Rescue Services: Closures
Mr MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether any of the coastguard stations considered for closure by the Government are funded through the private finance initiative. [61586]
Mike Penning: No coastguard premises are funded through the private finance initiative.
Rescue Services: Power Failures
Mr MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on how many occasions coastguard co-ordination centres were unable to operate due to (a) technical and (b) power failures in each of the last five years; for how long services were suspended in each such case; and where co-ordination services were transferred to during each such suspension. [61587]
Mike Penning: The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) do not capture or record fault data in such a way that directly links to impact on the coastguard service, nor where such failures may lead to another station being asked to take over part of an operational area.
The MCA do however capture national level data on events classed as ‘grade A’ or ‘priority 1’, these being defined as “Total Failure of a Coastguard Operational System”. However, it is not necessarily the case that any or all such faults will have resulted in the transfer of operational duties to another co-ordination centre.
Rescue Services: Repairs and Maintenance
Mr MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much has been spent on (a) maintenance and (b) planned investment at each Maritime and Coastguard Agency location in Scotland in each of the last five years. [61585]
Mike Penning: The information is as follows:
| (a) Maintenance spend at each Maritime and Coastguard Agency location in Scotland in each of the last five years | |||||
| Costs (£) | |||||
|
|
2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 |
| Notes: 1. Costs include: Estate maintenance costs for the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centres (MRCC) only. Costs for other MCA estate is not captured. For those sites where a Marine Office and MRCC are co-located, costs are not separable and both are included above. 2. Costs excluded: IGT is managed on a national basis rather than by site and it is not possible to separately identify such costs. MCA support contracts are tendered against a requirement to provide service UK-wide (including Northern Ireland). | |||||
| (b) Planned investment at each Maritime and Coastguard Agency location in Scotland in each of the last five years | |||||
| Costs (£) | |||||
|
|
2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 |
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23 Jun 2011 : Column 412W
| Notes: 1. Costs include: Capital costs for the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centres (MRCC) only. Costs for other MCA estate is not captured. For those sites where a Marine Office and MRCC are co-located, costs are not separable and both are included above. 2. Costs excluded: ICT is managed on a national basis rather than by site and it is not possible separately to identify such costs. | |||||
Trailers: Safety
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to the longer semi-trailer feasibility study and impact assessment commissioned by his Department, what assessment he has made of the effect of options 4, 5 and 6 proposed in the consultation on (a) tail swings at roundabouts, (b) susceptibility to cross-winds and (c) safety in the absence of new steering technology. [61330]
Mike Penning [holding answer 21 June 2011]: The Department for Transport commissioned research concerning the use of high-volume semi-trailers. From this research a report by the Transport Research Laboratory and Cambridge university addresses these questions.
“The likely effects of permitting longer semi-trailers in the UK: vehicle specification performance and safety” by I Knight, T Robinson, B Robinson, T Barlow, I McCrae (TRL) and A Odhams, R L Roebuck, C Cheng (Cambridge University)
A copy of the report has been placed in the Libraries of the House.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Agriculture: Regulation
Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent progress she has made in reducing the burden of regulation on farmers. [61547]
Mr Paice: We commissioned the independent Task Force on Farming Regulation which reported on 17 May. I warmly welcome the task force's report. The Government are now carefully considering the report's recommendations, and will provide an initial public response this autumn followed by a final response early in 2012.
Circuses: Animal Welfare
Mr Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 13 May 2011, Official Report, column 48WS, on performing wild animals, what assessment she has made of the compatibility with European law of any legislative proposal to prohibit the use of wild animals in circuses. [56473]
Mr Paice: The very strong legal advice that we have received is that a total ban on wild animals in circuses might well be seen as disproportionate measure under Article 16 of the European Union Services Directive 2006 and a breach of Article 1 Protocol 1 of the European Convention on Human Rights which was incorporated into United Kingdom law by the Human Rights Act 1998.
Environment Protection
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to paragraph 2.21 of her Department's document, The Natural Choice: securing the value of nature, when she expects to hold the first annual Ministerial event to bring together local nature and local enterprise partnerships; and whether she plans to publish a report on the outcome of the event. [61219]
Richard Benyon: We will start hosting an annual ministerial event for Local Nature Partnerships from spring 2012 where the first partnerships will be able to come together to share best practice, highlight delivery issues and celebrate success. Further updates on the first event will be available in due course. A brief summary of the event will appear on the DEFRA website.
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to the box on a sustainable approach to low-carbon energy on page 23 of her Department's document, The Natural Choice: securing the value of nature, how the Government plans to work with others to establish a research programme to fill evidence gaps about the effects on the natural environment of the level of infrastructure needed to meet low-carbon energy objectives for 2050. [61220]
Richard Benyon: The Government are currently looking at the best way to take forward this research programme. We have had initial discussions with the Living with Environmental Change partnership, including some research councils.
Given the breadth and inter-disciplinary nature of this research, we would like to involve a mixture of participants including the research councils, industry, academia, NGOs and other research institutions. One option would be for the programme to act as an “umbrella” initiative designed to initiate individual pieces of research to fill evidence gaps, as well as joining up existing work in this area, towards answering strategic questions about what constitutes a sustainable energy mix. Our aim is to understand the environmental capacity for the deployment of low carbon energy to 2050 better, and to use that to help us understand how to make truly sustainable choices.
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Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to paragraph 3.11 of her Department's document, The Natural Choice: securing the value of nature, when the Government plans to establish an independent Natural Capital Committee; and what criteria she plans to use in making the appointments to that committee. [61221]
Richard Benyon: We are currently developing a set-up project for the Natural Capital Committee, to be run over the summer. We envisage that the Committee will be set up as an expert committee, rather than as a non-departmental public body, and the specific status of the Committee could influence the details of the appointment procedure. We currently envisage that a "non-OCPA" (Office of the Commissioner on Public Appointments) procedure consistent with the OCPA code of practice will be applied.
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to paragraph 3.28 of her Department's document, “The Natural Choice: securing the value of nature”, when the Government plans to set up a business-led Ecosystem Markets Task Force; and what criteria she plans to use to make appointments to the task force. [61222]
Richard Benyon: When launching the Natural Environment White Paper we were pleased to announce that Ian Cheshire (CEO of Kingfisher Plc) has accepted the Secretary of State's invitation to chair the Ecosystem Markets Task Force. This is an ad hoc group, reporting through the Green Economy Council (a group that has been formed to help business rise to the low-carbon challenge). Task Force members will be selected through discussion between the chair and Government officials, with input from Green Economy Council members. We will hold a first meeting after the summer recess.
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to paragraph 3.39 of her Department's document, The Natural Choice: securing the value of nature, through which channels she expects the UK to work with the EU Joint Research Council to develop evidence on the environmental effects of products and their supply chains, and to consider future developments in minimum standards under the EU Ecodesign directive. [61223]
Richard Benyon: We have already established a close working relationship with the EU Joint Research Council (JRC) through its participation in the Steering Group for the review of PAS 2050, the UK-developed methodology for measuring greenhouse gas emissions across the supply chain.
We are continuing to build on our existing effective working relationship with the JRC to ensure that we are able to influence developments at EU level in the interests of UK business most constructively. We share reports of evidence projects already undertaken, and use these as a basis for identifying the scope for collaboration on future projects. Such projects might assess the environmental impacts of products and their supply chains, and consider future developments in minimum standards.
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Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the resource capacity of local government biodiversity officers to participate in Local Nature Partnerships (LNPs); and what consultation her Department undertook with the Association of Local Government Ecologists on the creation of LNPs. [61311]
Richard Benyon: Local Nature Partnerships (LNPs) were requested by many of the organisations responding to the Natural Environment White Paper consultation. In the White Paper, we commit to encouraging and supporting LNPs where local areas wish to establish them. We have suggested that these may consist of people from local authorities, civil society organisations, land managers and people in the community, but we are not enforcing the concept or structure. It is for local areas to decide whether an LNP is the appropriate structure to protect and improve the natural environment local to them. In the course of developing the concept of LNPs and producing guidance for the next steps in establishing them, we consulted local authorities extensively, and visited several to discuss the idea.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her Department's policy is on the adoption of targets for greenhouse gas emission reductions by large companies. [60988]
Mr Paice: The current DEFRA/DECC guidance to help organisations measure and report their greenhouse gas emissions recommends that organisations set a greenhouse gas emission reduction target. This guidance is available at:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/economy/business-efficiency/reporting/
Recycling: Bottles
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) if she will assess the likely effects on levels of recycling of the introduction of a bottle deposit return scheme; [60928]
(2) if she will make a cost-benefit assessment of establishing a bottle deposit return scheme. [60929]
Richard Benyon: Our waste policy review included an analysis of the costs and benefits of implementing a bottle deposit system, based on the CPRE (Campaign to Protect Rural England) report “Have we got the bottle?” Details of the analysis will be published later this year.
We concluded that although such a scheme could increase recycling and reduce litter, its estimated running costs are very high, and much higher than alternative measures. In view of this, we have decided not to take forward the option of bottle deposit schemes for the time being, and concentrate on other ways to increase recycling and address litter.
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International Development
Gambia: Overseas Aid
Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what priorities his Department has established for its aid to Northern Gambia; and how much aid it plans to allocate there each year from 2011-12 to 2014-15. [61630]
Mr O'Brien: The Department for International Development (DFID) has been winding down its bilateral aid programme in The Gambia. The recent review of all DFID's bilateral aid programmes concluded that we should close the Gambia programme in 2011, as UK aid could have greater impact elsewhere.
We will ensure that arrangements are in place to incorporate and sustain the gains made through UK bilateral support as part of other donors' programming. The UK will continue to provide financial support to The Gambia through our increasing share of multilateral programming. We do not have planned allocations for the multilateral organisations for The Gambia in future financial years, but the information for previous years can be found on the DFID website.
Zimbabwe: Overseas Aid
Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions he had with the government of Zimbabwe prior to deciding on the allocation of aid to that country. [61692]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: As we developed plans for our programme to Zimbabwe, I held personal discussions with the Prime Minister, Finance Minister and Minister for Education of Zimbabwe.
My officials have regular contact with Zimbabwean Ministers and senior officials to ensure the best possible coherence with the plans of the Zimbabwe Government.
It remains the case that no UK development funds are passed through the Government. All our programmes are delivered through trusted partners such as UNICEF, the Africa Development Bank and NGO's.
Home Department
Entry Clearances: Overseas Students
Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what timescale she has set for the establishment in Scotland of an inspection system for private providers of higher and further education under the student visa scheme. [60921]
Damian Green:
In line with our commitment to ensure all privately funded Tier 4 sponsors are inspected by a publicly recognised authority by the end of 2012, we announced on 13 June that the Quality Assurance Agency and the Independent Schools Inspectorate would extend their activities to cover privately funded providers. The Quality Assurance Agency already inspect Universities in Scotland and will offer inspections covering privately funded providers of higher education in all parts of the UK, including Scotland. We are currently in discussion
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with Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education on their potential role in the establishment of an inspection system for private providers of further education in Scotland and hope to make an announcement on this shortly.
Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what dates her Department made (a) written and (b) oral contact with HM Inspector of Education in Scotland to discuss the inspection of private providers of higher and further education; and whether any agreement to inspect private providers will require primary or secondary legislation. [61037]
Damian Green: Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education has been an approved educational oversight body since the inception of Tier 4. On 22 March 2011 we announced a tightening of the list of approved bodies to the eight listed bodies that operate the regulatory framework for publicly funded providers and independent schools. Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education, as the statutory authority in Scotland, remained an approved inspection body for Tier 4.
We are currently working closely with Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education on their potential role in the establishment of an inspection system for private providers of further education in Scotland and hope to announce on this shortly. Oral contact was first made on 4 April 2011 and first written contact (via e-mail) was on 12 April 2011.
Fixed Penalties
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance her Department has issued to police forces on the issuing of a (a) fixed penalty notice, (b) non-endorsable fixed penalty notice and (c) penalty notice for disorder in the last two years. [61396]
Nick Herbert: The Home Office has not issued such guidance in the last two years. Guidance on fixed penalties for offences in respect of a vehicle was issued in 2006 and is currently under review by a working group established by the Association of Chief Police Officers.
The penalty notice for disorder (PND) scheme is the responsibility of the Ministry of Justice. That Department issued revised operational guidance to police forces on 16 July 2009. This restricts the use of PNDs for retail theft and criminal damage to first time offenders who are not substance mis-users and where the value of stolen goods or damage does not exceed £100 (retail theft) or £300 (criminal damage). Further guidance was issued to police forces on 23 July 2009 restricting the use of PNDs for cannabis possession to first time offenders, as part of the police three-stage escalation enforcement procedure for the offence. Guidance was also issued in January 2010 which informed police forces of the revocation of the prescribed form of the PND.
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for which (a) public order offences, (b) traffic offences and (c) other offences a fixed penalty notice, a non-endorsable fixed penalty notice or a penalty notice for disorder may be issued by a police officer. [61398]
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Nick Herbert: The Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 allows a police officer to issue a penalty notice for disorder (PND) for the fixed amount of £80 for the offence under section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986 of ‘Using words, conduct likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress’.
Currently there are 25 other offences available under the PND scheme. A full list of PND offences is as follows.
The Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988 allows the police to issue a fixed penalty notice for any offence in respect of a vehicle that has been made a fixed penalty offence by order of the Secretary of State for the Home Department. The full list is contained in Schedule 3 to the Act.
Penalty Notice for Disorder offences
Higher Tier Offences (£80)
Wasting police time, giving false report
Sending false message/persistently use a public electronic communications network in order to cause annoyance, inconvenience or needless anxiety
Knowingly gives a false alarm to a person acting on behalf of a fire and rescue authority
Using words/conduct likely to cause fear of harassment, alarm or distress
Fire or throw firework(s)
Drunk and disorderly in a public place
Destroying or damaging property (under £300 and may only be issued on one occasion)
Retail Theft (under £100 and may only be issued on one occasion)
Breach of fireworks curfew (11 pm to 7 am)
Possession of a category 4 firework
Possession by a person under 18 of an adult firework in a public place
Sells or attempts to sell alcohol to a person who is drunk
Supply of alcohol by or on behalf of a club to a person aged under 18
Sale of alcohol anywhere to a person under 18
Buys or attempts to buy alcohol on behalf of person under 18
Buys or attempts to buy alcohol for consumption on relevant premises by person under 18
Delivery of alcohol to person under 18 or allowing such delivery
Possess a controlled drug of Class B—cannabis/cannabis resin. (May only be issued to offenders 18 years or over.)
Trespass on a railway
Throwing stones/matter/thing at a train or railway
Drunk in a highway, other public place or licensed premises
Consumption of alcohol in designated public place, contrary to requirement by constable not to do so
Deposit and leave litter
Consumption of alcohol by a person under 18 on relevant premises
Allowing consumption of alcohol by a person under 18 on relevant premises
Buying or Attempting to buy alcohol by a person under 18
Immigration
Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average cost to the public purse of a judicial review of an immigration decision was in the latest period for which figures are available. [61401]
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Damian Green: The estimated average cost of a judicial review up to the permission stage is approximately £1,500 to £2,000. Costs post permission can vary significantly after that according to the complexity of the case.
Immigration: Asylum
Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for judicial review of decisions made by her Department in respect of immigration and asylum cases have been initiated in the last 12 months. [61400]
Damian Green: Figures for England and Wales from the Treasury Solicitor show that, in relation to immigration and asylum cases, 7,620 judicial reviews were opened over the 12 month period between June 2010 and May 2011.
Police: Pensions
Mrs Riordan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers working in the Calderdale division will be affected by proposed changes to police pensions. [61385]
Nick Herbert: As at 31 March 2010, there were 365 full-time equivalent (FTE) police officers in Calderdale basic command unit. Individual officers will have differing personal circumstances, making it impossible to assess how many might be affected by any future changes to police pensions.
Police: Sonae
Mr George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what the date was of each occasion on which police officers were called to the Sonae factory in Kirkby in the last 10 years; and what the cost of each such call out was; [61309]
(2) on what date police investigations into the Sonae factory in Kirkby were initiated in the last 10 years; and what the cost was of each such investigation. [61310]
Nick Herbert: The Home Office does not collect this information. Operational decisions regarding the deployment of officers and use of resources are matters for the chief constable of the relevant police force.
Police: South Wales
Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was spent on equipping police forces in South Wales with Lantern fingerprint devices in the last 12 months. [61548]
Nick Herbert: Within South Wales Gwent police and Dyfed and Powys police both use the Lantern Service, but South Wales police do not.
The cost of providing the Lantern service to these forces for the past 12 months is £25,071. This has been funded by the National Policing Improvement Agency.
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Police: Travel
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what (a) free and (b) concessionary travel arrangements are available to police officers; and what the cost to the public purse was of such arrangements in the latest period for which figures are available. [61349]
Nick Herbert: The Home Office does not collect the data requested. Such arrangements are a matter for agreement between the transport provider and the relevant police authority.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
British Council: Finance
Mr MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs by how much his Department's grant to the British Council will change in percentage terms in each year to 2015. [60046]
Alistair Burt: The cumulative percentage change in the Grant In Aid budget from the British Council's 2010-11 budget is: -4.44% for 2011-12, -9.93% for 2012-13, -16.04% for 2013-14 and -22.07% for 2014-15.
The annual percentage change is: -4.44% for 2011-12 -5.50% for 2012-13,-6.11% for 2013-14 and -6.03% for 2014-15.
COE Commissioner for Human Rights
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will review the functions of the Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human Rights during the UK chairmanship of the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers. [59438]
Mr Lidington: We do not have any plans to review the functions of the Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human Rights during the UK chairmanship of the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers.
Council of Europe
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what matters were discussed at his recent meeting with the Secretary General of the Council of Europe. [59439]
Mr Lidington: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs discussed with Secretary-General Jagland the UK's objectives for our chairmanship of the Council of Europe from November 2011 to May 2012. These include reform of the European Court of Human Rights and wider reform of the Council of Europe. He also stressed our support for budget discipline.
Council of Europe: Finance
Priti Patel:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 19 May 2011, Official Report, columns 283-4W, on the Council of Europe: finance, if he will ensure that no
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further voluntary contributions are made by the UK to the Council of Europe or its institutions. [59436]
Mr Lidington: Voluntary contributions are given to the Council of Europe by member states for a range of activities, and can play an important role in the improvement of human rights, rule of law and democracy in Europe. We will continue to judge requests for voluntary contributions on their merits, including whether they generate sufficient value for money and contribute towards our foreign policy priorities.
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will use the occasion of UK's chairmanship of the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers to (a) advocate a reduction in the budget of the Council of Europe and its institutions and (b) review the current funding arrangements and the proportion of funding provided by the UK. [59437]
Mr Lidington: The Government are seeking to reduce the cost of our membership for all international organisations to which we belong. We communicated this objective to member state colleagues at the Council of Europe in June 2010. We will continue to work with other member states, the Secretary-General and others in our effort to deliver this objective.
Council of Europe: Manpower
Mr Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many UK nationals were employed by the institutions of the Council of Europe on the latest date for which figures are available; and what proportion of the overall workforce of those institutions that figure represents. [60637]
Mr Lidington: As of 31 May 2011 there was a total of 2,151 permanent staff working in the institutions of the Council of Europe, 252 of whom were UK nationals. This is 11.7% of the total.
Crown Relocations
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 24 May 2011, Official Report, column 584W, on Crown Relocations, on what date the contract with Crown Relocations was signed; on what date it started; and on what date it will expire. [58761]
Mr Lidington: The contract was signed on 15 July 2004 and commenced on 30 July 2004.
An extension was signed on 12 March 2007 for the period 1 May 2007 to 30 April 2010.
A further extension was signed on 21 October 2009 for 1 May 2010 to 30 April 2011.
Another extension is in the process of being signed which will take the contract up to 30 April 2012. This will allow time for the current re-procurement activity to be completed.
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Departmental Parental Leave
Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his Department's policy for staff is in respect of (a) eligibility criteria and (b) rates of pay for (i) maternity and (ii) adoption leave. [61791]
Mr Bellingham: The FCO offers the statutory package of paid and unpaid leave for maternity and adoption. As an alternative to statutory provisions, the FCO offers Contractual Maternity Pay (CMP) or Contractual Adoption Pay (CAP) which pays full salary during a staff member's 26 weeks' Ordinary Maternity Leave (OML) or Ordinary Adoption Leave (OAL).
Staff must satisfy the following criteria in order to qualify for CMP or CAP:
they are not employed on a standby, or short-notice appointment;
they have been continuously employed by the FCO for at least one year at the point when they start their OML or OAL;
they have complied with the notice requirements;
they have not been on SUPL later than the 26 weeks preceding the 15(th) week before the expected week of confinement (EWC) for OML (unless they are returning on the date originally agreed for their return in which case this does not apply);
they have confirmed in writing when giving notice that they intend to return to work after maternity leave or adoption leave and;
they have confirmed in writing when giving notice that they will repay payments for CMP or CAP (over and above the amount equivalent to Statutory Maternity or Adoption Pay) if they do not return to work.
EU Law
Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with (a) the European Commission and (b) his EU counterparts on the level of regulation in EU legislation. [60727]
Mr Lidington: My Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) ministerial colleagues and I speak regularly with members of the European Commission and my EU counterparts on the level of regulation in EU legislation.
The UK's strategy for EU growth, outlined in ‘Let's Choose Growth’ published in March 2011 aims, among other things, to agree a new target to reduce the overall EU regulatory burden over the life of the Commission and make sure that all regulatory costs on businesses are offset by savings elsewhere.
Iran: Sanctions
Mr Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken to prevent Iranian-owned ships circumventing sanctions. [60034]
Mr Hague:
On 23 May, the EU strengthened its sanctions against Iran by adding over 100 more entities to its regulation, including 40 or so entities owned or controlled by Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines. The Prime Minister, Minister for Europe and I have held discussions with partners about the implementation of these measures. Foreign and Commonwealth Office
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officials raise our concerns about possible sanctions breaches with the relevant overseas authorities as and when they arrive.
Pakistan: Taliban
Mr Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent estimate he has made of the number of Taliban fighters on the territory of Pakistan. [60159]
Mr Hague: Given the highly complex dynamics of the conflict in Afghanistan and the porous border with Pakistan, it is impossible to provide numbers of the Afghan Taliban presence in Pakistan.
Prisoners: Voting Rights
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last discussed the voting rights of prisoners with the Secretary General of the Council of Europe. [59440]
Mr Lidington: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs reminded the Secretary-General of our concerns regarding the voting rights of prisoners during their meeting on 7 June.
Saudi Arabia: Politics and Government
Mr Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what occasions he has discussed proposals for democratic reform with his Saudi counterpart. [60036]
Mr Hague: I have raised reform and other issues connected with the ‘Arab Spring' with Prince Saud, most recently during Prince Saud's visit to the UK in March.
Somalia
Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what criteria the Government applies in determining whether to recognise a state; what assessment he has made of the merits of recognising Somaliland as a state against each criterion; and if he will make a statement. [61371]
Mr Bellingham: The normal criteria for recognition as a state remain as described in the written answer dated 16 November 1989, Official Report, column 494, by the then Under-Secretary for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Mr Sainsbury.
The UK keeps its policy under review in light of these criteria and various UN Security Council Resolutions on Somalia, which reaffirm its respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity, political independence and unity of Somalia.
Sudan: Investment
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had on private investment in Sudan. [61377]
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Mr Bellingham: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has had no specific discussions on private investment. However, the UK has no barriers to private investment in Sudan and the British Government are strongly supporting the initiative by Norway and Turkey to co-host an international investment and engagement conference for Sudan later in the year. The Foreign Secretary did discuss trade issues with Sudanese Foreign Minister Karti when they met on 6 June. As the Secretary of State made clear on that day, it is important for the UK to see both Sudan and South Sudan emerge at the end of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement as two economically viable and co-operating states, living in peace and stability.
Sudan: Overseas Trade
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his US counterparts on trade restrictions in Sudan. [61379]
Mr Bellingham: I met with Johnnie Carson, US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs on 29 May. I made clear that the sanctions imposed by the US continue to be a serious block to British banks to operate in Sudan, causing problems for British NGO groups and staff, and other organisations to utilise the international banking system when dealing with or living in Sudan. US regulations contain a number of exemptions and authorisations for activities and transactions that would otherwise be prohibited under U.S. sanctions against Sudan, particularly with respect to humanitarian assistance. I have asked for greater clarity on these exemptions for the benefit of the British Banking Association, and its members. We understand that post-independence these restrictions will not apply to South Sudan.
Syria: Oil
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the governments of (a) Germany, (b) Italy, (c) France and (d) the Netherlands on steps to prevent the import of oil from Syria. [61801]
Alistair Burt: We have had no discussions with Germany, Italy, France or the Netherlands on steps to prevent the import of oil from Syria.
Syria: Sanctions
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to impose further sanctions on Syria; and if he will make a statement. [61802]
Alistair Burt: The Government, together with our EU partners, are working to expand restrictive measures on the Syrian regime with a view to achieving a fundamental change of policy should the Syrian leadership choose not to change swiftly its current path of violent repression against the civilian population.
The Government have taken a prominent role in introducing an EU travel ban and assets freeze on 23 individuals, including President Assad, in the Syrian regime. We utterly condemn the indiscriminate violence
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perpetrated by the Syrian security forces against peaceful demonstrators. President Assad's speech on 20 June was disappointing and unconvincing. If President Assad is to restore any credibility the Syrian people need to see concrete action, not vague promises. We have been clear that rapid and real implementation of substantial reforms, addressing the legitimate demands of peaceful Syrian protesters, is what is urgently needed. There must also be an immediate end to violence by Syrian security forces, the release of all political prisoners, an end to the torture and abuse of those who remain in detention and access given to international humanitarian agencies.
Turks and Caicos Islands
Emma Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 9 December 2010, Official Report, columns 40-41WS, on Turks and Caicos Islands, what recent assessment he has made of the likelihood of the Turks and Caicos Islands meeting the milestones prior to 2012. [61478]
Mr Bellingham: There has not been sufficient progress to date against the milestones to conclude that they will be met prior to 2012. However, following a visit to London last week by a Turks and Caicos Islands delegation, good progress is now being made on the new Turks and Caicos Islands constitution.
Turks and Caicos Islands: Politics and Government
Emma Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the likely timetable for the restoration of self-government to the Turks and Caicos Islands. [61468]
Mr Bellingham: It remains our intention to hold elections in 2012 subject to progress against the milestones that I and the Minister of State, Department for International Development, identified in December.
Treasury
Air Passenger Duty
Dr Poulter: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effects of the introduction of regional air passenger duty rates on airlines operating in London and the South East. [61424]
Justine Greening: The Government undertook a consultation on air passenger duty from 23 March to 17 June 2011. The Government will consider the views and evidence submitted by interested parties and will publish a summary of responses in the autumn.
Big Society Bank
Paul Flynn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what terms loans are to be offered by the big society bank; and whether such loans will be on a commercial basis. [54883]
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Mr Hurd: I have been asked to reply.
The big society bank's mission is to help grow a sustainable social investment market as set out in the Government's social investment strategy published on 14 February 2011. To this end, the BSB will look to achieve returns against a double bottom line of social and financial impact. The big society bank is an independent organisation and will develop its own investment strategy.
Departmental Buildings
Jesse Norman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the address is of each office property occupied by his Department outside Greater London which it (a) owns and (b) rents; what the level of utilisation is of each such property; what the capital value is of each such property it owns; and what the (i) annual rental cost and (ii) length of lease agreement is of each rented property. [61181]
Justine Greening: HM Treasury currently rents office accommodation in Rosebery Court, Norwich from the Cabinet Office. Under a recent machinery of government change initiative, Cabinet Office assumed responsibility for the whole of that building. Treasury is in the process of reducing its holding there and is in discussion with Cabinet Office to agree final space allocation and rental figures. It is anticipated that this action will be completed in the next two-three months.
Insolvency
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was returned to HM Revenue and Customs and its predecessors as a result of insolvency proceedings in each of the last 10 years. [61699]
Mr Gauke: The information requested is not available centrally and could be researched only at disproportionate cost.
HMRC only initiates bankruptcy or winding up action where it believes this is the best course of action to protect the interests of the Exchequer in respect of a particular debt.
HMRC does not take such action lightly but will not hesitate to do so when that is the right way to protect tax revenues.
Landfill Tax
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the potential effect on local communities of any reduction in the rate of landfill tax; and if he will make a statement. [61149]
Justine Greening: The Government are committed to increasing the standard rate of landfill tax by £8 per tonne each year until 2014, and to ensuring that rate will not fall below £80 per tonne from 2014 to 2020.
A clear trajectory for the rate of landfill tax provides businesses and local authorities with confidence to make long term investments in alternative waste management facilities that will ultimately benefit both the environment and local communities.
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Northern Rock
Mr Bain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to complete the sale of Northern Rock plc. [61129]
Mr Hoban: The development and execution of strategies for disposing of the Government's shareholding in Northern Rock is part of UK Financial Investments Ltd (UKFI) remit. UKFI has been looking at the full range of alternatives for divestment, and has been exploring options based on maximising value for the taxpayer, maintaining financial stability and paying due regard to promoting competition. UKFI will provide advice on the future of Northern Rock plc to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, who will make the final decision.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer, my right hon. Friend the Member for Tatton (Mr Osborne), launched the sale process of Northern Rock plc on 15 June in his Mansion House speech. Any party, including mutuals could enter a bid for Northern Rock. At this stage all viable options remain available for further consideration including remutualisation; however, a sale is being explored as the first option. No timeframe has been set for the return of Northern Rock plc to the private sector. The Chancellor will take a decision when there is a proposition in the taxpayers' best interests.
Mr Bain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential effects of mutualisation of Northern Rock plc on the level of return to the public purse which may be achieved. [61130]
Mr Hoban: The development and execution of strategies for disposing of the Government's shareholding in Northern Rock is part of UK Financial Investments Ltd (UKFI) remit. UKFI has been looking at the full range of alternatives for divestment, and has been exploring options based on maximising value for the taxpayer, maintaining financial stability and paying due regard to promoting competition.
This included evaluating the return of Northern Rock to the mutual sector by combining it with an existing mutual or through standalone remutualisation. In conducting this analysis, UKFI, Northern Rock and their advisers Deutsche Bank assessed the value to the taxpayer that would arise from pursuing different mutual options.
As announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, my right hon. Friend the Member for Tatton (Mr Osborne), in his Mansion House Speech on 15 June the analysis conducted to date has demonstrated that the best value for the taxpayer is likely to be achieved by selling Northern Rock. This could be to a mutual organisation. At this stage all viable options remain available for further consideration including remutualisation; however, a sale is being explored as the first option.
Tax Allowances: Uprating
Mr Bain:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 15 June 2011, Official Report, column 805W, on personal taxation, if he will estimate the difference in the personal taxation payable by an individual in each tax band attributable to
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indexation of personal tax allowance by
(a)
the consumer prices index and
(b)
the retail prices index in each year from 2012-13 to 2015-16, taking account of the increases in the personal allowance in 2012-13 and future years. [61148]
Mr Gauke: Budget 2011 announced that the personal allowance for those aged under 65 would increase by £630 from April 2012, taking it from £7,475 in 2011-12 to £8,105 in 2012-13. The personal allowance will increase from 2013-14 by at least the equivalent of the Retail Prices Index (RPI) until the Government's goal of increasing the personal allowance to £10,000 is achieved.
Taking account of this announcement means there will be no alternative indexation arrangements on the level of the personal allowance in 2012-13. Starting from the announced £8,105 personal allowance in 2012-13, hypothetical estimates of the maximum increase in income tax liability attributable to indexation of the personal allowance for those aged under 65 only by CPI rather than RPI from 2013-14 are shown in the table. Separate estimates are provided for basic rate, higher rate and additional rate taxpayers.
Calculations assume income refers to employment income only.
| Marginal tax rate | |||
|
|
Basic rate | Higher rate | Additional rate (1) |
| (1) The personal allowance is reduced by £1 for every £2 of income above £100,000. Therefore additional rate and some higher rate taxpayers will have a personal allowance of zero. | |||
Ignoring the announcement that the personal allowance will rise to £8,105 in 2012-13, hypothetical impacts on tax liabilities are as given in previous answer of 15 June 2011, Official Report, column 805W, on personal taxation.
These estimates are based on the Office for Budget Responsibility's March 2011 forecast assumptions for RPI and CPI.
Taxation: Fraud
Mr Hanson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of the incidences of fraud and error recorded by HM Revenue and Customs were attributable to (a) customer error, (b) administrative error and (c) fraud in the latest period for which figures are available. [61298]
Mr Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs do not record data on fraud and error in this way and therefore it is not possible to provide an answer to the question without incurring disproportionate cost.
Taxation: Repayments
Mr Hanson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what the average sum recovered by HM Revenue and Customs was from each individual taxpayer or tax credit claimant in respect of (a) unpaid tax, (b) overpaid tax credit, (c) interest and (d) penalties in (i) 2008-09, (ii) 2009-10 and (iii) 2010-11; [61183]
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(2) how much of (a) unpaid tax and (b) overpaid tax credits were repaid following a (i) appeal and (ii) complaint in the last year for which figures are available. [61240]
Mr Gauke: The information is not available and could be researched only at disproportionate cost.
Deputy Prime Minister
Electoral Register
Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will assess the factors underlying the difference between the estimates made by private sector credit reference agencies and those of the Electoral Commission of the number of unregistered voters. [61661]
Mr Harper: The Cabinet Office is funding the Electoral Commission to carry out research to provide a robust national measure of completeness and accuracy of the registers. This study will report towards the end of 2011. Further research will be conducted to measure completeness and accuracy both before and after the move to individual electoral registration.
Voting Rights: Prisoners
Priti Patel: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 14 June 2011, Official Report, column 752W, on voting rights: prisoners, if he will request that the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers postpone any action until after the UK Chairmanship commences in November 2011. [61188]
Mr Harper: The European Court of Human Rights' decision in Greens v. MT obliges the Government to
“introduce legislative proposals to amend section 3 of the 1983 Act and, if appropriate, section 8 of the 2002 Act”
by 11 October 2011. The Committee of Ministers, which is responsible for supervising the implementation of the Court's judgments, has no power to change deadlines fixed by the Court. The UK will provide the Committee of Ministers with an update in advance of their next meeting in September.
Priti Patel: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 14 June 2011, Official Report, column 752W, on voting rights: prisoners, what the latest date is on which the Government could introduce legislation to fulfil the requirements of the judgements on prisoner voting rights. [61189]
Mr Harper Pursuant to my answer of 14 June 2011, Official Report, column 752W, in the words of the Greens and MT judgment of the European Court of Human Rights, which became final on 11 April, the Government has six months to “bring forward legislative proposals” to end the current blanket ban on prisoners voting. The Government are considering the next steps and I will inform the House when decisions on the way forward have been reached.
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Priti Patel: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 14 June 2011, Official Report, column 752W, on voting rights: prisoners, whether he has identified any legal and constitutional mechanisms which would enable the UK to maintain its existing position on the voting rights of prisoners. [61190]
Mr Harper: The ECtHR found in the case of Hirst (No.2) v. UK, that the current blanket ban on convicted and sentenced prisoners voting was contrary to Article 3, Protocol 1 of the European Convention on Human Rights (the right to free and fair elections). The more recent Greens v. MT judgment gave the UK six months from 11( )February 2011 to “;bring forward legislative proposals” to end the current blanket ban on prisoners voting.
The UK is obliged to implement judgments of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). Article 46 Section 1 of the Convention, states that each signatory shall
"undertake to abide by the final judgment of the Court in any case to which they are parties."
Priti Patel: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 10 June 2011, Official Report, columns 488-9W, on voting rights: prisoners, if he will assess the effect of the absence of details of the legislative changes which would be required to satisfy the Court in the judgments made by the European Court of Human Rights in respect of the voting rights of prisoners; and if he will ask the Committee of Ministers to consider a referral under Article 46(3) to provide further clarity on the interpretation of the judgments. [61191]
Mr Harper: The European Court of Human Rights judgment in Greens and MT v. UK recognises that a wide range of policy alternatives are available to the UK to achieve compliance with the convention.
The Government are considering the next steps and I will inform the House when decisions on the way forward have been reached.
Health
Alcoholic Drinks: Children
Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children were admitted to hospital following a suspected diagnosis of alcohol abuse in the last quarter for which figures are available. [61304]
Anne Milton: The information is in the following table.
| Number of finished admission episodes (1) with a primary diagnosis of selected ICD-10 codes (2) , by cause code (3) for those aged under 18, for 2009-10 Q4 - January, February and March 2010 | |||
| Activity in English NHS hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector | |||
| ICD-10 code | X65 | Other | Total |
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| (1) Finished admission episodes A finished admission episode (FAE) is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one health care provider. FAEs are counted against the year in which the admission episode finishes. Admissions do not represent the number of inpatients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year. (2) Primary diagnosis The primary diagnosis is the first of up to 20 (14 from 2002-03 to 2006-07 and seven prior to 2002-03) diagnosis fields in the Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) data set and provides the main reason why the patient was admitted to hospital. ICD-10 codes used: F10.1 Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of alcohol, harmful use F10.0 Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of alcohol, acute intoxication F10.2 Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of alcohol, dependence syndrome F10.3 Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of alcohol, withdrawal state F10.4 Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of alcohol, withdrawal state with delirium F10.5 Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of alcohol, psychotic disorder F10.6 Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of alcohol, amnesic syndrome F10.7 Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of alcohol, residual and late onset psychotic disorder F10.8 Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of alcohol, other mental and behavioural disorders F10.9 Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of alcohol, unspecified mental and behavioural disorders K70 Alcoholic liver disease T51.-0 Toxic effect of alcohol T51.1 Toxic effect of alcohol, Methanol T51.2 Toxic effect of alcohol, 2-Propanol T51.3 Toxic effect of alcohol, Fusel oil T51.8 Toxic effect of alcohol, other alcohol T51.9 Toxic effect of alcohol, unspecified alcohol (3) Cause code A supplementary code that indicates the nature of any external cause of injury, poisoning or other adverse effects. Only the first external cause code which is coded within the episode is counted in HES. Cause code used: X65—Intentional self-poisoning by exposure to alcohol Note: Data quality: HES are compiled from data sent by more than 300 NHS trusts and primary care trusts in England and from some independent sector organisations for activity commissioned by the English NHS. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain. Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The NHS Information Centre for health and social care | |||
Breast Cancer: Screening
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) with which primary care trusts his Department is working to implement the plan to move from film to digital breast screening services; and in what capacity; [61479]
(2) whether he has set a deadline for the completion of the move from film to digital breast screening services. [61497]
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Paul Burstow: We are in the process of extending the national health service breast screening programme (BSP) to women aged 47 to 73. The “Operating Framework for the NHS in England 2011/12” confirms that all local screening programmes should continue this extension.
One of the criteria for extension of the NHS BSP is that local screening programmes should have at least one digital mammography (DM) machine in place before they begin to extend. As at the end of May, 83% of local programmes had at least one DM machine and 35% were fully digital.
We have advised programmes to move to DM as quickly as possible as the independent Advisory Committee on Breast Cancer Screening has said that running both film and DM together is inefficient.
Clinical Physiologists: Regulation
Mrs Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations he has received on introducing statutory regulation of clinical physiology. [61345]
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Anne Milton: Following a search of the Department's correspondence and parliamentary database for 2011 we have identified eight letters and four parliamentary questions relating to the statutory regulation of clinical physiology.
Departmental Buildings
Jesse Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the address is of each office property occupied by his Department outside Greater London which it (a) owns and (b) rents; what the level of utilisation is of each such property; what the capital value is of each such property it owns; and what the (i) annual rental cost and (ii) length of lease agreement is of each rented property. [61178]
Mr Simon Burns: Details of office property owned or leased by the Department outside Greater London are as follows:
The properties include serviced accommodation and memorandum of terms of occupation where the Department is renting space from another Government body.
Departmental Parental Leave
Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his Department's policy for staff is in respect of (a) eligibility criteria and (b) rates of pay for (i) maternity and (ii) adoption leave. [61793]
Mr Simon Burns: The Department's policies in respect of maternity leave and adoption leave are set out in the relevant current documents on the Department's intranet, Delphi. Those documents will be placed in the Library.
Eligibility for maternity pay for departmental staff is as follows:
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The member of staff must complete an application form making a statement that they intend to return to work in the Department after their maternity leave, and must agree to repay any contractual payment made during that period if they fail to return. The member of staff must be in paid service, at the time the maternity leave begins, and must have completed at least one year's such service within the civil service. That service need not be continuous. (Staff in receipt of sick pay at pension rate are not regarded as being in paid service).
The rates of pay allowed to eligible staff for maternity leave are 26 weeks maternity leave on full pay and a subsequent 13 weeks paid at statutory maternity pay (SMP) rates for the period of continuous absence before and after childbirth. Even if ineligible for paid maternity leave, a member of staff still has a statutory right to 52 weeks' unpaid leave, and may qualify for SMP or maternity allowance.
Similarly, eligibility for adoption leave in the Department is as follows:
The member of staff should be newly matched with a child for adoption by an approved adoption agency and have a 'matching certificate' from that agency. The member of staff should complete an application form stating that they intend to return to work in the Department after the adoption leave period, and agree to repay any payment made during that period if they fail to return. The member of staff must be in paid service at the time that the adoption leave begins and have completed at least one year's such service within the civil service. The latter time need not be continuous.
If the staff member has not completed one year's service but has completed at least 26 weeks service, they will still be entitled to a reduced period of paid adoption leave. In these circumstances, up to 25 days' paid leave will be allowed when the child first comes under the staff member's full time care. A portion of this leave may be allocated for situations in advance of the start of full-time care. Again, staff in receipt of sick pay at pension rate are not regarded as being in paid service.
Rates of pay, allowed to fully eligible staff, for adoption leave are 26 weeks' paid adoption leave on full contractual pay , a subsequent 13 weeks paid at statutory adoption pay (SAP) and 13 weeks' unpaid leave for the period of continuous leave before and after adoption.
Departmental Regulation
Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what regulations his Department introduced between 1 March 2011 and 31 May 2011; and what the estimated costs of implementation for those affected were in each case. [60332]
Mr Simon Burns: The regulations from 1 March to 31 May, which have been implemented by the Department are in the table.
The majority of regulations are public sector, therefore are zero cost. Those regulations which could potentially impact business or civil society organisations impose no additional costs.
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Drugs: Misuse
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) whether he has had discussions with the chief superintendants overseeing the areas covered by the Randomised Injectable Opioid Treatment Trial pilots conducted by the National Addiction Centre on the effects of the pilots on offending rates; and if he will make a statement; [61312]
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(2) whether his Department plans to tender for new injectable treatment contracts in the next three months; and what (a) methods and (b) data his Department has used to assess the model used in the Randomised Injectable Opioid Treatment Trial conducted by the National Addiction Centre; [61313]
(3) what estimate he has made of the (a) long-term health outcomes for individuals, (b) effect on overdose rates and (c) long-term financial cost-benefit to the NHS arising from the Randomised Injectable Opioid Treatment Trial pilots conducted by the National Addiction Centre; and if he will make a statement. [61314]
Anne Milton: The results of the Randomised Injectable Opioid Treatment Trial were published in May 2010 in The Lancet (Lancet 2010:1885-95).
The paper looked at outcomes for people after six months in treatment. The paper concluded that; for a group of people who had failed to benefit from previous treatment; supervised injectable heroin leads to significantly lower use of street heroin than do supervised injectable methadone or optimised oral methadone. Treatment retention was improved and severe adverse events were reduced. Further reports on the findings of the Randomised Injectable Opioid Treatment Trial pilots, including their cost-effectiveness and impact on crime, are being prepared by the National Addiction Centre.
Local Drug Partnerships in the areas where the trial was conducted whose membership includes representatives of the police will have had the opportunity to discuss the results of the trial.
The 2011-12 Action plan for the National Treatment Agency for Substance misuse (NTA) asks them to explore whether the model demonstrated in the Randomised Injectable Opioid Treatment Trial can be made to work for the small number of people who may benefit, in a way that is consistent with the best use of ever tighter resources. The NTA will tender new injectable treatment contracts, subject to finances being agreed.
Family Nurse Partnership Programme: Licensing
Mr Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the total licence fee is that his Department paid for each local family nurse partnership in the last year for which figures are available. [61825]
Anne Milton: The total figure spent on the licence for new places in local family nurse partnerships in 2010-11 was £12,832. The licence costs $15 per client, covering the full two and a half years the client is receiving the programme, which equates to $6 per client each year.
Health Services: Food
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the policy of his Department is on the application to hospitals and care homes of Government buying standards on sustainably-sourced fish and seafood. [61605]
Anne Milton:
The Department recognises the Government buying standards for food and catering as good sustainable procurement practice. As such, it
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encourages national health service trusts, care homes and procurement organisations to adopt them, where appropriate.
Hepatitis: Nurses
Jason McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of hepatitis C specialist nurses per head of population in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [61559]
Anne Milton: Hepatitis C specialist nurses are not separately identified in the NHS Information Centre workforce census. Local national health service organisations with their knowledge of the health needs of their local populations are best placed to determine the staff needed to meet those needs.
Hospitals: Finance
Mr Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what payments will be made by each hospital to meet private finance initiative contracts in 2011-12; and what payments were made by each hospital for this purpose in each of the last five years. [61694]
Mr Simon Burns: Information on the annual Unitary Payments made under every signed health sector private finance initiative contract over the lifetime of the contract can be found on the HM Treasury website at:
www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/pfi_signed_projects_list_march2011.xls
These are the latest figures collected from each Department for the March 2011 Budget Report. The Unitary Payment is paid by the national health service body to the private sector counterparty to the contract and covers all the services provided under the contract—initial construction, so the capital costs (repayment of principal and financing); building maintenance; and in many cases the non-clinical support services such as cleaning, laundry, catering, portering and security. The payments are subject to meeting agreed performance and quality standards and the estimated amounts include an annual uprate assumption for inflation of 2.5% for future years.
Meat: Hygiene
Mr Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 15 June 2011, Official Report, column 878W, on meat: hygiene, if he will freeze charges to abattoirs pending the outcome of the European Commission's review. [61138]
Anne Milton:
Policy responsibility for meat hygiene controls lies with the Food Standards Agency (FSA). We are advised by the FSA that full cost recovery for meat official controls complies with FSA policy, Government guidelines, and current European Union legislation. The European Commission's review of EU charging rules is expected to reach a conclusion in the first quarter of 2012. This is expected to lead to a legislative proposal, which would then be subject to negotiation and to European Parliament and Council approval. The EU Review process is likely to take at least two more years before any agreed changes are
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incorporated within EU legislation. Any implications for United Kingdom charging policy that may arise from the EU review will be considered at the time.
Mental Illness: Cannabis
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the proportion of cannabis users who suffer from mental health problems as a result of using the drug. [61226]
Anne Milton: The Advisory Committee on the Misuse of Drugs in their report Cannabis classification and Public Health published in May 2008 states that:
‘in some people, however, intoxication leads to attacks of paranoia and confused feelings...the prevalence of these acute psychological reactions to cannabis is uncertain’.
In relation to long-term psychotic illness, the report states that:
‘on balance the council considers that the evidence points to a probable but weak causal link between psychotic illness and cannabis use. Whether such a casual link will become stronger with the wider use of higher potency cannabis products remain uncertain’.
Midwives
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many midwives there were in (a) England, (b) the North West and (c) each NHS trust in Cumbria in each of the last five years. [61733]
Anne Milton: The following table includes the information requested.
| NHS hospital and community health services: Qualified midwives in England, the North West strategic health authority area and each specified organisation as at 30 September each year | |||||
| Headcount | |||||
| 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | |
| Notes: 1. North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust and University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust are the only national health service organisations that employ midwives in the Cumbria area. 2. Data Quality:The NHS Information Centre for health and social care seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data but responsibility for data accuracy lies with the organisations providing the data. Methods are continually being updated to improve data quality where changes impact on figures already published. This is assessed but unless it is significant at national level figures are not changed. Impact at detailed or local level is footnoted in relevant analyses. The new headcount methodology for 2010 data is not fully comparable with previous years’ data due to improvements that make it a more stringent count of absolute staff numbers. Further information on the headcount methodology is available in the Census publication here: www.ic.nhs.uk/webfiles/publications/010_Workforce/nhsstaff0010/Census_Bulletin_March_2011_Final.pdf Source: The NHS Information Centre for health and social care Non-medical Workforce Census. | |||||
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NHS: EU Law
Mr Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the legal advice he has received on the position of the NHS in respect of EU competition law under his revised legislative proposals for reorganisation of the NHS. [61691]
Mr Simon Burns: Legal advice was integral to the Department’s advice to Ministers on the introduction of the Health and Social Care Bill. However, no separate legal advice has been commissioned by officials on the impact of the Bill on the application of European Union competition law to the national health service. This is because the Bill does not change EU competition law and the Government's proposals made in response to the NHS Future Forum's report would not change this position.
Tobacco: Olympic Games 2012
Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has had discussions with the London Organisation Committee of the Olympic Games on the provision of technical support by the World Health Organisation for implementation of a tobacco-free policy at the London 2012 Olympics. [61436]
Anne Milton: Officials in the Department for Health and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport have discussed our shared aspiration for a tobacco-free Games with the London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG). At this stage, LOCOG has not considered the role of the World Health Organisation in supporting this aspiration.
Communities and Local Government
Audit Commission: Consultants
Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 28 February 2011, Official Report, column 105W, on the Audit Commission: consultants, what the name is of each councillor paid by the Audit Commission for consultancy work in the last three years for which figures are available; and how much has been paid to each such councillor in that period. [61782]
Robert Neill: This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission and I have asked the chief executive of the Audit Commission to respond to my hon. Friend direct.
Letter from Eugene Sullivan, dated 23 June 2011:
Your parliamentary question has been passed to me for reply.
The Audit Commission has made payments to councillors from April 2008 to March 2011, as detailed in the appendix.
The Improvement and Development Agency (IDeA) Peer Clearing House sourced and accredited councillor peers.
The payments were for peer councillor contribution to the nationally agreed programmes of council corporate assessments, as part of Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA) and for Comprehensive Area Assessment (CAA) judgements that were being formulated for 2010. Input by elected members was a key component of the process to ensure all judgements took full account of peer and practitioner experience.
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Peer Councillors were paid a standard national daily rate for each day they were on site. In 2008/09 this varied from £200 to
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£300 per day, depending on the type of work. In 2009/10 this became a single rate of £300. Travel costs were paid in addition.
| £ | ||||
| Amount paid | ||||
| Name | 2008/09 | 2009/10 | 2010/11 | Total |