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Written Answers to Questions
Thursday 5 May 2011
Scotland
Departmental Legal Costs
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department and its predecessor paid in (a) damages, (b) claimant costs and (c) defendant costs in respect of all civil claims brought against his Department in which the claimant was successful or the Department settled in each of the last three years. [54692]
David Mundell: The Scotland Office has paid no moneys in respect of damages, claimant costs or defendant costs in any of the last three years.
Departmental Vacancies
Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the staff vacancy rate was for his Department in 2010-11; and what vacancy rate has been assumed in his Department’s budget for 2011-12. [54201]
David Mundell: The Scotland Office keeps its staffing complement under constant review to ensure that the most efficient use is made of public resources.
The staff vacancy rate for 2010-11 was 2.5%. We project that a similar rate will apply for 2011-12.
Church Commissioners
Churches: Rural Areas
Miss McIntosh: To ask the hon. Member for Banbury, representing the Church Commissioners, what representations the Church Commissioners have received on the role of churches in rural communities; and if he will make a statement. [51914]
Tony Baldry: Churches play an important and often essential role in rural community life. As well as organising church-based activities and events, members of rural congregations take part in a wide range of other non-church community organisations, events and activities, contributing their time and skills to groups that help deliver the big society in rural places.
A 2006 study carried out by the university of Coventry, “Faith in Rural Communities: contributions of social capital to community vibrancy”, looked at six different rural settlements and several different church denominations. It found that in several of the places studied church members made such a significant contribution to non-church activities and events that in many cases the community would cease to effectively function without their activities. Other research reports that explore the contribution of rural churches to rural
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community life include: “Faith in the Community—the contribution of faith-based organisations to rural voluntary action” (NCVO, 2007) and “Building Better Neighbourhoods—the contribution of faith communities to Oxfordshire Life” (university of Coventry, 2010).
Informal networks and relationships are among the most important contributions that rural church congregations make to rural community life. As well as offering regular opportunities for collective worship and prayer, rural church congregations can give care and support to those suffering isolation and loneliness. Church buildings often act as places where barriers are broken down between different social groups and people have the opportunity to meet together on equal terms, and provide spaces in which events, activities and meetings can take place. Though not all rural churches are suitable for the purpose, some already run formally constituted projects or initiatives, such as pre-schools, youth clubs or facilities for older residents. In some places the church building has been adapted to house specific services such as a Sure Start centre, post office, a community owned shop or library.
Clergy: Ethnic Groups
John Robertson: To ask the hon. Member for Banbury, representing the Church Commissioners, how many vicars of the Church of England from black and minority ethnic backgrounds there were in each year since 2000. [51707]
Tony Baldry: The Church of England undertook the first comprehensive clergy survey in 2005 to measure diversity.
This revealed that 2.2% of Anglican Church of England Clergy self-identified with black or minority ethnic backgrounds.
An ongoing process of monitoring and data collection will enable a 2010 diversity estimate to be published at the meeting of the General Synod in York this July.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Independent Panel on Forestry: Internet
Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) when the Independent Panel on Forestry will publish its meeting dates on her Department's website; and if she will ensure that the panel's meeting dates are published on that website in advance of them taking place; [54042]
(2) what guidance or advice she or her officials have provided to the Forestry Panel in respect of the information it should publish following its meetings. [54059]
Mr Paice [holding answer 4 May 2011]:The next three meeting dates for the Independent Panel on Forestry are on the DEFRA website. Further details of how the panel will operate and how it will gather views and information will be published on the website soon.
The intention in setting up the panel was to provide an independent review of the issues involved. There is a wide spread of interest in the panel’s work and that makes it particularly important for the panel to engage people and to be open in its work but, ultimately how the panel achieves that will be its decision.
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Water
Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is on allowing non-household customers in England and Wales to choose their water and wastewater retailer without the setting of a threshold regime. [54134]
Richard Benyon: Currently non-household customers that use 50 megalitres or more of water a year can switch their water supplier under the water supply licensing regime (WSL). The same customers in the areas of water companies wholly or mainly in England can also replace their local water and sewerage company under the inset regime. In the areas of water companies wholly or mainly in Wales the inset eligibility threshold is 250 megalitres.
The Government intend to lower the 50 megalitre threshold to 5 megalitres for England as soon as we can. The Water White Paper, due to be published in the autumn, will consider recommendations made by Professor Cave in his independent review of competition and innovation in water markets to extend competition in the sector. These included extending the WSL regime to cover sewerage services and the removal of the WSL threshold altogether to extend choice to-all non-household customers.
Decisions on extending competition to non-household customers in the areas of water companies based wholly or mainly in Wales is a matter for the Welsh Assembly Government.
Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what consultations she has carried out on whether to abolish the retail threshold for non-household customers in England and Wales. [54135]
Richard Benyon: The Government will consider the case for removing the retail threshold in the Water White Paper which is due to be published in the autumn. In developing policy for the Water White Paper we will consult a wide range of stakeholders, including water companies, new entrants, regulators and customers.
Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she has estimated the number of (a) businesses and (b) public sector organisations in England and Wales who would experience a reduction in their water bills as a result of the introduction of non-household water and waste water competition. [54136]
Richard Benyon: The Government have not conducted any research on the types of customers that may benefit from lower bills should competition be extended to all non-household customers in England and Wales.
However, if the UK and Welsh Assembly Governments were to remove the current eligibility threshold from legislation there would be approximately 1.2 million customers eligible to switch suppliers. Some 1.1 million customers would be eligible if the threshold was only lowered in the areas of water companies wholly or mainly in England.
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Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether her Department has assessed the potential effects on water use efficiency arising from the introduction of non-household water and waste water competition in England and Wales. [54137]
Richard Benyon: The Water White Paper, due to be published in the autumn, will consider various effects of extending competition in the water sector in England and Wales, including the possible consequences on water use efficiency.
Water: Scotland
Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether her Department (a) has conducted research and (b) plans to commission research on the effects on water use efficiency of the introduction of non-household water and waste water competition in Scotland. [54138]
Richard Benyon: DEFRA has not commissioned any research into the water competition regime operating in Scotland and has no plans to do so in the foreseeable future.
The Water White Paper, due to be published in the autumn, will consider the recommendations made by Professor Martin Cave in his independent review of competition and innovation in water markets to extend competition in the water sector in England and Wales. Professor Cave's recommendations would make the retail regime for water supply similar to that currently operating in Scotland. We will take account of new evidence on benefits for customers and water efficiency that has been published by the Water Industry Commissioner for Scotland and others since Professor Cave produced his report as we develop our policy for the Water White Paper.
Energy and Climate Change
Carbon Reduction Commitment Energy Efficiency Scheme
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will bring forward proposals to reduce the costs of the Carbon Reduction Commitment Energy Efficiency Scheme. [54652]
Gregory Barker: The Government are committed to simplifying the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme in order to reduce the burden on participants while maintaining the incentives on participants to implement cost effective energy efficiency measures.
An amendment order containing the first tranche of amendments to the CRC came into force on 1 April 2011. Further proposals will be brought forward this year following consideration of simplification suggestions we have received from participants to date.
The cost of CRC allowances to cover participants’ 2011-12 energy use was set in Budget 2011 at £12. Draft regulations to implement allowance sales will be published later in 2011.
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Energy: Billing
Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether energy companies which take payments from customers by direct debit are required to return credit balances to customers at certain times of the year; and if he will make a statement. [54140]
Charles Hendry: Ofgem is responsible for regulating gas and electricity supply, including customer payments. Gas and electricity suppliers customarily review individual customers' direct debit arrangements annually. The payments are adjusted in the light of the customer's energy use over the previous 12 months and any changes in energy prices in order to avoid excess credit balances. Generally any credit built up over the summer will be used to offset the customer's higher consumption expected during the winter.
Suppliers set their own level of credit a customer must hold before a refund is offered automatically but customers may review their gas and electricity accounts and discuss the level of payments with their supplier at any time, and may request a manual credit refund based on a meter reading.
Energy: Housing
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the adequacy of finance available to householders through the Green Deal to support a whole house approach to energy efficiency. [54243]
Gregory Barker: We remain confident that commercial finance will be available to support the Green Deal and are working closely with the financial sector to ensure that the regulatory framework allows for the provision of finance at the lowest possible cost.
The legislation which provides the regulatory framework for the Green Deal will come into force in late 2012 subject to parliamentary approval. The provider market for the Green Deal is still emerging and with it demand for finance. We are aware that the finance community is showing strong interest in the opportunities created by the Green Deal and that there are a number of potential Green Deal providers currently in discussion with their banks regarding financing.
Culture, Media and Sport
Arts
Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the level of philanthropic giving to the arts in each of the (a) last four years and (b) next four years. [53315]
Mr Jeremy Hunt: According to Arts and Business' annual survey of private investment in culture, over the last four years individual giving to culture, including the arts, is shown in the following table:
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| Financial year | £ million |
Given the complexity of issues which affect levels of philanthropic giving, from macroeconomic factors to the individual motivations and circumstances of donors, I would not be inclined to forecast figures for the next four years. By reforming the nation's economy, creating economic stability and sustainable growth, the Government will help to create the conditions in which philanthropy can flourish.
My Department and Arts Council England are investing £80 million in a match-funding programme which will raise at least an equivalent amount from private donors. The match funding scheme is one of a suite of tools being developed to help build the skills and potential of arts organisations to increase levels of private giving. This is intended to contribute to the long-term financial resilience of the sector, and help support sustained cultural excellence.
Furthermore, in this year's Budget the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a package of measures which will boost philanthropic giving in the arts and represent the most radical and most generous reforms to charitable giving for more than 20 years.
Creative Industries Council
Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what the name is of (a) the chair and (b) each member of the Creative Industries Council. [54305]
Mr Jeremy Hunt: The Creative Industries Council will be jointly chaired by the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills and myself.
Membership of the Council will include business and trade association representatives of each of the sub-sectors included in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) definition of creative industries. The full list of members has not yet been finalised, and will inevitably evolve over time. However, the names of those invited to the first Council meeting on 6 July 2011 will be published in due course.
Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport on what date the first meeting of the Creative Industries Council is to take place. [54306]
Mr Jeremy Hunt: The Creative Industries Council will meet officially for the first time on 6 July 2011.
Departmental Responsibilities
Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what the cost to the public purse was of the recent transfer of responsibilities from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. [53273]
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Mr Jeremy Hunt: The cost of the transfer of responsibilities from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has been limited to some essential spend on IT equipment, data transfer, accommodation and move costs, and totals around £170,000. These relate to DCMS costs alone.
Departmental Work Experience
Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many interns his Department employs. [53295]
Mr Jeremy Hunt [holding answer 3 May 2011]:My Department is not employing any interns at this time.
Fashion: Media Portrayal
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether his Department has assessed the effect on levels of (a) bulimia and (b) anorexia nervosa of the portrayal of models in the fashion and beauty industry. [53766]
Paul Burstow: I have been asked to reply.
No such assessment has been made. However, concern has been voiced about the impact of media portrayal of thin models. The Government keep these matters under review and the Department for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport remains in regular touch with the principal regulatory bodies in the media whose responsibility it is to ensure that matters of serious public concern continue to be addressed by their codes.
Film: Industry
Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport which organisation will be responsible for (a) ensuring diversity and inclusion within the film industry, (b) leading on copyright exceptions, orphan works, ownership of film rights, distribution and intellectual property within the film industry and (c) leading the UK's film industry export strategy following the closure of the UK Film Council; and what funding has been allocated for each such function during the comprehensive spending review period. [53274]
Mr Jeremy Hunt: The information is as follows:
(a) The British Film Institute (BFI), which has a long and proud track-record of commitment to diversity.
(b) Policy regarding aspects of copyright such as orphan works, copyright exceptions and the licensing framework is dealt with by the Intellectual Property Office (IPO), under Baroness Wilcox, Minister for Intellectual Property.
(c) BFI will lead the export strategy, in partnership with Film London and with support from BAFTA and BBC Worldwide to build on existing capacities and connections to explore showcasing and promoting British films outside the UK.
In the recent spending review we have protected the BFI (which has been cut by 15%) as well as key activities that will transfer to the BFI and Film London. As outlined previously, the key elements of support for the UK film industry are maintained—the tax relief, which is worth about £100 million per year and the share of lottery proceeds which will increase from the current
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£27 million a year to £43 million by 2014. A film policy review later this year will look at priorities for spending public money going forward.
Museums and Galleries
Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will put in place arrangements to assess the potential effects of reductions in local government, regional development agency and higher education expenditure on admission charges to local and regional museums; and if he will publish each assessment. [53940]
Mr Jeremy Hunt [holding answer 4 May 2011]:The Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) monitors the overall effects of changes in local government, regional development agency and higher education funding to local and regional museums, particularly the effects of funding changes on the museums funded through the Government's Renaissance in the Regions programme. There are no plans to put mechanisms in place to monitor the specific impact of changes in these funding streams on the price of admission to local and regional museums.
Private Healthcare
Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether any officials in his Department have private health care funded as part of their employment terms and conditions. [53278]
Mr Jeremy Hunt: There are no officials in my Department that have private health care funded as part of their employment terms and conditions.
Rugby: World Cup
Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what financial support his Department is providing to support the hosting of the 2013 Rugby League World Cup. [53310]
Mr Jeremy Hunt: The Minister for Sport and the Olympics met with the executive chairman and chief executive of the Rugby Football League on 7 April to discuss the 2013 World Cup. We are keeping the funding situation under review pending the decision by the North West Development Agency which is due by the end of May.
Women and Equalities
New Businesses
Rehman Chishti: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what plans she has for future support for women wishing to start new businesses. [54186]
Lynne Featherstone:
The Government are committed to increasing the number of women and men setting up businesses and are taking wide ranging action to support them in doing so. For example, the New Enterprise Allowance will provide mentors and financial support to help the unemployed become self-employed. We also
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want to reduce the red tape that too many small businesses say holds them back, so we have set up a new website, The Red Tape Challenge, so that people affected by these regulations can tell us what works, what should be improved and what should be removed.
Northern Ireland
Departmental Buildings
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the (a) name and (b) address is of each building owned by his Department; and what the estimated monetary value is of each such building. [53811]
Mr Paterson: The information is as follows:
(a) Hillsborough Castle and Estate;
(b) The Square,
Hillsborough,
Co Down,
Northern Ireland
BT26 6AG.
The asset value published in the 2009-10 Financial Statements as at 31 March 2010 was £59,963,000.
Defence
Afghanistan: Libya
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many pilots previously assigned as instructors are flying combat missions in Afghanistan and Libya for each aircraft type. [53572]
Nick Harvey: Each flying squadron has at least one qualified flying instructor permanently assigned to check and maintain standards of frontline aircrew; these aircrew routinely deploy with their squadron on operations. Since operations began in Libya, one Tornado GR4, two Typhoon and two E-3D flying instructors have been assigned to squadrons in support of operations. One Sentinel and two VC-10 flying instructors are also currently assigned to support both Libyan and Afghanistan operations.
Armed Forces: Pay
Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he plans to change the levels of specialist payments to the Special Air Service and other special forces personnel. [54245]
Mr Robathan:
Pay for the armed forces is recommended by the independent Armed Forces' Pay Review Body (AFPRB) who during 2010-11 conducted a quinquennial review of special forces remuneration. Due to the public sector pay freeze the AFPRB did not recommend increases to the rates of basic pay for special forces, but it did recommend enhancements to specialist pay levels paid to the Special Reconnaissance Regiment and niche capability groups working in support of special forces. All these recommendations were accepted and introduced
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from 1 April 2011. In addition, we have asked the AFPRB to undertake a fundamental review of all aspects of specialist pay for its 2012 report to ensure it remains an appropriate selective mechanism to aid recruitment and retention.
Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will estimate the average reduction in income for service personnel as a result of reductions to military allowances; and if he will make a statement. [54314]
Mr Robathan: No. The purpose of allowances is to reimburse service personnel for justifiable expenditure incurred either when on duty or as a result of the unique nature of service life, rather than to supplement income. The current financial position has placed pressure on the level of allowances that are affordable. While there will be some reductions and changes, appropriate allowances will continue in the future. Operational allowances are not affected by these changes. We accept that changes to the allowances package will be unpopular and that some of them may require adjustments to lifestyle, but they are a necessary part of the Department's contribution to the overall Government's programme to reduce the UK deficit we inherited. Nevertheless, we have concentrated on ensuring, where possible, that no group is disproportionately affected by any changes, and have sought to mitigate effects by phasing in some changes by up to two years. The Service Chiefs of Staff and their Principal Personnel Officers have been fully engaged in this process.
Individuals who believe they will be placed in financial difficulty by the changes have been directed to inform their Chain of Command.
Departmental Public Expenditure
Mr Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much funding he has allocated under each budget heading to his Department's science and technology budget for 2011-12. [54143]
Peter Luff: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 15 March 2011, Official Report, columns 214-15W.
Following the conclusion of Planning Round 11, we are finalising detailed budget allocations. However, the Ministry of Defence's science and technology budget is expected to rise in cash terms over the spending review period.
RFA Fort Victoria
Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) projected and (b) actual cost of reactivating RFA Fort Victoria was following the period of extended readiness. [53769]
Mr Robathan: RFA Fort Victoria was placed in extended readiness from April 2007 to March 2009, immediately after which she underwent a refit period to prepare her for re-entering the active fleet. The cost of this refit period was projected to be £20.3 million in 2009, while the final cost was £22.8 million.
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Service Complaints Commissioner
Mr Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department has made an assessment of the recommendations of the Annual Report 2010 by the Service Complaints Commissioner for the Armed Forces. [54144]
Mr Robathan: We are grateful to the Service Complaints Commissioner for her continuing work in this area. We are currently considering the Service Complaints Commissioner's report and will place a copy of our response in the Library of the House in due course.
Deputy Prime Minister
Electoral Register
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what recent estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of introducing individual voter registration. [53229]
Mr Harper: A total of £99 million was allocated at the spending review last year to meet the cost of implementing individual electoral registration, including £85 million resource and £14 million capital funding the vast majority of which is to fund registration officers to make contact with each potential elector individually and invite them to register in 2014. Following the conclusion of the data-matching pilot schemes at the end of this year, a decision will be taken on whether to fund the roll-out of data-matching across Great Britain.
The cost of implementing individual registration in this Parliament represents a saving to the taxpayer of an estimated £74.5 million to £77.8 million. This cost reflects the Government’s decision not to proceed with the previous Government’s plans to introduce individual registration on a voluntary basis in parallel to the existing system.
Referendums: Republic of Ireland
John Mann: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what reciprocal referendum voting rights exist for citizens of the UK and the Republic of Ireland; and when he last discussed such rights with his Irish counterpart. [52909]
Mr Harper: The question of who is entitled to vote in any particular referendum in the UK will be considered and determined in the light of the subject matter. The franchise for each referendum is commonly set out in the primary legislation which establishes that a referendum is to be held. The franchise for referendums in the Republic of Ireland is a matter for Irish law.
The Deputy Prime Minister has not discussed the matter of reciprocal referendum voting rights with either the former or current Tanaiste.
Communities and Local Government
First-time Buyers
Julian Sturdy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps the Government plans to take to provide assistance for
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those purchasing a home for the first time in the next 12 months. [53622]
Grant Shapps: The Government are committed to supporting those who aspire to own their own home. I refer my hon. Friend to the answers I gave on 4 April 2011, Official Report, column 738, to my hon. Friend the Member for Battersea (Jane Ellison) and on 4 April 2011, Official Report, columns 729-30, to my hon. Friend the Member for Aberconwy (Guto Bebb) and my right hon. Friend the Member for Bermondsey and Old Southwark (Simon Hughes),
Since the announcement of the FirstBuy scheme in the Budget, the Homes and Communities Agency has invited house builders, who will co-fund the scheme, to bring forward offers by 19 May, with the aim of assisting over 10,000 first-time buyers in the next two years.
Homelessness
Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he plans to take to reduce the incidence of homelessness. [53613]
Grant Shapps: This Government are committed to tackling homelessness and supporting the vulnerable. We have protected homelessness prevention grant funding, with £400 million over the spending review period. For 2011-12, we have announced allocations of £81.5 million for local authorities and £18.5 million for the voluntary sector to support their work to tackle and prevent homelessness.
We have made an additional £190 million available for discretionary housing payments and other forms of practical support alongside the Government’s package of welfare reform measures.
And we are working closely with the National Homelessness Advisory Service to ensure front-line advice workers have the support they need to tackle homelessness effectively.
We have also established a cross-government working group on homelessness bringing together Ministers from eight Government Departments to address the complex causes of homelessness and rough sleeping. The Ministerial Working Group will publish a report before the summer recess. A new approach to evaluating rough sleeping levels has been introduced so that there is clear information in all areas, to inform service provision and action to address the problem.
Cabinet Office
Civil Service Internship Pilot Scheme
Luciana Berger: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many places will be available on the Civil Service internship pilot scheme at (a) undergraduate level, (b) college level and (c) secondary school level. [54063]
Mr Maude:
At undergraduate level, there will be 75 internship places available in 2011, via the Fast Stream Summer Diversity Internship Programme. The Civil
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Service Whitehall Internship Scheme pilot will also offer 60 places at college level and 120 places at secondary school level.
Luciana Berger: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office which schools and colleges have been approached to participate in the Civil Service internship pilot scheme; and what the criteria were for their selection. [54064]
Mr Maude: Schools for the pilot programme are being selected through liaison with the Department for Education (DFE). The criteria that have been used to identify the schools are:
Percentage pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals is higher than the national average; or
Percentage ethnic minority pupils is higher than the national average.
Six schools are being identified to participate in the college level scheme and 10 schools for the secondary school scheme. It is expected that the names of the schools and colleges which will be participating will be available by the end of May.
Contracts: ICT
Alun Michael: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps he is taking to (a) simplify and (b) increase the transparency of the procedure for ICT firms tendering for public sector contracts. [54130]
Mr Maude: The Government committed, in their ICT Strategy published in March, to act as a single customer, move away from large ICT projects by breaking down and simplifying requirements, and increase standardisation and modularisation of business processes and supporting technologies:
www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/content/government-ict-strategy
At the same time we are engaged on an implementation to apply a much streamlined approach to the procurement of a number of pathfinder projects (one of which is for ICT), based on the findings of a Lean review published in February. We are tackling pre-qualification burdens by seeking to eliminate pre-qualification questionnaires for lower-value procurements and by moving to much greater use of the open procedure, which does not have a separate selection-to-bid stage early in the process, for higher-value procurements.
Departments have been required to publish all new ICT tender documents over £10,000 since last summer and we recently launched Contracts Finder to publish additionally procurement opportunities and awarded contracts.
Contracts: Small Businesses
Stephen Hammond: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many Government procurement contracts were awarded to small and medium-sized enterprises in (a) 2005, (b) 2007 and (c) 2010. [54498]
Mr Maude: The Government are committed to publishing statistics showing progress towards their aspiration that 25% of their procurement expenditure should go to SMEs, and all Departments now have business plan commitments to publish their percentage of expenditure with SMEs.
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We do not hold data on the number of contracts with SMEs. However, since January 2011, Departments have been required to publish details of all new contracts over £10,000 including the identity of the contractor and whether it is an SME on the Contracts Finder website:
www.contractsfinder.businesslink.gov.uk/
Some limited data on the value of Government spend with SMEs are included in the Operational Efficiency Programme Benchmarking Report for April 2009 to May 2010:
http://data.gov.uk/dataset/oep-benchmarking-data-2009-10
Baseline data on the value of Government procurement contracts awarded to SMEs in 2009-10 are currently being collected and will be published once they are available.
Data are not held centrally for the periods 2004-05 or 2006-07.
Departmental Air Travel
John Mann: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) what flights he has taken on Government business since 8 May 2010; [52130]
(2) when he last flew overseas on Government business. [52129]
Mr Maude: Information about Ministers' travel overseas is published on a quarterly basis. Information for the period 13 May to 31 December 2010 can be accessed at:
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/ministerial-gifts-hospitality-travel-and-meetings-external-organisations
Information for the period 1 January-31 March 2011 is currently being compiled and will be published in due course.
Departmental Buildings
Luciana Berger: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the (a) name and (b) address is of each building owned by his Department; and what the estimated monetary value is of each such building. [53816]
Mr Maude: Information on the addresses and value of buildings owned by the Cabinet Office was published in the Department's Annual Resource Accounts 2009-10 (HC282), laid before Parliament in July 2010.
Departmental Work Experience
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what advice his Department provides to those wishing to (a) work as an intern, (b) undertake a work experience placement and (c) work as a volunteer in his Department. [52807]
Mr Maude: We offer a minimum of three summer diversity internships for under graduates with full information available at:
www.civilservice.gov.uk/faststream
and a graduate internship scheme for students which is advertised through the Graduate Talent Pool hosted on the BIS Government website.
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Individuals looking to undertake a work experience placement are invited to complete a pro forma to identify why they are interested in a placement in the Cabinet Office and what skills they are looking to gain through the placement.
The Cabinet Office does not offer opportunities to volunteer in the Department.
John Mann: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many students from (a) the UK and (b) Bassetlaw constituency have been offered internships in his Department since 8 May 2010. [53211]
Mr Maude: Since 8 May 2010, the Cabinet Office has offered four summer internships for undergraduate students. All four were from the UK and none were from the Bassetlaw constituency.
Environment Protection
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what work his Department's behavioural insight team has (a) undertaken and (b) plans to undertake on energy and climate-related matters. [52096]
Mr Maude: The behavioural insights team is working with DECC on a range of measures to encourage individuals to introduce energy efficiency improvements, principally in domestic settings. The work is ongoing.
Departmental Correspondence
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether his Department issues guidance to Government Departments on the use of Miss, Mrs and Ms in correspondence. [53653]
Mr Maude: There is no Cabinet Office guidance to Departments on this matter.
Departmenal Procurement
John McDonnell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent guidance his Department has issued on assessing the ethical implications of (a) domestic and (b) overseas contracts held by companies bidding for public sector contracts. [54095]
Mr Maude: The Cabinet Office has not issued guidance on assessing the ethical implications of domestic or overseas contracts.
Within the overall objective of achieving the best value for money through public procurement, Government Departments will assess certain issues concerning a potential supplier's probity when selecting prospective suppliers to bid. In this regard, the Cabinet Office has issued guidance on the following matters:
The Public Contracts Regulations (2006) include a mandatory requirement for contracting authorities to exclude economic operators from public contracts where they have been convicted of certain criminal offences including participating in criminal organisations, money laundering and fraud;
Potential bidders may also be excluded from participating in the tender process on certain grounds at the discretion of the contracting authority. These grounds include circumstances where they have been convicted of an offence concerning professional misconduct; or been found guilty of grave professional misconduct proven by any means that the contracting authority can demonstrate.
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Departments may also take into account other issues, such as labour standards, where these are relevant and proportionate to the requirement.
Supermarkets
Alison McGovern: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether he has had any meetings since September 2010 with representatives of (a) Tesco, (b) Sainsbury's, (c) Asda, (d) Morrisons and (e) trade associations of which these companies are members. [52211]
Mr Maude: Information about Ministers' meetings with external organisations is published on a quarterly basis. Information for the period 13 May to 31 December 2010 can be accessed at:
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/ministerial-gifts-hospitality-travel-and-meetings-external-organisations
Information for the period 1 January to 31 March 2011 is currently being compiled will be published in due course.
Transport
West Coast InterCity Franchise
John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what criteria he plans to use to award the West Coast InterCity rail franchise for 2012 to 2026; and if he will make a statement. [54155]
Mrs Villiers: The public consultation on the InterCity West Coast franchise ended on 21 April and the Department is currently considering all responses. The criteria for awarding the franchise will be published in the Invitation to Tender document.
Departmental Travel
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many of his ministerial team have been issued with (a) an Oyster card and (b) a (i) monthly and (ii) annual travel card valid on London Transport and paid for by his Department for use while travelling on Government business. [50162]
Norman Baker: All Ministers at the Department for Transport have the use of a pay-as-you-go Oyster card for travel on Government business. None of the Ministers has been issued with a monthly or annual travel card valid on London Transport and paid for by the Department.
Section 10 of the Ministerial Code provides guidance on travel for Ministers and makes clear that Ministers must ensure that they always make efficient and cost-effective travel arrangements.
Great Western Railway
Duncan Hames: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the seated passenger capacity is of direct services between Chippenham and London Paddington using existing rolling stock; and what estimate he has made of the likely seated passenger capaCity on such services using the proposed InterCity Express Programme fleet from 2016. [53723]
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Mrs Villiers: The passenger capacity of existing rolling stock operating direct services between Chippenham and London Paddington is 514 seats per train. The future likely seated passenger capacity on the same services using the InterCity Express Programme fleet would be around the same, although with the proposed doubling in train frequencies between London and Bristol, more of these seats could be available to Chippenham passengers.
High Speed 2 Railway Line
Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consideration was given to the effect of the introduction of universal access to nearly free high definition video links over the internet on the number of business meetings conducted over the internet in the projected business passenger numbers for HS2. [52879]
Mr Philip Hammond: The demand forecasts for HS2 were developed in line with Department for Transport guidance and using industry and Government-standard models. These are regularly revised in the light of updated information on demand growth, which would itself reflect the effects of improvements in video conferencing and other communications technologies.
Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether HS2 will use (a) 400 and (b) 200 metre long trains; and what estimate has been made of the energy consumption of such trains. [52880]
Mr Philip Hammond: HS2 Ltd’s specification for the proposed Y-shaped national high speed rail network assumes that the network would be built to be capable of carrying 400 m long trains. Both high speed and classic-compatible rolling stock sets are assumed to be 200 m long, with flexibility to join two sets together to form a 400 m train.
Information on the energy consumption of HS2 rolling stock is available in the information note published by HS2 Ltd at:
http://www.hs2.org.uk/publications/HS2-Traction-Energy-Modelling-49802
Steve Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he has taken to budget for the remedial and restoration works following the completion of construction of the High Speed Two line. [52966]
Mr Philip Hammond: Allowances for remedial and restoration works have been included in the cost estimates set out in Table 7 of the “Economic Case for HS2”.
M1: Repairs and Maintenance
Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effect on his Department's budget of repairs required to the M1 following the recent fire. [54162]
Mike Penning: That section of the M1 is under a managed contract agreement with Connect Plus. The contract indicates that there is a repair and insurance responsibility to the contractor, and no costs will be borne by the Department for Transport.
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Railways: Franchises
Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has for the reform of rail franchising; and if he will make a statement. [54152]
Mr Philip Hammond: The Government published the ‘Reforming rail franchising response to consultation and policy statement’ on 19 January 2011. In it, we set out, among other things, our commitment to longer franchises, less prescriptive service requirements and the transfer of stations to train operators. The Department is now considering within this framework the detailed Invitation to Tender (ITT) for the Intercity West Coast franchise.
Roads: Repairs and Maintenance
Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to assist local authorities to repair potholes. [54170]
Norman Baker: We wrote to all local highway authorities on 24 March 2011 informing them of their share of an additional £200 million which we have made available for repairing damage to their road network following the severe winter weather at end of last year. The funding was paid to authorities on 28 March 2011.
Rolling Stock
Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent assessment he has made of the relationship between high speed train speeds, energy consumption and safety. [54166]
Mr Philip Hammond: Detailed information on rolling stock energy consumption is available on HS2 Ltd's website. Our proposals for high speed rail are based on internationally accepted standards of safety—the European Technical Standards of Interoperability (“TSIs”). These include a number of safety requirements, such as crashworthiness and train protection measures.
Thameslink Railway Line
Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent assessment he has made of the need for new train maintenance depots to support the Thameslink programme. [53837]
Mrs Villiers [holding answer 3 May 2011]:My officials have assessed the new train maintenance requirements and concluded that it is a necessary to construct two new depots to support the Thameslink Programme—one in North London at Hornsey in the borough of Haringey and one south of London at Three Bridges in the borough of Crawley.
Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether Ministers or officials in his Department have held discussions with (a) Network Rail and (b) local authorities on the location of new train maintenance depots to support the Thameslink programme. [53838]
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Mrs Villiers [holding answer 3 May 2011]:My officials have had a number of discussions with Network Rail and London borough of Haringey and Crawley borough council regarding the additional train maintenance depots for the new Thameslink rolling stock.
Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment has been made of the potential effect on (a) direct and (b) indirect employment of the construction of new train maintenance depots to support the Thameslink programme. [53839]
Mrs Villiers [holding answer 3 May 2011]:The bidders in the competition to build the new trains and two new depots have indicated that there could be in the region of 450 people employed at the two new depots. However, the exact details will not be known until the contract is awarded later this year.
Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 7 April 2010, Official Report, column 1364W, on the Thameslink railway line: rolling stock, when he expects to announce a decision on the location of additional train maintenance depots for new Thameslink trains. [53840]
Mrs Villiers [holding answer 3 May 2011]:The Department for Transport is planning to establish two new depots to support the new fleet of Thameslink trains at Hornsey in the London borough of Haringey and at Three Bridges in the borough of Crawley. Network Rail has commenced the process for securing planning consents for these depots with the relevant local authorities and it would be inappropriate to comment on the outcome of these applications at this time.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Burma: Guided Weapons
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on possession by the military authorities in Burma of SCUD or similar missiles; and if he will make a statement. [53975]
Alistair Burt: We are aware of reports alleging that the Government of Burma is attempting to build medium-range missiles under its memorandum of understanding with North Korea. The Government take all such allegations seriously and remind all states to adhere to their obligations under relevant UN sanctions. We will continue to monitor the situation very closely.
Burma: Homicide
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will take steps with his international counterparts to ensure that the alleged actions of Than Naing Lwin of the Burma army in respect of the extrajudicial execution of Saw Par Ta are investigated and that those responsible are held accountable; and if he will make a statement. [53976]
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Alistair Burt: The Government are concerned by reports of an alleged attack on a Karen ethnic minority villager by the Burmese army. On the renewal of EU sanctions at the Foreign Affairs Council on 12 April 2011, EU Foreign Ministers called on the Burmese Government to end impunity for violations of human rights and to co-operate fully with the UN. The Government secured strongly worded human rights resolutions at the UN General Assembly in October 2010 and at the Human Rights Council in March 2011 which called for the Burmese authorities to end abuses against ethnic groups and to honour their commitment to undertake a full, impartial and independent investigation into all human rights violations.
Burma: Thailand
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of repatriation of Burmese refugees in camps on the border with Thailand; and if he will make a statement. [53979]
Alistair Burt: The Government have not received any recent reports that suggest Burmese refugees in camps along the Thai-Burma border have been repatriated. Our ambassador to Thailand raised concerns over allegations of forced repatriation with the governor of Tak province and the Royal Thai army on 17 January 2011. Our ambassador reinforced our concerns when he saw the Thai Foreign Minister on 19 January 2011. He raised the issue again with Thai officials on 31 March 2011. On each occasion the Thai authorities assured us that no refugees will be repatriated to Burma until it is safe for them to return. We remain in close contact with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), international donors and the Thai authorities, and continue to monitor the situation closely.
Cyprus: Military Bases
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has any plans to commission a flag or standard for the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia. [53910]
Mr Lidington: The Sovereign Base Areas are military bases on the island of Cyprus and are administered by the Ministry of Defence. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has no plans to commission a flag or standard for the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia.
Democratic Republic of Congo: Elections
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what support and advice his Department offered to the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo in respect of their forthcoming election. [54196]
Mr Bellingham: We continue to urge the authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to ensure that presidential and national elections due to take place on 28 November 2011 are held in a timely, and transparent manner, and that the opposition can campaign freely. Free and fair elections would strengthen DRC's fragile post-conflict institutions and underpin democracy.
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Our support to the elections is aimed primarily at ensuring that everyone has the right to vote, and encouraging as wide a participation as possible. Our support is focused on the following areas:
voter registration;
building the capacity of the new electoral commission;
improving public understanding of the electoral process, particularly among women and first-time voters;
helping the Congolese police to keep the peace before, during and after elections;
promoting open debate in advance of elections through support for independent Congolese media;
and funding Congolese civil society organisations working on elections-related issues through our Civil Society Fund.
Departmental Equality
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs who is responsible for diversity issues within his Department. [53995]
Mr Bellingham: The Permanent Under-Secretary at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is responsible for the management of staff within the Department, including diversity issues.
Departmental Official Hospitality
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department has spent on hospitality since January 2011. [53836]
Mr Lidington [holding answer 3 May 2011]:Figures for 2010-11 are not yet finalised owing to our end of financial year accounts work and reconciliations.
All expenditure is incurred in accordance with the principles of Managing Public Money and HM Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety.
Departmental Travel
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what date (a) he and (b) each other Minister in his Department last travelled by (i) London Underground and (ii) public bus services on government business; how many times (A) he and (B) each other Minister in his Department has travelled by each such form of transport on government business since May 2010; and if he will make a statement. [50087]
Mr Lidington: Ministers travel according to the needs of security, economy and practicality. Modes of transport are not recorded centrally.
Section 10 of the Ministerial Code provides guidance on travel for Ministers and makes clear that Ministers must ensure that they always make efficient and cost-effective travel arrangements.
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many of his ministerial team have been issued with (a) an Oyster card and (b) a (i) monthly and (ii) annual travel card valid on London Transport and paid for by his Department for use while travelling on government business. [50172]
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Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department has spent on ministerial travel by (a) ministerial car, (b) train, (c) bus, (d) commercial aircraft and (e) private aircraft since May 2010. [50212]
Mr Lidington: I refer the hon. Member to the Quarterly returns by Ministers as published on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website at:
http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/publications-and-documents/transparency-and-data1/hospitality
Additional information on travel is not held centrally and is available only at disproportionate cost. Section 10 of the Ministerial Code provides guidance on travel for Ministers and makes clear that Ministers must ensure that they always make efficient and cost-effective travel arrangements.
Departmental Work Experience
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what advice his Department provides to those wishing to (a) work as an intern, (b) undertake a work experience placement and (c) work as a volunteer in his Department. [52804]
Mr Bellingham: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) regularly receives enquiries for paid and unpaid work experience.
Those wishing to work as an intern or undertake work experience at the FCO are advised that the FCO offers a number of work experience opportunities designed to attract a talented and diverse pool of candidates. These opportunities are as follows:
the generalist work experience schemes that we currently offer are geared towards university undergraduates, whilst trying to target those students who may not normally consider a career in the FCO. This includes female students, those from an ethnic minority background or those who are in receipt of a full maintenance grant. People from these backgrounds are currently under-represented in the FCO;
the specific specialist subject work experience is offered to students from all backgrounds that study specific specialist subjects including economics and legal librarians.
Whilst we are currently offering work experience only to certain categories of people, we are fully committed to the principles of fair and open competition for permanent recruitment into the FCO.
Those wishing to work as an intern or undertake work experience at the FCO are directed to our website for further information on our schemes and employment opportunities:
www.fco.gov.uk/careers
Embassies: Theft
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information his Department holds on the number of items with a monetary value (a) greater and (b) less than £100 that have been taken without authorisation from UK embassies since May 2010. [53833]
Mr Lidington
[holding answer 3 May 2011]:The information required is held separately in various Foreign and Commonwealth Office departments, all of which
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hold records relating to various losses and thefts of both personal property and official furnishings, including information technology equipment losses. As this information is not held centrally, providing an accurate answer would incur disproportionate cost.
Sri Lanka: Politics and Government
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of action by the government of Sri Lanka to establish a domestic accountability process. [54128]
Alistair Burt: We have encouraged the Government of Sri Lanka to ensure that its ‘Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission’ (LLRC) established in May last year produces recommendations that address past allegations and allow all communities in Sri Lanka to live and work together in peace and security. We have made clear our concerns about the LLRC process. We expect the LLRC to produce its final report on 15 May 2011. While we cannot predict the report's conclusions, the interim recommendations were useful and we hope the Government of Sri Lanka will use the LLRC it as an opportunity to promote national reconciliation.
Sri Lanka: War Crimes
Heidi Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the investigations into war crimes allegations conducted by the Government of Sri Lanka. [54236]
Alistair Burt: The Government of Sri Lanka established a ‘Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission’ (LLRC) in May 2011 last year to look at conflict issues during the period 2002 to May 2009. We expect the LLRC to produce its final report on 15 May 2011. We have made clear our desire for an independent and credible inquiry into allegations of war crimes. We have also expressed our concerns about the LLRC process. While we cannot predict the outcome of the LLRC report, we have urged the Government of Sri Lanka to use it as an opportunity to promote national reconciliation.
Syria: Politics and Government
David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on Iran's involvement in recent political developments in Syria. [54029]
Alistair Burt: We are concerned by reports that Iran may be providing equipment and support to the Syrian Government to help them quell protests in Syria. Any such support is unacceptable. It would be a further example of Iran's monumental hypocrisy in claiming to support freedom in the Arab world, while violently suppressing demonstrations at home and helping to quell protests in Syria. As elsewhere in the region, protestors in Syria must be allowed the right to protest peacefully.
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David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the practice of Syrian military forces dressing in civilian clothing. [54031]
Alistair Burt: We are aware there have been reports of Syrian military forces dressing in civilian clothing.
As the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs said in a statement on 26 April 2011, Official Report, columns 33-41, we condemn utterly the violence perpetrated by the Syrian security forces against civilians who are expressing their views in peaceful protests. We are deeply concerned by the deployment of security forces against peaceful protesters in Deraa, Douma and coastal areas. As the Prime Minister said on 3 May 2011, this violent repression is disgraceful and unacceptable. We are clear that individuals responsible for the violence will be held accountable if the violence persists.
Yemen: Politics and Government
Mrs Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his (a) EU and (b) Arab League counterparts on the future of President Ali Abdullah Saleh of Yemen. [54285]
Alistair Burt: The focus of the Government are in encouraging the ruling party and the official Opposition in Yemen to reach an agreement on a peaceful transition. It is for the people of Yemen to determine their future. We recognise the urgency with which a political settlement in Yemen must be reached to avoid further violence and a deepening economic crisis. To this end we have actively engaged our international partners, including the EU, to encourage unified and strong messaging to the Government of Yemen and the parliamentary Opposition.
I welcome the support given by Baroness Ashton, the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the Commission. In light of reports that both the ruling party and the opposition agreed to the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) transition plan, she issued a declaration urging all parties to move quickly to finalise the plan. Our officials have been working intensively alongside EU missions in Sana'a and European capitals to garner support for the latest initiative. Individual member states, including Italy, France, the Netherlands and Germany, have issued their own messages in support of faster progress to overcome Yemen's political impasse. We will continue to liaise with our EU counterparts to ensure further progress towards a democratic, peaceful and inclusive transitional process.
I can confirm I have discussed with the Arab League the challenges facing Yemen in the wider context of the Arab spring in the middle east. I welcome the statement issued by the Arab League in April in support of the GCC initiative to reach a peaceful solution to the crisis in Yemen.
Business, Innovation and Skills
Departmental Travel
Maria Eagle:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much his Department has spent on ministerial travel by (a) ministerial car, (b)
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train,
(c)
bus,
(d)
commercial aircraft and
(e)
private aircraft since May 2010. [50219]
Mr Davey: Travel undertaken by the Department’s Ministers is in line with the Ministerial Code—Section 10 which provides guidance on travel for Ministers and makes it clear that Ministers must ensure that they always make efficient and cost-effective travel arrangements.
The costs for Minsters' travel between May 2010 and February 2011 are as follows:
(a) Ministerial cars—£287,842.74—this includes £209,888.25 paid for the period May 2010 to 1 September 2011 for previously contracted cars, including a 90 day cancellation period.
(b) Train—£26,006.13
(c) Bus—information not held
(d) Flights—£37,09194
All overseas travel by Ministers is published on a quarterly basis at:
http://www.bis.gov.uk/transparency/staff
EU Grants and Loans
Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 8 February 2011, Official Report, column 210W, on EU grants and loans, how many of the (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful bids received for the first round of the Regional Growth Fund in each region sought to use European Regional Development Fund monies as match-funding. [53728]
Mr Prisk: There were 464 bids to the Regional Growth Fund (RGF), of these 66 mentioned bids for European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) funding in their application, some of this was confirmed and some unconfirmed. One bid—Manchester Eye Hospital—was successful.
Officials in this Department and in the ERDF teams have worked closely together to align, where practical, the respective funds’ bidding processes. Most ERDF programmes will be managing a simultaneous call for proposals to compliment the timing of the RGF’s second round, with the aim of encouraging applicants to maximise the available public resource. Applicants seeking to access ERDF will however need to comply with the application process and the ERDF specific project selection criteria.
Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will take steps to ensure that a larger number of bids using European Regional Development Fund match-funding are successful in the second round of the Regional Growth Fund than were successful in the first round. [53731]
Mr Prisk: Success in obtaining grants from the Regional Growth Fund will be dependent on the quality of the bids, which need to demonstrate how they deliver sustainable private sector jobs and help places currently reliant upon the public sector make the transition to sustainable private sector led growth.
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Export Control Licences
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) what mechanism his Department has put in place to ensure that export control licences are not granted in circumstances where the equipment to be sold could be used to (a) suppress democratic expression and (b) abuse human rights; [54241]
(2) what tests are applied to export control licence applications to ensure that (a) democratic freedoms and (b) human rights will not be jeopardised by granting such an application. [54242]
Mr Prisk: All UK export licence applications are rigorously assessed on a case by case basis against the Consolidated European Union (EU) and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria. We will not issue any licences if to do so would be inconsistent with the criteria. Our assessment includes consideration of how an end-user is likely to use the proposed export, the circumstances in which it might be used, and whether it could exacerbate conflict or otherwise contravene the criteria.
Criterion two relates to ‘the respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the country of final destination’. Having assessed the recipient country's attitude towards relevant principles established by international human rights instruments, we will ‘not issue an export licence if there is a clear risk that the proposed export might be used for internal repression’.
Flexible Working
Jack Dromey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the benefits to (a) businesses and (b) Government of extending flexible working to parents of children under 18-years-old. [53600]
Mr Davey: In 2006 the Department for Trade and Industry undertook a major study of work-life balance among British workplaces with five or more employees. The Third Work-Life Balance (WLB3) Employer Survey was designed to collect data on awareness, provision, take-up and demand in relation to work-life balance arrangements and on employers' perceptions of positive benefits and detrimental impacts arising from the provision of these arrangements.
The survey asked respondents about the effect flexible working practices had on employees and human resource management at their establishment. For each of six criteria, employers were asked whether they thought flexible working and leave arrangements had a positive, negative or no effect. Details are shown in a chart which will be placed in the Library of the House.
Over half of workplaces felt that flexible working had had a positive effect on employee relations and motivation and commitment at the workplace. Just over 40% felt the effect on recruitment, labour turnover and productivity had been positive while 38% perceived a positive effect on absenteeism.
The 3rd Worklife Balance Survey surveyed both public and private sector organisation; however no specific assessment has been made of the benefits of flexible working on the Government.
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The coalition Government have committed to extend the right to request flexible working to all employees and we will launch a consultation on this commitment shortly.
Hallmarking
Michael Connarty: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) what discussions he held with the jewellery sector of the retail industry in (a) Scotland and (b) elsewhere in the UK before issuing his consultation under the Red Tape Challenge on the future of regulation of hallmarking of gold and silver articles in the UK; [53744]
(2) what consultation he held with the Assay Office in Scotland before issuing his consultation under the Red Tape Challenge in respect of regulation of hallmarking of gold and silver articles. [53745]
Mr Prisk: The Red Tape Challenge aims to take a comprehensive approach, looking widely at regulation, whether introduced through primary or secondary legislation or other means. It seeks views on where regulations are working well, as well as where they are imposing unnecessary burdens on businesses, members of the public or voluntary organisations or restricting personal freedoms. BIS Ministers regularly meet with representatives from external organisations. This information is publically available at:
http://www.bis.gov.uk/transparency/staff
Michael Connarty: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he has considered the merits of licensing jewellery retailers in place of the hallmarking of gold and silver articles in the UK. [53746]
Mr Willetts: There are no plans to replace the current regime of hallmarking in the UK. The British Hallmarking Council and the hallmarking regime were reviewed in 2010 and it was decided that both should be retained. However, hallmarking legislation is among the 21,000 regulations included in the Red Tape Challenge on which the Cabinet Office has invited views.
Regulation
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the inclusion of wildlife protection measures within the scope of the Red Tape Challenge; and if he will make a statement; [52757]
(2) what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change on the inclusion of climate change amelioration regulations in the scope of the Red Tape Challenge; and if he will make a statement; [52758]
(3) what discussions he has had with (a) the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change and (b) the Secretary of State for Defence on the inclusion of climate change in the definition of national security used for the Red Tape Challenge; and if he will make a statement. [52760]
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Mr Prisk: The Red Tape Challenge aims to take a comprehensive approach, looking widely at regulation, whether introduced through primary or secondary legislation or other means. It seeks views on where regulations are working well, as well as where they are imposing unnecessary burdens on businesses, members of the public or voluntary organisations or restricting personal freedoms. As well as collective ministerial agreement, BIS Ministers regularly meet with ministerial colleagues from other Departments to discuss matters of mutual interest, including the regulatory agenda.
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions he had with representatives of equalities organisations, prior to the publication of Red Tape Challenge, on the inclusion of the Equals in the Challenge; what assessment he has made of the ability of people facing (a) inequality and (b) discrimination to contribute to the Red Tape Challenge; and if he will make a statement. [52759]
Mr Prisk: The Red Tape Challenge aims to take a comprehensive approach, looking widely at regulation, whether introduced through primary or secondary legislation or other means. It seeks views on where regulations are working well, as well as where they are imposing unnecessary burdens on businesses, members of the public or voluntary organisations or restricting personal freedoms. We have taken into consideration the duty to have due regard to the need to eliminate unlawful discrimination, advance equality of opportunity for all and foster good relations. The website makes clear that the presence of a particular piece of legislation, such as the Equality Act 2010, on the website should not be read as implying any intention on the part of the Government to remove that regulation. We are committed to making this website accessible to all users, regardless of circumstances. The Accessibility Statement is available here:
http://www.redtapechallenge.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/accessibility-statement/
Those who are unable or who would prefer not to comment on the website are invited to submit their comments via the e-mail and postal address available on the website.
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the costs to the public purse of implementation of the Red Tape Challenge; and what assessment he has made of its administrative implications. [52761]
Mr Prisk: In the Budget 2011 the Government committed to reviewing the stock of over 21,000 statutory instruments and regulations in order to reduce the burden on business, members of the public and voluntary organisations. The Red Tape Challenge was launched on 7 April 2011 and is scheduled to last until April 2013. As such, it is too early to estimate the costs and benefits of the Red Tape Challenge website.
International Development
Africa: Water
Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much funding he plans to allocate to supporting water and sanitation in Africa in each year to 2013-14. [53771]
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Mr Andrew Mitchell: Globally, the Department for International Development (DFID) has committed to give 15 million people access to clean drinking water; improve access to sanitation for 25 million people; improve hygiene for 15 million to help stop people getting sick. On average, over 70% of these results will be achieved in Africa.
Details of the results DFID has committed to achieve vary by country and will be published in each operational plan. These will be made available on the DFID website:
www.dfid.gov.uk
British Overseas Territories: Aid
Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate he has made of per capita expenditure on UK bilateral aid in the British Overseas Territories in the last year for which figures are available. [53773]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: Details of expenditure in the last year for which figures are available (2009-10), in the British Overseas Territories, are published in ‘Statistics for International Development’ which is available on the DFID website:
www.dfid.gov.uk
and in the Library of the House. Expenditure per capita is detailed in the following table:
| Territory | Per capita (£) |
Under the UN Charter the UK is obliged to promote the well-being of the inhabitants of the Overseas Territories. The Overseas Territories are a first call on the aid budget, as stipulated in the 2002 International Development Act.
Departmental Public Expenditure
Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of his Department's budget he expects to be spent on direct budgetary support in 2011-12. [53774]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: The final levels of budget support for 2011-12 are not yet determined.
Developing Countries: Food
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) what funding relating to his Department's commitment to agriculture and food security made at the G8 L'Aquila summit has been disbursed in the (a) agriculture, (b) food aid, (c) rural development, (d) safety nets and (e) nutrition sector to date; and what proportion of the funds each sector represents; [52405]
(2) what funding relating to his Department's commitment to agriculture and food security made at the G8 L'Aquila summit is planned for disbursement to
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the
(a)
agriculture,
(b)
food aid,
(c)
rural development,
(d)
safety nets and
(e)
nutrition sector; and what proportion of the funds in each sector this represents. [52411]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: In the last year for which figures are available (2009-10), the Department for International Development (DFID) disbursed approximately one third of its total pledge of £1.1 billion for global food security and agriculture. Spend on the areas you specifically requested is given as follows.
| Budget heading | Spend (£ million) | Percentage of total pledge |
Data for 2010-11 are not yet available although the effect of ministerial decisions is to secure a similar level and pattern of disbursement as in 2009-10. I have agreed plans which mean that the remaining funds to be disbursed in 2011-12 will focus on agriculture research; programmes implemented by relevant multilateral agencies such as the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD); and through some of DFID's bilateral country programmes. DFID country teams are currently working on the detail of their operational plans which, where relevant, will include levels of intended spending on food security.
Developing Countries: Health
Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much funding he plans to allocate to health services and systems over the comprehensive spending review period. [53772]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: Detailed information on health expenditure by country programme over the comprehensive spending review period will be set out in operational plans for each DFID country office. Some operational plans are already available in the DFID website
www.dfid.gov.uk
and others will be published shortly. Additional allocations will also be made through multilateral channels contingent on sustained performance and results over the period.
Mozambique: Water
Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development with reference to his Department’s bilateral aid review, what estimate he has made of the cost of providing more than 500,000 poor people with access to clean water in Mozambique. [53749]
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Mr Andrew Mitchell: In the context of the Bilateral Aid Review, the Department for International Development (DFID) estimates it will cost an average of £19 per person in rural areas to provide access to clean water in Mozambique. As such, the cost to provide 500,000 people with access to clean water was calculated at £9.6 million.
Detailed information will be set out in operational plans for each DFID country office, and published on the DFID website:
www.dfid.gov.uk
Nigeria: Schools
Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development with reference to his Department’s bilateral aid review, what estimate he has made of the cost of supporting 800,000 children in school in Nigeria. [53750]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: In the context of the Bilateral Aid Review, the Department for International Development (DFID) estimates it will cost an average of £60 per child to ensure an additional 800,000 children attend school in Nigeria by 2015. As such, the overall cost will be approximately £50 million. DFID Nigeria is currently designing a new education programme, and is in the process of analysing how best to get more children into school.
Detailed information will be set out in operational plans for each DFID country office, and published on the DFID website:
www.dfid.gov.uk
Somalia: Employment
Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development with reference to his Department’s bilateral aid review, what steps he plans to take to help get 45,000 people into jobs in Somalia. [53775]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: Working with UN agencies, the World Bank and other development partners, the Department for International Development (DFID) has initiated a four-year sustainable employment and economic development programme. The programme aims to improve economic and employment prospects, helping 45,000 women and young men in communities affected by conflict in Somalia to secure reliable long-term jobs.
Detailed information will be set out in operational plans for each DFID country office, and published on the DFID website:
www.dfid.gov.uk
Trade Unions: Finance
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether he has any plans to give UK-based trade unions public funds from the aid budget during the comprehensive spending review period. [52688]
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Mr Andrew Mitchell: Details of our existing commitments to trade unions during the comprehensive spending review (CSR) period are available in the Library of the House.
Trade unions are eligible to apply for civil society funding during the CSR period, such as through the Global Poverty Action Fund (GPAF), in competition with other civil society organisations. Any decision to offer funding will be based on the quality of proposals submitted. We expect all proposals to demonstrate value for money in delivering real benefits for poor people while contributing to DFID's wider development goals.
Work and Pensions
Action for Employment
Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many jobseekers he estimates found work through services offered by A4E in each of the last 12 months for which figures are available. [53880]
Chris Grayling: The number of jobs reported by Action for Employment (A4E) for each of the last 12 months for DWP Contracted Employment Provision:
|
|
Number |
Crisis Loans
Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many applications were made for (a) crisis loans and (b) community care grants in each (i) Jobcentre Plus and (ii) local authority area in 2010; and what proportion of such applications was granted. [54148]
Steve Webb: The available information is as follows. Information on crisis loan and community care grant applications and awards cannot be provided for each Jobcentre Plus office or local authority area; the lowest geographical information we hold is Jobcentre Plus Social Fund Budget Area. Information for 2010 will not be available until the Secretary of State's Annual Report on the Social Fund is published later in the year so I have provided information for 2009-10.
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| Number of crisis loan applications received and proportion of those such applications which received an initial award in 2009-10 in Great Britain by Jobcentre Plus Social Fund budget area | ||
| Jobcentre Plus Social Fund budget area by region | Number of applications received | Percentage of applications granted an initial award |
| Notes: 1. The information provided is management information. Our preference is to answer all parliamentary questions using official/national statistics but in this case we only have management information available. It is not quality assured to the same extent as official/national statistics and there are some issues with the data; for example, it does not include applications which were processed clerically and have not yet been entered on to the Social Fund computer system. 2. The number of applications received has been rounded to the nearest hundred. 3. The percentage of applications granted has been taken to mean the percentage of applications where an initial award was made. Source: DWP Policy, Budget and Management Information System | ||
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| Number of community care grant applications received and proportion of those such applications which received an initial award in 2009-10 in Great Britain by Jobcentre Plus Social Fund budget area | ||
| Jobcentre Plus Social Fund budget area by region | Number of applications received | Percentage of applications granted an initial award |
| Notes: 1. The information provided is management information. Our preference is to answer all parliamentary questions using official/national statistics but in this case we only have management information available. It is not quality assured to the same extent as official/national statistics and there are some issues with the data; for example, it does not include applications which were processed clerically and have not yet been entered on to the Social Fund computer system. 2. The number of applications received has been rounded to the nearest hundred. 3. The percentage of applications granted has been taken to mean the percentage of applications where an initial award was made. Source: DWP Policy, Budget and Management Information System | ||