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Departmental Redundancy
Tessa Jowell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent estimate his Department has made of the cost to the public purse of redundancies in its non-departmental bodies (a) in 2011-12 and (b) over the comprehensive spending review period. [61718]
Mr Davey [holding answer 23 June 2011]: At this stage it is too early to be able to make an accurate estimate of the total cost to the public purse of redundancies in this Department's non-departmental public bodies in (a) 2011-12 and (b) over the comprehensive spending review period.
Fuels: Prices
Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of supermarket pricing strategies for road fuel. [62538]
Mr Davey: None. Competition matters relating to pricing strategies fall to the Office of Fair Trading to investigate.
Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the effect of supermarket fuel pricing policies on independent petrol forecourt operators. [62539]
Mr Davey: None. Competition matters related to pricing policies of individual firms fall to the Office of Fair Trading.
Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions he has had with supermarkets on their road fuel pricing policies. [62540]
Mr Davey: None. Competition matters related to pricing policies of individual firms fall to the Office of Fair Trading.
Further Education: Student Numbers
Elizabeth Truss: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the average number of students in (a) sixth form and (b) other types of further education sector colleges was (i) on the latest date for which figures are available, (ii) in 2001 and (iii) in 1991. [62153]
Mr Hayes [holding answer 27 June 2011]: Table 1 which follows shows further education learner participation by provider type for 2009/10 the latest year for which full year data is available. We hold data centrally for 2002/03 onwards, but not for 2001/02 or earlier.
Additionally, table 2 as follows shows a snapshot of participation by 16-18 year olds in education by institution type in 1991, 2001 and 2009. This information is published in a Department for Education Statistical First Release called ‘Participation in Education, Training and Employment by 16-18 year olds in England, which can be found at:
http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000938/index.shtml
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| Table 1: Further education learner participation by provider type, 2009/10 | |||||
|
|
Age | General FE college including tertiary | Sixth form college | Special colleges | All further education learner participation |
| Notes: 1. Volumes are rounded to the nearest ten. 2. This data covers participation in learner responsive, apprenticeships, train to gain, adult safeguarded learning and university for industry provision, further education/learner responsive provision includes general further education colleges including tertiary, sixth form colleges—agricultural and horticultural colleges and art and design colleges, specialist colleges and external institutions. 3. Total FE provision is not the sum of general FE colleges, sixth form colleges and special colleges. Total FE provision also includes other public funded, private sector public funded and schools. Source: Individualised Learner Record | |||||
Data showing further education participation and achievement by provider type is available as a cascade of the Further Education and Skills Statistical First Release (SFR). The latest SFR was published on the 23 June 2011 and can be found at:
http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/sfr_current/
| Table 2: Participation by 16 to 18 year olds in education by institution type, 1991, 2001 and 2009 | ||
|
|
General FE, tertiary and specialist colleges | Sixth form colleges |
| Notes: 1. Participation is based on snapshot data as at 1 November. 2. Age is based on age at the start of the academic year. 3. Participation includes both full and part-time education. Source: DfE: ‘Participation in Education, Training and Employment by 16-18 year olds in England’. | ||
Green Investment Bank
Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what criteria he plans to use to evaluate bids for the creation of the Green Investment Bank. [62668]
Mr Prisk: The location for the headquarters of the Green Investment Bank will be chosen to enable it best to deliver its mission. The criteria will be: (1) ability to deliver the Green Investment Bank mission, (2) operational costs, and (3) access to required talent. Fuller details of these criteria are set out in Section 2.8 of the “Update on the design of the Green Investment Bank” which I published on 23 May. This decision will be taken in due course.
Multinational Companies
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what definition of micro-multinational his Department uses. [62746]
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Mr Prisk: BIS does not have a standard definition of a micro-multinational.
However, this Department produces annual estimates of the number of enterprises in the UK and for these purposes a micro firm is classified as one with between zero and nine employees.
An EU definition of a micro enterprise was adopted on 1 January 2005. It applies to all polices applied within the European Economic Area and the criteria are:
Maximum headcount of nine (employees and self-employed)
Maximum annual turnover of €2million (euros)
Maximum annual balance sheet total of €2million (euros).
Outer Space Act 1986
Stephen McPartland: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what progress he has made on implementing reform of the Outer Space Act 1986 for the purposes of capping liabilities for UK operators and reducing third party insurance requirements. [62514]
Mr Willetts: Officials are reviewing the Outer Space Act 1986 with a view to making changes, as stated in the Plan for Growth. A number of preliminary meetings have taken place between industry and officials and an impact assessment is nearing completion. Further details regarding process and timescales will be published in due course.
Public Sector: Procurement
Alun Michael: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what information his Department issues to other Government Departments and public bodies on the use of TrustMark accredited firms when letting contracts; and if he will make a statement. [62594]
Mr Prisk: TrustMark (2005) Ltd is responsible for promoting and raising awareness of the scope and benefits of the TrustMark scheme, which is geared towards the domestic repair, maintenance and improvement sector, rather than the contracting environment. Where appropriate, BIS helps TrustMark to make the necessary connections with other Departments and public bodies
South East England Development Agency
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills which sites are owned by the South East of England Regional Development Agency within the boundaries of (a) New Forest District council, (b) Rushmoor borough council, (c) Test Valley borough council, (d) Winchester city council, (e) Portsmouth city council, (f) Southampton city council and (g) Isle of Wight council. [62310]
Mr Prisk: South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) owns the following sites within the boundaries of:
(a) New Forest d istrict c ouncil:
Hythe Marine Park
(c) Test Valley borough council:
Andover Innovation Centre
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Land at Tipner
Coburg Street/Drivers Wharf, Northam
Centenary Quay, Woolston
Former North Works, East Cowes
Island Technology Park, Whippingham
Land at Kingston
Land at Three Gates Road, Cowes
Land at Lake
Ryde Business Park
Former West Medina Mills, Newport
No sites owned by SEEDA are within the boundaries of Rushmoor borough council or Winchester city council.
Space Technology
Stephen McPartland: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment his Department has made of the recommendation in the Space Innovation and Growth Strategy to provide more capital guarantees and anchor tenancy agreements, including amending the policy of the Export Credits Guarantee Department to promote UK manufacturing and satellite financing in the UK. [62515]
Mr Willetts: The UK Space Agency is part of the industry-led implementation team that is assessing the evidence and need for more capital guarantees and will report its findings in due course. The Export Credits Guarantee Department has engaged with companies in the UK space sector about the availability of the support it can provide.
UK Trade & Investment
Sheryll Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what conferences his Department has sponsored in support of UK Trade & Industry aboard Royal Navy warships in the last 10 years. [62107]
Mr Prisk [holding answer 27 June 2011]: From information readily available, since its creation on 1 April 2008, UK Trade & Investment Defence and Security Organisation (UKTI DSO) has supported a UK/Brazil Industry and Government conference and Defence and Security Industry Day on board HMS OCEAN in Rio de Janeiro on 13 and 14 September 2010.
Cabinet Office
Capita
Tristram Hunt: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many contracts his Department has awarded to Capita since May 2010; and what the (a) monetary value and (b) net worth was of each contract. [62731]
Mr Maude:
Since May 2010, the Cabinet Office has awarded three contracts to Capita. Of these, two have individual values of £3,135 and £9,333 (excluding VAT).
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A third is billed on a volume-usage basis, and at the time of responding, £930 (excluding VAT) had been paid under this contract.
Civil Servants: Trade Unions
Priti Patel: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what his estimate is of the number of (a) civil servants who have used facility time to attend trade union conferences, meetings and other events since January 2011, (b) hours of facility time used by civil servants since January 2011 and (c) the cost to the public purse of such time. [57627]
Mr Maude: The authority to grant facilities/time off to trades union representatives is delegated to departments; therefore individual departments are responsible for these costs. The information requested is not collected centrally.
Departmental Billing
Mr Denham: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many invoices received by his Department were paid (a) on time and (b) late in each month since May 2010; and what the monetary value is of the invoices paid late. [62491]
Mr Maude: The Cabinet Office aims to pay all undisputed invoices within the terms of contract, usually 30 days of receipt of a valid invoice. The Cabinet Office is additionally committed to the prompt payment code and aims to pay all correctly rendered invoices as soon as possible within both a five day and 10-day payment target. The Department's performance against the 30-day target since May 2010 is shown in the following table:
|
|
Number paid within 30-days | Value of invoices paid within 30-days (£) | Number paid after 30-days | Value of invoices paid after 30-days (£) |
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EU Public Procurement Policy
Stephen Gilbert: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office when he expects to publish the Government's response to the European Commission's consultation on the modernisation of EU public procurement policy; and if he will make a statement. [62849]
Mr Maude: The Government's response to the European Commission's consultation on the modernisation of EU public procurement policy is in the process of being finalised.
Once finalised, the response will be published on the Cabinet Office website. It is intended this will be by the end of July 2011.
Senior Civil Servants
Mr Jenkin: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the (a) name, (b) position, (c) salary and (d) date of appointment is of (i) the Cabinet Secretary and each permanent secretary in the Civil Service in receipt of a salary higher than that of the Prime Minister and (ii) each other civil service or other governmental post in receipt of such a salary. [62507]
Mr Maude: As part of the commitment to making Government more transparent and accountable, Departments are required to publish structure charts every six months showing the names, job roles and pay details for their senior staff, including Permanent Secretaries. These structure charts include information on individuals whose salary is higher than the Prime Minister’s. Departmental structure charts can be found at:
http://data.gov.uk/organogram.
The names and dates of appointment for Permanent Secretaries with a salary higher than the Prime Minister are set out as follows. Cabinet Office does not collect information on the dates of appointment for other senior posts in Departments.
| Name | Department/Organisation | Date in post | Salaries in £5,000 bands |
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Deputy Prime Minister
Returning Officers: Expenditure
Andrew Selous: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much funding central Government provided for the payment of each returning officer for their services in conducting (a) elections and (b) the referendum on the alternative vote in May 2011. [62351]
Mr Harper: The maximum recoverable amounts which returning officers/counting officers are entitled to claim for their services and expenses in conducting national elections and referendums are set out in statutory orders which are made by the Minister prior to the date of the poll.
The relevant orders are the Parliamentary Elections (Returning Officers' Charges) Order 2010 and the Referendum on the Voting System (Counting Officers' and Regional Counting Officers Charges) Order 2011 which were made respectively for the 2010 UK parliamentary election and the referendum on the voting system which took place earlier this year. These can be found at:
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2010/830/contents/made
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2011/1099/article/3/made
The overall maximum recoverable amounts for all returning officers and counting officers that could be claimed were £2,206,955 for the 2010 UK parliamentary election and £2,469,258 for the referendum on the voting system.
However, as the figures listed in the charges order are maximum recoverable amounts, we will only know the actual totals claimed once all claims have been received from returning officers/counting officers and settled for both polls.
Voting Rights: Prisoners
Priti Patel: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the implications for the UK of the decisions reached at the 1115th meeting of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe in respect of the voting rights of prisoners; and what position the UK representative at the meeting took on the resolution and decision made in respect of the execution of the Hirst (No.2) v . the United Kingdom judgement. [62543]
Mr Harper:
The decision in respect of Hirst (No. 2) v. the United Kingdom was adopted by the Committee of Ministers at their 1115th meeting without discussion. It reflects the Court's judgments in that case and the case of Greens and MT v. the United Kingdom. As there
29 Jun 2011 : Column 847W
was no discussion or resolution adopted there was no opportunity for the UK delegate to state a position.
Priti Patel: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) with reference to the decision reached at the 1115th meeting of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe in respect of the voting rights of prisoners and the execution of the Hirst (No.2) v. the United Kingdom judgement, whether he has begun preparation of the action plan to submit to the Committee of Ministers; and when he expects the action plan to be submitted to the Committee of Ministers; [62544]
(2) what his policy is on proposing amendments to the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill to make provision to extend the franchise to prisoners; what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Justice on this issue; and if he will make a statement. [62648]
Mr Harper: The Government are considering the next steps and I will inform the House when decisions on the way forward have been reached.
Priti Patel: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will place in the Library a copy of each item of correspondence between the Government and each institution of the Council of Europe in respect of the voting rights of prisoners. [62545]
Mr Harper: Information submitted to the Committee of Ministers by the UK Government on prisoner voting rights is published on its website
http://www.coe.int/T/CM/home_en.asp
Wales
Policing and Justice
13. Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions she has had with ministerial colleagues on policing and justice in Wales. [61876]
Mr David Jones: Effective policing and an efficient justice system in Wales are of utmost importance to this Government. My right hon. Friend and I have had regular discussions with Cabinet and ministerial colleagues on matters affecting policing and justice, and law and order in Wales.
Departmental Billing
Mr Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many invoices received by her Department have been paid (a) on time and (b) late in each month since May 2010; and what the monetary value is of the invoices paid late. [62482]
Mr David Jones: My Department has received the following number of invoices each month since May 2010:
|
|
Paid on time | Paid outside 10 days | Monetary value |
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Devolution
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions she has had with the First Minister on the remit of a commission on devolution and funding for Wales. [61867]
Mrs Gillan: I refer the hon. Gentleman, to my answer to the right hon. Member for Torfaen (Paul Murphy) earlier today.
Energy: River Severn
Dr Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change on that Department's feasibility report on tidal energy options in the Severn estuary; and if she will make a statement. [62003]
Mrs Gillan: I have discussed the feasibility report on tidal energy in the Severn estuary with Ministers from the Department of Energy and Climate Change.
While the study does not set out a strategic case for public investment in a tidal energy scheme in the Severn estuary at this time, it does not rule out a barrage scheme as an option in the future, or rule out consideration of any proposals that may come forward from private investors.
Renewable Energy
Dr Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions she has had with the First Minister of the Welsh Government on the research and development of renewable sources of energy in Wales; and if she will make a statement. [62000]
Mrs Gillan: I have regular discussions with the First Minister on energy policy and I welcome the fact that Wales is playing a key role in finding new and innovative low carbon technologies to help us meet the challenges we face.
Wales has a number of excellent research and development facilities engaged in research on renewable energy.
The approval by the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change for Tidal Energy Limited's 1.2 MW ‘Deltastream’ test device off the coast of Pembrokeshire is a further indication of the high quality research that is going on in Wales.
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Wind Power
Dr Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions she has had with the First Minister of the Welsh Government on planning powers for on-shore wind generation projects in Wales; and if she will make a statement. [62001]
Mrs Gillan: I have regular discussions with the First Minister about issues that affect Wales, including energy policy.
The current planning system provides a streamlined regime that minimises delays and ensures investor confidence.
Energy and Climate Change
Biofuels: Timber
Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will estimate the amount of wood biomass which was burnt in each year since 2007; what total subsidy was provided for biomass under the renewables obligation in each year since 2007; and how much such subsidy will be provided in each year from 2011 to 2020. [62692]
Gregory Barker: Biomass generators reported to Ofgem that some 2.14 million tonnes of wood were combusted for energy in 2009-10. This total consists of those feedstocks identified by generators as being sourced from forestry wood, recycled wood, wood and miscanthus blend, or unspecified wood. Figures for 2010-11 are expected to be published by Ofgem during the summer. Comparable information is not available before April 2009.
Regarding the total subsidies provided for biomass (both wood and non wood sources) under the renewables obligation (RO) I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 10 March 2011, Official Report, column 1294W, regarding incentives for biomass projects between 2002-03 to 2009-10.
The number of ROCs issued in 2010-11 is not yet confirmed by Ofgem but preliminary reports suggest just under 10 million renewable obligation certificates (ROCs) were issued for all biomass technologies under the RO last year (ie dedicated, CHP, co-firing, landfill gas, sewage gas and advanced conversion technologies). The value of the 2010-11 RO buyout price is £36.99 giving a total value of some £370 million for 2010-11 biomass generation.
In terms of future subsidies, we anticipate that new dedicated biomass capacity in 2011-12 could result in an additional 0.8 million ROCs of support, increasing to around 3.2 million ROCs in 2012-13. Assuming the same ROC value as 2010-11, this would represent additional support of £29.6 million in 2011-12 and £118.4 million in 2012-13.
It is not possible to estimate the total support that will be provided to biomass under the RO beyond April 2013. RO support rates for biomass electricity from April 2013-March 2017 will be decided later this year, following consultation this summer. Biomass electricity generators can also benefit from support under forthcoming electricity market reform arrangements.
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Capita
Tristram Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many contracts his Department has awarded to Capita since May 2010; and what the (a) monetary value and (b) net worth was of each contract. [62726]
Gregory Barker: The Department of Energy and Climate Change has awarded the following contracts to the Capita group companies since May 2010. The amounts shown represent payments made to date and not the full life costs which are not available:
Capita Business Services Limited: two contracts with individual payment values to date of £3,855 and £42,855. The total net worth is £46,710.
Capita Resourcing Limited: four contracts with individual payment values to date of £40,824, £1,225, £47,947 and £30,704. The total net worth to date is £120,700.
Capita Symons Limited: one contract with payments to date of £37,496.
Capita Health Solutions: one contract with payments to date of £254.
Carbon Emissions: Industry
Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (1) what types of mitigation measures he is considering to protect energy-intensive industries from the effect of carbon price support in addition to those announced in the 2011 Budget; [62611]
(2) when he expects to conclude his Department's consultation with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and energy intensive industries on protecting those industries from the effect of a carbon floor price. [62612]
Gregory Barker: The Government are considering a wide range of mitigation measures to ensure British industry retains its competitiveness during the transition to a low-carbon economy. We expect to conclude our joint analysis with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills in time to announce a package of measures by the end of the year.
Electricity Generation
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 7 June 2011, Official Report, column 103W, on electricity generation, when he expects to announce whether the electricity market reform proposals will be subject to the control framework for DECC-levy funded spending. [60263]
Charles Hendry: If the EMR proposals are classified as tax and spend and yet are deficit neutral then they will fall within the control framework. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is responsible for the classification of transactions, and provides the final decision on classification where Government requests this or where it decides it needs to consider a policy. A final decision would only be made once the full details of a policy have been confirmed by Government.
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In some cases the Government does treat policies as tax and/or spending ahead of a formal ONS decision. This would happen where the Government judges it can have reasonable confidence regarding the classification. In the case of the EMR proposals it remains too early for Government to make any such judgment, and/or determine whether it will request a formal ONS classification decision, as the full details of the policy are still to be confirmed.
Electricity Industry: Theft
Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what information his Department holds on the (a) number of metal thefts or attempted metal thefts from the electricity industry in each region, (b) cost of repairs arising from such theft or attempted theft, (c) number of fatalities and injuries of people engaging in such theft, (d) number of prosecutions for such theft or attempted theft, (e) number of convictions for such theft or attempted theft and (f) fines levied by the regulator in each region and for each energy supplier as a result of loss of electricity supply due to such theft or attempted theft since 2005. [62603]
Charles Hendry: The Department does not collect information concerning: the number of instances; the cost of repairs; the number of fatalities or injuries; the number of prosecutions or convictions or the value of the fines levied by Ofgem, resulting from metal thefts or attempted metal thefts experienced by electricity network operators.
The Energy Networks Association on behalf of the energy sector manages a Security Incident Reporting System (SIRS) database that collects data on security incidents experienced by electricity network operators. The vast majority of incidents recorded relate to metal theft but can also include battery theft, vandalism, suspicious persons and suspicious vehicles. The SIRS database was commissioned on 1 September 2009. Between this date and 31 January 2011 there have been 4,925 recorded security incidents.
Energy: Finance
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much funding for energy sector research and development his Department has provided to the (a) private and (b) public sector in the latest period for which figures are available. [60146]
Charles Hendry: The Department of Energy and Climate Change provided £50.8 million towards energy research and development during the financial year 2010-11. £1 million of this went to various non-private sector bodies such as universities, Research Councils and the Forestry Commission. The remaining £49.8 million was spent with the private sector.
Energy: Meters
Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he plans to establish the stakeholder group on the operational aspects of smart meter roll-out; what its remit will be; and how many members the group will have. [62230]
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Charles Hendry: The Government recognise that a variety of operational issues could arise in individual cases during the rollout of smart meters. Most of these issues are well understood and are dealt with by industry as part of business as usual activities. The Government will ensure that the scale and nature of these issues are well understood by all parties and will seek assurance that appropriate plans and processes are put in place to address them.
The March 2011 Government Response to the Prospectus Consultation proposed to establish a stakeholder group to facilitate the identification and discussion of these issues. We are considering the terms of reference and membership for this group and will publish further details shortly.
European Project Bond Initiative
Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what discussions his Department has had with the European Commission on the European Project Bond Initiative. [58891]
Justine Greening: I have been asked to reply.
The Government's discussions with the European Commission on the EU's Project Bond Initiative are led by HM Treasury. Officials from the Department have held technical discussions with officials from the Commission and from the European Investment Bank on the financial aspects of the proposal.
The Government are willing to consider a greater role for the EIB and the private sector in relation to infrastructure investment, in order to deliver a smaller EU budget overall.
Garages and Petrol Stations
Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (1) what information his Department holds on the number of independent filling stations in the UK in (a) 2000 and (b) 2010; [62650]
(2) what the Government's policy is on the future of the independent petrol and diesel filling station sector. [62655]
Charles Hendry: Data held by DECC indicate that there were 7,310 and 5,312 independently owned fuel retailer sites in 2000 and 2010 respectively.
Independent forecourt operators make a significant contribution to ensuring the availability of fuel across the UK.
There is a diverse, open and competitive fuel retail market which is regulated by the Office of Fair Trading, through enforcement of competition law, ensuring that markets work well for the benefit of consumers.
Natural Gas
Caroline Lucas:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the (a) number of wells required for commercial extraction of the same amount of (i) shale gas and (ii) conventional gas, (b) risks presented by contaminated
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and abandoned sites where shale gas production is stopped and
(c)
availability of mechanisms to mitigate such risks; and if he will make a statement. [62810]
Charles Hendry: Shale gas has not as yet been commercially proven in the UK and it is too early to make useful estimates of the relative numbers of wells which would be required as compared to conventional gas.
There is a robust regulatory regime in place administered by DECC, the Health and Safety Executive, the respective environment agencies, and local planning authorities to ensure that drilling sites are properly managed during the exploration and production phase and are properly decommissioned and left environmentally safe once development and production has ceased.
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the average volume of (a) water, (b) chemical additives and (c) waste water generated in a hydraulic fracturing well for shale gas; whether he plans to (i) prohibit and (ii) require public disclosure of the use of any chemicals used for hydraulic fracturing; and if he will make a statement. [62811]
Charles Hendry: Operations, including water volumes, are dependent on the parameters of a specific project. There is only one active shale gas exploration project taking place in the UK at present—Cuadrilla's operations in Lancashire. For this project I understand that Cuadrilla anticipates using approximately 1,600 cubic metres of water for each hydraulic fracture operation.
The hydraulic fracturing fluids used to date by Cuadrilla are made up as follows: fresh water and sand—99.96% and polyacrylamide friction reducers—0.04%. Other potential additives include hydrochloric acid, typically at a concentration of 0.125%, or biocide at a concentration of 0.005% if required to purify the local water supply.
The amount of waste water generated will again be project dependent. Issues surrounding public disclosure of chemicals used in hydraulic fracture are a matter for the respective environment agencies. Cuadrilla publishes all of its chemicals on its website.
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will make it his policy to implement a moratorium on shale gas activity in the UK; and if he will make a statement. [62814]
Charles Hendry: The UK has a long history of onshore gas exploration. The range of techniques employed in shale gas drilling and testing operations is broadly similar to those used for orthodox gas production, and there is a strong regulatory safety and environmental regime in place administered by the Health and Safety Executive, local authorities and the relevant environmental agencies to ensure that potential risks to safety or the environment are properly managed. On the basis of available information, the Department sees no need for a moratorium on shale gas activities in the UK.
Caroline Lucas:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Blackpool North and Cleveleys of 10 June 2011, Official Report, columns 549-50W, on
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natural gas: Fylde, whether future applications for hydraulic fracturing operations for the extraction of shale gas will also be subject to a geomechanical study, along with further work by the British Geological Survey and relevant academic institutions, before any operations are permitted; and if he will make a statement. [62819]
Charles Hendry: The geomechanical study currently being carried out is looking specifically at the geological and seismic properties of the rock strata and shale in and around Poulton-le-Fylde, and any linkages between the recent seismic tremors and hydraulic fracturing operations in the area. The study and its implications will be reviewed before any decision on the resumption of these hydraulic fracture operations is made.
The information requirements for the consideration of future fracturing operations will depend on the findings of the current study and on the geological setting of any work proposed.
Renewable Energy
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent discussions he has had with representatives of the anaerobic digestion sector since (a) publication of the proposed tariff changes in March 2011 and (b) confirmation on 9 June 2011 of the tariff changes to take effect from 1 August 2011. [61215]
Gregory Barker: DECC Ministers and officials have had discussions with various anaerobic digestion (AD) producers and installers, gas transporters, farming and industry trade associations, research bodies and Members of Parliament. A range of issues have been covered, including advice on getting started with AD; problems with injecting biomethane into the gas grid; the drafting of the AD Strategy and Action Plan, which was published earlier this month and sets out the actions to be taken to overcome the key barriers to deployment; and the consultations on the Feed-in Tariffs (FIT) Scheme. Following the publication of the Government's decision on the fast-track review of the FITs scheme, officials contacted key stakeholders to explain the decision on the tariff changes.
Home Department
Antisocial Behaviour Orders: Tooting
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many interim antisocial behaviour orders are to be withdrawn in Tooting constituency under her proposals to end such measures. [62126]
James Brokenshire:
The antisocial behaviour order data collection records details of full antisocial behaviour orders issued only. It is not possible to provide data relating to interim antisocial behaviour orders. We have recently consulted on changes to the tools and powers to tackle antisocial behaviour—including the antisocial behaviour order—and are currently considering the responses. The details of how the new tools and powers will work will be set out when bringing forward legislative
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proposals following that consultation. In the interim, powers to obtain and use antisocial behaviour orders remain in full force and effect. Practitioners should continue to use such powers where appropriate.
Arrests
Yvette Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were arrested for a qualifying offence under section 7 of the Crime and Security Act 2010 between 2006-07 and 2009-10; and how many such people were charged with an offence. [62199]
Mrs May [holding answer 27 June 2011]:Section 7 of the Crime and Security Act 2010 provision was brought into effect on 7 March 2011.
It is not possible to separately identify arrests for qualifying offences under section 7 of the Crime and Security Act 2010 from data held centrally.
Asylum: EU Countries
Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will offer support to the governments of countries of southern Europe to improve their administrative capacity to deal with asylum cases; and if she will make a statement. [62681]
Damian Green: The Government are committed to offering the kind of support to which my hon. Friend refers.
In the last six months, we have sent a number of asylum experts to Greece as members of EU teams coordinated by the European Asylum Support Office (EASO). Three further UK experts are due to be deployed to Greece in the next few months under the auspices of EASO to support the delivery of improvements to the asylum system there. Separately, the UK has given £238,500 to UNHCR for projects related to asylum reform in Greece.
We have also recently assisted Malta with language analysis to help their authorities determine asylum seekers' countries of origin more effectively, and have made clear both to Malta and Italy our willingness to provide further practical support should it be necessary.
Burglary: Warrington
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offences of burglary were recorded in Warrington North constituency in each of the last three years for which figures are available. [62369]
James Brokenshire: Offences recorded by the police in England and Wales are not available at constituency level. Figures are collected at community safety partnership (CSP) level, which broadly equate to local authority areas.
The Warrington North constituency comes within the Warrington CSP and the requested figures on recorded burglaries are given in the table. Local police recorded crime statistics broken down by offence group and local authority area are available on the Home Office website via the following web address:
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http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/science-research/research-statistics/crime/crime-statistics-internet/
| Numbers of burglary offences recorded by the police in the Warrington CSP, 2008 - 10 | |||
| Offence | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
Crime Prevention: Business
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to reduce the number of small businesses affected by crime. [61998]
James Brokenshire: The Home Office co-chair the National Retail Crime Steering Group, the national partnership to tackle retail crime. Membership is drawn from across the retail sector, but includes small business representation from the Federation of Small Businesses and the Association of Convenience Stores in particular.
The Steering Group is delivering a work plan focused on the key crime priorities that affect retailers. This includes strengthening local partnerships between businesses and law enforcement agencies; taking steps to develop safe working and trading environments; supporting designing out crime techniques and working with the criminal justice system to ensure that effective sanctions and deterrents to retail crime are available.
The National Retail Crime Steering Group also considers business sector interaction with the Government's reform programme, including the recent consultation on “A More Effective Response to Antisocial Behaviour” and the introduction of Police and Crime Commissioners.
Crime Prevention: Young People
Yvette Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much funding her Department has allocated to the Positive Futures programme in (a) 2011-12, (b) the preceding three years and (c) the remaining years of the comprehensive spending review period. [61787]
Mrs May [holding answer 23 June 2011]: The total Home Office allocation for the Positive Futures programme in 2011-12 is £5,707,000.
The allocations for the preceding three years were as follows:
|
|
£ |
These figures include funding for the management and monitoring and analysis services.
Crimes of Violence: Havering
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to tackle violent crime in the London borough of Havering. [62111]
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James Brokenshire: Operational decisions regarding violent crime in Havering are for the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis and the London borough of Havering to agree between them.
Cybercrime
Yvette Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent estimate she has made of the cost to the UK of cyber crime. [62659]
Mrs May [holding answer 28 June 2011]:The Cost of Cyber Crime, a report published in February 2011 by the Office of Cyber Security and Information Assurance in the Cabinet Office, in partnership with Detica, estimates the most likely cost to the UK economy as £27 billion per annum.
Demonstrations: Buckingham Palace
Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions she had with (a) the Metropolitan Police and (b) the Royal Parks Agency on protests Republic plans to hold outside Buckingham Palace. [62032]
Nick Herbert: There were no such discussions with the Metropolitan police or the Royal Parks Agency about the protest by Republic on 25 June 2011.
Domestic Violence: EU Law
Emma Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 13 June 2011, Official Report, column 653W, on domestic violence, which articles of the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence she supports in their present form. [62397]
Lynne Featherstone: Pursuant to the answer of 13 June 2011, Official Report, column 653W, the process of considering the articles is continuing and we are not yet in a position to make the final decision on signature and ratification. We are reviewing whether the requirements of the Convention are best placed to support our existing work to tackle violence against women and girls and domestic violence in the UK.
Drugs: Misuse
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what estimate her Department has made of the number of young people regularly using substances which may result in legal highs; [61736]
(2) what recent research her Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the effects on users of substances which may provide legal highs. [61738]
James Brokenshire: Preliminary findings from the 2009-10 British Crime Survey (BCS) ‘Drug Misuse Declared’ report (based on six months data) showed that 1.2% of young people aged 16 to 24-years-old used ‘Spice’ in the last year (or another synthetic cannabinoid), 1.4% used BZP (Benzylpiperazine) and 0.5% used GBL/GHB (Gammabutyrolactone/Gammahydroxybutrate).
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It is important to note that these substances were brought under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 in December 2009, part way through the reporting period. The results were published in July 2010 and are available at:
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/crime-research/hosb1310/hosb1310
Estimates based on a full year of data for all ‘legal high’-type drugs included in the BCS (including mephedrone) will be available in the ‘Drugs Misuse Declared 2010-11’ report, to be published in July 2011.
The Home Office has not commissioned or evaluated any research on the effects on users of any new psychoactive substances (termed ‘legal highs’). The Home Office has requested that the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) consider a number of individual new psychoactive substances (and where appropriate, the family of related substances). The ACMD reports have made an assessment of the harms of these substances to users based on available evidence as well as recommendation for their control under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and can be found at:
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/agencies-public-bodies/acmd/reports- research/
Extradition: USA
Yvette Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment she has made of the operation of the UK-US Extradition Treaty. [61960]
Mrs May [holding answer 27 June 2011]: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer of 18 October 2010, Official Report, column 521W. The US-UK extradition treaty is one of the matters being considered by the extradition review panel. The panel is expected to report back to the Government by the end of the summer 2011.
Fixed Penalties
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were rearrested after the issue of a (a) fixed penalty notice, (b) non-endorsable fixed penalty notice and (c) penalty notice for disorder within six months of the issue of the notice in each financial year since 2007-08; and in how many such cases the individual was subsequently dealt with (i) by the courts and (ii) by the issue of a further penalty notice. [61416]
Nick Herbert: Information on re-arrests is not collected centrally.
The Home Office holds statistics on the number of fixed penalty notices issued for motoring offences and their outcomes. The Ministry of Justice holds statistics on fixed penalty notices for disorder.
From these data, it is not possible to separately identify persons issued with further fixed penalty notices after an original offence.
Published data on notices issued and outcomes, taken from the Home Office bulletin ‘Police Powers and Procedures 2009-10’ and the Ministry of Justice bulletin ‘Criminal Statistics, England and Wales’, are available in the Library of the House. For convenience, copies of the most recent published data for both types (including
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those unpaid fines pursued by the courts), from 2007 onwards (calendar year) are provided in the tables.
| Fixed p enalty n otices for motoring offences by result, 2007 to 2009 | |||
| Outcome | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
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| (1) Unpaid fines increased by 50% after deadline is passed. (2) Unpaid fines referred to courts for prosecution. | |||
| Table 2.4: Number of penalty notices for disorder issued to all persons aged 16 and over, by age group and year, 2005-09 (1) England and Wales | |||||||
| Of those paid | |||||||
| Year and age group | Number issued | Total paid in full | % | Paid in full within 21 days | % | Paid in full outside 21 days | % |
| Other outcomes | ||||||||||
| Year and age group | Fine registered | % | Court hearing requested | % | PND cancelled | % | Potential prosecution | % | Outcome unknown | % |
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| (1) Percentages may not add up due to rounding | ||||||||||
Foreign Workers: EU Nationals
Mrs Main: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 21 June 2011, Official Report, column 191W, on foreign workers: EU nationals, what (a) representations and (b) correspondence she has received on extension of the transitional arrangements for payment of benefits to migrant workers from EU accession states. [62055]
Damian Green: The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions’ earlier reply addressed the question of benefits. The transitional arrangements to which that reply referred are concerned specifically with access to the labour market. The labour market restrictions currently applied to Bulgarian and Romanian nationals may be extended to the end of 2013 if to do otherwise would result in serious labour market disturbance. The Government have asked the Migration Advisory Committee to review the labour market case for maintaining the restrictions and it will be appropriate for the Committee to consider any representations which are relevant to its terms of reference.
Human Trafficking: EU Law
Yvette Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department by what date she plans to implement each requirement of the EU Directive on Human Trafficking. [61788]
Mrs May [holding answer 23 June 2011]: The Government are applying to the European Commission to opt in to the EU Directive on human trafficking. Subject to its acceptance, we will implement the requirements of the directive within two years.
Immigration
Mrs Main: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the implications for immigration policy of the absence of a standard definition of habitual residence. [62056]
Damian Green: Access to income-related benefits administered by the Department for Work and Pensions is subject to the habitual residence test. This includes meeting the requirement to have a right to reside in the UK. This test is intended to exclude from these benefits those who do not have a settled intention to remain in the UK. In addition, those subject to immigration control who have no access to public funds are prevented from accessing income-related and non-contributory benefits by section 115 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.
There is no evidence that the absence of a standard definition of habitual residence has implications for immigration policy. Nevertheless, the UK Border Agency works in cooperation with relevant Government Departments, including the Department for Work and Pensions, in managing the impact of immigration on public services.
I also refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by the Minister of State, Department for Work and Pensions, the right hon. Member for Epsom and Ewell (Chris Grayling) on 21 June 2011, Official Report, column 192W. The Department for Work and Pensions is responsible for conducting checks on habitual residence.
Knives: Crime
Yvette Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which police forces have received funding allocated for the prevention of knife crime since April 2011; and how much funding was allocated in each case. [61785]
Mrs May [holding answer 23 June 2011]: A total of £3.75 million is being made available over two years, from April 2011, to three police forces areas where more than half of the country's knife crime occurs—London, Greater Manchester and the West Midlands. In London, the money is to be paid via the Greater London Authority.
Metals: Theft
Emma Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress she has made in developing a plan to tackle the issue of metal theft; and if she will make a statement. [58840]
James Brokenshire: The Government are concerned at the extent of metal theft and the serious impact it can have on the national infrastructure and on local communities. The Home Office is working closely with the police (through the ACPO Metal Theft Working Group) to tackle this criminality and to reduce the stolen goods market that drives it. We are currently exploring what other action can be taken to reduce metal theft.
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National Crime Agency
Yvette Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the introduction of a Border Police Command within the National Crime Agency will involve a transfer of responsibilities from the UK Border Agency. [62790]
Mrs May [holding answer 28 June 2011]:The National Crime Agency Plan sets out the Government's plan for creating a Border Policing Command.
Police: Borders
Yvette Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent progress she has made on the Government's plans for a Border Police Force. [62299]
Mrs May [holding answer 27 June 2011]: The National Crime Agency (NCA) Plan sets out the Government's plan for creating a Border Policing Command.
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/crime/nca-creation-plan
Police: Helicopters
Yvette Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police helicopters have been available to police forces (a) in each year since 2010 and (b) in 2011 to date. [62296]
Mrs May [holding answer 27 June 2011]:In 2010, the police forces of England and Wales had access to 31 helicopters operating from 29 bases. In 2011, there are currently 30 helicopters operating from 28 bases.
Third Sector
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the nature is of the (a) one-stop services and (b) wrap-around programmes funded by her Department and provided by charities in the last three years. [60578]
Damian Green [holding answer 17 June 2011]: The information is as follows:
(a) One-Stop Service (OSS). This service involves the provision of independent advice by voluntary sector organisations to asylum seekers and refugees within the UK.
The OSS focuses on providing assistance to asylum seekers who either are or have been supported by the UK Border Agency. This is achieved both through direct service provision by the Voluntary Sector organisations involved and indirectly by them facilitating capacity-building in other organisations which supply services to asylum seekers and refugees.
Initial Assessment Functions. This relates to determining the requirements of the asylum seeker/refugee and the most appropriate action to be followed thereafter.
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This will include reporting to the UK Border Agency any relevant change in an asylum seekers’ circumstances, assistance to asylum seekers’ in completing applications for financial support, assistance in responding to requests for information made by the UK Border Agency, finding reputable legal help and accessing statutory and other voluntary services.
For those receiving refugee status supplying impartial advice to such refugees about the options available to them including, but not limited to, assistance with accessing statutory support such as housing provision.
Establishing what services are being provided regionally and working with other organisations to ensure that services are delivered in a co-ordinated way.
Addressing any gaps in service provision.
Developing local community support and social cohesion by supporting voluntary services to asylum seekers, supporting community and Refugee Community Organisations. Assisting in the introduction and/or enhancement of non UK Border Agency funded support and advice services for asylum seekers in the region through the provision of information, education and training and by developing partnerships.
This service involves the supply of advice and assistance to asylum seekers who require support in the form of accommodation and financial assistance.
It involves the performance of a number of processes connected with an asylum seeker's stay in Initial Accommodation. These include:
Assisting asylum seekers in the completion of applications for support. This is in connection with support for both accommodation and financial assistance which is provided by separate providers and UK Border Agency respectively.
This includes an orientation briefing which explains asylum and support processes and the rights and responsibilities of asylum seekers in the UK. This is supported through the provision of UK Border Agency paper material and a dispersal briefing (supplying information connected to the asylum seeker’s long stay/dispersal accommodation)
Question and Answer/Problem Solving Sessions
These provide information about asylum and support-related matters and also information about processes relating for example to racial harassment, domestic violence and accessing health advice.
Supporting UK Border Agency processes
This facilitates the different processes (asylum, legal assistance, health) that asylum seekers are required to engage with while in Initial Accommodation.
Annual Workplans are submitted by the Voluntary Sector organisations providing the services. These Workplans detail how the above requirements will be met. The UK Border Agency monitors actual performance against plan and feeds back the results to the relevant Voluntary Sector partners.