatment under his proposals for welfare reform; and if he will make a statement. [49145]
Maria Miller: As part of the Welfare Reform Bill we intend to introduce a one-year time limit to contributory employment support allowance (ESA) for those in the Work Related Activity Group.
People in the Support Group will not have their benefit time limited because they have the most severe health conditions or disabilities and are the least likely to move into work.
People receiving income-related ESA will not have their benefit time limited.
In the case of those with cancer who are unable to work and have been placed in the Support Group, they will continue to receive targeted and unconditional support through employment and support allowance, and will not be affected by our proposals to introduce a time limit. After one year, those in the Work Related Activity Group will still be able to apply for income-related ESA, which will act as a safety net for those without the means to support themselves.
Employment and support allowance customers, including those on contributory ESA, will have access to our full range of employment support including the Work Programme. Those whose benefit has come to an end can remain on the programme if they wish, which will ensure that they continue to receive all the support they need to help them return to, and remain in, work.
Incapacity Benefit and Employment and Support Allowance
Mr Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people claimed (a) incapacity benefit and (b) employment and support allowance in each (i) month, (ii) quarter and (iii) year since January 2000; and if he will make a statement. [49611]
Maria Miller: The information requested is given in the following table.
31 Mar 2011 : Column 445W
| Incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance (IB/SDA) and employment and support allowance (ESA) caseloads, February 2000 to August 2010 | ||
|
|
IB/SDA | ESA |
31 Mar 2011 : Column 446W
| n/a = Not applicable. Notes: 1. Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Employment and support allowance replaced incapacity benefit and income support paid on the grounds of incapacity for new claims from 27 October 2008. 3. Data includes people in receipt of benefit and also those who fail the contributions conditions but receive a national insurance credit, i.e. ‘credits only cases’. 4. Data for these benefits are only available on a quarterly basis. 5. The data provided is published at: http://83.244.183.180/100pc/tabtool.html 6. From 6 April 2001, no new claims to severe disablement allowance were accepted. In addition from 27 October 2008, no new claims to incapacity benefit were accepted. Source: DWP Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study | ||
Low Incomes
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate his Department made of the level of in-work poverty. [47709]
Chris Grayling: The Department does not publish projections of the expected levels of in-work poverty.
Performance-related Pay
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether his Department has made any assessment of the effects on workplace stress of trends in the use of performance-related pay. [48476]
Chris Grayling: The Health and Safety Executive has made no assessment of the effects of performance-related pay (PRP) on workplace stress.
Personal Independence Payments
Margaret Curran: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether recipients under the age of 65 in receipt of the proposed personal independence payment will be eligible to receive the benefit after they reach pension age. [49470]
Maria Miller: Individuals will be able to make a new claim for personal independence payment up to the age of 65 (or state pension age, if that is higher). We recognise that individuals who develop additional needs earlier in their lives have had less opportunity to earn and save for later life. As a result, we intend in regulations to allow individuals already in receipt of personal independence payment when they reach state pension age to continue to receive the benefit, subject to the entitlement conditions continuing to be satisfied.
Personal Independence Payment: Autism
Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether a face-to-face assessment for the personal independence payment will be necessary for all people with autism, including those with significant paper evidence such as a comprehensive diagnostic report. [49929]
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Maria Miller: The Government propose to replace disability living allowance with the personal independence payment in 2013-14. We are considering the most appropriate delivery model for the personal independence payment assessment and no decisions have yet been taken. We believe that advice from an approved independent professional will be an important part of ensuring that assessments are objective and consistent. In most cases, we expect this to involve a face-to-face consultation to enable an in-depth look at an individual's circumstances.
We know it is essential that the assessment accurately captures the needs of disabled people with autistic spectrum disorders and this is something that the assessment development group that we have established 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. We also recognise the importance of ensuring that the assessment process is appropriate to individual's circumstances, including individuals with autistic spectrum disorders. 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.
Personal Independence Payments
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he has had discussions with organisations representing people with (a) autistic spectrum disorders, (b) Tourette’s syndrome and (c) depression on the system of face-to-face assessments proposed for the personal independence payments scheme. [49172]
Maria Miller: We are considering the delivery model for the personal independence payment assessment and decisions have not yet been taken on the detail of its operation. We believe that advice from a suitably trained and approved individual, for example a health care professional, will be an important part of ensuring that the assessment is more objective and consistent. In most cases, we expect this to involve a face-to-face consultation to enable an in-depth look at an individual’s circumstances.
Both I and departmental officials have met with many organisations representing disabled people including the National Autistic Society and Mind to discuss our reform proposals and to seek their views on how the new benefit can best support those with these conditions. We have not met with any groups representing Tourette’s syndrome although we would be more than happy to do so to discuss the concerns they have.
We agree with many of the points raised in the National Autistic Society’s recent report on DLA reform, “Who benefits?”, and we are looking closely at how these recommendations can be incorporated into its design. To ensure that we get this reform right, 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.
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Work-based Stress
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether the Health and Safety Executive has arrangements to (a) measure and (b) assess mental stress in the workplace. [48479]
Chris Grayling: Since 2002, the HSE has commissioned questions in the Labour Force Survey (LFS) conducted by the Office for National Statistics, to gain a view of work-related illness based on individuals' perceptions; this includes work-related stress. The Labour Force Survey is a national survey of over 50,000 households conducted each quarter which provides information on the GB labour market, and is intended to be statistically representative of the population of people of working age.
In 2005, the HSE also gained access to a system called The Health and Occupation Reporting network (THOR); this is a network of voluntary surveillance schemes, one of which is specifically dedicated to monitoring work-related mental ill health. Under this network, GPs and specialist doctors (in this particular scheme, psychiatrists and occupational physicians) undertake to systematically report all new cases that they see in their clinics. These reports are collated and analysed by the Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health, Manchester University. Figures published by the HSE relate to Great Britain only, although the THOR schemes do collect reports from doctors throughout the UK.
Since 2004 we have also commissioned a series of Psychosocial Working Conditions surveys, also through the Office for National Statistics.
Using these tools, the HSE is able to estimate the incidence and prevalence of work-related stress within the British work force. It also works with stakeholders to establish the veracity of the information gathered and includes evidence from other sources when considering the advice and guidance it provides to employers. These other data include surveys by major employers, Trades Union Congress, Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, the European Commission and the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work.
For more information about the research conducted for the HSE please go to:
http://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/causdis/stress/index.htm
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what research his Department and its predecessors have (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on levels of stress in the workplace in each of the last 10 years. [48510]
Chris Grayling: Since 2002, the HSE has commissioned questions in the Labour Force Survey (LFS) conducted by the Office for National Statistics, to gain a view of work-related illness based on individuals' perceptions; this includes work-related stress. The Labour Force Survey is a national survey of over 50,000 households conducted each quarter which provides information on the GB labour market, and is intended to be statistically representative of the population of people of working age.
In 2005 the HSE gained access to a system called The Health and Occupation Reporting network (THOR); this is a network of voluntary surveillance schemes, one
31 Mar 2011 : Column 449W
of which is specifically dedicated to monitoring work-related mental ill health. Under this network, GPs and specialist doctors (in this particular scheme, psychiatrists and occupational physicians) undertake to systematically report all new cases that they see in their clinics. These reports are collated and analysed by the Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health, Manchester University. Figures published by the HSE relate to Great Britain only, although the THOR schemes do collect reports from doctors throughout the UK.
Since 2004 we have also commissioned a series of Psychosocial Working Conditions surveys, also through the Office for National Statistics.
Using these tools the HSE is able to estimate the incidence and prevalence of stress within the British workforce. The LFS results point to a fairly static picture with around 450,000 people each year stating that they are suffering from stress caused or made worse by their current or previous work. However the number of working days lost to sickness absence as a result of work related stress has decreased from an estimate of almost 13 million in 2001-02 to an estimate of 9.8 million in 2009-10. For details of the information commissioned by the HSE, and data from THOR, please see the HSE website, which provides comparison tables for the years currently available, at:
http://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/causdis/stress/index.htm
Universal Credit
Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate his Department has made of the childcare support needed in the universal credit to make work pay for a lone parent earning £6 an hour for 25 hours a week who has a child aged (a) one and (b) six. [49515]
Maria Miller [holding answer 28 March 2011]: Estimating the amount of child care support that will be available to lone parents in universal credit in order to make work pay will depend on overall affordability and weekly child care costs.
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions announced in the second reading of the Welfare Reform Bill that there would be an additional element in universal credit to support child care costs, and that at least the same amount of money will be invested in this as in the existing system. He will provide more detail during passage of the Bill.
Winter Fuel Payments
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions at what rate he expects the winter fuel allowance to be paid to people aged (a) over 60 and (b) over 80 years in each of the next five financial years. [50325]
Maria Miller: Winter fuel payments for winter 2011-12 will be £200 for households with someone who has reached women’s state pension age and is under 80 and £300 for households with someone aged 80 or over. DWP forecasts of winter fuel payment expenditure assume that the level of payments will remain constant over the next five years.
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Work Capability Assessment
Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he has taken to ensure that the findings of the review of work capability assessment will be considered in the development of a new assessment for the personal independence payment. [49928]
Maria Miller: It is important to be clear that the new assessment for the personal independence payment (PIP) will be very different to the work capability assessment (WCA) used in employment and support allowance (ESA). This recognises that ESA and PIP are different benefits paid for different reasons. The emerging assessment for PIP will focus on individuals' ability to carry out key everyday activities, rather than capability for work and direct measures of associated functions as in the WCA.
We are, however, seeking to learn from the overall experience of delivering the WCA. As part of this we are looking closely at the findings of the first independent review carried out by Professor Malcolm Harrington, to see where they can assist with the design of the PIP claim and assessment processes. For example, we fully recognise the need to ensure that these processes are transparent and empathetic; and are considering the scope to use mental, intellectual and cognitive champions to support the assessment as recommended by Harrington.
Women and Equalities
Third Sector
Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities how much the Government Equalities Office provided to each charity it funds in each year since its inception; and how much she has allocated for funding to each such charity in each of the next five years. [48285]
Lynne Featherstone: The Government Equalities Office (GEO) has provided the following amounts of funding to charities since it was established as a separate Department on 12 October 2007:
| Financial year | Funding recipient | Amount (£) |
|
Payment to Home Office to aid the funding of rape crisis centres |
||
|
Payment to Ministry of Justice to aid the funding of rape crisis centres |
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The GEO is to merge with the Home Office under a machinery of government transfer from 1 April 2011. Future plans for the funding of charities have yet to be agreed.
Transport
Association of Train Operating Companies: Trade Unions
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many times (a) Ministers and (b) officials of his Department have met representatives of (i) the Association of Train Operating Companies and (ii) rail trade unions since 8 May 2010. [49892]
Mrs Villiers: Ministers have met the Association of Train Operating Companies and rail trade unions from time to time in the course of their duties.
Officials meet the Association of Train Operation Companies regularly in the course of their day to day duties. Officials have been present when Ministers have met rail trade union officials.
Aviation
Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the number of passengers expected to leave the UK by air in (a) 2011-12, (b) 2012-13, (c) 2013-14 and (d) 2014-15. [48220]
Mrs Villiers [holding answer 22 March 2011]:The Department for Transport expects to publish air passenger demand forecasts later this year to support the development of a new policy framework for UK aviation.
Aviation: Working Hours
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with the Civil Aviation Authority on the European Aviation Safety Agency’s Notice of Proposed Amendment on flight time limitations; and by what date he expects the authority to have published its response to the agency’s proposals. [48061]
Mrs Villiers: Officials from the Department have discussed the Notice of Proposed Amendment with the Civil Aviation Authority on a number of occasions. The CAA has submitted its comments to the European Aviation Safety Agency and published them on its website:
www.caa.co.uk
Blue Badge Scheme
Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will assess the merits of providing additional assistance to persons aged over 65 who cannot apply for automatic qualification for the Blue Badge scheme because they are not eligible for the mobility component of disability living allowance. [49955]
Norman Baker
[holding answer 30 March 2011]: People over 65, who cannot claim the higher rate mobility component of disability living allowance, can still qualify for a Blue Badge. They are able to apply for a badge directly to their local authority under the ‘eligible subject to further assessment’ criteria. This applies to anyone
31 Mar 2011 : Column 452W
over the age of two years old; who has a permanent and substantial disability which causes inability to walk or very considerable difficulty in walking.
People are also able to apply under the automatic criteria if they are registered blind or are in receipt of the War Pensioners Mobility Supplement.
Public Bodies Reform Programme
Tessa Jowell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate his Department has made of the level of savings which will accrue from the abolition of the Disabled Persons’ Transport Advisory Committee. [48686]
Norman Baker: On 16 March 2011, Official Report, columns 9-10WS, the Minister for the Cabinet Office issued a written ministerial statement 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 refer the right hon. Member to my answer of 28 March 2011, Official Report, column 91W. This provides our best current estimate of the level of savings which will accrue from the abolition of the Disabled Persons’ Transport Advisory Committee (DPTAC).
The decision on DPTAC was not taken for financial reasons.
Driving: Young People
Ms Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proposals to improve driver testing and training processes he is considering for those aged between 17 and 25. [49812]
Mike Penning: We want to ensure that all young drivers develop and maintain the knowledge, skills and attitudes to enable them to be safe and responsible road users. Effective arrangements for driver training and testing are among the issues that we shall address in our new Strategic Framework for Road Safety.
Railways: Finance
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the financial statement of 23 March 2011, Official Report, columns 958-9, whether the £200 million additional investment in regional railways is for the financial year 2011-12; when he expects to allocate this funding to individual projects; and if he will make a statement. [49893]
Mrs Villiers: On 23 March 2011, the Chancellor announced an additional £200 million of investment in regional railways. This investment will be added to Network Rail's Regulated Asset Base during the current Rail Control Period (2009 - 2014).
The Department for Transport will agree a list of projects to be funded from this investment with Network Rail and the Office of Rail Regulation. We will make a further statement on this investment shortly.
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Energy and Climate Change
Chief Scientific Adviser
Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what plans he has for the future of the role of Chief Scientific Adviser to his Department. [50151]
Gregory Barker: The role of the Chief Scientific Advisor is to ensure DECC’s policy and decision-making are underpinned by robust science and engineering evidence and long-term thinking. I have no plans to change this.
Electricity: Meters
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate his Department has made of the likely number of unsafe electrical and gas installations which will be identified during the course of the smart meter installation programme; and whether energy suppliers will be required to (a) assess the safety of such installations and (b) disconnect unsafe installations during smart meter installation. [48576]
Charles Hendry: The smart meter programme team has worked with a wide range of industry and other stakeholders to consider the issues that could be identified at the point of smart meter installation, including both operational and safety issues. Most of these issues are well understood and are dealt with by industry as part of business-as-usual activities. There is limited quantitative information and a formal assessment of the potential number of installations which might be identified as unsafe has not been made to date.
The Government consider that industry is best placed to continue to identify and resolve operational issues, in collaboration with other interested parties. One role of the programme will be to ensure that the scale and the nature of such issues are well understood by all parties and seek assurance that there are appropriate plans and processes in place to resolve them.
Energy: Housing
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 24 March 2011, Official Report, columns 1295-96W, on energy: housing, what research he has commissioned to assess the effects of pricing on consumer demand; which companies or organisations have been commissioned to undertake the work; what the overall cost to the public purse of the research is; what deadline has been set for completion of the research; and what the terms of reference and payments level for the research are. [50157]
Gregory Barker: DECC has commissioned two pieces of research which help to assess the impact of price, among other factors, on consumer demand for the Green Deal:
A survey of members of the public designed to identify factors that change perception of Green Deal, including variations in the costs and financial terms.
An economic model is also being created to better understand how to simulate consumer uptake of energy efficiency measures
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under a number of parameters, including variations in the price of measures. The model will be populated with data from the consumer survey.
Element Energy Ltd. partnered with Cambridge Architectural Ltd. and Gfk NOP (respectively) have been commissioned to undertake these projects. The overall cost of the work will be £210,000 plus VAT.
The model is scheduled to be completed at the end of August 2011 and findings should be available in DECC’s consultation paper on the Green Deal and impact assessments planned for autumn 2011.
Flood Control: Tsunami
Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent assessment he has made of the likelihood of (a) a tsunami and (b) severe flooding on the Somerset Levels in the vicinity of Hinkley Point power station; and what records his Department holds on incidents of (i) tsunamis and (ii) severe flooding at sites of UK nuclear installations. [50628]
Charles Hendry: There is no reason to expect a similar scale of seismic activity in the UK as has happened in Japan. The largest recorded UK earthquake (Dogger Bank) was 65,000 times less powerful than the one recently experienced by Japan. The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, my right hon. Friend the Member for Eastleigh (Chris Huhne) has asked the Chief Nuclear Inspector, Dr Mike Weightman, to provide a report to the Government on the implications of the events in Japan and the lessons to be learned for the UK nuclear industry.
The Environment Agency has advised that it is reasonable to conclude that at Hinkley Point any new nuclear power station on the site could be protected against flood risk throughout its lifetime and including the potential effects of climate change, storm surge and tsunami.
Possible sites for nuclear new build were considered in the revised draft Nuclear National Policy Statement against flood risk including the potential effects of sea level rises resulting from climate change. We are currently considering the responses to the consultation on the revised Nuclear NPS.
The results are within the site assessments for each site in Volume II of the NPS:
https://www.energynpsconsultation.decc.gov.uk/docs/Annex estoEN-6-RevisedDraftNuclearNPS%28VolumeII%29-October2010.pdf
Fuel Oil
Susan Elan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what discussions he has had with the Office of Fair Trading on its enquiry into the regulation of the heating oil market. [50483]
Charles Hendry: I refer the hon. Lady to the written ministerial statement I gave on 21 January 2011, Official Report, columns 55-56WS.
I wrote to the chief executive of the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) on 19 January 2011 to ask him to bring forward the competition and consumer study into off grid energy, and explore the longer term consumer issues such as lifetime payback, consumer standards
31 Mar 2011 : Column 455W
and labelling for alternative energy sources or supplies. The OFT study will provide an independent assessment of the off-grid market and will establish what further action may be necessary to ensure it works properly. The OFT intends to publish a report setting out its findings and recommendations on off-grid energy supply in October.
I have had no further discussions on this matter with the OFT.
Renewable Energy
Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his policy is on meeting any shortfall which may arise as a result of (a) failure of renewable heat technologies to deliver adequate carbon savings and (b) premature product failure of renewable heat technologies by securing additional resources from (i) consumers, (ii) the public purse, (iii) manufacturers and (iv) Green Deal providers. [50116]
Gregory Barker: The Renewable Heat Incentive will be reviewed regularly against a number of criteria, including its performance in meeting renewables targets and delivering carbon savings. As announced on 10 March, a requirement of the RHI is that installations up to 45kWth must use installers and products accredited under the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS), or equivalent, to be eligible for RHI. MCS gives assurances about likely quality, durability and performance of installations.
We will use the Renewable Heat Premium Payment, starting this year, to monitor and learn from the performance of domestic renewable heat installations. The information we receive will help enable Government, manufacturers, installers and consumers to better understand how to maximise performance of the technologies supported.
Renewable Energy: Feed-in Tariffs
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the cash cap for his Department’s feed-in tariff scheme is for (a) 2011-12, (b) 2012-13, (c) 2013-14 and (d) 2014-15. [48931]
Gregory Barker: In the spending review, spending on FITs was confirmed as:
|
|
£ million |
Shale Gas Mining
Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what responsibility he has for issuing policy guidance and directions on shale gas mining in Wales. [50153]
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Charles Hendry: The Department is responsible for licensing all UK oil and gas exploration and production activities onshore in Great Britain, including conventional and unconventional resources. Planning is a devolved matter and so it is the responsibility of the National Assembly Government to set out planning policy on shale gas in Wales.
Home Department
Animal Experiments: Primates
Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (a) how many and (b) what species of non-human primates imported for the purposes of scientific research were categorised as (i) captive-born or F1 generation and (ii) captive-bred or F2+ generation in 2010. [50237]
Lynne Featherstone: The information currently submitted to the Home Office following the acquisition of each batch of non-human primates provides evidence that animals have been born in captivity, but does not record whether animals are Fl or F2+. However, from other information available we estimate the respective totals to be as follows:
| Primate species | F1 | F2+ | Total |
Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what species of non-human primates were imported into the UK for the purposes of scientific research in 2010; from which countries; and what the species was in each case. [50238]
Lynne Featherstone: The requested information is as follows:
| Number of non-human primates imported in 2010 reported to date | |||
| Country of export | Rhesus macaque | Cynomolgus macaque | Total |
Automatic Number Plate Recognition
David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of vehicles seized for unpaid vehicle excise duty on the basis of information provided through the Automatic Number Plate Recognition system in the last three years were later shown to have been legally taxed and insured. [50032]
James Brokenshire: This information is not collated or held by the Home Office.
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Common Travel Area
Stephen Mosley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans she has for the future of the Common Travel Area; and if she will make a statement. [50263]
Damian Green: We are committed to preserving the Common Travel Area (CTA) and its benefits for legitimate travellers, while at the same time improving the safeguards against abuse of the CTA. We have a clear programme of work with Ireland and the Crown dependencies to prevent abuse of the CTA by strengthening the external CTA border. We will maintain our existing internal controls to combat abuse within the CTA.
DNA: Databases
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans she has for the future management of the National DNA Database. [50102]
James Brokenshire: The Home Office is currently working with the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA), and the wider police service, to determine appropriate arrangements for the continued management of the National DNA Database after the NPIA is phased out.
Entry Clearances: Students
Jack Dromey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the likely effects of her proposed reforms to the student immigration route on economic regeneration and international competitiveness of the UK economy. [49944]
Damian Green:
The Secretary of State for the Home Department announced the Government’s plans to reform
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the student immigration system on 22 March 2011,
Official Report,
columns 855-872. An impact assessment will be published in due course.
Government Communications
Hazel Blears: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff work in her Department's Research, Information and Communications Unit; how much was spent on the unit's operation in (a) 2008-09 and (b) 2009-10; what she expects to spend on the unit's operation in 2010-11; and what proportion of the unit's total capacity costs in each such year each figure represents. [47296]
Nick Herbert: For the purposes of this answer the amount spent on the unit’s ‘operation’ has been interpreted to mean all staff and non-staff administration costs, and ‘total capacity costs’ to mean total expenditure.
Twenty two members of staff drawn from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and Home Office, work full-time in Research Information and Communications Unit (RICU). In addition, the Ministry of Defence and Department for International Development each funds one member of staff engaged part-time on RICU business. The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG), originally one of three parent Departments, stopped funding RICU and withdrew its seconded employees during 2010, in line with its new remit to lead work to promote integration separately.
Total RICU expenditure in 2008-09 and 2009-10 and projected spend for 2010-11 is set out in the following two tables. The first indicates the proportion of administration (staff and non-staff) and programme costs met by the Home Office, FCO and DCLG in each of the three years. The second shows administration and programme costs as a percentage of total RICU expenditure for the same three years.
| RICU Expenditure by Government Department | |||||||
| Financial year | Contributing Department | Administration costs (£m) | Departmental share (%) | Programme costs (£m) | Departmental share (%) | Total spend (£m) | Departmental share (%) |
| (1 )Projected. Note: The Home Office is RICU’s host Department and is responsible for all non-staff administration costs. | |||||||