Bahrain: Defence
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what British military assets are based in Bahrain. [54759]
Nick Harvey: In Bahrain, the UK Maritime Component Command consists of 60 personnel plus normally four Mine Counter-Measure Vessels and their shore support of 24 personnel. In addition, we have two RAF Communications flight aircraft (one x BAE146 and one x HS125) and their support of 42 personnel. The British embassy in Bahrain also has a Defence Section, consisting of two personnel.
Departmental Contracts
Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) total cost and (b) timescale is of the contract awarded to the Turner Group in respect of facilities management provided to his Department; and whether there is a clause to extend the contract if required. [54213]
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Mr Robathan: The current value of facilities management contracts with the Turner Group is some £150 million. This includes the Regional Prime Contract in Scotland which was recently extended from its initial seven year term until 31 March 2013. There is no ability to extend the contract beyond that date.
A further contract providing other infrastructure services to six RAF bases is a five year contract up to 30 April 2014 with an option to extend until 30 April 2016.
Departmental Legal Costs
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department 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. [54637]
Mr Robathan: Data relating to civil claims for compensation are not recorded in the format requested. The overall payments for financial years 2007-08, 2008-09 and 2009-10 are set out in the following table. Figures for 2010-11 will be available in July 2011.
| Financial year | Payments (£ million) |
Departmental Pensions
Steve Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of his Department's budget he expects to be spent on staff pensions in each of the next five years. [54559]
Mr Robathan: Civil service pensions are paid out of a central Government fund and do not form part of departmental expenditure. The following table, however, shows the proportion of the Department's budget that we currently plan to set aside in financial years 2011-12 to 2014-15 as a contribution towards civil service pensions. Figures for 2015-16 cannot be provided as this is outside of the current spending review period.
|
|
Percentage |
The proportion of the Department's budget that is expected to be set aside as a contribution towards service personnel pensions is set out in the following table.
|
|
Percentage |
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Guided Weapons
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many dual mode Brimstone missiles his Department has ordered in each of the last six months; [53595]
(2) how long it takes to convert a single mode Brimstone missile to a dual mode; and what the cost is for each such conversion. [53596]
Peter Luff: In addition to our existing stocks, the Ministry of Defence placed an order for 150 Dual Mode Brimstone missiles in December 2010, the only one in the last six months.
After contract placement, the Prime Contractor is contracted to spend six to nine months preparing the missiles for conversion and procuring materiel, after which they will be delivered in monthly batches. We are working closely with the Prime Contractor to ensure the continuing availability of Dual Mode Brimstone for Operations Herrick and Ellamy.
The cost of this conversion is between £35,000 and £45,000 (excluding VAT) per missile dependent on quantities ordered.
A range of weapons is currently being used for operations in Libya including Brimstone missiles, Paveway II, Paveway IV, Stormshadow missiles and Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles.
Libya
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence in what circumstances pilots operating in Libya would be eligible to receive operational allowance payments; and if he will make a statement. [54853]
Mr Robathan:
The aim of the operational allowance is to recognise the significantly increased and enduring
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nature of the danger in specified operational locations. Libya is not considered as such at this time, but we keep this under constant review.
Service personnel involved in operations over Libya may however be eligible to receive other allowances such as longer separation allowance, and possibly local overseas allowance and messing allowances dependent on their precise circumstances.
Nuclear Submarines
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the Royal Navy's nuclear submarine reactor programme will be included in the scope of the review to be conducted by HM Chief Inspector of Nuclear Installations into lessons for the UK nuclear industry following the Fukushima nuclear accident. [54533]
Peter Luff: The scope of the review is focused primarily on the civil nuclear sector. However, the Defence Nuclear Safety Regulator is working with HM Chief Inspector of Nuclear Installations on his report to assess whether there are any implications for the UK's nuclear submarine programme.
Third Sector
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department provided to each charity it funds in each of the last five years; and how much he has allocated for funding to each such charity in each of the next five years. [48289]
Mr Robathan: Funding provided through grants in aid to the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector in each of the last five years for which figures are currently available is shown in the following table. A grant in aid is typically used to fund part or all of the administration costs of the recipient body.
| Grant in aid | |||||
| £ | |||||
| Body | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 |
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| (1) Not available.( 2) Funded through the National Museum of the Royal Navy. | |||||
We also provide funding to charities through grants (for specific purposes) and commercial contractual arrangements (for specific services). A breakdown of the expenditure incurred could be provided only at disproportionate cost as these funding mechanisms are delegated locally and we do not currently identify discretely those grants and contracts which relate to charities. Details of all new central Government contracts are, however, now available online at:
www.contractsfinder.businesslink.gov.uk
I will write to the hon. Member to provide information on grant in aid funding for 2010-11, and on currently planned funding over the spending review period (up to 2014-15), once the details have been finalised for all bodies, which should be before the Whitsun recess.
I apologise for the delay in answering this question.
War Widows: Pensions
Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will review the practice of removing the pensions of military widows when they remarry; and if he will make a statement. [54151]
Mr Robathan [holding answer 5 May 2011]: Successive Governments have maintained the principle that changes or improvements to public service pension schemes should not be applied retrospectively. This is because legacy pension issues cannot be looked at in isolation. Addressing one issue would increase the pressure to address legacy issues in all public sector pension schemes and this would have huge financial implications.
International Development
Afghanistan: Armoured Fighting Vehicles
David T. C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many armoured cars used by his Department in Afghanistan have been lent to other organisations in the latest period for which figures are available. [54613]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: None of them.
Burma: Earthquakes
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what information his Department holds on the level of financial support provided by the Government of Burma for emergency relief for those affected by the earthquake in Shan State, Burma. [53977]
Mr Duncan: The Burmese Government have not provided information on the cost of the emergency relief that they are providing in Shan State. We understand from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs that the Burmese Government have provided cash assistance, food and medicines for the affected communities. Other donors, including UN agencies, international and local NGOs, neighbouring countries and the private sector, are also providing assistance.
Burma: Malaria
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate he has made of the number of deaths in Burma from malaria in 2009; if he will assess the accuracy of estimates of the number of deaths made by the Burmese Government; and if he will make a statement. [53978]
Mr Duncan: The Department for International Development (DFID) has not made an independent estimate of the number of deaths in Burma from malaria in 2009. The officially reported figure for malaria-related deaths in Burma in 2009 is 972, based on health system data which may be limited.
According to the World Health Organisation, malaria is endemic in 284 of the 325 townships in Burma. An estimated 68% of Burma's population is at a risk of contracting the disease. Combating malaria is a high priority for UK aid for Burma, working through UN agencies and non-governmental organisations rather than the Burmese central Government.
Developing Countries: Maternity Services
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if his Department will publish information on expenditure for reproductive, maternal and newborn health interventions in 2008-09 under the UK’s Framework for Results, Choices for Women: Planned Pregnancies, Safe Births and Healthy Newborns, similar to the information on expenditure on malaria in the UK’s Framework for Results for Malaria. [52951]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: Details of the Department for International Development’s (DFID) expenditure in 2008-09 are published in “Statistics on International Development” (SID), which is available in the Library of the House and on the DFID website at:
http://www.dfid.gov.uk/Documents/publications1/sid2010/a3.xls?epslanguage=en
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Interventions on women’s and children’s health are captured across a number of the expenditure categories provided in SID and cannot be further disaggregated without disproportionate cost.
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans his Department has to publish information on spending commitments for reproductive, maternal and newborn health interventions for 2010-11 under the UK's Framework for Results, Choices for Women: Planned Pregnancies, Safe Births and Healthy Newborns. [52952]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: The internationally agreed methodology for monitoring the Government's spending commitments on women's and children's health is provided in table A of the UK's Framework for Results for improving reproductive, maternal and newborn health. The methodology will be used to track the Government's expenditure annually and this will be published in the G8 accountability reports along with the expenditure of other donors.
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) how his Department's planned detailed evaluation framework under the UK's Framework for Results, Choices for Women: Planned Pregnancies, Safe Births and Healthy Newborns will relate to the accountability framework to be produced by the Commission on Information and Accountability for Women's and Children's Health; [52953]
(2) with reference to Annex A5 of the UK's Framework for Results, Choices for Women: Planned Pregnancies, Safe Births and Healthy Newborns, what timetable he has set for the release of the detailed evaluation framework. [52954]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: Work is currently in progress to develop a monitoring and evaluation framework for the UK's Framework for Results for improving reproductive, maternal and newborn health. This will be made available in mid 2011. The Government will work to achieve alignment between our framework and the Commission's accountability framework.
Lord's Resistance Army
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what support is provided by his Department to counter the influence of the Lord's Resistance Army in (a) Uganda and (b) the Democratic Republic of Congo. [54238]
Mr O'Brien: The UK Government are an active member of the International Working Group on the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) which, along with the African Union, co-ordinates the regional response that this threat requires.
In Uganda, the Department for International Development (DFID) is supporting post conflict recovery and national reconciliation. This year, DFID will fund the construction of over 1,000 new houses for teachers and health workers; create new vocational training and job opportunities for over 4,000 young people and provide grants to small businesses especially those run by women affected by the conflict.
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In the DRC, where LRA activity continues to have a significant impact, DFID is one of the largest donors supporting a United Nations (UN) led effort to provide humanitarian assistance in areas most vulnerable to LRA attacks. The UK Government are supporting the UN peace keeping mission to encourage rebel combatants, including the LRA, to surrender and return to their communities. This has led to the disarmament of a steady number of LRA combatants.
North Korea: Overseas Aid
Sajid Javid: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether his Department provides aid to North Korea. [54301]
Mr Duncan: The Department for International Development does not have an aid programme for North Korea. The case for providing emergency assistance to meet urgent humanitarian needs in North Korea will be kept under review.
Syria: Overseas Aid
David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what aid his Department is providing to Syria; and what steps he has taken to ensure that such aid does not assist Syrian security forces. [54032]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: Britain does not have a bilateral programme in Syria.
Britain is providing £1 million to UNHCR in 2011-12 for Iraqi refugees in Syria and approx £1.5-£1.8 million of our support to UNRWA this year will go to Palestinian refugees in Syria. The last Government started providing a small amount of assistance to Syria through the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), as part of a multi-country programme for improving natural resource governance for rural poverty reduction (approximately £150,000 over 2008-13, of which, £75,000 has already been spent). The EC provides some co-operation through the European Neighbourhood Partnership Initiative (ENPI), of which the UK’s contribution is approximately 15% for 2011. Under the ENPI, €129 million has been programmed for 2011-13. On account of the current situation, the EC is not signing any new projects to Syria and has agreed to review all assistance to Syria.
Britain is in contact with international humanitarian partners to monitor the situation in Syria and is encouraging them to make contingency plans for any humanitarian emergency that may develop. No UK delivered aid assistance to Syria is currently considered at risk of appropriation by security forces. In the case of potential future humanitarian funding, this risk will be evaluated as part of any funding decision.
Energy and Climate Change
Carbon Emissions: Public Expenditure
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he plans to lay before the House a legislative proposal to give effect to the Fourth Carbon Budget; and if he will make a statement. [54695]
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Gregory Barker: The Climate Change Act 2008 requires the Government to set the level of the fourth carbon budget in law not later than 30 June 2011. Section 8 of the Act specifies that the order setting the carbon budget is subject to affirmative resolution procedure.
Climate Change: International Co-operation
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what priorities he has set for the forthcoming UN Climate Change Conference in Durban. [54375]
Gregory Barker: The Government are committed to working towards an ambitious global legally binding climate deal that will limit emissions and keep global average temperature rises to below 2(o) above pre-industrial levels. We will be working with our international partners, both in the European Union and bilaterally, to make progress in implementing the agreements reached at Cancun and to secure further practical progress by the time of the next Conference of Parties in Durban in November this year.
Departmental Pensions
Steve Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what proportion of his Department’s budget he expects to be spent on staff pensions in each of the next five years. [54561]
Gregory Barker: Based on pension contributions in 2010-11, the estimated cost of DECC staff pensions as a proportion of the budget will be a third of a percent through the spending review period. This assumes that pension contributions remain at the same rates throughout the period, and that there is no significant alteration in the staffing and grade mix of the Department.
The latest spending review agreed departmental budgets to 2014-15, therefore we have no information beyond this date.
Electrical Engineering
Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (1) what estimate he has made of the potential cost of retrofitting existing electrical infrastructure with measures to protect against an electromagnetic pulse or solar flare; [54204]
(2) whether he has met representatives of the energy industries to discuss voluntary implementation of protective measures for electric infrastructure projects to protect against an electromagnetic pulse or solar flare; [54205]
(3) whether he has met representatives of the energy industries to discuss the potential for measures requiring future electric infrastructure projects to protect against an electromagnetic pulse or solar flare. [54206]
Gregory Barker:
We are very aware of the potential implications for electricity infrastructure of severe space weather or an electromagnetic pulse (EMP). National Grid, as operator of the GB’s electricity transmission network, has taken steps to reduce the risks, including daily monitoring of space weather information, and ensuring that operational procedures are in place to mitigate the potential impacts. Furthermore, National Grid’s specification for purchasing supergrid transformers
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requires a level of resilience based on the space weather event of 1989. DECC officials meet regularly with representatives from the energy industries to discuss a wide range of hazards and threats to energy networks. We are now working closely with National Grid to understand better the probability and impact on electricity networks of more severe space weather events than the networks in the UK have previously experienced. Robust scientific and technical evidence is needed before any decisions can be taken on further measures and associated costs to protect against electromagnetic hazards and threats. Further advice from National Grid is expected by the summer.
Electricity: Meters
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he has taken to minimise the cost of the smart meter roll-out. [53854]
Charles Hendry: On 30 March 2011, DECC and Ofgem published the response to the consultation on the Smart Metering Prospectus. The response sets out detailed plans for the roll-out of smart meters, including conclusions on the regulatory and commercial arrangements needed to enable the roll-out to be completed in a cost-efficient and timely way.
Within this framework common specifications for smart metering equipment will be determined by the Government, based on an assessment of the costs and benefits. The approach will also involve central provision of communications and data services for smart metering following a competitive procurement process, which the Government have concluded following the roll-out. Suppliers will be responsible for procuring and installing smart meters for their customers, and they will have strong commercial incentives to deliver a good service at the lowest cost.
Energy Companies: Finance
Dr Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to the HM Treasury publication, Control Framework for DECC levy-funded spending, what estimate he has made of the maximum funds available for the Energy Companies Obligation in each of the next three years. [54819]
Gregory Barker: ECO will fall within the control framework for levies-funded policies only if it is classified as a tax and spend policy. Classification decisions are made by the Office for National Statistics which has yet to consider the classification of ECO.
DECC will not set the funding available for the ECO, rather DECC will set the outcomes the policy will deliver, allowing competitive pressure between the energy companies to keep delivery costs down.
We will be consulting on policy proposals, and their potential cost implications in the autumn.
Energy: Housing
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what discussions he has had with representatives of (a) small building companies and (b) the Federation of Master Builders on the inclusion of the building sector in the Green Deal market. [54413]
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Gregory Barker: The Department is in regular contact with the Federation of Master Builders and with other small building companies to ensure smaller construction companies are well placed to take advantage of the opportunities under the Green Deal, and can help contribute to its development.
The FMB are also represented on the Green Deal Capacity and Innovation Forum which informs policy development on support for all relevant sectors.
Environment Protection: Business
Mary Macleod: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (1) what steps he is taking to provide information to businesses about the potential financial benefits of adopting sustainable business practices; [52830]
(2) what mechanisms he has put in place to encourage businesses to adopt sustainable business practices. [52831]
Mr Paice: I have been asked to reply.
On 11 March 2011 DEFRA published the results of research on the financial benefits to be gained by adopting sustainable business practices, which found that with little or no investment British business could save approximately £23 billion a year by improving energy and water use and reducing waste. The final report is available on the DEFRA website at:
http://randd.defra.gov.uk/Default.aspx?Menu=Menu&Module =More&Location=None&ProjectID=16943&FromSearch =Y&Publisher=1&SearchText=EV0441&SortString =ProjectCode&SortOrder=Asc& Paging=10#Description
The Business Link website (www.businesslink.gov.uk) is the Government's primary route for providing information to help businesses achieve these savings. Information about sustainable business practices can be found under the “Environment and Efficiency” theme.
To complement and build upon the Business Link service, DEFRA is providing the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) with £35 million in 2011-12 to help businesses, communities and individuals become more sustainable, through the provision of more targeted and specialist advice and support on material resource efficiency.
DEFRA also provides guidance on how businesses should report on their environmental impacts in their company reports through the Environmental Key Performance Indicators and specific guidance on how organisations should measure and report their greenhouse gas emissions.
In November 2010 the Secretary of State laid a report before Parliament that considered the potential benefits of reporting greenhouse gas emissions for both companies and investors, which can be seen at:
http://archive.defra.gov.uk/environment/business/reporting/pdf/corporate-reporting101130.pdf
Fossil Fuels
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what definition his Department uses of clean fossil fuel energy production. [54269]
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Gregory Barker: We do not have a departmental definition of the term “clean fossil fuel energy”. However, phrases of this nature are often used to refer to measures, such as the deployment of carbon capture and storage (CCS), that lower carbon emissions from the generation of electricity using fossil fuels.
Fuels: Garages and Petrol Stations
Emma Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent assessment he has made of the strategic importance of independent fuel retailers in ensuring national availability of fuel. [54805]
Charles Hendry: The UK has a diverse, open and competitive fuel retail market that we consider to be in the wider long-term interest of consumers. There are a large number of petrol retailers and forecourt operators that make a significant contribution to ensuring the availability of fuel across the UK. Ownership of the more than 8,500 forecourts in the UK and associated arrangements are a matter for fuel retailers operating in the market.
The Office of Fair Trading regulates markets in the UK through enforcement of competition law, to ensure that markets work well for the benefit of consumers.
Natural Gas
David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (1) what subsidies Centrica received from the public purse in respect of its operations in the Morecambe Bay area in the last five years; [54784]
(2) whether he plans to bring forward proposals for a new liquid natural gas floating platform in the Morecambe Bay area; and whether he plans to make any subsidies available for such a project; [54785]
(3) whether gas platforms in the Morecambe Bay area export gas direct from source to other countries; [54794]
(4) if he will estimate the contribution of the gas industry to levels of employment in the Morecambe Bay area; [54795]
(5) whether he has discussed with (a) Centrica and (b) other gas exploration companies the potential for construction of a floating platform for the extraction of liquid natural gas in the vicinity of Morecambe Bay; [54891]
(6) what estimate he has made of the quantity of natural gas remaining in the South Morecambe Bay area. [54892]
Charles Hendry: No subsidies from the public purse have been made in respect of Centrica's operations in the Morecambe Bay area during the last five years. Hoeg LNG AS have applied for a pipeline works authorisation for an LNG import facility (Port Meridian) which would involve a pipeline and unloading buoy for liquid natural gas in the Morecambe Bay area. No subsidies are involved or are being considered for this project. The Department has had no discussions with any other operators on licensing similar projects in the Morecambe Bay area.
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Gas platforms in the Morecambe Bay area do not export any gas directly to other countries. I cannot comment on the quantity of remaining natural gas reserves in the South Morecambe Bay area as this is commercial matter for the operator involved. DECC has made no estimate of the contribution of offshore gas industry in the Morecambe Bay area to employment.
Nuclear Power: Germany
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he has discussed with his German counterpart the decision of the German Government to phase out nuclear power by 2023. [54884]
Charles Hendry: The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, my right hon. Friend the Member for Eastleigh (Chris Huhne), has not met with the German State Secretary since the German Government’s decision on their future energy mix. I, as the Minister for Energy, did meet with the State Secretary as part of the Energy Council informal meeting held on 2-3 May where we discussed a range of energy issues including nuclear safety. I have also met with the German Environment Minister during a ministerial visit to the Ukraine on the 18-20 April.
Nuclear Safety
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether Ministers made representations to other EU member states on the inclusion of the effect of aircraft collisions with nuclear installations in the stress tests developed by the EU nuclear safety authorities during the debate held at the informal EU Energy Council in Gödöllö, Hungary. [54980]
Charles Hendry: The development of the stress test, and the inclusion of aircraft collisions, was not raised at the informal EU Energy Council meeting in Gödöllö in Hungary, However, it was raised in my bilateral meeting with Commissioner Oettinger. I confirmed the UK commitment to a robust EU wide nuclear safety stress test focused on lessons learned from Fukushima and that the test should not include security measures as this must remain part of our national security arrangements and should therefore be dealt with separately.
Offshore Industry: Safety
Mr George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what safeguards have been implemented in the last 12 months to prevent explosions and oil spills arising from deepwater drilling in UK waters; and what changes there have been to his risk assessment of deepwater drilling following the implementation of such measures. [54416]
Charles Hendry: Safety of oil and gas operations is a matter for the Health and Safety Executive.
Environmental regulation of offshore oil and gas operations is however a matter for the Department of Energy and Climate Change. In the light of an initial rapid review conducted after the Macondo accident in the Gulf of Mexico, the Secretary of State for Energy
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and Climate Change, my right hon. Friend the Member for Eastleigh (Chris Huhne), decided that it would be prudent to increase the number of environmental inspections of drilling rigs operating in the deep water area West of Shetland. He announced in a DECC press notice on 8 June 2010 that recruitment of additional offshore environmental inspectors had been put in hand. In a statement given to the House on 14 June 2010,
Official Report
, column 630, he announced his decision to double the Department's inspections of drilling rigs, and indicated his intention to conduct a further review of UK regulatory procedures once a detailed analysis of the factors that had caused the accident was available. Licensees are already required to demonstrate, in seeking consent for new drilling operations, that there will be effective co-ordination between all companies involved in the drilling operations. In respect of new consents for deepwater drilling, we also require rigorous testing of the effectiveness of the co-ordination arrangements, including additional inspections and exercises as necessary.
In December, the Department wrote to all North sea operators updating its existing guidance on environmental submissions as regards the content of oil pollution emergency plans, the preparation of environmental impact assessments, and applications for chemicals permits.
Following the publication in January of the report of the US National Commission into the accident, the further review of UK regulatory procedures foreshadowed by the Secretary of State on 14 June 2010, Official Report, column 630, has been commenced. It will report later this year.
Renewable Energy: Feed-in Tariffs
Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the effects of recent charges to feed-in tariffs on levels of private sector expenditure on renewable energy. [54280]
Gregory Barker: DECC does not make specific assessments of private sector expenditure on renewable energy.
There have been no recent changes to feed-in tariffs (FITs) other than the uplifting of tariffs on 1 April 2011 to take account of inflation, as measured by the retail prices index (RPI). This is to ensure that FITs support remains constant in real terms, and so will not affect levels of uptake under the FITs scheme, and hence private sector expenditure on renewable energy will not be affected.
On 6 May 2011 a consultation closed which sought views on proposals to reduce FITs for solar photovoltaic installations of more than 50kW and increase tariffs for anaerobic digestion plants of less than 500kW. We are considering all views expressed as part of the consultation in finalising the policy and will confirm the outcome in due course.
Solar Power
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment has been made of the potential for (a) growth and (b) employment in the solar power sector. [52955]
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Gregory Barker: The production capacity of the UK solar photovoltaic market has expanded significantly as a result of the introduction of the feed-in-tariff. Opportunities in the supply chain have also increased.
The solar PV industry reports that jobs in the sector have increased from 3,000 in January 2010 to over 10,000 in January 2011 and are predicted to continue to rise significantly in the years ahead.
The feed-in-tariff scheme (FITs) supports a wide range of domestic and community scale renewables, including solar PV.
For more information on the shift to a low carbon economy and business growth opportunities see:
http://www.bis.gov.uk/policies/business-sectors/low-carbon-business-opportunities/market-intelligence
Warm Front Scheme
Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the average time taken to repair a domestic boiler under the Warm Front Programme was (a) in general and (b) in cases where customers had chronic health problems in the latest period for which figures are available. [54286]
Gregory Barker: The average time taken to repair a domestic boiler under the Warm Front Scheme in 2010-11 was 50.4 working days. The average time taken to repair a domestic boiler for those customers in receipt of disability living allowance was 49.7 working days.
Wind Power: Finance
Mr Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what representations he has received on his decision to make available funding for offshore wind manufacturing under the Grant for Business Investment scheme to port sites in England only. [54222]
Charles Hendry: Funding made available to support offshore wind manufacturing at port locations is industrial support and a devolved matter. Support in England will be provided under the GBI scheme in Assisted Areas. Ensuring that the UK benefits from the expansion of offshore wind is a priority for the Government. I continue to have discussions with stakeholders, including on the ways of developing the offshore wind supply chain.
Mr Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change which port sites in England have received funding for offshore wind manufacturing under the Grant for Business Investment scheme. [54223]
Charles Hendry: Bids for support under this scheme are made on a confidential basis. Under the Grant for Business Investment scheme, information on grant offers for sums greater than £75,000 is normally published following the payment of the first instalment of the grant, including the name and location of the recipient of the grant and the size of the grant offered.
The scheme is not open to port-only applications. Our objective for this funding is to support the development of offshore wind manufacturing capacity, which will need to be at coastal locations. We therefore expect all applications to involve large scale manufacturing proposals and to be led either by a manufacturer, or to be jointly led by a port/landowner and a manufacturer.
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Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Colombia: Politics and Government
Mr Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports his Department has received of the massacre of three people in Putumayo department Colombia on 11 February 2011; and whether his Department has made representations to the Colombian Government on this matter. [54125]
Alistair Burt: Our embassy in Bogota has not received any reports on this case. We are aware that the Colombian Government are investigating the killing of five people in the municipality of San Miguel, in the Department of Putumayo on 11 February 2011.
Members of an unidentified armed group entered the farm and killed four adults and a child. Colombia's Ombudsman has denounced the killing.
We have not made representations to the Colombian Government but our embassy in Bogota will continue to monitor the investigation and raise it with the Colombian Government should it prove necessary.
Mr Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has received reports of allegations of collaboration between the Jose Hilario Lopez Battalion of the Colombian Army and paramilitary organisations in Cauca department, Colombia. [54126]
Alistair Burt: We are aware of reports that on 19 July 2010, soldiers from the seventh General Jose Hilario Lopez Battalion in the Corinto municipality detained two young men in the village of Palo Negro. The soldiers are alleged to have threatened the two men and told them that they were working with the paramilitary group known as the 'Black Eagles'.
It is our understanding that this has been reported to the authorities and a disciplinary investigation has been launched by the Provincial Attorney of Santander de Quilichao, Cauca.
Mr Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department has made representations to the Colombian authorities on due process in the case of David Rabelo. [54127]
Alistair Burt: We continue to underline to the Colombian authorities that all those charged with crimes should have their legal rights fully respected, including to a fair and efficient trial. This includes Mr Ravelo's case, which our Ambassador to Colombia last raised with the Head of the Vice President's Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law Unit in November,
We are in regular contact with the human rights organisations working on Mr Ravelo's case and understand that the preliminary hearing of his trial will take place next month. While the UK cannot interfere in Colombia's judicial process, we will continue to monitor Mr Ravelo's case and raise any concerns regarding due process with the Colombian authorities.
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Ministers' Private Offices
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many officials from ethnic minorities work in the private offices of Ministers in his Department. [53994]
Mr Bellingham: This information is not released for reasons of confidentiality and to avoid the possibility of revealing information about individual staff. However, the staffing of private offices, in terms of the proportion of officials from ethnic minorities, is broadly consistent with the rest of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
Departmental Travel
Mr Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many first class rail journeys were undertaken by staff in his Department between April 2010 and April 2011; and what the total cost was of such journeys. [53161]
Mr Bellingham: In 2010-11, 99.1% of all railway journeys made in the UK by staff were in standard class. A total of 2,620 journeys were made, of which 24 were in first class at a cost of £1,939. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not keep a central record of railway journeys undertaken globally by its staff.
Employment Agencies
Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department spent on (a) recruitment agency fees, (b) outplacement agency fees for displaced or redundant staff and (c) staff training in the last year for which figures are available. [51395]
Mr Lidington: The information requested is as follows.
(a) In the financial year 2010-11, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) spent £286,879 on recruitment agency fees. This represents a 75% decrease over the last two years due to rigorous tendering processes for every recruitment campaign. The FCO uses recruitment agencies to attract the widest possible range of talented applicants. For specialist campaigns, agencies are better placed to target applicants with the most relevant skills within that sector. The use of agencies has proven to be more cost-effective than using in-house recruitment resources for those aspects of campaigns, and is common practice throughout Government Departments.
The FCO is fully compliant with the Government-wide recruitment freeze and is only recruiting in exceptional circumstances, as set out in the policy.
(b) In financial year 2010-11, the FCO spent a total of £26,325 on outplacement agency fees for displaced and redundant staff. This includes outplacement support and the running of Career Transition Workshops.
(c) The Human Resources Directorate of the FCO spent approximately £8.66 million on training in financial year 2010-11, including approximately £3 million on language training. A number of other Directorates within the FCO run specialist training courses for their areas of activity. Expenditure on this type of training is not centrally recorded.
Human Rights
Mr Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the 20 states his Department records as having the worst record on human rights. [54854]
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Mr Jeremy Browne: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's (FCO) Command Paper on Human Rights and Democracy published in March covers 26 countries of concern. These are among the countries where we have the most serious, wide-ranging human rights concerns and where the UK Government are engaged in promoting and protecting human rights. They are (in alphabetical order): Afghanistan, Belarus, Burma, Chad, China, Colombia, Cuba, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Iran, Iraq, Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Libya, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen and Zimbabwe.
However, the FCO does not maintain a human rights league table. We have concerns about many countries not included in the Command Paper list. All our embassies and high commissions monitor and raise human rights issues in their host countries. It is important to focus FCO resources where we can make a difference, while continuing to speak out about human rights violations wherever they occur.
Libya: Diplomatic Relations
Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent information he has received on the protection of foreign diplomatic missions by the Libyan authorities. [54526]
Alistair Burt: A mob looted, attacked and burned the British embassy and ambassador's residence in Tripoli on 30 April 2011. The diplomatic premises of France, Italy, Qatar, the US and the UN also suffered damage. The Vienna convention requires the Qadhafi regime to protect diplomatic missions in Tripoli. By failing to do so, that regime has once again breached its international responsibilities and obligations. In response the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), has expelled the Libyan ambassador to the UK. The attacks against diplomatic missions will not weaken our resolve to protect the civilian population in Libya.
Malaysia: Human Rights
Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has made representations to the government of Malaysia concerning Mr Charles Hector Fernandez; what his most recent assessment is of the situation of human rights campaigners in Malaysia; and if he will make a statement. [54621]
Mr Jeremy Browne: The EU Delegation in Kuala Lumpur has met with Charles Hector Fernandez and has been following his trial on behalf of member states. The Malaysian Government is not a party to the case, which is a civil matter between Mr Fernandez and a Japanese company. The UK has therefore made no representations to the Malaysian Government, but our high commission in Kuala Lumpur continues to monitor the trial.
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Malaysia has a national framework for the protection of human rights enshrined in its constitution. However, we remain concerned that human rights defenders who challenge the Government can suffer harassment and arrest. EU missions in Kuala Lumpur met local human rights defenders in March 2010 and maintain a dialogue with them. Our high commission also maintains contacts with human rights defenders and regularly speaks to them and to the national human rights commission (SUHAKAM) on a range of human rights issues.
Maldives: Tourism
Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to update advice offered to UK citizens (a) in and (b) planning to travel to the Maldives following recent events in that country. [54719]
Mr Jeremy Browne: On 4 May 2011, following reports of a large demonstration planned for 6 May 2011 in the capital, Male, we amended our travel advice. We are not advising against travel to Maldives. We encourage members of the public to check our full travel advice at:
www.fco.gov.uk/travel
where our advice on Maldives makes clear that British nationals should avoid demonstrations and beware of spontaneous gatherings as these have turned violent in the past.
North Africa: Tourism
Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what (a) discussions he has had with (i) Ministerial colleagues and (ii) others and (b) precautions have been taken in respect of UK tourists visiting North Africa following the bomb attack in Morocco on 28 April 2011. [54527]
Alistair Burt: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague) has discussed the bomb attack in Morocco with Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Ministers and the Prime Minister's Office and other Ministers are aware. I have spoken to the Moroccan ambassador to London and the Moroccan Foreign Minister, Taieb Fassi-Fihri, to express our condolences and confirm our support for Morocco during this difficult time. Our ambassador to Morocco has been in regular contact with Moroccan Ministers and officials since the attack and has so far visited Marrakech twice to keep contact with the local authorities and oversee the consular operation.
Immediately following the explosion on 28 April, we deployed staff to Marrakech. Consular staff from Marrakech were at the scene within hours of the attack, and later that day our Counter Terrorism Liaison Officer based at the embassy in Rabat arrived in Marrakech to assist the consular process and work with the Moroccan authorities. Within 24 hours of the attack a Rapid Deployment Team from London arrived in Marrakech to assist our consular staff on the ground in accounting for the safety of British nationals. We also set up a helpline for callers worried about friends or family. We have updated our travel advice for Morocco in line with the latest information on possible threats and will continue to keep to keep it under close review.
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North Korea: Human Rights
Mr Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the existence of forced labour camps in North Korea; and whether his Department plans to raise the issue (a) at the UN and (b) with other international bodies. [54855]
Mr Jeremy Browne: As Amnesty International's report of 4 May 2011 illustrates, North Korea imprisons large numbers of people for their political and religious beliefs. Through our embassy in Pyongyang, and in meetings with North Korean officials in London, we regularly raise human rights and also press the North Korean regime to allow the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in North Korea access to their country. We called for this most recently in the UN Human Rights Council Resolution on the human rights situation in North Korea in Geneva in March 2011. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's 2010 Human Rights Report, which was presented to Parliament in March 2011, also raised our concern about these camps. We will continue to press them on our concerns and urge them to allow independent verification of the situation.
Robert Mugabe
Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he had with his EU counterparts on the lifting of the travel ban on President Mugabe to enable him to travel to a religious ceremony in Rome on 1 May 2011. [54525]
Mr Bellingham: Although President Mugabe is subject to an EU travel ban, the Vatican is not a member of the EU and conducts its own foreign policy. Italy is bound by the Lateran treaty not to inhibit the passage of official visitors to the Vatican. Our ambassador in Harare did however discuss this issue with his Italian colleague and other counterparts to ensure consistency with the EU Common Position.
The visa issued by Italy to President Mugabe was time-limited for the event in question and valid only for Italian territory.
Sri Lanka: Internally Displaced Persons
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his Sri Lankan counterparts on the release of displaced persons from camps in Sri Lanka. [54389]
Alistair Burt: During my visit to Sri Lanka in February, I talked to resettled communities about their efforts to recover from the war and rebuild their lives. The number of people in the camps has reduced from about 300,000 to about 17,000. I understand that most of those remaining will leave the camps during this year and return to their homes. I raised our concerns for the welfare of displaced people during my talks with the Government at the time, and again when I met the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister on 31 March 2011, and expressed our desire for improved humanitarian access to the north and the need to address ongoing challenges of resettlement.
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Sri Lanka: Politics and Government
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the recommendations of the UN Panel of Experts’ report on accountability in Sri Lanka. [54512]
Alistair Burt: The report sets out the importance of a credible and independent investigation into allegations of violations of international human rights and humanitarian law by both sides during the conflict, as we have consistently urged the Government of Sri Lanka to do. We are studying the recommendations and full report carefully and urge the Sri Lankan Government to use it as a means to promote national reconciliation.
Tax Avoidance
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) whether he has had any recent discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on offshore UK tax avoidance in St Helena and the St Helena Dependencies (Ascension and Tristan da Cunha); [54098]
(2) whether he has had any recent discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on offshore UK tax avoidance in South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands; [54099]
(3) whether he has had recent discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on offshore UK tax avoidance in the British Antarctic Territory; [54106]
(4) whether he has had recent discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on offshore UK tax avoidance in the British Indian Ocean Territory; [54107]
(5) whether he has had recent discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on offshore UK tax avoidance in Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands. [54108]
Mr Bellingham: No. The above mentioned Territories are not considered offshore financial centres and are not seen by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development or other international organisations as Territories posing an offshore tax evasion risk.
Taxation is a devolved competence in the UK Overseas Territories under the terms of their constitutions and UK tax legislation does not apply. The UK’s Overseas Territories which are considered offshore financial centres have made a commitment to comply with international standards on transparency and exchange of information on tax matters.
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has had any recent discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on offshore UK tax avoidance in Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia. [54100]
Mr Lidington: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), has had no discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer about offshore UK tax avoidance in the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia. I refer the hon. Member to the Secretary of State for Defence, my right hon. Friend the Member for North Somerset (Dr Fox), as the Sovereign Base Areas are military bases on the island of Cyprus and are administered by the Ministry of Defence.
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United Arab Emirates: Gulf Co-operation Council
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the number of (a) military personnel and (b) police officers that the United Arab Emirates contributed to the Gulf Co-operation Council force sent to Bahrain in March 2011. [54208]
Alistair Burt [holding answer 5 May 2011]: On 14 March 2011 Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) forces were deployed to Bahrain in response to a Bahraini request for assistance under the GCC Peninsula Shield agreement. This included a military contingent from United Arab Emirates (UAE) but confirmed figures for the exact number of UAE personnel are not available.
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the (a) military and (b) other equipment that the United Arab Emirates contributed to the Gulf Co-operation Council force sent to Bahrain in March 2011. [54209]
Alistair Burt [holding answer 5 May 2011]: We have seen no evidence that the United Arab Emirates have contributed anything other than a military contingent and their personal equipment.
Home Department
Alcohol Sales: Children
20. Mark Pawsey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what legislative proposals she plans to bring forward for further restrictions on the sale of alcohol to children. [54337]
Mrs May: The Government do not tolerate the sale of alcohol to children. The Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill will double the maximum fine from £10,000 to £20,000, delivering on a coalition agreement commitment, and extend the minimum period of voluntary closure that can be given for persistent under-age sales. We are also committed to working with the Sentencing Council and the Crown Prosecution Service, in order to prosecute those found guilty of persistent under-age selling and to use the full range of sentences available.
Violence against Women and Girls
21. David T. C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made on the Government's action plan for ending violence against women and girls; and if she will make a statement. [54338]
Lynne Featherstone: The Action Plan on tackling Violence Against Women and Girls was published on 8 March this year, and we have already delivered in several areas. We have provided over £28 million of stable Home Office funding until 2015 for local specialist services, £900,000 has been made available until 2015 to support national helplines and we have implemented legislation for multi-agency Domestic Homicide Reviews after every domestic murder.
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Immigration
23. Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent steps she has taken to tackle the abuse of the immigration system through sham marriages. [54340]
Damian Green: We have taken a number of steps to tackle this problem, targeted enforcement action led to 155 arrests last year and the dismantling of several organised facilitation groups. We are working closely with registrars and clergy, and have agreed procedural changes with the Church of England to allow greater scrutiny. We will publish a wider consultation on family migration later this year to strengthen further our approach.
Student Visas
24. Jason McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the likely effect of her policy on student visas on the number of visas issued in the 12 months following its implementation. [54341]
Damian Green: The policy will be fully implemented by the end of 2012. From then on the estimated reduction is of the order of 70,000 main applicant visas a year, plus a further reduction in student dependents of about 20,000.
Police: Rule A19
Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers were subject to the A19 regulation in the latest period for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement. [54339]
Nick Herbert: Chief officers, working with police authorities, are responsible for managing the resources and staff available to them to ensure effective policing. They are best placed to consider operational decisions including the impact of using their powers under Regulation A19.
Alcoholic Drinks: Arrests
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance her Department issues to police forces on the treatment and care of those arrested for being drunk and incapable. [54258]
James Brokenshire: The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) and Home Office (2006) Guidance on the Safer Detention and Handling of Persons in Police Custody, provides the police service with non-statutory guidance on the treatment and care of arrested persons and includes guidance on the management of individuals who are, or may be drunk and incapable.
The National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) is currently reviewing this guidance and a revised version is expected to be available later this year.
Assets
Mr Ruffley:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how much was recovered under the Confiscation of Criminal Assets Act 2003 (a) in total and (b) in each police authority area in each year
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since its coming into force; and how much is in the process of being recovered; [53495]
(2) what the monetary value was of assets (a) seized and (b) frozen under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 in each police force area in the East of England in each year since 2002. [53459]
James Brokenshire: The Confiscation of Criminal Assets Act 2003 is not UK legislation.
For the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, the table, which will be placed in the House Libraries, gives a break down of the value of orders and money recovered by every police force giving details of confiscation orders following a criminal conviction and cash forfeitures in civil proceedings. The value of assets frozen is not held centrally and a restraint order can be made against all a defendant’s property without the need to calculate the monetary worth of those assets.
CCTV
Mr Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance her Department issues on the (a) quality and (b) standard of CCTV recordings made by (i) police forces and (ii) her Department and its agencies. [53971]
James Brokenshire: The Home Office has issued no specific guidance to the police or other agencies of the Department on the quality and standard of CCTV recordings. A public consultation, launched on 1 March, on the development of a code of practice on surveillance cameras, seeks views on proposals to develop core standards, including in relation to CCTV images.
Crime
Mr Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) shotguns, (b) rifles and (c) handguns were stolen in (i) England and Wales and (ii) each police force area in each year since 2007-08; and how many have been subsequently recovered and returned to the owner. [53406]
James Brokenshire: Data on ‘misappropriated’ firearms (i.e. stolen, obtained by fraud or forgery etc., or handled dishonestly) are collected from all police forces in England and Wales and were published on 20 January 2011 in table 2.12 of “Homicides, Firearms Offences and Intimate Violence 2009/10” at the following link:
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/crime-research/hosb0111/hosb0111?view=Binary
Data for England and Wales for 2007-08 to 2009-10 are provided in table A. These data are broken down by police force area in table B.
Information on whether or not stolen firearms are subsequently recovered and returned to the owner is not collected centrally.
| Table A: Firearms misappropriated (1) in crimes recorded by the police in England and Wales, 2007-08 to 2009-10 | |||
| Weapon type | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 |
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| Table B: Firearms misappropriated (1) in crimes recorded by the police, England and Wales, by police force area, 2007-08 to 2009-10 | |||||||||
| 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | |||||||
| Force | Shotguns | Rifles | Handguns | Shotguns | Rifles | Handguns | Shotguns | Rifles | Handguns |
| (1) Misappropriated is defined as stolen, obtained by fraud or forgery etc., or handled dishonestly. | |||||||||
Mr Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many investigations into organised crime organisations have been undertaken by (a) the Serious and Organised Crime Agency and (b) other police organisations in each of the last five years. [53491]
James Brokenshire: The Serious and Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) operational activity, which is aligned to the UK Organised Crime Control Strategy, consists of operations against individuals and organised crime groups, thematic projects, and single-strand enquiries.
SOCA had in progress as of 31 March in each year the following number of operations:
|
|
Number of operations |
Information on investigations undertaken by other police organisations is not held centrally.
Mr Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many robberies there were in each police force area in each year since 2009. [53498]
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James Brokenshire: The information requested is given in the following table.
| Offences of robbery recorded by the police | |||
| Number of offences | |||
|
|
2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 |
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