Space Technology
Simon Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to promote economic growth in the space sector. [57788]
Mr Willetts: The space sector is an important and dynamic part of our economy, growing at 8% a year. The Government are backing it with £850 million over four years. We also announced more measures for the space industry in the Budget, including removing regulatory barriers and £10 million to start the national space technology strategy programme and to accelerate the development of the International Space Innovation Centre at Harwell. We have also implemented the creation of the new UK Space Agency, which will deliver economic growth by supporting industry to increase the UK's high value space activities.
Cabinet Office
Lung Cancer
Mr Baron: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) what the incidence rate for lung cancer among (a) men and (b) women (i) in each primary care trust, (ii) in each cancer network and (iii) in England was in the last five years for which figures are available; [57950]
(2) what the incidence rate for lung cancer in people aged (a) 49 years and under, (b) 50 to 59 years, (c) 60 to 69 years, (d) 70 to 79 years and (e) 80 years and over (i) in each primary care trust, (ii) in each cancer network and (iii) in England was in the last five years for which figures are available. [57951]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated June 2011:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Questions asking:
1. What the incidence rate for lung cancer among (a) men and (b) women (i) in each primary care trust, (ii) in each cancer network and (iii) in England was in the last five years for which figures are available. [57950]
2. What the incidence rate for lung cancer in people aged (a) 49 years and under, (b) 50 to 59 years, (c) 60 to 69 years, (d) 70 to 79 years and (e) 80 years and over (i) in each primary care trust, (ii) in each cancer network and (iii) in England was in the last five years for which figures are available. [57951]
The latest available figures for newly diagnosed cases of cancer (incidence) are for the year 2008.
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Table 1(i) provides age standardised incidence rate for lung cancer for (a) men and (b) women in each primary care organisation in England, for each year from 2004 to 2008.
Table 1(ii) provides age standardised incidence rate for lung cancer for (a) men and (b) women in each cancer network in England, for each year from 2004 to 2008.
Table 1(iii) provides age standardised incidence rate for lung cancer for (a) men and (b) women in England, for each year from 2004 to 2008.
Table 2(i) provides age standardised incidence rate for lung cancer, for persons aged (a) 49 years and under, (b) 50 to 59 years, (c) 60 to 69 years, (d) 70 to 79 years and (e) 80 years and over in each primary care organisation in England, for the years 2004 to 2008 combined.
Table 2(ii) provides age standardised incidence rate for lung cancer, for persons aged (a) 49 years and under, (b) 50 to 59 years, (c) 60 to 69 years, (d) 70 to 79 years and (e) 80 years and over in each cancer network in England, for the years 2004 to 2008 combined.
Table 2(iii) provides age standardised incidence rate for lung cancer, for persons aged (a) 49 years and under, (b) 50 to 59 years, (c) 60 to 69 years, (d) 70 to 79 years and (e) 80 years and over in England, for the years 2004 to 2008 combined.
It is ONS policy not to calculate age-standardised rates where there are less than 10 events in a group, as standardised rates based on small numbers of events are susceptible to inaccurate interpretation. Therefore, age standardised rates have been provided for years 2004 to 2008 combined in response to Question 2 and rates for two primary care organisations in Table 2(i) have not been calculated.
Copies of all tables have been placed in the House of Commons Library.
The latest published figures on the incidence of cancer in England are available on the National Statistics website at:
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www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_health/mb1-39/mb1-no39-2008.pdf
Pensions: Prison Service
Gregg McClymont: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will consider the merits of classing the Prison Service as a uniformed service for the purposes of public sector pensions. [58752]
Mr Maude: The Government have accepted the recommendations of Lord Hutton's Independent Public Service Pensions Commission (IPSPC) as a basis for consultation with public service workers, unions and others. We are currently discussing the IPSPC's recommendations with the main public service unions, including the Prison Officers' Association, and we expect to make an announcement in the autumn.
Health
Care Quality Commission
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many statutory notifications the Care Quality Commission received in each category of notification in the year to (a) 1 April and (b) 1 April 2011; and how many such notifications its predecessor organisations received in year since 1 April 2005. [58092]
Mr Simon Burns: The following information has been provided by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
| Notifications under: | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 |
| (1) National health service providers became registered under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 from 1 April 2010. Private and voluntary health care and adult social care providers became registered under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 from 1 October 2010. (2) Prior to 1 October 2010, private and voluntary health care and adult social care providers were registered under the Care Standards Act 2000. (3) The CQC is currently unable to provide data on notifications prior to 1 April 2007 in relation to independent health care providers. | ||||||
A breakdown of notifications by category has been placed in the Library.
Art Therapy
Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many art therapists are engaged to work in hospitals in (a) East Midlands, (b) South Yorkshire and (c) England. [58377]
Mr Simon Burns: The number of Hospital and Community Health Service qualified art, music and drama therapists employed in the East Midlands, Yorkshire and the Humber, and England as at 30 September 2010 are provided in the following table. The information is taken from the 2010 Non-Medical Workforce Census published by the NHS Information Centre for Health and Social Care.
| NHS Hospital and Community Health Services: qualified scientific, therapeutic and technical staff—England as at September 2010 | |||
| Headcount | |||
|
|
England | Yorkshire and the Humber | East Midlands |
| Source: The NHS Information Centre for health and social care 2010 Non-Medical Workforce Census | |||
Cancer: Health Services
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure that Public Health England and the NHS work together to promote early diagnosis of (a) bowel cancer and (b) other cancers following the implementation of his planned NHS reforms. [57569]
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Paul Burstow: Early diagnosis of bowel and other cancers requires strong links between the public health system and the national health service. We recently consulted on the funding and commissioning routes for public health services, and on an Outcomes Framework for Public Health, and will be publishing our response in due course.
Yvonne Fovargue: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps he plans to take to ensure that expertise in cancer commissioning developed by cancer networks is retained in each year of the comprehensive spending review period; [58583]
(2) what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of cancer networks. [58584]
Paul Burstow: We know that cancer networks have had a crucial role in promoting excellence and improving outcomes for cancer patients. They have brought together clinical expertise to carry out complex surgery, worked to implement the 'improving outcomes' guidance produced by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, driven up service quality through peer review and undertaken cancer awareness initiatives.
We have said that cancer networks will now receive funding in 2012-13 and that, subject to legislation, the NHS Commissioning Board will support strengthened cancer networks in the future. The National Cancer Director, Professor Sir Mike Richards, has been asked to begin work to strengthen the cancer networks and to engage them to understand how best to improve outcomes for patients.
Departmental Contracts
Grahame M. Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department has spent on each contract with a firm of management consultants since May 2010. [58487]
Mr Simon Burns: This information for the whole of financial year 2010-11 (i.e. 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2011) is contained in the document entitled “Core Department of Health external consultancy expenditure for financial year 2010-11”, which has been placed in the Library.
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The table placed in the Library shows the total expenditure for 2010-11 as £9.8 million. The like-for-like figure for 2009-10 is £108 million. This is expenditure for “Core Department of Health” contracts and excludes similar expenditure by Connecting for Health (CfH). The CfH figures for 2009-10 and 2010-11 are £6.3 million and £5 million respectively.
The Department's procurement database system is a live system with data being added in real time. It is not therefore possible to provide the information from 1 May 2010 onwards, i.e. excluding the month of April 2010; monthly totals and information can be provided only from July 2010 onwards.
Enforcement Actions
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many enforcement actions have been taken against (a) NHS trusts, (b) independent healthcare providers and (c) adult social care providers in each of the last three years; and at what level such actions were taken. [58093]
Mr Simon Burns: The following information has been provided by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
The following table shows detailed enforcement activity taken(1, 2).
| Action taken against: | 2008-09 (3) | 2009-10 | 2010-11 |
| (1) These data refer to centrally held information on the CQC's statutory enforcement powers. It should be noted that the regulations under which statutory enforcement was carried out by the CQC and its predecessor bodies has changed. The national health service came under the new regulatory regime under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 on 1 April 2010; adult social care and independent healthcare came under the new regime on 1 October 2010. (2) The number of actions outlined in the table does not equate to the number of providers, as multiple actions may have been taken against a single provider. (3) Action taken by the predecessors to the CQC under the Care Standards Act 2000 regulations. | |||
The following table shows detailed enforcement activity.
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| Enforcement action taken against independent healthcare providers | |||
| Type of enforcement activity | 2008-09 (1) | 2009-10 | 2010-11 |
|
Notice of Proposal to cancel registration (provider and manager) |
|||
General Practitioners: Telephone Services
Caroline Nokes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has any plans to take steps in relation to the use by/of GP surgeries using 084 telephone numbers after April 2011. [58349]
Mr Simon Burns: The Department does not plan to take steps in relation to general practitioner surgeries using 084 numbers. The Department issued guidance and Directions to national health service bodies in December 2009 on the cost of telephone calls, which prohibit the use of telephone numbers which charge the patient more than the equivalent cost of calling a geographical number to contact the NHS. It is currently the responsibility of primary care trusts to ensure that local practices are compliant with the Directions and guidance.
NHS Direct: Sign Language
Mr Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what arrangements are in place for British Sign Language users to contact NHS Direct. [58593]
Mr Simon Burns: NHS Direct's core 0845 46 47 service is available through NHS Direct's textphone service, by dialling 0845 606 4647, for patients who are hearing impaired. NHS Direct is also available through the Text Relay service, operated by BT.
NHS: Complementary Medicine
Mr Offord:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on the continued provision of homeopathy through NHS homeopathic hospitals; how many NHS
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homeopathic hospitals provide homeopathic treatments and other forms of complementary medicine to NHS patients; and if he will make a statement. [59002]
Anne Milton: It is the responsibility of local national health service organisations to make decisions on the commissioning and funding of such treatments, taking account of issues to do with safety, clinical and cost effectiveness and the availability of suitably qualified/regulated practitioners.
The Department is aware of three hospitals in England, and one in Scotland, that specifically provide homeopathic services, but it does not maintain central records of homeopathic or other complementary/alternative treatments provided by other NHS hospitals, though some data on homeopathic prescriptions are collected.
NHS: Reorganisation
Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with Professor Steve Field of the NHS Future Forum during his Department's listening exercise on the future of the NHS. [58629]
Mr Simon Burns: Professor Steve Field met with the Secretary of State on 23 May 2011, when they had a general discussion about the listening exercise.
Professor Field and the Secretary of State attended listening events together on five occasions over the last eight weeks; but these events were for listening to others, rather than for discussion between themselves.
Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent meetings officials in his Department have had with Professor Steve Field. [58630]
Mr Simon Burns: Professor Steve Field and other members of the NHS Future Forum have met with various policy officials from the Department over the last eight weeks to understand the detailed wording of the Health and Social Care Bill and its intentions.
Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has requested Professor Steve Field to report to him at the conclusion of the listening exercise on the future of the NHS. [58631]
Mr Simon Burns: When the NHS Future Forum was established as part of the NHS Listening Exercise on 13 April 2011, the Government made clear that the forum were to produce a report for the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Health. The NHS Future Forum's report will be made public.
Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost to the public purse has been of sums paid to (a) Professor Steve Field and (b) his colleagues for reimbursement of expenses incurred during the listening exercise on the future of the NHS; and whether sums are to be met from his Department's budget. [58632]
Mr Simon Burns: To date (up until 7 June 2011), the expenses invoiced by Professor Steve Field and the 44 other members of the NHS Future Forum, which have been incurred during the eight-week period of the NHS Listening Exercise, are:
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(a) Professor Steve Field: £2,098.74;
(b) Other NHS Future Forum members: £4,201.04.
The sums have been met from the Department's allocated budget.
Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what support Professor Steve Field has received from his Department during the listening exercise on the future of the NHS; and what the cost to the public purse of such support has been. [58633]
Mr Simon Burns: The NHS Future Forum, chaired by Professor Steve Field, has received secretariat support from the Department, including:
diary management;
arranging listening events and visits;
setting up NHS Future Forum meetings;
updating the Modernisation website with information about the forum;
providing facts and evidence to support the forum in developing their reports; and
facilitating access to the Department's policy officials as requested.
This support has been absorbed within existing departmental staffing levels and has added no additional cost to the public purse.
Mr Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer to the right hon. Member for Bermondsey and Old Southwark of 26 April 2011, Official Report, column 3, on NHS reform, where each of the centrally organised events will be held; on what dates each such event will take place; and how many of those events he plans to attend. [58700]
Mr Simon Burns: As part of the listening exercise, which ended on 31 May 2011, the ministerial team, along with members of the NHS Future Forum, have visited every region in the country attending around 200 listening events, to listen to views of the public, staff and patients. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health attended 35 of these events. The vast majority of these events were not organised centrally. To minimise disruption to practising clinicians and to other stakeholders, the Government and NHS Future Forum were invited by a range of organisations to use a number of prescheduled meeting times. These included meetings and events with national stakeholders, frontline NHS staff and patients. Where necessary, the proposed agendas for these meetings were altered to reflect the listening exercise to ensure there was opportunity for explicit discussion around the key themes.
Nutrition
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent research on the potential links between increasing salt consumption and improving health his Department has evaluated. [58512]
Anne Milton:
The evidence linking salt consumption and health was evaluated by the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) in 2003. This concluded that the evidence that high salt intakes led to high blood pressure had strengthened since the issue was last considered in 1994. SACN also stated that, as high blood pressure was a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, reducing
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average population salt intake to 6 grams (and less for children) would proportionally lower population average blood pressure and confer significant public health benefits.
Officials continue to review published studies and, since 2003, there has been no new evidence that would alter the scientific consensus reported by SACN.
Out-patients: Attendance
Mr Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to reduce non-attendance rates for hospital appointments. [58464]
Mr Simon Burns: Primary care trusts are responsible for agreeing local access policies, which set out how to prevent and deal with DNAs (did not attend) for local populations.
The percentage of missed appointments as a proportion of hospital activity remains broadly stable.
National health service organisations respond to the problem of DNAs in a number of ways, such as sending reminder letters, telephone reminders and/or automated texts to mobile phones.
The NHS Constitution emphasises patients' responsibilities including making it clear that "you should keep appointments, or cancel within reasonable time. Receiving treatment within the maximums may be compromised if you do".
Pharmacy
Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what criteria are used in determining whether to allow new commercial registered pharmacy premises to open; and if he will make a statement. [58753]
Mr Simon Burns: In England, any person can open a pharmacy if they meet the requirements of the Medicines Act 1968. However, no pharmacy or appliance contractor can be included on a primary care trust's pharmaceutical list to provide NHS pharmaceutical services unless granting the application is “necessary or expedient” to secure the adequate provision of pharmaceutical services in the primary care trust's area. This is known as the “control of entry” test and the requirements are set out in the NHS (Pharmaceutical Services Regulations) 2005. There are currently four exemptions to that test (provided certain criteria are met).
Prescriptions: Databases
Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what representations (a) his Department and (b) the NHS Information Centre have received on proposals to publish prescribing data at practice level; and if he will make a statement; [58494]
(2) with reference to paragraph 2.200 of The Plan for Growth of March 2011, what estimate his Department has made of the potential number of patient records the confidentiality of which would be at risk from the publication of prescribing data at practice level; and what factors it has taken into consideration in evaluating this risk; [58498]
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(3) with reference to paragraph 2.200 of The Plan for Growth of March 2011, with which (a) organisations and (b) individuals the NHS Information Centre will consult as part of its evaluation and impact assessment of the publication of prescribing data at practice level; whether it plans to undertake a public consultation on its proposals for publication; whether his Department will have regard to the outcome of the NHS Information Centre's consultation on the wider release of primary care prescribing data; and if he will make a statement. [58499]
Mr Simon Burns: The Government are looking to publish prescribing data at practice level subject to an evaluation and impact assessment by the NHS Information Centre. The Information Centre has begun this process; this is a high level review of the implications of publishing practice-level prescribing data, reflecting the fact that there are different interests involved. It is important therefore that the impact assessment is seen to be objective.
In line with the broader strategic approach to information, the results of the Information Centre's impact assessment will be a vital first step to ensure that aggregated data can be made available without the risk of sensitive, personal or patient-identifiable information being made public. The Department will consider how best to take forward this proposal in due course, in the light of the findings of the Information Centre's impact assessment.
The Information Centre is drawing on information from a range of sources, reflecting the different perspectives including policy and research, pharmaceutical professionals and industry. The process will be especially mindful that the interests associated with transparency and economic growth, with patient choice, and with confidentiality of patient and professional must be considered in the final decision, and the impact assessment will help inform that decision.
The NHS Information Centre is not consulting on the review, and so has not sought formal representations. While, apart from a letter to the Prime Minister, from the hon. Member himself, the Department is not aware of any formal representations specifically on this issue, the Department will consider whether there is such a need to consult, based on the decision that it reaches about what will be made available, and in what format.
We are clear that any decisions about publishing these data must not compromise patient confidentiality.
School Milk
Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans his Department has to increase the uptake of free milk amongst primary school children. [57537]
Anne Milton: The Nursery Milk Scheme reimburses child care providers the cost of a third of a pint of milk for children under five years old who attend for two or more hours a day. This includes some four-year-olds in reception classes at primary schools. The Nursery Milk Scheme has been running for many years and we believe that awareness of the scheme is high, with over 50,000 child care providers currently registered with the Nursery Milk Reimbursement Unit. The Nursery Milk Scheme is the only milk scheme provided by the Department.
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The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs runs the EU school milk scheme and a national top-up subsidy, which aims to encourage more consumption by primary school children.
Leader of the House
Overseas Aid
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Leader of the House whether he has established a timetable for the passage of the proposed legislation to enshrine in law the commitment to spend 0.7% of gross national income on official development assistance from 2013. [57579]
Sir George Young: The coalition Government have set out how we will meet our commitment to spend 0.7% of national income as overseas aid from 2013.
As the Prime Minister said to the Liaison Committee, the Government will bring forward legislation on this issue during this Parliament.
Written Questions
Rosie Cooper: To ask the Leader of the House what information he holds on the proportion of questions for written answer on a named day which have received a substantive answer (a) on the day named, (b) (i) two, (ii) three, (iv) four, (v) five and (vi) six days later than the day named and (c) more than (A) one, (B) two, (C) three and (D) four weeks later than the day named in the present session of Parliament. [58495]
Sir George Young: The information requested is a matter for individual Departments. In the present Session my office has substantively answered all 29 named day written parliamentary questions on the day named.
In response to the Procedure Committee's Second Report of 2010-12, the Government accepted the committee's recommendation to provide the committee with sessional statistics on written parliamentary question performance for the current Session within three months of the end of this Session. Further details, including statistics for the 2009-10 Session, are available in my February 2011 submission to the Procedure Committee, numbered P85, which is available on the publications page of the Committee's website.
Communities and Local Government
Community Infrastructure Levy
Andrew Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what limits he plans to put in place on the level of charges local authorities can make on planning applications for the community infrastructure levy. [57966]
Robert Neill:
Section 211 of the Planning Act 2008, Regulation 14 of the Community Infrastructure Levy Regulations 2010 and the Community Infrastructure Levy Guidance: Charge setting and charging schedule procedures (March, 2010) set out the framework within which charging authorities can set local charges. In doing so, authorities must consider the potential impact that their proposed charges will have on the economic
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viability of development across their area and ensure that their charges are informed by and consistent with the evidence. Before proposed charges can be approved, they are tested at a public examination held by an independent examiner. The examiner must be satisfied that the proposed charges comply with the legislation and the authority has had regard to the guidance.
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the maximum contribution is a local authority can make towards flood prevention measures without activating the trigger for a referendum under the community infrastructure levy proposed in the Localism Bill. [57967]
Robert Neill: There are no provisions under the Community Infrastructure Levy, or the changes to it in the Localism Bill, for the holding of a referendum.
Departmental Official Cars
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on what date (a) he and (b) each other Minister in his Department last used a ministerial car while travelling in an official capacity; and how many times (i) he and (ii) each other Minister in his Department has travelled to their constituency in a ministerial car since May 2010. [50187]
Robert Neill: All ministerial travel is in accordance with the arrangements for official travel as set out in the Ministerial Code, which states that Ministers must ensure that they always make efficient and cost-effective travel arrangements.
In a typical week, members of the ministerial team do make use of the ministerial car service to travel in an official capacity.
The incoming Government agreed to minimise the use of allocated Government Car and Dispatch Agency cars with drivers—that is, a full-time driver available to each Minister. This change will make savings in comparison to spending on Government cars under the previous Administration. The Department now retains one allocated car. The Department's five other allocated cars have been given up and Ministers now use a pool car service on demand provided by the Government Car and Dispatch Agency.
Detailed information on journeys is available only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Official Hospitality
Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) how many meals at venues outside the Department were provided from the public purse for (a) the right hon. Member for Southampton, Itchen and his guests, (b) the right hon. Member for Don Valley and her guests and (c) the right hon. Member for Wentworth and his guests and at what cost, during the time each was a Minister in his Department; [43862]
(2) pursuant to the answer of 22 March 2011, Official Report, column 910W, on departmental official hospitality, and with reference to paragraph 74 of the Third Report of the Procedure Committee, Session 2008-09, on Written Parliamentary Questions, HC 952, if he will make it his
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policy to disclose in answers to parliamentary questions the information on expenditure by his Department on ministerial meals and restaurants between 2008 and 2010 that would have been disclosed had a request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 for this information been submitted to his Department. [50148]
Robert Neill [holding answer 31 March 2011]:That is already the policy of this Department.
Further to my answer of 22 March 2011, Official Report, column 910W, based on an analysis of data held on Government Procurement Cards, expenditure in restaurants involving Ministers totalled some £2,500 in the financial years 2008-09 and 2009-10. A more detailed breakdown of expenditure on individual meals, together with details of venues and guests, would require the checking of transactions against individual invoices and ministerial diaries and could thus be provided only at disproportionate cost.
In the interests of transparency, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Bristol North West (Charlotte Leslie) on 7 June 2011, Official Report, columns 33-34W, which provides a full list of card transactions for the Department in the financial years 2008-09 and 2009-10.
Departmental Official Visits
Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the date was of each official visit to each local authority area undertaken by the right hon. Member for Don Valley during the period when she was a Minister in his Department. [43863]
Robert Neill: In line with established convention, present Ministers are not accountable to Parliament for events which took place under a previous Administration. This is outlined in the Directory of Civil Service Guidance (volume II, page 11). Copies of the guidance are available in the Library of the House.
Electricity
Oliver Colvile: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether local authorities will have powers to introduce local standards for electrical safety which are more stringent than national standards after enactment of his proposals in the Localism Bill. [58504]
Andrew Stunell: The proposals in the Localism Bill introduce no new powers for local authorities to impose local standards for electrical safety.
Electrical safety in workplaces is covered by the Electricity at Work Regulations and in dwellings by Part P of the Building Regulations.
Local authorities are already able to specify whatever standards they consider appropriate when procuring new buildings or other electrical work.
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Enterprise Zones: North East
Guy Opperman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the likely effects on the economy of the North East of the creation of enterprise zones. [57882]
Robert Neill: Local Enterprise Partnerships are currently developing detailed proposals for enterprise zones. The Government will assess these proposals based on their potential for growth, value for money, and a robust implementation plan.
Enterprise Zones: Per Capita Costs
Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of each job created in an enterprise zone. [57995]
Robert Neill: Local Enterprise Partnerships are currently developing detailed proposals for enterprise zones. The Government will assess these proposals based on their potential for growth, value for money, and a robust implementation plan.
Fire Services: Private Sector
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what his policy is on the leasing of fire appliances from private sector companies. [57307]
Robert Neill [holding answer 7 June 2011]: Sharing back office functions and improving procurement are key ways that fire and rescue authorities can deliver sensible savings, while protecting the quality and breadth of frontline services offered to their communities.
While each fire and rescue authority is responsible for their own policy on procurement, they should constantly search for the best value for money in delivering their services. Outsourcing the provision of capital equipment can be one such way, provided the precise terms and conditions of the contract represent value for money in the long term.
I know that the hon. Member has an ongoing interest in the contract between London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority (LFEPA) and AssetCo.
As you will expect, we have been in close contact with LFEPA over the financial situation regarding AssetCo. LFEPA have given us their assurance that appropriate arrangements are in place to meet their statutory duties, and ensure a continued service to the people of London, irrespective of AssetCo's particular financial circumstances.
Notwithstanding, I would note that these outsourcing arrangements have previously been beneficial for Londoners by strengthening resilience and business continuity. Indeed, the level of investment provided by the contractor as part of the private finance initiative contract has meant that the current fleet and equipment is more modern and effective than could have been achieved by LFEPA if they had procured directly themselves. During the industrial action last year, AssetCo deployed 27 fully crewed fire appliances, from 27 strategic locations across the London Fire Brigade area.
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Gifts and Endowments
Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what gifts valued below £140 (a) officials and (b) Ministers in his Department received in 2009-10. [43782]
Robert Neill: The receipt of gifts by Ministers is handled in accordance with the provisions of the Ministerial Code. The reporting and recording of gifts offered to or received by officials is a requirement of the Department for Communities and Local Government Staff Handbook and the Civil Service Management Code.
The gifts valued below £140 recorded in central departmental records as received by DCLG officials and Ministers in the 2009-10 financial year were:
Ballpoint pen
Board game
Books
Business card holder
Ceramic saucer
Chocolates
Decanter
DVD
Fountain pen
Ginseng tea
Glass ornament
Music CDs
Panettone
Paperweight
Three rucksacks, three torches, three USB sticks and books
Shopping bags
Silver coin
Silver Sikh ring and pin
Stationery
Wine and spirits
Wine glasses
Book
Calendar
Decorative plaques
Fine bone china plate
Food hamper
Framed photograph
Lacquerware box
Mug
Photo frame
Stationery
Wine and spirits
Wooden plate.
Homelessness
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he plans to take to increase local accountability in respect of community empowerment and the inclusion of (a) the homeless community and (b) other groups in the allocation of provision of services. [57720]
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Andrew Stunell: Under legislation which is already in place, councils are subject to legal duties to provide services for certain groups, and to consult these groups about services provided. For example, local authorities have various duties under the homelessness legislation, including the requirement to secure suitable accommodation for households who are eligible for assistance, homeless through no fault of their own and in “priority need”.
A council is under a legal duty to consult representatives of those who use or are likely to use its services on how it achieves continuous improvement in the exercise of its functions (including service delivery). This is set out in the Local Government Act 1999, section 3(2). The Government encourage the involvement of homeless people in service planning and design.
My Department is currently consulting on reforms to Best Value guidance to ensure that councils give greater support to local voluntary and community groups, as outlined in my Department's press notice of 13 April 2011.
Housing: Durham
Pat Glass: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the level of single occupancy residency is in (a) England, (b) the North East and (c) North West Durham constituency. [59071]
Andrew Stunell: An estimated 28% of households in England and 30% of households in the north-east were single person households in 2009-10. These estimates are based on data from the English Housing Survey. Estimates of the proportion of single person households at constituency level are not possible using survey data.
Based on 2001 census data, the proportion of single person households in England in 2001 was 30%; the proportion in the north-east was 31%; and the proportion in the North West Durham constituency was 30%.
Local Enterprise Partnerships
Mr Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which business organisations he consulted on the decision to establish a representative body for local enterprise partnerships. [58095]
Robert Neill: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave on 9 May 2011, Official Report, column 1034W, to the hon. Member for Torbay (Mr Sanders).
The British Chambers of Commerce is committed to working closely with other business organisations to ensure that the network is a success. We hope other business organisations will engage constructively in this work going forward.
Mr Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether he has considered the merits of establishing a model constitution for local enterprise partnerships to include representation from all sizes of business. [58096]
Robert Neill:
Getting the right membership for each local enterprise partnership's board is key to securing effective business engagement and ensuring a strong
9 Jun 2011 : Column 451W
focus on the needs of local economies. As we set out in the Local Growth White Paper last October, we would normally expect to see business representatives form half the board with a prominent business leader in the chair.
While we are not being prescriptive as to who should sit on partnership boards, we would expect to see business members with first hand knowledge and experience of the local businesses environment, through a strong track record of local business leadership at a senior level. We would also want to see board members drawn from a breadth of experience, from small enterprises through to large businesses, representing the key sectors in their local area.
Local Government Association
Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many occasions the right hon. Member for Don Valley met representatives of the Local Government Association during the periods she was a Minister in his Department. [43860]
Robert Neill: In this instance, the Department no longer holds the information requested.
Local Government Finance
Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) what assessment he has made of the potential effect on formula grant of proposals for business rate retention; [58142]
(2) what assessment he has made of the effect any change to the formula grant resulting from proposed changes to business rate retention will have on the most deprived communities in England; [58160]
(3) what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the proposed retention of business rates on local authorities in whose areas business rate contributions have increased at a rate below the national average. [58161]
Robert Neill: The Local Government Resource Review is considering options to allow local authorities to keep at least a proportion of their business rates which currently form part of the Formula Grant. The terms of reference of the review make clear that the review will consider how to fund those authorities where locally raised funding would be insufficient to meet budget requirements, recognising that some authorities are currently more dependent on central government funding than others. The review will publish its proposals in July for consultation.
Members: Correspondence
Mr Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he plans to respond to the letters from the hon. Member for Basildon and Billericay of 30 March and 12 May 2011 on regional spatial strategies and his Department's Circular 01/2006. [58509]
Robert Neill: A reply to the letter of 30 March was sent on 21 April and the 12 May letter was replied to on 8 June.
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Non-domestic Rates: Empty Property
Mr David: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what representations he has received on the decision to end support for empty property rates. [57519]
Robert Neill: Since the written ministerial statement of 13 December 2010, Official Report, columns 61-62W, Ministers at this Department have received 83 letters on empty property rates measures and have met two MPs with their constituents to discuss empty property rates.
As the statement set out, undoing the last Government's increase in empty property taxation was unaffordable given the need to tackle the deficit, but we are keeping the matter under review.
Jason McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the effect on small businesses of empty property business rates. [58146]
Robert Neill: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 8 February 2011, Official Report, column 178W, to my hon. Friend the Member for Newark (Patrick Mercer).
Parliamentary Questions: Government Responses
Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he plans to answer question 35814, tabled on 19 January 2011 for answer on 21 January 2011, on local government finance settlement. [54060]
Robert Neill [holding answer 4 May 2011]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 24 May 2011, Official Report, columns 687-88W.
Planning Permission
Nigel Adams: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will assess the merits of introducing a compensation directive in the event of local authorities choosing to exercise powers under Article 4 of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995 for the purposes of providing certainty and protection from unreasonable compensatory demands from developers. [57849]
Robert Neill: The Government are considering what amendments may be required to the Town and Country Planning (Compensation) (England) Regulations, so that if an article 4 direction is used to withdraw permitted development rights for the demolition of non-residential premises, compensation may only be claimed if an application for planning permission is submitted within 12 months of the direction being made. It would also mean that if 12 months’ notice were given of such an article 4 direction being made, there would be no ability to claim compensation.
Nigel Adams:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will take steps to ensure that landowners who allow their property to be used for local amenities are able to appeal against
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any proposal to add their property to the Heritage Assets list under the powers provided by Article 4 of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995. [57850]
Robert Neill: I believe my hon. Friend is referring to the Assets of Community Value provisions within the Localism Bill. The Bill requires the relevant local authority to list any land or buildings which are nominated as being of community value, if they meet the definition of an Asset of Community Value. This definition will be set out in regulations, following careful consideration of the responses that we have received to the public consultation that closed on 3 May. The Bill also gives landowners the right to an internal review of a decision to list an asset, and provides for the possibility of a further independent appeal hearing against that decision. The Government will be setting out in detail the provision they intend to make in due course.
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George Hollingbery: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many planning applications in each development category were required to be referred to the Secretary of State under the provisions of the Town and Country Planning (Consultation) (England) Direction 2009 in each year since its entry into force; and how many such applications so referred the Secretary of State also called in for determination in each such year. [57989]
Robert Neill: It is for local authorities to determine whether an application they receive falls within the requirements of the Direction and therefore whether or not it should be referred to the Secretary of State.
Since April 2009, when the Direction came into force, the Secretary of State has received 476 referrals in total, of which seven were called-in. The numbers of specific development types referred and called-in each year are as follows:
| 2009 | 2010 | 2011 (to date) | ||||
|
|
Total | Call in | Total | Call in | Total | Call in |
Planning Permission: Appeals
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many planning appeals in each category the Planning Inspectorate considered in each of the last five years; and how many and what proportion of such appeals were (a) upheld and (b) dismissed. [57581]
Robert Neill: The total number of planning appeals in each category (i.e. type of development) considered in each of the last five years and the proportion that were upheld and dismissed is shown in the yearly following tables.
| 2006 | |||||
| Upheld | Dismissed | ||||
| Category | Total decisions | Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage |
| 2007 | |||||
| Upheld | Dismissed | ||||
| Category | Total decisions | Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage |
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| 2008 | |||||
| Upheld | Dismissed | ||||
| Category | Total decisions | Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage |
| 2009 | |||||
| Upheld | Dismissed | ||||
| Category | Total d ecisions | Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage |
| 2010 | |||||
| Upheld | Dismissed | ||||
| Category | Total d ecisions | Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage |
Special Advisers: Code of Conduct
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) with reference to the letter from the Cabinet Secretary to the right hon. Member for Don Valley of 10 May 2011, what the basis was for the investigation into allegations relating to comments made regarding Jenny Watson; [56225]
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(2) whether he was involved in the investigation into alleged comments regarding Jenny Watson made by a member of his Department; [56226]
(3) whether the code of conduct for special advisers has been breached by any special adviser in his Department since May 2010. [56227]
Robert Neill: I refer the right hon. Member to my Department's Freedom of Information disclosure log entry on the Conduct of Ministers, special advisers and senior civil servants, disclosed on 5 April 2011, which provides a comprehensive reply:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/corporate/foi/disclosure-log/disclosurelog2011/april2011/conductministersadvisers/
Trade Unions
Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what financial support his Department has provided to (a) the National Union of Teachers, (b) the National Association of Schoolmasters and Union of Women Teachers, (c) the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, (d) the National Association of Head Teachers and (e) schemes run by those organisations in each year since 1997. [56432]
Robert Neill: The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) and the former Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) were created following the Machinery of Government Changes on 5 May 2006 and 29 May 2002 respectively.
The Department has not provided any financial support to any of the unions mentioned.
The Department and Government Offices have, however, on a number of occasions hired rooms/halls and equipment from the National Union of Teachers and the National Association of Head Teachers for departmental events. Details of the payments are given in the following table. The 2010-11 payment, relating to the hire of Mander Hall for a PAN Government Agreement Member event, took place before the general election.
Details of payments prior to May 2002 could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
| £ | ||
| Financial year | National Union of Teachers | National Association of Head Teachers |
Treasury
Enterprise Investment Scheme
Michael Fallon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will bring forward proposals to extend Enterprise Investment Scheme relief to assets held via limited liability partnerships. [58471]
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Justine Greening: The Government plans to publish a consultation document on changes to the Enterprise Investment Scheme and Venture Capital Trust Scheme shortly, building on the announcements made at Budget 2011.
Aggregates Levy Credit Scheme
Ms Ritchie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with the European Commission since 8 March 2011 on state aid approval for the aggregates levy credit scheme in Northern Ireland. [58482]
Justine Greening: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 8 March 2011, Official Report, column 957W, to the hon. Member for Belfast East (Naomi Long).
Banks: Loans
Ann McKechin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much of the money lent to small and medium-sized enterprises was lent to businesses based in Scotland in the first quarter of 2011. [57902]
Danny Alexander [holding answer 8 June 2011]: On 9 February the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a new commitment by the UK's biggest high-street banks on lending expectations and capacity. As part of this commitment, the banks intend to lend £190 billion of new credit to businesses in 2011, up from £179 billion in 2010. If demand exceeds this, the banks will lend more. £76 billion of this lending will be to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This is a 15% increase on 2010 lending of £66 billion.
The Bank of England reported the banks' first quarter performance against the Merlin commitment on 23 May. The banks lent an aggregate total of £47.3 billion in the last quarter; within which, £16.8 billion was to SMEs. The Government are encouraged that the banks are broadly on track to meet their overall commitment, but the banks must do more to lend to SMEs.
The Treasury does not hold a regional breakdown of lending to SMEs in Scotland in the first quarter. However, in response to the Government's Green Paper on business finance, the BBA published the outcomes of their Business Finance Taskforce, which was written in conjunction with the six major UK banks. The Taskforce banks have committed to improving customer relationships through a new Lending Code, ensuring better access to finance and promoting better understanding. As part of these commitments, later this year, the banks will publish a regular cross-industry dataset that will show regional lending on an annual basis.
Disadvantaged: Financial Services
Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he plans to take to ensure that sectors which benefit from repaid debt other than the financial services sector contribute towards the funding of debt advice if responsibility for debt advice is transferred to the Money Advice Service. [58123]
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Mr Hoban: Government are currently considering how the funding and provision of publicly supported debt advice can be put on a sustainable footing, for the future. These considerations include the possibility of the Money Advice Service taking on responsibility for the co-ordination of debt advice services, and whether existing provisions in the Financial Services Act 2010 which allow the Office of Fair Trading to apply a levy on consumer credit licensees and applicants to contribute to funding the Money Advice Service, should be used.
Excise Duties: Biofuels
Fiona Bruce: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has for the future of the 20 pence fuel duty differential for biodiesel. [57331]
Justine Greening [holding answer 24 May 2011]:The duty differential will end as intended on 31 March 2012. Under changes to the Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation (RTFO), additional support for biofuels from waste including used cooking oil is being provided by double counting the contribution they make toward national targets. An open consultation is currently under way at
www.dft.gov.uk/consultations/open
and the industry is invited to respond.
Public Sector: Investment
Mr Meacher: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the level of public sector net investment was in each year since 1981. [57564]
Danny Alexander [holding answer 7 June 2011]:Public sector net investment since 1981 was:
|
|
£ billion |
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The 2010 spending review also set out higher capital spending in each year to 2014-15 than the previous Government's plans.