9 May 2011 : Column 939W
Written Answers to Questions
Monday 9 May 2011
Northern Ireland
Departmental Vacancies
Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 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. [54202]
Mr Paterson: My Department has not carried any vacant posts during 2010-11 and has reduced its size from 173 to 164 during this period. No vacancy rate has been assumed for the 2011-12 budget.
Prime Minister
Afghanistan: Armed Conflict
Mr Winnick: To ask the Prime Minister whether he plans to have discussions with the US administration on the ending of military operations in Afghanistan earlier than previously planned as a result of the death of Osama bin Laden. [54856]
The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 3 May 2011, Official Report, column 469, to my hon. Friend the Member for Croydon Central (Gavin Barwell).
BAE Systems: Saudi Arabia
Mr MacShane: To ask the Prime Minister (1) whether he discussed the potential sale of BAE Systems Tactica armoured vehicles with government representatives during his recent visit to Egypt and the Gulf region; [51697]
(2) whether he requested documentation from BAE Systems on the export of Tactica armoured vehicles to Saudi Arabia prior to his recent visit to the Gulf region; [51698]
(3) what discussions he had with representatives of BAE Systems on the export of Tactica armoured vehicles to Saudi Arabia (a) prior to and (b) during his recent visit to the Gulf region. [51699]
The Prime Minister: I had no such discussions or documentation. This Government takes their arms export responsibilities extremely seriously and operates some of the most rigorous export controls in the world. In response to recent developments in the middle east, the Government have been reviewing extant licences and new applications for countries in the affected regions.
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Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Animal Welfare: Circuses
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 17 February 2011, Official Report, columns 923-24W, on animal welfare: circuses, which representatives of welfare groups and the circus industry have had discussions with Lord Henley; and which industry body has proposed a self-regulatory system for the use of wild animals in circuses. [54015]
Mr Paice [holding answer 4 May 2011]: Lord Henley held separate meetings with representatives from animal welfare and circus industry organisations on 22 July 2010. The animal welfare organisations were represented by Animal Defenders International, Captive Animal Protection Society, Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and Born Free. The circus industry organisations were represented by the Association of Circus Proprietors, Classical Circus Association, European Circus Association, Performing Animal Welfare Standards International, Circus Mondeo and Bobby Roberts' Circus.
At Lord Henley's meeting with circus industry organisations, it was agreed that they would provide ideas on how a regulatory system could work. A proposal was subsequently received by Performing Animal Welfare Standards International.
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent media briefings her Department has given on the issue of wild animals in circuses; and if she will make a statement. [53659]
Mr Paice [holding answer 3 May 2011]: While we have given no recent formal media briefings on the subject of wild animals in circuses, we have answered a number of questions from individual journalists on this issue.
I am pleased to say that the Government's policy review is close to completion and that a policy announcement will be made as soon as possible.
Beekeeping: Kent
Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many registered beekeepers there are in Kent; and what the equivalent figure was in 2000. [53667]
Mr Paice: Although there is no formal requirement for beekeepers to register, the National Bee Unit manages a voluntary register in GB through an internet service known as BeeBase. There are currently 862 beekeepers from the Kent area voluntarily registered on BeeBase. Equivalent figures are not available for 2000.
Biofuels
Neil Parish: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will review the exemption from a requirement to hold an Environment Agency permit for biodiesel producers who manufacture less than 5,000 litres per year. [54028]
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Mr Paice: A new exemption from the need for an environmental permit for the physical treatment of waste edible oil and fat to produce biodiesel came into force on 6 April 2010.
Following further consultation, it is proposed to extend the scope of the new exemption to also allow for the small-scale chemical treatment of up to 250 litres in addition to the 5,000 litre limit for physical treatment. This will be introduced at the next suitable opportunity to amend the Environmental Permitting Regulations 2010.
Dogs
Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what information she holds on the number of dogs humanely destroyed by local authorities because they could not be returned to their owners in the latest period for which figures are available. [54198]
Mr Paice: This information is not held centrally but by each local authority.
Food: Inflation
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she proposes to take with her G20 counterparts to (a) address global food price inflation and (b) encourage greater food security. [52896]
Mr Paice: The UK Government are committed to promoting the better functioning of agricultural markets, which will help to mitigate future price spikes. We are working with France during their G20 Presidency to improve the transparency and availability of global agricultural market data (particularly with regard to global stock levels) and tackle export restrictions.
Global food security is a long-term challenge. Domestic production in developed economies has a role to play. It is a priority in our departmental business plan to support and develop farming to build capacity for sustainable production both in the UK and globally, which will help our food supply be resilient to shocks and crises.
International trade also has an important role in providing food security. We are a trading nation in a global market and the UK is a significant exporter of wheat, lamb, dairy products and breakfast cereals. Our own food security depends on access to the world market; and our domestic food industry needs to be able to compete on the world stage.
Forestry Commission: Manpower
Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many employees of the Forestry Commission were (a) full-time and (b) part time (i) in each of the last four years and (ii) as at the end of March 2011. [54812]
Mr Paice: The Forestry Commission is a non-ministerial department for England, Scotland and Wales. The following table shows the number of Forestry Commission employees in full and part-time positions.
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| As at 31 March: | Full-time | Part-time | Total |
Tortoises: Shipping
Mr Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department is taking to end the practice of shipping to customers by mail services tortoises which have been purchased over the internet. [53158]
Mr Paice: The dispatch of the majority of live animals by post is prohibited by both animal welfare legislation and post operator guidelines.
Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 it is an offence to cause any unnecessary suffering to an animal that is under the control of man or for an owner or keeper to fail to provide for an animal’s welfare needs. Ultimately it would be for a court to decide, but it is realistic to assume that sending a tortoise through the post without taking appropriate care to secure the health and welfare of the animal, would be an offence under the 2006 Act. The maximum penalty under the 2006 Act for causing unnecessary suffering is a fine of £20,000, or six months imprisonment, or both.
Royal Mail and Parcelforce do not carry live animals. Many courier companies that do their own hand deliveries also operate a total ban on the transport of live animals. Any postal operator or courier that does transport live animals needs to comply with EU welfare during transport legislation (Council Regulation (EC) No. 1/2005). The regulation is implemented in England by the Welfare of Animals (Transport) (England) Order 2006 (WATEO) and by parallel legislation in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
It is an offence under this legislation to transport animals or cause animals to be transported in a way likely to cause injury or unnecessary suffering to that animal. Animals must be transported in a receptacle or means of transport that has appropriate space, ventilation, temperature, security, liquid and oxygen for the species concerned. Primary responsibility for enforcement of welfare during transport legislation rests with local authorities. Transporters found to be in breach of Regulation 1/2005 or WATEO could be subject to enforcement action.
All tortoises are covered by the convention on international trade in endangered species (CITES) and as such commercial trade would generally be subject to a strict licensing system except where that trade is within the EU.
Local Government Regulation (formerly LACORS) produced an overview in 2008 of the rules relating to the dispatch of living creatures by post. This can be seen at:
http://www.lacors.gov.uk/lacors/NewsArticleDetails.aspx?id=20510
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Wheels to Work Scheme
Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much funding was allocated to Wheels to Work projects via the Rural Development Programme for England in each of the last four years. [54043]
Mr Paice [holding answer 4 May 2011]: The following funding was allocated from the Rural Development Programme for England for Wheels to Work projects:
|
|
Amount (£) |
The following funding was allocated from the Rural Development Programme for England for a similar transport to work project:
|
|
£ |
Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much funding has been allocated to Wheels to Work projects via the Rural Development Programme for England in 2011-12. [54044]
Mr Paice [holding answer 4 May 2011]: £15,000 has been budgeted from the Rural Development Programme for England for a Wheels to Work project in 2011-12. A further £10,000 has been budgeted from the Rural Development Programme for England for a similar transport to work project in 2011-12.
Culture, Media and Sport
Arts Council England: Bexley
Mr Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much Arts Council England allocated to the London borough of Bexley in each of the last 10 years. [53941]
Mr Vaizey: The amount allocated by Arts Council England to the London borough of Bexley in the last 10 years, through the Grants for the Arts programme, is set out in the table:
|
|
£000 |
There have been no organisations in the London borough of Bexley within the last 10 years that have received regular funding from Arts Council England.
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Broadband
Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what representations he has received on the pricing by BT of use of ducts and poles to deploy superfast broadband. [53076]
Mr Vaizey [holding answer 28 April 2011]: Several communications providers have written to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Ministers making representations about the pricing of British Telecom's ducts and poles. Openreach has made reference offers for the pricing of ducts and poles in January 2011 and these offers are currently the subject of consultation with the industry. Subject to the outcome of that consultation, the Office of Communications (Ofcom) has powers to make a determination of what the prices should be.
Broadband: Enterprise Zones
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 26 April 2011, Official Report, column 34W, on broadband: enterprise zones, from which budgets public funding for broadband in local enterprise partnerships will be allocated where it is considered necessary. [54094]
Mr Vaizey: Should a decision be made that public funding is necessary to support broadband provision in a particular enterprise zone, the appropriate budget or budgets for such public funding will be decided also. At present no such determination of need has been made.
Broadcasting: Welsh Language
Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport when he plans to publish the minutes of discussions between his Department, the BBC and S4C on the future of Welsh language broadcasting. [53963]
Mr Vaizey: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport will publish a summary of the minutes after the negotiations with the BBC and S4C have been concluded.
Departmental Buildings
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport 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. [53815]
John Penrose: As set out in the Department's Resource Accounts (Note 15.4 Page 66/67) the Department does not own any buildings; they are all leased. The properties held in the name of the Secretary of State are owned by the Crown.
Departmental Visits
Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many (a) state and (b) independent fee-paying schools each Minister of his Department has visited since their appointment. [53279]
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Mr Jeremy Hunt: Since being appointed, I have visited two state schools, the Minister for Sport and the Olympics, the hon. Member for Faversham and Mid Kent (Hugh Robertson), has visited four state schools, and the Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries, the hon. Member for Wantage (Mr Vaizey), has visited one state school. No independent fee-paying schools have been visited.
Morecambe Winter Gardens
David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what grants his Department has allocated for the regeneration of Morecambe Winter Gardens in the last three years. [53683]
Mr Vaizey: This Department has not allocated any grants through its arm’s length bodies to the regeneration of Morecambe Winter Gardens in the last three years.
National Lottery: Greater London
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what proportion of arts funding raised through the lottery was allocated to projects in (a) the regions and (b) London in the last year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [53926]
Mr Vaizey: Arts Council England has supplied in the table the lottery funding allocated to arts projects through the Grants for the Arts, Capital, Transform, Thrive and Unlimited schemes in (a) the regions and (b) London in 2010-11:
| Area | Awards (£) |
A further £10.2 million was invested in national programmes in 2010-11.
Olympic Games 2012: Pembrokeshire
Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will take steps to encourage the engagement of young people from Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire in the London 2012 Olympics. [52787]
Hugh Robertson: It is important that children and young people from across the UK are actively encouraged to participate in the wide range of opportunities created by the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Over 17,000 schools and colleges across the UK have registered for the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games' (LOCOG) education programme Get Set.
It is hoped that the majority of primary and secondary schools will be signed up to Get Set over the next few months, and use its resources to ensure London 2012 is championed in and around our schools. Currently 27 schools in Carmarthen are registered with Get Set and 22 schools in Pembrokeshire have also registered. ‘Young Ambassadors’ is a London 2012 programme managed by Youth Sport Trust with the London 2012
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Inspire mark for education. It involves young people being recruited to be ambassadors, working in their schools and communities to champion sport and the values of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. There are ambassadors for Carmarthenshire who act as role models and use the power of London 2012 to inspire other young people to choose sport.
Pupils from Ysgol Tre-gib, Carmarthenshire, (supported by Cold YA Emyr Jones) entered a competition on Get Set to design their ideal break time activity. They were selected to represent Wales at the UK final in June 2011. Schools in Glanymor and Amman Valley, Carmarthenshire, are working on the ‘International Inspiration’ project.
A Sport Pembrokeshire and Pembrokeshire Leisure working group have created an agreed ‘Olympic Legacy’ action plan which outlines several projects which will aim to inspire young people to participate in sport. One of the projects which received £1.67 million of part funding from the Legacy Trust is The Power of the Flame, designed to use the 2012 games as a catalyst to inspire young people to achieve their very best in their chosen field. It embraces Wales's unique heritage sites, the history of sportsmen and women, disabled young artists, and Eisteddfodic traditions.
Two Cauldrons and Furnaces events taking place in Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire during 2012 will involve 1,870 young people; and the Laugharne project which will involve 870 primary and secondary school children.
In addition, I launched the ‘Places People Play’ programme, which will bring sporting legacy to life in communities across the country. This will be achieved by transforming the places where people play sport, inspiring all to make sport happen at a local level and creating sporting opportunities that give everyone the chance to become part of the mass participation legacy. Further detail can be found at the following link:
http://www.culture.gov.uk/news/news_stories/7565.aspx
Radio Frequencies
Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether any simulation of white space device deployment is being undertaken by Ofcom; and if he will make a statement. [54018]
Mr Vaizey: No specific simulation of white space device deployment has been undertaken. However, Ofcom undertakes technical studies to understand the impacts of interference on services in a number of frequency bands, including those in which white space devices are expected to operate. Ofcom remains open to conducting further studies, should they be required.
Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport (1) with which companies Ofcom had discussions when formulating parameters to prevent spectrum interference to licensed users from white space devices; and if he will make a statement; [54092]
(2) whether Ofcom has worked with industry to formulate the working parameters for white space devices. [54093]
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Mr Vaizey: Ofcom has undertaken a number of public consultations on white space devices and related subjects, in which industry partners have participated. The consultations can be found using the links:
http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/consultations/geolocation/
http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/consultations/cognitive/
http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/consultations/cogaccess/
Scotland
Construction
Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland on what date he last met representatives of businesses in the construction industry in Scotland to discuss trends in that sector. [54645]
Michael Moore: I attended a CBI Scotland dinner on 17 February where I met with key stakeholders in the construction industry and other sectors.
In March 2011, the Government issued a Plan for Growth to put the United Kingdom on a path to sustainable long-term economic growth and which set out a number of specific measures to benefit the construction sector. I plan to have further meetings with the construction industry to discuss this and other issues affecting the sector.
Economy
Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the contraction of the Scottish economy during the fourth quarter of 2010. [54644]
Michael Moore: I have regular discussions with Treasury Ministers, including the Chancellor of the Exchequer, on a wide range of economy-related topics. The contraction of the Scottish economy is obviously disappointing, but the Office for National Statistics has made it very clear that the terrible weather in December was the key factor. The Government have always said the recovery will be choppy, but we are committed to be the most pro-growth Government and our Plan for Growth will help us to achieve more sustainable and balanced growth for all parts of the country.
Employment Schemes
Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the number of contracts in relation to the Work programme awarded in Scotland; and if he will make a statement. [54594]
Michael Moore: In total, 40 contracts were awarded to deliver the Work programme in contract package areas (CPAs) across Great Britain. Two contracts were awarded to the CPA which covers Scotland. The preferred bidders for both these contracts are in ongoing discussions with potential partners to be included in their supply chains, including public sector, voluntary sector and private sector providers.
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Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made on the likely effect on the Wise Group of its loss of the contract for the delivery of services under the Work programme in Scotland. [54595]
Michael Moore: The selection of Work programme prime providers was conducted in a fair and open competition, which attracted 177 bids from 30 organisations. Seven bids were received for the two contracts covering Scotland. Although there is disappointment that the Wise Group did not win a contract, the Government recognise the contribution the Wise Group can make and has highlighted this to the preferred bidders for Scotland. As a framework provider, we expect the Wise Group to be in a good position to take advantage of any further commercial opportunities that arise.
Homelessness
Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland on what dates he discussed with Ministers in the Department for Work and Pensions concerns raised by charities based in Scotland of the effect on the level of homelessness of changes to housing benefit. [54696]
Michael Moore: I am in regular contact with Ministers in the Department for Work and Pensions on a range of issues concerning welfare and benefits reform, including changes to housing benefit.
Offshore Industry
Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the likely effect on the oil and gas industry in Scotland of the announcement in the 2011 Budget of an increase in the supplementary charge on oil and gas. [54668]
Michael Moore: The oil and gas sector has benefited from significantly higher prices than anticipated by the industry. Pre-tax profits in 2011 are forecast to be £24 billion, and up 50% in two years, so it is fair that companies make an extra contribution at this time. The tax will fall in a staged and affordable way if the oil price falls below a pre-set trigger price on a sustained basis. We will continue to discuss measures with the industry, including field allowances to encourage ongoing investment in more marginal fields. Overall, we do not expect this change to have a significant impact on investment or production in the coming years. Average post-tax profits per barrel will be higher in the next five years than the last five.
Transport
Cycling
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has for the future of the Cycle Town scheme (a) nationally and (b) in Colchester constituency. [53777]
Norman Baker: Cycling England's Cycle City and Towns programme came to an end on 31 March 2011.
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All English transport authorities are able to apply for funds for sustainable transport schemes which create economic growth and cut carbon, including cycling projects, from the Local Sustainable Transport Fund. A large number of bids for tranche 1 contain a cycling element.
It is for Essex county council to determine its own plans for Colchester.
Cycling: Motor Vehicles
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his estimate is of the proportion of cyclists that own cars. [53988]
Norman Baker: Some 83% of the cyclists participating in the National Travel Survey in 2008 and 2009 were resident in a household with access to a car or van.
The equivalent overall figure for all survey respondents in Great Britain was 82%.
Departmental Early Retirement
Mr Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many of his Department's staff have taken early retirement in each of the last five years; and at what cost to his Department in each such year. [50843]
Norman Baker: Employees can retire or be retired early in the circumstances prescribed by the Civil Service Management Code. There is only a cost to the Department where an enhanced early retirement package is provided under the Civil Service Compensation Scheme.
The Department for Transport was formed in 2002 and is made up of a central Department and seven executive agencies.
The following table shows how many Department for Transport employees have taken early retirement in each of the last five years, as well as the cost for each year. It does not quantify ongoing savings which will result from changes to staffing levels.
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| FER (1) /CER (2) | AER (3) | |||
|
|
Number | Cost (£) | Number | Cost (£) |
| (1) FER =Flexible Early Retirement (2) CER = Compulsory Early Retirement (3 )AER = Approved Early Retirement (4) DfT(C) ran a voluntary early retirement scheme but detailed information is not readily available. | ||||
Departmental Manpower
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the costs of implementing staff reductions in (a) his Department and (b) each of its non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible in (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011-12, (iii) 2012-13, (iv) 2013-14 and (v) 2014-15. [46473]
Norman Baker: By 2014-15, we expect to deliver a cumulative cost saving of around £270 million in real terms.
The current initial estimates for the costs of implementing staff reductions through exit and severance schemes in the Department for Transport are as follows:
£20.5 million in 2010-11 (of which £12.5 million is for the central Department)
£15.5 million in 2011-12 (of which £12.5 million is for the central Department)
The central Department also estimates it will spend £0.6 million in 2010-11 and £0.3 million in 2011-12 on the direct administrative costs of the Change Programme running in DfTc.
There are currently no estimates for costs from 2012-13 onwards.
Estimates for the costs (in £000) of implementing staff reductions in the Department's non-departmental public bodies are as follows:
|
|
2010-11 | 2011-12 | 2012-13 | 2013-14 | 2014-15 |
| Note: All costs are estimates. | |||||
Departmental Public Appointments
Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 24 March 2011, Official Report, columns 1218-9W, on departmental public appointments, for what reason the answer referred to a document that cannot be accessed from the website address given; and how many (a) women and (b) men no longer serve on public bodies sponsored by his Department because of decisions to close, merge or reorganise such bodies taken since his appointment. [51439]
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Norman Baker:
Our response dated 15 March 2011 provided a link to Public Bodies 2009 which is the latest confirmed information in relation to public appointees.
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Further to this the following public bodies sponsored by the Secretary of State for Transport are subject to closure, merge or reorganisation and details are:
| Organisation | Date closed | Women no longer serving | Men no longer serving |
Power Line Technology Devices: Complaints
Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many complaints his Department has received in respect of the use of power line technology devices in the last 12 months; and from where such complaints originated. [52882]
Mrs Villiers: The Department for Transport has received no complaints in respect of the use of power line technology devices in the last 12 months.
Rescue Services: Yorkshire and the Humber
Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many calls Humber coastguard station received during hours of (a) daylight and (b) darkness in each month of 2010. [52367]
Mike Penning [holding answer 26 April 2011]: It is not possible to provide data in respect of emergency 999 calls and radio calls in the format requested as the data cannot be easily related to the times of sunrise and sunset by season. However, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency can confirm that the number of events (all entries in command and control system, excluding training, exercises and faults) Humber Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre received during 2010 is as follows:
| Humber 2010 | |||||||||||||
| Events between: | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total |
HM Coastguard does not envisage its proposals to modernise as outlined in the consultation document will increase response times.
Rolling Stock
Mr Darling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average age of the train fleet was in each railway franchise in (a) 1996, (b) 2001, (c) 2007 and (d) 2010. [54037]
Mrs Villiers: Data showing the average age of the train fleet are publicly available on the Office of Rail Regulation’s National Rail Trends webpage, which can be accessed via the following link:
http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/server/show/nav.1863
The average age of rolling stock has only been disaggregated between different train operating companies since 2010.
Before 2010, this information was split only by sector (Regional/Long distance/London and South East).
Transport: Carbon Emissions
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what support his Department plans to provide to local authorities for the development of low-carbon based transport systems in the form of (a) bus transport powered by electricity and (b) trams in each of the next four financial years. [52203]
Norman Baker: The Department has no plans to provide support to local authorities for the development of low-carbon based transport systems in the specific form of bus transport powered by electricity. However, the Department has paid £46.8 million to local authorities and bus operators to assist them in purchasing 526 hybrid-electric and 16 all-electric buses through the Green Bus Fund. More details are available on the DFT website at:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/regional/buses/greenbusfund/greenbusfundbusdetails/
On trams, since May 2010, we have supported a number of proposed extensions to existing light rail systems in operation. This includes confirming funding, with a Government contribution of over £120 million, for the Manchester metro link extensions to Ashton and East Didsbury which are currently under construction and expected to be in operation in 2013.
We announced on 4 February 2011 our intention to support the extension to Midland Metro Line One to Birmingham New Street station, with a Department for Transport contribution of £75.4 million towards the total scheme costs and in March 2011, we announced our continued support for the Nottingham Express Transit Phase 2 light rail PFI project. It is now for the promoters of these schemes to complete the procurement process and submit a final business case to the Department for final funding approval.
I have also initiated a study of light rail to see whether there are ways of making this mode of transport more cost-effective for the future. I am due to receive this study shortly.
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House of Commons Commission
Catering
Mr Spencer: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, what the policy of the House of Commons Service is on the provision of country of origin information on menus in its restaurants and cafeterias. [54451]
John Thurso: The House of Commons Catering Service has no policy to provide country of origin information on menus in its restaurants and cafeterias. However, where the main food ingredient is specifically sourced from a particular region or farm, the source may be named in the menu dish description.
Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority Committee
Security Certificate
Priti Patel: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, (1) for what reason the security certificate for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority website has expired; [54873]
(2) on what date the security certificate for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority website expired; when the security certificate will be renewed; what assessment has been made of any risks resulting from the expiration of the security certificate; and who was responsible for permitting the security certificate to expire. [54874]
Mr Charles Walker: It has not been possible to provide a response to these questions by the named day. An answer will be provided as soon as possible.
Wales
Departmental Legal Costs
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much her Department and its predecessor paid in (a) damages, (b) claimant costs and (c) defendant costs in respect of all civil claims brought against her Department in which the claimant was successful or the Department settled in each of the last three years. [54691]
Mr David Jones: The Wales Office had one civil claim in 2009-10. Although the tribunal found in favour of the Wales Office they ordered a payment due pursuant to contract in the sum of £2,957. The Wales Office legal costs were £48,104.
Departmental Pensions
Steve Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proportion of her Department's budget she expects to be spent on staff pensions in each of the next five years. [54572]
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Mr David Jones: The Wales Office is not an employer in its own right; its staff are supplied by the Welsh Assembly Government and the Ministry of Justice who retain the pension liabilities for their staff.
Departmental Vacancies
Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the staff vacancy rate was for her Department in 2010-11; and what vacancy rate has been assumed in her Department's budget for 2011-12. [54203]
Mr David Jones: There has been an average vacancy rate of 8% in the 2010-11 period. We do not assume an annual vacancy rate in the departmental budget.
Attorney-General
Civil Proceedings: Legal Costs
Stephen Williams: To ask the Attorney-General how many times the Official Solicitor has been appointed to act as litigation friend of last resort for a person who lacks litigation capacity, in appeals against their detention, authorised under the deprivation of liberty safeguards, brought under section 21A of the Mental Capacity Act 2005; in how many of all section 21A appeals the Official Solicitor has acted in the deprivation of liberty authorisation was terminated by the court; how many of those section 21A appeals in which the Official Solicitor was appointed to act were brought by the detainee themselves; and how many section 21A appeals in which the Official Solicitor was appointed to act were initially brought by the detainee themselves, but were discontinued by the Official Solicitor on the basis that there was little prospect of success. [53673]
Mr Djanogly: I have been asked to reply.
The information requested is not held by the Ministry of Justice and is not readily available. The cost of collating it would be disproportionate, as such an exercise would require the Official Solicitor to recover from secure storage all files relating to applications to the Court of Protection (other than those relating solely to Property and Affairs) and to then trawl through them for the relevant information to be obtained.
Lindis Percy: Public Finance
Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Attorney-General what the total cost to the public purse was of the case brought by the Crown against Lindis Percy. [54297]
The Solicitor-General: It is estimated that the prosecution’s costs in this case will be in the region of £945. This figure relates to counsel advocacy costs and does not include staff or running costs, which are attributable to the operation of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) as a whole and cannot be assessed on an individual case basis. The costs to the court and the defence are not collated by the CPS.
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Business, Innovation and Skills
Deregulation
Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) what discussions he had with ministerial colleagues before including primary legislation on the Red Tape Challenge website; [53916]
(2) what definition of red tape he used to determine which regulations and legislation should be identified for potential repeal on the Red Tape Challenge website. [53917]
Mr Prisk: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Brighton, Pavilion (Caroline Lucas) on 5 May 2011, Official Report, columns 885-6W.
Exports: Higher Education
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the value of UK higher education exports including (a) tuition fees, (b) other spending by overseas higher education students in the UK, (c) transnational education and (d) other higher education exports in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [54862]
Mr Willetts: The Department has recently received a draft report commissioned from London Economics on the value of education exports which will be published in due course. The Department has not made estimates previously, but according to Universities UK gross export earnings for the higher education sector in 2007/08 were estimated to be £5.3 billion.
Education exports are an area where the UK has strengths and where there is opportunity for growth, and the Government are determined to help institutions and organisations involved to realise these opportunities.
Higher Education: Finance
Ben Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what information his Department holds on the number of people who left higher education because their parents withheld or withdrew financial support in each of the last 10 years. [54506]
Mr Willetts: The Department does not hold information on the number of people who left higher education because their parents withheld or withdrew financial support in each of the last 10 years. The numbers of UK-domiciled students who were recorded as leaving their higher education course due to financial reasons in the academic years 2000/01 to 2009/10 are shown in the table as an alternative. Figures for the 2010/11 academic year will become available from January 2012.
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| UK-domiciled enrolments (1) who left their course having neither qualified nor transferred to another institution; and of this group, those who left due to financial reasons, UK higher education institutions—Academic years 2000/01 to 2009/10 | ||
| Academic year | Number who left their course having neither qualified nor transferred | of which: left for financial reasons |
| (1) Covers postgraduate and undergraduate students of all ages and years of study enrolled on full-time and part-time courses. Note: Figures are based on a HESA standard registration population and have been rounded up or down to the nearest five. Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) Student Record. | ||
Information on a student's reason for leaving is taken from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) Student Record. This information should be treated with some caution because the “Other personal reasons and dropped out” and “Other” fields are used extensively. Institutions are not always able to record the precise reason for leaving. Furthermore, HESA allows only one reason for withdrawal to be recorded, however it is likely that many students leave for a combination of reasons.
North Sea Oil
Mr Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) on what dates (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department have met representatives of oil and gas companies to discuss investment in North Sea oil and gas fields since his appointment; [51590]
(2) on what date he or other Ministers in his Department most recently met representatives of the oil and gas industry to discuss investment in North Sea oil and gas fields. [51592]
Mr Prisk: The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, my right hon. Friend the Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), met Shell on 2 August 2010. There have been no other meetings between oil companies and other BIS Ministers.
Private Sector: Higher Education
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will strengthen the scrutiny arrangements in respect of (a) the financial health and (b) the quality of teaching at privately for-profit providers of higher education; and if he will make a statement. [54860]
Mr Willetts:
The future regulatory regime for all providers of higher education will be considered in the forthcoming White Paper. This will set out the Government's proposals to encourage a more diverse
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and competitive higher education sector alongside an appropriate regulatory regime, which ensures high standards and protects students.
Research: Finance
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 5 April 2011, Official Report, column 917W, on research: finance, which highest scientific priorities were identified by the research councils and were not provided with additional funding following the Budget 2011. [52799]
Mr Willetts: The other capital projects identified by the research councils as their highest scientific priorities were:
ARCHER—a new national supercomputing service;
Hartree Centre—a new international centre for computational science and engineering at the Daresbury Science and Innovation Campus;
Institute for Animal Health—Phase 3 of the redevelopment;
Rothera Research Station, Antarctica—upgraded facilities.
These priorities are subject to periodic revision by Research Councils UK as new capital projects evolve and to reflect the availability of capital.
UN Human Rights Council
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he plans to take to implement the guiding principles on business and human rights submitted by Professor Ruggie to the UN Human Rights Council. [54412]
Mr Jeremy Browne: I have been asked to reply.
The UK is a strong supporter of Professor John Ruggie and his work as the UN special representative on business and human rights and transnational corporations. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has worked with a range of interested Government Departments in respect of Professor Ruggie’s work, which he is due to present to the Human Rights Council in Geneva in June 2011. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has been negotiating an update to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises to include a new chapter drawing on Professor Ruggie’s guiding principles. The Ministry of Justice represents the Government in the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s business and human rights working group.
Universities
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent estimate his Department has made of the potential number of universities in England that will be taken over by private institutions in the next five years. [54543]
Mr Willetts: The Department has not made such an estimate. Universities are private autonomous institutions and it is for their respective governing bodies to establish whether any changes of ownership would be in their long-term interest and that of their students.
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Justice
Alcoholic Drinks: Rehabilitation
Mr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will take steps to ensure that the rehabilitation of alcoholic offenders forms part of the Government's rehabilitation strategy. [54454]
Mr Blunt: We agree that rehabilitation for many offenders must start by tackling their dependency on alcohol. We continue to work closely with the Department of Health to ensure that the needs of offenders who are dependent on alcohol are effectively addressed.
To support these aims, our recent Green Paper "Breaking the Cycle" also set out proposals to increase the flexibility of treatment requirements, including alcohol treatment requirements, to ensure more offenders with alcohol problems gain access to treatment in the community. Later this year, the Government will publish a new Alcohol Strategy. Responses from the MoJ Green Paper consultation will be used to inform this.
CCTV: Evidence
Mr Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the adequacy of the quality of CCTV images for use as evidence in the courts. [53972]
Mr Blunt: None. However, the Home Office has published several reports on CCTV.
Cycling: Sentencing
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many and what proportion of cyclists involved in the (a) death and (b) serious injury of a pedestrian received a (i) custodial sentence, (ii) fine, (iii) community service order and (iv) other sentence in the last year for which figures are available. [53982]
Mr Blunt: Data collated centrally by the Ministry of Justice do not include information about the circumstances of each case other than those which may be identified from a statute. It is therefore not possible to specifically identify offences in which cyclists are involved in death or injury or the status of victims, pedestrian or otherwise, involved in road traffic accidents.
Departmental Pensions
Steve Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of his Department's budget he expects to be spent on staff pensions in each of the next five years. [54569]
Mr Djanogly: Because the Ministry does not yet know the final outcome of the proposed reforms of civil service staff pensions (following on from the Hutton review on public sector pensions), accurate forecasts about the proportion of the Ministry's budget allocated to staff pensions for each of the next five years are not available.
The proportion of the Ministry's budget allocated to staff pensions is also dependent upon the staff profile of the Department. Employer pension contributions
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(known as Accruing Superannuation Liability Charges) are based on five salary bands. Each band has a different percentage charge and they can be found on the civil service website at:
http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/Assets/EPN287_tcm6-37911.pdf
As the Ministry implements organisational changes and reforms in response to the spending review announcements, the staff profile of the Department will change over the next five years. As a consequence, the future proportion of the Ministry's budget allocated to staff pensions can only be known once those changes and reforms have been implemented.
European Convention on Human Rights: Public Finance
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate his Department has made of the cost to the public purse of implementing the judgments of the European Convention on Human Rights since 1998. [54546]
Mr Kenneth Clarke: The Ministry of Justice has not made an estimate of the cost to the public purse of implementing the judgments since 1998 of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). The implementation of judgments issued by the ECtHR is the responsibility of the Government Department responsible for the policy area concerned.
The measures taken to implement judgments, and the costs and benefits of such measures, can vary considerably depending on the circumstances of the case, and some can be included in wider changes to policy or legislation. The provision of accurate estimates of the total costs associated with the implementation of the judgments of the ECtHR since 1998 would be extremely challenging and could not be done without incurring disproportionate cost.
Ministerial Visits
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how many Ministers representing the Government of the Isle of Man have visited his Department in the last three years; [54101]
(2) how many Ministers representing the Government of Jersey have visited his Department in the last three years; [54104]
(3) how many Ministers representing the Government of Guernsey have visited his Department in the last three years. [54105]
Mr Djanogly: The Ministry of Justice does not keep information on the number of times Ministers from the Crown Dependencies have visited the Department. Ministry of Justice Ministers are in regular contact with representatives of the Crown Dependencies' Governments.
Legal Aid Scheme
Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) what discussions he has had with the Treasury Solicitor on his Department's proposals for reform of legal aid; [53922]
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(2) whether he has made an assessment of the effects on the work of the (a) Treasury Solicitor's Department and (b) Government Legal Service of his proposals for the reform of legal aid; and if he will make a statement. [53943]
Mr Djanogly: While Ministers and officials speak regularly with the Treasury Solicitor on general issues there have been no specific discussions concerning the legal aid reform proposals.
Impact assessments were published alongside the consultation paper, which detailed the potential impacts of the reforms. However, these did not consider the impact on either the Treasury Solicitor’s Department or the Government Legal Service, and there is no intention to conduct such an assessment.
Mr Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many meetings on legal aid reform (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department have had at the request of hon. Members since 6 May 2010. [54226]
Mr Djanogly: I can confirm that the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, the right hon. and learned Member for Rushcliffe (Mr Clarke) and I have, between us, held a total of 14 meetings with hon. Members, either in person or over the telephone, on the subject of legal aid reform.
Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) what assessment he has made of the ability of prospective claimants for clinical negligence compensation to access alternative funding mechanisms such as conditional fee agreements and before-the-event insurance following the implementation of his proposals to reform legal aid; [54265]
(2) whether he has assessed the merits of retaining legal aid for clinical negligence cases for the purposes of funding investigations and disbursements on the basis that if a case is considered to have good prospects it would continue under a conditional fee agreement. [54266]
Mr Djanogly: The consultation “Proposals for the Reform of Legal Aid in England and Wales” closed on Monday 14 February 2011. The Government are due to publish their response later in the spring. An updated impact assessment will be published alongside the response on legal aid reform.
On 29 March 2011 the Government published “Reforming Civil Litigation Funding and Costs in England and Wales—Implementation of Lord Justice Jackson's Recommendations: The Government Response”. This makes it clear that conditional fee agreements will continue to be available for clinical negligence cases. The Government intend to have a tightly drawn power to allow recoverability of after-the-event (ATE) insurance premiums to cover the cost of expert reports only in clinical negligence cases. The Government will continue to engage with claimant and defendant representatives and general liability insurers to ensure that joint expert reports can be commissioned wherever possible so that ATE insurance is not necessary. An updated impact assessment was published alongside the response on civil litigation funding and costs.
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Regional Resolution Groups
Mr Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how many meetings (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department have had with regional resolution groups since 6 May 2010; [54224]
(2) what representations he has received from regional resolution groups since 6 May 2010. [54225]
Mr Djanogly: The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, the right hon. and learned Member for Rushcliffe (Mr Clarke), has not met with the regional resolution groups since May 2010 nor have I or my ministerial colleagues. However, I did meet with a representative of the national body in July, and in August last year I met Resolution national representatives, along with other mediation organisations, at a Family Mediation Stakeholder event.
Similarly, regional representations have not been received since May 2010 but the national body has responded to the recent consultation “Proposals for the Reform of Legal Aid in England and Wales”.
Tax Avoidance
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) whether he has had recent discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on offshore UK tax avoidance in Jersey; [54102]
(2) whether he has had recent discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on offshore UK tax avoidance in Guernsey; [54103]
(3) whether he has had recent discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on offshore UK tax avoidance in the Isle of Man. [54109]
Mr Djanogly: The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, the right hon. and learned Member for Rushcliffe (Mr Clarke), has had no recent discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on offshore UK tax avoidance in Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man.
Women and Equalities
Equality Duty: Public Sector
Mr Lammy: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what discussions the Government Equalities Office has had with (a) race equality, (b) disability, (c) gender equality, (d) lesbian gay bisexual transgender, (e) older people and (f) other equalities organisations on the decision to re-draft and re-consult on the specific duties as part of the Public Sector Equality Duty under the Equality Act 2010. [51741]
Lynne Featherstone: Ministers and officials meet regularly with interested equality organisations to discuss all aspects of their work. The policy review paper, published on 17 March, sought comments from all interested parties, including equality organisations, on the proposed changes to the draft specific duties regulations.
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Education
Academies
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) whether he plans to publish the correspondence between his Department and Abraham Guest School after the issue of conversion to academy status has been resolved; [53247]
(2) what his Department's policy was on the publication of correspondence between his Department and maintained schools on the issue of conversion to academy status in each of the last five years. [53248]
Mr Gibb: The Department for Education does not routinely publish all correspondence between the Department and schools that are becoming academies, and has never done so. The Expression of Interest for Abraham Guest High School to become a sponsored academy is currently being worked up by the sponsor and the local authority. Once complete, it will come to Ministers for approval.
For sponsored academy projects, the Department's practice is to publish the approved Expression of Interest document on its website. Once a funding agreement is approved it is also published on the Department's website.
When an Expression of Interest in a sponsored academy project has been approved, Ministers write to the MP in whose constituency the academy is to be located, to inform them of this. Ministers also write in similar terms to the constituency MP once a funding agreement has been approved.
Children: Armed Forces
Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will bring forward proposals to allow children of parents serving in the armed forces to be given higher priority in the allocation of school places; and if he will make a statement. [54625]
Mr Gibb: The School Admissions Code already places some requirements on admission authorities to help ensure that children of service personnel are not disadvantaged as a consequence of their mobility. As announced in the Schools White Paper, “The Importance of Teaching”, we are currently reviewing the code in order to simplify its requirements, and will be consulting on a revised code shortly. It will continue to ensure that the needs of the children of service personnel are taken into account.
Children: Day Care
Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many children under five years were in child care places provided by (a) child minders, (b) private or voluntary nurseries, (c) nursery schools and (d) nursery classes in (i) 1997, (ii) 2003 and (iii) 2009-10; and what proportion of children in registered child care settings these figures represent in each local authority area. [54122]
Mr Gibb: This information is not available in the form requested. The relevant data are not available for 1997. Data for 2010 have not yet been published.
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Table 1 shows information at a national level on all children attending full day care settings, child minders, nursery schools and primary schools with nursery and reception classes in 2003 and 2009. Table 2 shows regional information on the number of children aged under five years attending private or voluntary full day care settings, nursery schools and primary schools with reception and nursery classes in 2009. Table 3 shows the regional information on the number of children of any age attending child minders in 2009.
The information presented has been taken from the Childcare and Early Years Providers Survey. The Childcare and Early Years Providers Survey is a survey series which began in 1998 and collects information on the number of children attending various types of formal child care in England. These data are not available at local authority level. Data on the number of children under five attending child minders by region are also unavailable and are therefore not presented in table 2. Care is taken to avoid double counting in individual providers but as individual children can attend more than one setting some double counting is unavoidable.
| Table 1: Number of children attending child care and early years provision | ||
| Number of children | ||
|
|
2003 | 2009 |
| Base: Child care providers 2009, 2003. Early years provision in maintained schools 2009, 2003. (1)Full day care: defined as “facilities that provide day care for children under eight for a continuous period of four hours or more in a day in premises which are not domestic premises.” These figures include full day care setting under all types of ownership. The 2009 survey found that 88% of full day care settings were privately or voluntarily owned, of the remainder, 4% were managed by a local authority, 6% by a school/college, and 2% indicated an ‘other’ type of ownership. (2) “A childminder is registered to look after one or more children under the age of eight to whom they are not related on domestic premises for reward and for a total of more than two hours in any day.” These data are unavailable for 2003. (3) Nursery schools: these “”provide education for children under the age of five and over the age of two”. Maintained nursery schools generally accept children in term time. (4) Primary schools with nursery and reception classes: some primary schools offer both nursery and reception classes, these operate throughout the school year. These figures will include children in reception classes as well as those in nursery classes. | ||
| Table 2: Children aged under five years attending various types of child care settings by region (2009) | |||
| Setting type | |||
| Region | Private or voluntary full day care settings | Nursery schools | Primary schools with nursery and reception classes (1) |
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| 1 Again, these figures will include children in reception classes as well as those in nursery classes. | |||
| Table 3: Children of any age attending child minders by region (2009) | |
| Region | Childminders |
Discretionary Learner Support Fund
Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether discretionary learner support funding for 16 to 19 education is to be means tested. [53996]
Mr Gibb: Under the proposed arrangements for the 16-19 Bursary Fund, schools, further education colleges, sixth form colleges and training organisations will be able to exercise their discretion to award 16-19 Bursaries to young people in ways that best fit local needs and circumstances. The Department will not set any expectation that awards under the new scheme should formally be means tested.
We are consulting on the details of the new arrangements and will work with the Association of Colleges and Sixth Form Colleges Forum and others to consider how schools, colleges and training organisations can identify those students who would benefit from support under the proposed arrangements.
Education: Assessments
Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether his Department issues guidance to (a) examination boards and (b) schools on the circumstances in which children may be granted additional time to complete public examinations. [54596]
Mr Gibb: The Department for Education does not issue guidance. Guidance on granting of additional time is provided by the Joint Council for Qualifications which is independent of Government and represents the seven largest providers of qualifications in the UK.
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The guidance “Access Arrangements, Reasonable Adjustments and Special Consideration 2010-11” can be viewed at
http://www.jcq.org.uk/attachments/published/538/22.%20AARASC%201011.pdf
Extra-curricular Activities
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Playing for Success partnerships in increasing attendance at school by participants; [52285]
(2) what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Playing for Success partnerships in increasing academic achievement; [52286]
(3) from which Playing for Success schemes his Department has withdrawn funding; [52287]
(4) what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Playing for Success partnerships in reducing offending by participants; [52288]
(5) what estimate has been made of the level of savings which will accrue from the withdrawal of funding from the Playing for Success programme; [52289]
(6) how many Playing for Success study centres (a) he and (b) each other Minister in his Department has visited since May 2010. [52314]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 26 April 2011]: The contract for the operational management and delivery of the Playing for Success (PfS) programme ran for a three-year period beginning in April 2008. It expired at the end of March 2011. Central funding to support Playing for Success study centres in England, therefore, came to an end at the same time.
The level of funding made available to support Playing for Success in each of the three years of the last spending review period was approximately £14.5 million, including the contract and support to individual centres.
Four independent national evaluations were carried out over the course of the Playing for Success programme, all of which focused on the impact on academic achievement. There has been no assessment of the effectiveness of the programme in increasing attendance at school or in reducing offending by participants. The evaluations have all found improvements in literacy and numeracy levels, information and communication technology (ICT) skills, attitudes to learning, and self-esteem. The evaluation in May 2007 looked at the long-term impact of PfS in terms of pupils' performance in national curriculum assessments (NCAs) and found a more mixed picture. While there appeared to be a positive impact on under-achieving pupils, which was the programme's target group, it concluded that PfS is not an inoculation against underperformance, and continued progress should be a shared responsibility.
In the programme's final year of central funding, the Department supported the contractors Rex Hall Associates to work with a selected number of study centres to gather more information about the impact of the programme on pupil engagement, motivation, achievement, and progress, as well as seeking the views of parents, teachers, and PfS centre managers. The information that was gathered from this exercise was used to support
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schools, local authorities, and clubs in deciding how they might continue to develop and sustain the programme into the future.
Ministers have not visited any Playing for Success study centres since May 2010. Rex Hall Associates have maintained responsibility for working with centres, and undertaking regular meetings and visits to advise and support them as central funding has come to an end.
Free School
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate has been made of the average number of pupils who will attend a school which has been approved as a free school. [54231]
Mr Gibb: It is not possible at this point to provide an estimate of the average number of pupils who will attend a free school because parents are still in the process of applying for places.
Further Education: Finance
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the likely (a) number of students and (b) average size of financial reward that will be allocated through discretionary education funds for 16 to 19 education; and if he will make it his policy to ensure that such figures are published at regular intervals in future. [52922]
Mr Gibb: We have estimated that around 12,000 young people may be eligible each year for a guaranteed annual bursary of £1,200. Beyond this, the 16-19 Bursary fund is discretionary and decisions as to who will be supported and to what level will be made by schools, colleges and training organisations.
Currently schools, colleges and training organisations with an allocation of discretionary learner support funds are required to provide management information to the Young People's Learning Agency. We expect that this arrangement will continue for the 16-19 Bursary funding, allowing us to monitor its introduction. In addition we are considering how best to evaluate the impact of the new arrangements.
Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many 16 to 19-year-olds he estimates will receive support through the 16 to 19 Bursary Fund in (a) Gateshead constituency and (b) the North East in the first year of its operation. [53332]
Mr Gibb: We estimate that there are around 12,000 young people currently in receipt of education maintenance allowance (EMA) in England who are in one of the groups that will, under the 16-19 Bursary scheme, receive a bursary of £1,200 a year. It is not possible to break this data down by constituency, local authority or region.
All students in full-time education or training will be eligible to apply for support from the 16-19 Bursary Fund. Decisions as to which students should receive support will be made locally by schools, colleges and training providers.
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Further Education: Free School Meals
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps his Department plans to take to link entitlement to free school meals to discretionary learner support funding for 16 to 19 education; and if he will make a statement. [52660]
Mr Gibb: Under the proposed arrangements for the 16-19 bursary funding, further education and sixth form colleges will be able to exercise their discretion to award 16-19 bursaries to young people—including young people who were in receipt of free school meals in year 11—in ways that best fit local needs and circumstances. We have no plans to link eligibility for free school meals directly to discretionary learner support funding.
We are consulting on the details of the new arrangements and will work with the Association of Colleges and Sixth Form Colleges Forum and others to consider how, at a local level, colleges could work with schools and local authorities to identify those students who might benefit from a bursary.
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the oral statement of 28 March 2011, Official Report, column 53, on post-16 education funding, how many young people who were eligible for free school meals in year 11 progressed to a (a) sixth form college and (b) further education college in each of the last five academic years; and if he will estimate the level of funding which would be required to ensure that this number of students could receive up to £800 per academic year in discretionary learner support funding for 16 to 19 education for each such year. [53321]
Mr Gibb: The Department does not hold data on how many young people who were eligible for free school meals in year 11 progress to sixth form college or further education college. The latest data show that 13% of 15-year-olds are eligible for free school meals.
We are projecting that there will be just over 1,275,000 16 to 18-year-olds in full-time education and training in 2011/12. At an average of £800, the money being made available under the 16-18 bursary fund would support bursaries to over 15% of 16 to 18-year-olds in full-time education and training; more than sufficient to cover all of those eligible for free school meals in year 11.
Health Education: Drugs
Mr Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will publish quality standards in respect of the provision and commissioning of drug education in schools. [54402]
Mr Gibb: All schools are required to deliver drug and alcohol education within the national curriculum for science and as part of personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education. The Department's guidance, ‘Drugs: Guidance for Schools’ (2004), provides advice to schools on commissioning and providing high quality drug and alcohol education within these requirements.
Our recent schools white paper, ‘The Importance of Teaching’, set out our proposals for reforming the school curriculum. We are developing a new national curriculum
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which will result in new programmes of study for science. We shall be conducting an internal review of PSHE education to determine how we can support schools to improve the quality of the PSHE education they deliver, including drug and alcohol education. As part of the review, we will consider what guidance schools might need on the provision and commissioning of drug and alcohol education.
Secondary Education: First Aid
Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate his Department has made of the number of maintained secondary schools in England that teach first aid; and how many such schools train their pupils in cardio-pulmonary resuscitation. [53663]
Mr Gibb: The Department does not collect data on the number of schools that teach first aid, or on the number that train their pupils in cardio-pulmonary resuscitation. The non-statutory framework for personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education includes teaching young people at primary school level about basic emergency procedures and where to get help; and at secondary school level, to develop the skills to cope with emergency situations that require basic first aid procedures, including, at key stage 4 (ages 15-16), resuscitation techniques.
Students: Finance
Andy Burnham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether his proposed 16-19 education bursary scheme will replace the (a) Care to Learn, (b) Dance and Drama Awards and (c) Residential Support schemes; and if he will make a statement. [54399]
Mr Gibb: The 16-19 bursary scheme does not replace Care to Learn, Dance and Drama Awards and Residential Support schemes. Those schemes will be continuing in 2011/12.
Teachers
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate his Department has made of the number of failing teachers in the latest period for which figures are available. [54547]
Mr Gibb: The Department does not collect data about the number of failing teachers but according to Ofsted’s latest annual report, 4% of teaching in 2009/10 was inadequate.
Defence
Afghanistan and Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence under what criteria operational allowances are made in (a) Afghanistan and (b) Iraq; and if he will make statement. [54811]
Mr Robathan:
The aim of the operational allowance is to recognise the significantly increased and enduring nature of the danger in specific operational locations.
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The Permanent Joint Headquarters undertake risk and rigour assessments, the contents of which are classified, and make recommendations to Ministers on whether the allowance should be paid. They review their assessment biannually.
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many pilots were in receipt of operational allowances in (a) Afghanistan and (b) Iraq in each year since 2002; and if he will make a statement. [54895]
Mr Robathan: The operational allowance was introduced in October 2006 and was doubled to its current value of £29.02 per day in May 2010. Data are not held in the format requested prior to 2009. The following table shows the total number of pilots who have been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan since 1 April 2009 and have received the operational allowance:
| Country | 1 April 2009 to 31 March 2010 | 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2011 |
| (1) Fewer than five Note: All totals have been rounded to nearest 10 | ||
Air Force: Guided Weapons
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many single mode Brimstone missiles the Royal Air Force has. [53597]
Peter Luff: Information relating to current and future in-service Brimstone missile stock levels is being withheld because its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.
Armed Forces: Young People
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people under the age of 18 serving in the armed forces were court-martialled in each of the last 10 years; and what (a) charges were brought and (b) action was taken in each case. [52871]
Mr Robathan: For the naval service, records indicate that in the last 10 years, three personnel were under 18 years of age at the time of their trial/sentencing by court martial. In a very small number of additional cases, information on date of birth is not readily available and the age of the personnel involved cannot therefore be confirmed.
| Naval service | ||
|
|
Charge | Sentence |
|
Assault occasioning actual bodily harm (this individual was dealt with under the Army Act) |
||
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In the Army in the last 10 years, 41 individuals under the age of 18 were charged with various offences. The details are provided in the following table.
9 May 2011 : Column 971W
The RAF is unable to provide details of the number of under-18s who were court-martialled in each of the last 10 years as this information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, the joint personnel administration system’s disciplinary database, which contains data from 2009 onwards, indicates that no RAF personnel under the age of 18 have been court-martialled.