Myeloma
Mr David: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on myeloma in 2010-11; at what cost to the public purse; and what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of research on myeloma in each of the next three financial years. [63273]
Paul Burstow: The Department is fully committed to clinical and applied research into treatment and cures for cancer. The Department's National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including myeloma. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the scientific quality of the proposals made. In all disease areas, the amount of NIHR funding depends on the volume and quality of scientific activity.
The NIHR Clinical Research Network (CRN) is currently hosting 11 trials and other well-designed studies in myeloma that are in set-up or recruiting patients. Details can be found on the UK CRN portfolio database at:
http://public.ukcrn.org.uk/search
In partnership with Cancer Research UK, the NIHR funds 15 experimental cancer medicine centres (ECMCs) across England. In 2010-11, these centres reported participating in 20 myeloma studies.
In 2010-11, the NIHR invested £18 million in the National Cancer Research Network and £5.7 million in ECMCs. Data for expenditure on myeloma research cannot be disaggregated from these figures.
In addition, in 2010-11 the NIHR spent £0.9 million on research into myeloma through six of the NIHR biomedical research centres.
NHS Future Forum
John Healey:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what proportion of those who participated in listening events with members of the NHS Future Forum were (a) employed by the NHS,
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(b)
from the voluntary sector,
(c)
from private sector organisations and
(d)
members of the public. [63904]
Mr Simon Burns: The Department does not hold information on individual attendees at all the events that took place as part of the NHS Listening Exercise. Approximate numbers of attendees were recorded. I refer the right hon. Member to the written answer I gave him on 29 June 2011, Official Report, columns 871-72W, which gives a description of the events held and provides an indication of the types of people who would have attended.
NHS Supply Chain Supplier Code of Conduct
Mr Brine: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the NHS Supply Chain Supplier Code of Conduct. [63413]
Mr Simon Burns: NHS Supply Chain have commenced a review of how their ‘Supplier Code of Conduct' on Ethical and Sustainable Sourcing is applied to their procurement process for surgical instruments and how well suppliers can demonstrate adherence to it.
In response to initial findings of this review NHS Supply Chain have enhanced their ‘Supplier Code of Conduct’ and are in the process of communicating this to all contracted surgical instrument suppliers. This new ‘Code of Conduct’ is available at:
www.supplychain.nhs.uk/suppliers/code-of-conduct/
NHS: Procurement
Mr Brine: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department issues to NHS hospitals on the ethical procurement of surgical equipment; and whether he plans to review that guidance. [63411]
Mr Simon Burns: Guidelines for the national health service, the “Ethical Procurement for Health” workbook (and supporting materials), were issued on 16 May 2011 by the British Medical Association and Ethical Trading Initiative in partnership with the Department of Health.
The Department encourages all NHS organisations to follow the advice within these materials as appropriate. The “Ethical Procurement for Health” workbook and materials will be reviewed periodically and in response to feedback as experience of practical application develops. The workbook can be accessed at:
www.ethicaltrade.org/ethical-procurement-for-health
Ovarian Cancer: Health Education
Glenda Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will establish a national awareness campaign on ovarian cancer for the purposes of increasing early diagnosis; and if he will make a statement. [63449]
Paul Burstow:
On 12 January 2011, we published “Improving Outcomes: A Strategy for Cancer”. The strategy sets out an ambition to save an additional 5,000 lives every year by 2014-15 through earlier diagnosis of cancer and improved access to screening and radiotherapy. To support earlier diagnosis of cancer,
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the Government have committed over £450 million over the next four years, which includes provision for the funding of awareness activity.
We have already indicated that, subject to the evaluation of the regional pilots, the main focus for a national symptom awareness campaign this year would be bowel cancer. We are also planning to pilot new campaigns on other cancers and symptoms. We know that not all the 5,000 lives can be saved by tackling only common cancers.
Pancreatic Cancer
Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will take steps to increase awareness of pancreatic cancer in the (a) medical profession and (b) general public; and if he will make a statement; [63910]
(2) if he will take steps to increase the early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer; and if he will make a statement. [63912]
Paul Burstow: On 12 January 2011 we published “Improving Outcomes: A Strategy for Cancer”, a copy of which has already been placed in the Library. The strategy sets out an ambition to save at least an additional 5,000 lives every year by 2014-15 through earlier diagnosis of cancer and improved access to screening and radiotherapy. To support earlier diagnosis of cancer, the Government have committed over £450 million over the next four years, which includes provision for the funding of awareness activity and measures to support general practitioners to diagnose cancer earlier.
The strategy also sets out our commitment to work with a number of rarer cancer-focused charities to assess what more can be done to encourage appropriate referrals to secondary care and to diagnose rarer cancers earlier.
Departmental officials have already met with a number of these charities, including a pancreatic cancer charity, with the aim of identifying some of the barriers to early diagnosis and to discuss potential solutions. This will inform our future work in this area.
We have already indicated that, subject to the evaluation of the regional pilots, the focus for a national symptom awareness campaign this year would be bowel cancer. We are also planning to pilot new campaigns on other cancers and symptoms. We know that not all the 5,000 lives can be saved by tackling common cancers.
Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will increase the level of funding for research into the causes and treatment of pancreatic cancer; and if he will make a statement. [63911]
Paul Burstow: The Department is fully committed to clinical and applied research into treatment and cures for cancer. The Department's National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including pancreatic cancer. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the scientific quality of the proposals made. In all disease areas, the amount of NIHR funding depends on the volume and quality of scientific activity.
5 July 2011 : Column 1185W
The NIHR Clinical Research Network (CRN) is currently hosting 10 trials and other well-designed studies in pancreatic cancer that are in set-up or recruiting patients. Details can be found on the UK CRN portfolio database at:
http://public.ukcrn.org.uk/search
Peterborough Hospital: PFI
Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what the estimated cost in each cost category was of the (a) design, (b) construction and (c) annual operating costs of Peterborough city hospital on the date of signature of the private finance initiative contract; [64075]
(2) what changes were made to project specifications under the Peterborough city hospital private finance initiative agreement after the date the agreement was signed; [64076]
(3) what the (a) name is and (b) date of appointment was of each accounting officer for the Peterborough city hospital private finance initiative project since commencement of the design of the hospital; [64078]
(4) what estimate was made of the number of patients to be treated in the first year of operation at Peterborough city hospital at the time the contract for the project under the private finance initiative was signed. [64079]
Mr Simon Burns: The information requested is a matter for Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. We have written to Nigel Hards, Chairman of Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust informing him of the hon. Member's enquiry. Mr Hards will reply shortly and a copy of the letter will be placed in the Library.
Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information his Department collects in respect of (a) the management of the Peterborough city hospital private finance initiative agreement and (b) the disposal of Peterborough district hospital. [64077]
Mr Simon Burns: The Department collects information about Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust's private finance initiative project manager. The trust currently has a full-time project manager.
The disposal of the site of the former Peterborough district hospital is a matter for the trust and is not something on which the Department routinely collects information. However, we understand that the trust remains committed to getting the best possible value for the site.
Prescription Drugs: Misuse
Eric Ollerenshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what interests were declared by each author of the recently published National Addiction Centre report on addiction to prescribed medicine. [64022]
Anne Milton: All academic research is bound by strict codes of conduct such as the Research Councils UK policy and code of conduct on the governance of good research conduct and the UK Research Integrity Office code of conduct for research.
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The National Addictions Centre is part of King’s College London and as such is bound by the college's commitment to maintaining the highest possible standards of integrity and probity in the conduct of academic research. This includes a specific requirement for all possible conflicts of interest to be declared within any tender for externally commissioned work.
The authors of the report published by the National Addiction Centre declared no conflicts of interest in their tender for the work commissioned by the Department.
Prescriptions
Chris Skidmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost to the NHS was of uncollected prescriptions in each financial year from 1997 to 2010. [64142]
Mr Simon Burns: For uncollected prescriptions there is not an actual supply of a drug to a patient and thus there is no cost of the drug to the national health service.
Where a patient presents a prescription form to a dispensing contractor for dispensing, the prescription item would then be prepared ready for collection. However, if the patient does not return to collect the item, a dispensing contractor cannot make a claim for reimbursement as the drug has not been supplied to the patient.
Radiotherapy
Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) with reference to paragraph 6.12 of Improving Outcomes: A Strategy for Cancer, how much of the additional funding for radiotherapy capacity is to be made available to commissioners in the South West in each of the next four years; [63646]
(2) with reference to the recommendations on the tariff for lung cancer contained in the National Radiotherapy Implementation Group Report on Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy Treatment published in April 2011, on what date his Department's new cancer strategy will include such a tariff; [63732]
(3) with reference to the National Radiotherapy Implementation Group Report on Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy Treatment (SBRT) published in April 2011, what technologies the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has identified as appropriate for evaluation for SBRT; and on what date NICE will publish its findings; [63733]
(4) with reference to the National Radiotherapy Implementation Group Report on Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy Treatment (SBRT) published in April 2011, whether his Department's new cancer strategy will include a tariff for the SBRT recommended trials for cancers of the (a) pancreas, (b) oligometastases, (c) hepatic metastases, (d) kidney, (e) prostate, (f) head and neck, (g) liver and (h) spine. [63734]
Paul Burstow: “Improving Outcomes: A Strategy for Cancer” sets out our commitment to expand radiotherapy capacity by investing over £150 million in additional funding over the next four years. This additional funding was included in the financial settlement for the spending review period 2011-12 to 2014-15 and will be included in primary care trust (PCT) baseline allocations, alongside the existing funding for radiotherapy.
5 July 2011 : Column 1187W
Recurrent revenue allocations are currently made to PCTs on the basis of a weighted capitation formula, used to determine PCTs' target shares of available resources to enable them to commission similar levels of health services for populations in similar need. Funding for specific services is not identified at PCT-level, it is for PCTs to decide how to use their funding to commission services, including radiotherapy services, to meet the healthcare needs of their local populations, taking account of local and national priorities. We have said we will investigate the potential development of a range of tariffs to incentivise high quality, cost-effective services, including the newest radiotherapy techniques, once the standard radiotherapy tariff has been introduced. It is anticipated that a national currency for radiotherapy will be introduced for contracting in April 2012, with prices agreed locally. Feedback from the service on the use of these currencies will inform decisions on when it would be appropriate to introduce a mandatory national tariff, which is likely to be no earlier than 2013-14.
The National Radiotherapy Implementation Group (NRIG) report, “Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT) Guidelines for Commissioners, Providers and Clinicians in England 2011”, has now been made available on the National Cancer Action Team website at:
www.ncat.nhs.uk/our-work/ensuring-better-treatment/radiotherapy
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) can now use the report to identify whether there are any indications for SBRT that would be appropriate for them to evaluate further via the Medical Technologies Advisory Committee or other programmes at NICE.
Ritalin: Children
Mr McFadden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will estimate the number of children who have been prescribed Ritalin or a similar drug; [63456]
(2) if he will estimate the number of children under the age of six who have been prescribed Ritalin or a similar drug; and if he will assess trends in the number of such prescriptions in the last five years; [63457]
(3) if he will estimate the number of children under the age of six in Wolverhampton who have been prescribed Ritalin or a similar drug; [63458]
(4) what guidance (a) his Department and (b) the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence issues to practitioners on the prescription of Ritalin and similar drugs to young children. [63459]
Anne Milton: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave the right hon. Member for Birkenhead (Mr Field) on 4 April 2011, Official Report, column 684W.
Royal Brompton Hospital: Heart Diseases
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the potential effects on children with severe asthma of the removal of children's heart services from the Royal Brompton hospital. [63683]
Mr Simon Burns: The “Safe and Sustainable” review is being conducted by the NHS Specialised Commissioning Team. We have however been following its progress.
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No decision has yet been made on the location of children's heart surgery units. The proposed options for paediatric congenital heart services were consulted on between 1 March and 1 July 2011. The consultation questionnaire specifically asked for views on whether two or three centres would be the optimal number for London and, if two is preferred, which of the three centres should be designated.
The consultation document made it clear that the Joint Committee of primary care trusts (JCPCT) will consider any evidence submitted about the potential impact for children who access other relevant clinical services (such as asthma). In response to concerns that have been set out by the board of the Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust about the potential impact to paediatric respiratory services at the Royal Brompton hospital, the JCPCT has convened an expert clinical panel to investigate the issues and report to it in the autumn.
We would expect the JCPCT, before taking a decision, to consider this report as well as an independent analysis of the consultation responses, reports from health overview and scrutiny committees, and a health impact assessment.
Local health overview and scrutiny committees will also have a further opportunity to consider the analysis of the consultation and the health impact assessment and supplement their consultation responses by 5 October 2011.
St George's Healthcare NHS Trust
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the potential effects on patient safety of reductions in services at St George's Healthcare NHS Trust. [63681]
Mr Simon Burns: It is for the local national health service to decide how services should be delivered.
Any reduction in health services should be planned and designed in discussion with, and supported by, local clinicians, including general practitioners to ensure the safety of services for patients at St George's Healthcare NHS Trust.
Tuberculosis: Drugs
Michael Connarty: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of NHS procurement, monitoring of supply and distribution capacity of drugs to treat tuberculosis; [63290]
(2) what recent assessment his Department has made of the risk of people developing drug resistant tuberculosis due to inconsistent supply of anti-tuberculosis drugs; and what steps his Department plans to take to ensure sufficient stocks of anti-tuberculosis drugs to meet demand. [63291]
Anne Milton: Medicine supply problems can occur for a number of reasons, such as manufacturing problems, difficulties in obtaining raw materials or regulatory problems. We understand that there have been problems with the supply of some medicines for tuberculosis (TB) and the Department is working with national health service colleagues to ensure that patients continue to get the medicines they need.
5 July 2011 : Column 1189W
The Health Protection Agency has advised that information about whether cases of drug resistant TB in this country may be associated with supply of TB drugs is not available.
Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust: Alexandra Hospital
Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding his Department allocated to Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust in 2010-11; and what proportion of such funding was provided to the Alexandra hospital. [63242]
Mr Simon Burns: The Department has not allocated any funding directly to Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust in 2010-11. Rather, the Department currently makes revenue allocations to primary care trusts (PCTs). The most recent round of allocations to PCTs was for 2011-12. PCTs use the funding allocated to them to commission services to meet the health care needs of their local populations, taking account of local and national priorities. National health service trusts primarily derive income through the provision of health services to PCTs.
Energy and Climate Change
Electric Cables: Rural Areas
Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his policy is on granting permission for overhead pylons in non-urban areas; and what discussions he has had with the First Minister of Wales on this issue. [63658]
Charles Hendry: Government policy for consenting of overhead power lines in all landscapes is that proposals should be economic and efficient and that applicants, in formulating their proposals, should have regard to the desirability of preserving amenity and do what they reasonably can to mitigate visual impacts. Consenting policy for lines of 132 kV and above is set out in more detail in the finalised National Policy Statement for Electricity Networks Infrastructure EN-5 that was published on 23 June 2011 and laid before Parliament for debate and approval.
I have not had specific discussions with the Welsh Government on this issue. At the British-Irish Council summit on 20 June, the Welsh First Minister, Carwyn Jones, raised the issue of pylons in Wales as part of a wider point on the impact of the UK Government energy policy on Wales. I have since written to the Welsh First Minister following his request for clarification of the major energy infrastructure planning regime for England and Wales.
Wind Power
Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what information his Department holds on the deployment potential of (a) onshore and (b) offshore wind by 2030. [63199]
Charles Hendry:
The latest information that the Department holds is an independent study by Arup(1) on projected generation costs and deployment potential
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for 17 renewable electricity technologies—including onshore and offshore wind—to 2030. This was published by DECC on 10 June.
The following table provides a summary of deployment potential for wind power from the Arup study:
| Deployment potential by 2030— installed capacity (GW) | |||
| Technology | Low scenario | Medium scenario | High scenario |
It should be noted that Arup's figures are non-financially constrained and for onshore wind do not take into account the availability of suitable sites.
(1) Review of the generation costs and deployment potential of renewable electricity technologies in the UK.
(2 )Offshore wind Round 2, Round 3, Scottish Territorial Waters.
Attorney-General
Prosecutions
Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Attorney-General in respect of how many offences of each type the Crown Prosecution Service applied the threshold test in making the decision to charge in each of the last five years. [64086]
The Solicitor-General: The number and percentage of defendants charged under the threshold test is provided in the following table. The pre-charge decisions total includes the number of cases referred to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) that were subsequently either charged, sent for further information, led to an out of court disposal or ended in no further action.
The CPS is unable to provide these data by offence type. This information is held on individual case files and could only be retrieved by locating and then examining every relevant file in every CPS office in England and Wales which would incur a disproportionate cost.
| Threshold test | |||
|
|
Total pre-charge decisions | Number | Percentage |
Prosecutions: Human Trafficking
Mr Bone: To ask the Attorney-General how many prosecutions were brought by the Crown Prosecution Service for human trafficking in the last year for which figures are available; and how many such cases resulted in a conviction. [63714]
The Solicitor-General:
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) records show that in the last year 96 prosecutions have been brought on charges under sections 57, 58 and 59 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003, alleging trafficking
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for the purposes of sexual exploitation, and 20 prosecutions under section 4 of the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants) Act 2004, alleging trafficking for other exploitative purposes. The CPS records indicate the volume of offences, not defendants, prosecuted by the CPS under each Act. These data are not held by defendant or by outcome; therefore we are unable to provide information on how many of these prosecutions resulted in a conviction.
Public Bodies: Human Rights
Jesse Norman: To ask the Attorney-General what recent assessment he has made of proceedings in relation to public authorities under article 8 of schedule 1 to the Human Rights Act 1998. [63522]
The Solicitor-General: The Law Officers have not made a recent assessment of legal proceedings concerning the right to respect for private and family life provided by article 8 of the European convention on human rights. As the Government's chief legal advisers responsible for overseeing all government litigation, the Attorney-General and I are regularly updated about legal proceedings raising article 8 and other convention right issues.
Serious Fraud Office
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Attorney-General what additional resources he plans to make available to the Serious Fraud Office to enable it to (a) train its staff, (b) advise businesses and (c) fulfil its responsibilities to investigate and prosecute cases under the Bribery Act 2010. [63725]
The Solicitor-General: The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has made comprehensive plans to ensure that they will meet all the requirements of the new Bribery Act within their current resource plans.
The SFO will continue with their detailed training for their staff with regards to the Bribery Act.
So far staff from the SFO have attended over 100 events and provided advice to many businesses and their advisors on the impact of the Bribery Act. The SFO will continue to advise and support businesses to ensure they are able to comply with the Bribery Act.
Business, Innovation and Skills
Business: Industrial Health and Safety
Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) if he will assess the merits of implementing the recommendation of the Davidson Review that the Health and Safety Executive should consider exempting the self-employed in low-risk sectors from certain health and safety legislation; [63350]
(2) what assessment he has made of the effect of the administrative burden of health and safety regulations on the priority given by businesses to (a) compliance with legislation and (b) the implementation of effective health and safety measures; and if he will make a statement. [63351]
5 July 2011 : Column 1192W
Mr Prisk [holding answer 4 July 2011]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 28 June 2011, Official Report, column 727W, to my hon. Friend the Member for North West Leicestershire (Andrew Bridgen).
The Department—the Better Regulation Executive in particular—has an established working relationship with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and I am delighted that this Government are implementing the recommendations from my noble Friend Lord Young of Graffhams recent review of Health and Safety in the UK.
Business: Loans
Chris Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 22 June 2011, Official Report, column 344W, on business: loans, what initial assessment the Government made during the Merlin negotiations of the additional amount banks could lend in 2011 compared with 2010. [63093]
Mr Prisk [holding answer 30 June 2011]:I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 22 June 2011, Official Report, column 344W.
In discussion with the Government, the main UK banks committed to put in place new lending capacity of £190 billion for businesses in 2011, compared with actual lending in 2010 of £179 billion. The banks also agreed to make £76 billion of this new lending capacity available to UK small and medium sized businesses for 2011, an increase of 15% on what they lent in 2010.
As stated in the Merlin agreement,
“With respect to UK small and medium sized businesses, the banks' original expectations were that demand would be lower in 2011 than in 2010 [...]. However, taking account of the dialogue which has brought about this agreement, which has at its core a shared objective to support economic recovery in the UK, these five banks have agreed to aim to foster more demand, such that their intention for gross new lending in 2011 is now higher than what was actually delivered in 2010, recognising that this will involve extensive work to overcome the challenges noted above.”
Departmental Billing
Mr Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 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 was of invoices paid late. [62492]
Mr Davey: Since May 2010 the Department has reported performance against two prompt payment targets. The first being a 30 calendar day contractual target and the second covering the Government's aim to pay as many invoices as possible within five working days. The figures for each covering the period May 2010 to May 2011 inclusive are as follows:
| Payments made within 30 calendar days | ||
|
|
Number | £ |
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| Payments made with in five working days | ||
|
|
Number | £ |
For information, payments made within the 30 calendar days contractual period cover invoices submitted from all organisations. Payments made within five working days exclude invoices submitted by Government Departments, partner organisations and foreign currency payments. In addition, payments made via Government Procurement Card where an invoice is not submitted are excluded from the figures in the tables.
Departmental Official Cars
Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the cost to his Department and its predecessors was of the provision of Ministerial cars in each financial year between 2000-01 and 2010-11; how many (a) cars for the exclusive use of Ministers and (b) Ministerial car journeys were paid for by his Department in each such year; what the average cost to his Department of a Ministerial car journey was in each such year; and what steps his Department has taken to reduce the cost of Ministerial cars since his appointment. [62990]
Mr Davey: Information on the cost and number of ministerial cars is published in the annual written ministerial statement, details of which can be found within the Libraries of the House.
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200607/cmhansrd/cm070726/wmstext/70726m0004.htm
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200607/cmhansrd/cm070726/wmstext/70726m0004.htm
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmhansrd/cm080722/wmstext/80722m0008.htm
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200809/cmhansrd/cm090716/wmstext/90716m0009.htm
http://www.dft.gov.uk/press/speechesstatements/statements/hammond20101028a
Details of the costs for 2010-11 are being compiled and due for release later this month.
Information prior to 2005 is not available and would be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Information relating to individual ministerial car journeys prior to September 2010 is not available as there was no requirement to collect these data.
Please find following information relating to the number of ministerial car journeys made since the introduction of the ‘on-demand’ Ministerial Car Service on 6 September 2010 and up until 31 March 2011.
5 July 2011 : Column 1194W
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Number of jobs |
| Cabinet Office | |
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| Department for Business, Innovation and Skills | |
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| Department for Communities and Local Government | |
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Number of jobs |
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Number of jobs |
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Number of jobs |
| Department for International Development | |
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Number of jobs |
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Number of jobs |
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Number of jobs |
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Number of jobs |
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Number of jobs |
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Number of jobs |
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| Northern Ireland Office | |
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Number of jobs |
| Scotland Office | |
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Number of jobs |
| Welsh Office | |
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Number of jobs |
Diamond Review
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he expects to receive the Diamond review; what the terms of reference of the review are; and if he will make a statement. [63597]
Mr Willetts [holding answer 4 July 2011]: The Efficiency and Modernisation Task Group, led by Professor Ian Diamond of the University of Aberdeen, was set up by Universities UK. I understand that the full report of the Task Group will be delivered in July 2011.
Higher Education
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the (a) terms of reference and (b) timeline is for the consultation on a new regulatory framework for higher education; and if he will make a statement. [63601]
Mr Willetts
[holding answer 4 July 2011]:The reforms set out in the Higher Education White Paper will open up higher education, making higher education institutions
5 July 2011 : Column 1198W
more accountable to students. To support this, and provide the right safeguards, we will reform the regulatory framework. We intend to consult on our proposals for a single, transparent regulatory framework, including removal of barriers to entry, to cover all institutions that want to be part of the English higher education system from August until October 2011.
Higher Education: Admissions
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many places for undergraduates he expects to be available in each university in 2011-12. [63990]
Mr Willetts: This information is not available. We do not plan for the number of students at an institutional level. The actual number of places on undergraduate courses will depend on the decisions of individual universities. We expect the total number of places on all courses in 2011/12 to be broadly similar to 2010/11. The December 2010 Grant Letter to the Higher Education Funding Council for England asked for continued provision of the 10,000 additional entrant places made available to the sector through the University Modernisation Fund in May 2010.
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what modelling his Department has undertaken on the effects on higher education institutions of (a) allowing unrestricted recruitment of students scoring the equivalent of AAB or above at A level and (b) the creation of a flexible margin of 20,000 places in 2012-13; and if he will make a statement. [64081]
Mr Willetts: The impact assessment of the proposals in the Higher Education White Paper can be found on our website. This includes modelling on the policy of allowing unrestrained recruitment of highly qualified students, and the creation of a margin of 20,000 places.
We have asked the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) to consult, immediately, on how to implement these approaches and to develop the necessary mechanisms. We have also asked HEFCE to monitor the impact of the approach and its effect on supply and demand and provide advice, as soon as feasible, on how the model is operating in its first year.
Higher Education: Manpower
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many full-time equivalent staff were employed by the (a) Quality Assurance Agency, (b) Office for Fair Access, (c) Higher Education Funding Council for England and (d) Office of the Independent Adjudicator in each of the last three years; how many he estimates will be employed by each such body in each year of the comprehensive spending review period; and if he will make a statement. [64082]
Mr Willetts:
The following table shows the number of full-time equivalent staff employed by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and Office For Fair Access (OFFA) on 31 March 2009, 2010 and 2011.
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Both organisations are responsible for taking decisions on staffing numbers in the light of the priorities and resources the Government give them. The Government's recent White Paper on higher education proposed significant reforms to the functions of both HEFCE and OFFA and future staff numbers will need to be determined following final decisions here.
| FTE at: | 31 March 2009 | 31 March 2010 | 31 March 2011 |
| (1) As of 30 June 2011 OFFA have employed an additional two staff on fixed-term contracts. | |||
The Quality Assurance Agency and Office of the Independent Adjudicator are independent bodies and the Department does not hold this information.
Higher Education: Pay
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many staff employed by the (a) Student Loans Company, (b) Office of the Independent Adjudicator, (c) Higher Education Funding Council for England, (d) Quality Assurance Agency and (e) Office for Fair Access received salaries greater than (i) £65,000, (ii) £100,000, (iii) £200,000 and (iv) £250,000 in (A) 2011-12 and (B) each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement. [64084]
Mr Willetts: The following table shows how many staff employed by the Student Loans Company, Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and Office For Fair Access (OFFA) received the stipulated salaries for the years requested.
| FTE salaries | £65,000-£99,999 | £100,000-£199,999 | £200,000-£249,999 | >£250,000 |
| Note: Context for OFFA figures: The director is appointed by the Secretary of State currently working 0.4 full-time employment (FTE). The director's FTE salary has been illustrated above. His salary for 0.4 FTE falls below £65,000. | ||||
The Quality Assurance Agency and Office of the Independent Adjudicator are independent bodies and the Department does not hold this information.
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Motor Vehicles: EU Law
Oliver Colvile: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what representations he has received on the implications for multi-branded car dealerships of the removal of the 2002 motor vehicle Block Exemption Regulation. [59116]
Mr Davey: I have received a number of representations from hon. Members of Parliament, enclosing correspondence from dealerships in their constituencies.
Oliver Colvile: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will assess the potential effect on consumers of the proposed changes to the relationship between car manufacturers and dealerships under the 2010 motor vehicle Block Exemption Regulation ((EU)461/2010). [59117]
Mr Davey: I have no plans to assess the potential effects of the revised regulation.
Motor Vehicles: Industry
Mr Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 17 June 2011, Official Report, column 972W, on motor vehicles: industry, what discussions he has had with other Government Departments on the purchase by those Departments of motor vehicles produced in Britain. [63539]
Mr Prisk: The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, my right hon. Friend the Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable) has had no discussions on this matter with other Government Departments.
Motor Vehicles: Retail Trade
Oliver Colvile: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will make representations to the European Commission on the effect on consumers of the absence of a Europe-wide code of conduct for franchised motor retailing. [59049]
Mr Davey: I have no plans to do so, but, I would encourage manufacturers and retailers to engage constructively with the European Commission in developing their own proposals.
Overseas Trade: Employment
Mr Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he has made an assessment of the number of jobs in the UK which are dependent on trade with (a) Eurozone countries, (b) Brazil, (c) Russia, (d) India, (e) China and (f) the US. [63013]
Mr Prisk: Estimates of the number of jobs in the UK which are dependent on trade with the Eurozone, Brazil, Russia, India, China or the US have not been made.
The EU is vital to the UK's growth and prosperity, with European markets accounting for half of the UK's overall exports of goods and services. Eight out of the UK's 10 main export markets are in the EU. BIS has estimated that 3.5 million jobs are linked directly or
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indirectly to the UK's trade with the EU. This is based on the assumption that the share of UK employment linked to trade with the EU is equal to the share of total UK value added generated in the production of goods exported to the EU.
Public Services: Private Sector
Nick Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will direct his Department's review of business models of companies that provide public services to consider the effects on funding for people in residential care of reductions in local authority budgets. [61324]
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to his Department's investigation into the role of private equity firms in supplying public services, what the remit is of the investigation; when the investigation will be completed; whether the findings of the investigation will be published; and if he will make a statement following the completion of the investigation. [61151]
Mr Prisk [holding answer 21 June 2011]:Following initial consideration by officials in the Department, I have written to Cabinet Office Ministers to ensure that the Open Public Services White Paper sets out plans for Departments to develop regimes to detect and cope with potential failure in key public service provision, and that these plans include appropriate consideration of financial risks.
Repayment Acceleration
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how long the consultation on early repayment acceleration will last; how it will be conducted; what its terms of reference will be; and if he will make a statement. [63598]
Mr Willetts [holding answer 4 July 2011]:The Government are consulting on whether there should be a charge for the early repayment of loans, and on an early repayment mechanism that would allow those who wish to pay off their loans early or make voluntary contributions to do so without undermining the progressiveness of the system.
This consultation will end on 20 September 2011.
Interested parties can access the consultation material via the BIS website
http://discuss.bis.gov.uk/hereform/
Responses or questions about the consultation can be sent direct to BIS by e-mail
he.consultation@bis.gsi.gov.uk
by standard mail at the address given, or through the consultation website.
Students: Fees and Charges
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the effects of the level of fees a university can expect to receive from (a) home students, (b) non-EU students and (c) EU students on admissions decisions by universities. [64055]
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Mr Willetts: No such assessment has been undertaken. The Government are committed to the principle, which is underpinned in law, that decisions about admission to university are a matter for individual universities, and not for Government. The Office for Fair Access will ensure that universities wanting to charge over £6,000 for any of its courses will promote access to higher education for students from under-represented backgrounds. Students from outside the EU are not in competition for places with British students. Their places are in addition to the funded places available to home and EU students.
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent estimate he has made of the number of universities which will charge £9,000 per year for undergraduate courses. [64056]
Mr Willetts: 140 institutions have indicated their intention to charge over £6,000 for at least one of their courses by submitting an access agreement for 2012-13 to the Office for Fair Access (OFFA). This comprises 123 higher education institutions and 17 further education colleges. The Director of Fair Access has said he will be making his announcements on approved access agreements by 12 July.
Justice
Criminal Injuries Compensation
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority cases have been ongoing for more than (a) six, (b) 12 and (c) 24 months. [63663]
Mr Djanogly: The information requested is as follows:
| Ongoing for | Number of cases |
Custody: Step-families
Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what guidance his Department provides to courts on applications by step-parents for legal custody of children where the child has regular contact with its natural parents; and if he will make a statement. [64070]
Mr Djanogly: Section 8 of the Children Act 1989 enables the court to make four types of order in respect of children. One of these is a residence order to determine with whom a child should live. The court may make a residence order with respect to a child if an application has been made (i) by a person who is entitled to apply for a section 8 order, or (ii) a person who has obtained the leave of the court to make the application. The court may also make an order without application if it considers that an order should be made.
Under section 10 (5) (a) and (aa) of the Children Act a person who is married or in a civil partnership with a person in relation to whom the child is a child of the family—that is, a step-parent—may apply for a residence or contact order in respect of the child.
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There is no specific guidance to the courts in respect of applications by step-parents. When considering whether to make a residence order, the welfare needs of the child are the paramount consideration for the court. The court will take into account all the facts put before it in reaching a decision.
Departmental Billing
Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of invoices from small and medium-sized businesses were paid by his Department within five working days of receipt in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [63559]
Mr Kenneth Clarke: For the 12 month period from June 2010 to May 2011, the Ministry of Justice paid 81.9% of all invoices within five working days of receipt of the invoice.
The Department does not currently record and publish information about the size of suppliers as this does not fully reflect the number and size of businesses engaged in supplying goods and services. We do not discriminate by size of business because many small and medium-sized enterprises can be found within larger supply chains.
Details of the Ministry's prompt payment performance are publicly available on the MOJ website at:
http://www.justice.gov.uk/about/procurement-and-commercial/payment-performance.htm
Departmental Freedom of Information
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many requests under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 his Department received from (a) hon. Members from each political party and (b) members of the public in each year since the Act's entry into force. [63574]
Mr Kenneth Clarke: The Department does not collect statistics about the background of individual requesters. This is because the Freedom of Information Act is applicant and motive blind and therefore it is not necessary to record or determine whether a requester is a Member of Parliament or member of the public.
The Ministry of Justice publishes quarterly and annual statistics on the volume, timeliness and outcome of information requests received by over 40 central Government bodies. These statistics show that the Department has received the following number of requests per year since its creation in 2007:
|
|
Number of FOI requests received |
In the first quarter of 2011 (1 January to 31 March inclusive) the Ministry of Justice received 847 FOI requests.
Prior to the creation of the Ministry of Justice, its predecessor, the Department for Constitutional Affairs, received the following number of requests per year:
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|
|
Number of FOI request received |
Departmental Location
Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether he has discussed relocation of his staff from London with Redditch council. [63233]
Mr Kenneth Clarke: The Ministry of Justice has previously been in communication with Redditch council, following correspondence received from them in April 2010, regarding an earlier strategy to relocate posts outside London. However, the decision that we focus on the existing estate and its rationalisation was taken on the basis of financial considerations, with any plans to be revisited at a later stage.
Family Courts
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice by what mechanism children's views are represented in the family court system. [63452]
Mr Djanogly: Where the court is proposing to make, vary or discharge (i) an order under section 8 of the Children Act 1989 for contact, residence, a specific issue or a prohibited steps order (private law cases) and this is opposed by any party to the proceedings, or (ii) an order under Part IV of the Act for a care or supervision order or other connected matters (public law cases) then the court must have regard to the factors set out at section 1(3) of the Act, commonly known as the ‘welfare checklist’. Ascertaining the wishes and feelings of the child concerned, in the light of their age and understanding, is one of those factors.
The court can seek the help of the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS or CAFCASS Cymru in Wales) to fulfil its responsibility to take account of the ascertainable wishes and feelings of children who are the subject of family proceedings. CAFCASS or CAFCASS Cymru officers will meet with children and families, and report to the court in order to fulfil this role.
In cases where there are disputes between parents about future arrangements for their children, more than one meeting may need to take place. The court also has powers under the Family Procedure Rules 2010 to make a child a party to the proceedings, enabling the child to have separate legal representation, where the circumstances of the case dictate that this will be in the child's best interests.
In public law cases, where a local authority has made an application to take a child into care, the court will appoint a CAFCASS or CAFCASS Cymru officer to the role of guardian for the child. Children's guardians will represent the interests of the child in court, and will also instruct a solicitor to represent the child in circumstances where the child is too young, or is unable to do so themselves.
Where a court determines any question in relation to the upbringing of a child, the Children Act 1989 requires the court to make the welfare of the child its paramount consideration. The wishes and feelings of the child, so
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far as these are ascertainable, are an important consideration but will not necessarily be the determining factor in any decision made by the court.
Family Courts: Mediation
Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what his Department's policy is on enabling legally-aided mediation in relation to family disputes to include the agreement of a child support arrangement in addition to the resolution of the dispute for which legal aid was granted; what assessment he has made of the interrelationship of legally-aided family mediation and child maintenance support services to be provided by the Department for Work and Pensions; and if he will make a statement. [63544]
Mr Djanogly: Under the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill, which we introduced on 21 June, legal aid will remain available for mediation in private family law cases, which includes disputes about financial provision for children. The Ministry of Justice, Department for Work and Pensions and Department for Education are working together, as we develop our respective plans to support families, to ensure that the systems for supporting separating parents are co-ordinated.
Family Courts: Telephone Services
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people made use of family court call centres in 2010-11; and what information his Department holds on the types of subjects on which advice was sought. [63453]
Mr Djanogly: Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service does not have a contact centre function dedicated to dealing with family court queries. However we are currently piloting the use of contact centres to deal with the whole range of county court business and exploring how we can develop this type of facility for our business more generally.
In April 2010 a telephony helpdesk pilot was set up to test the feasibility of centralised call handling. The pilot was based at Coventry county court and from April 2010 until January 2011 managed all telephone inquiries for county courts including Coventry, Nuneaton, Stratford, Rugby and Warwick. In addition, in January 2011 the helpdesk began to take telephone inquiries for Croydon county court.
For the period April 2010 to March 2011, the helpdesk received a total 62,978 calls. This figure represents the number of calls received for both civil and family business. Information on the number or proportion of calls which related to family business is not held. All family business calls with the exception of adoption inquiries, which are referred back to specialist teams in courts, were dealt with at the helpdesk.
In parallel with this pilot we have also established a centralised telephone call function for all county court work in two other areas. In Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Thames Valley a central contact centre dealt with approximately 129,000 calls between April 2010 and March 2011. In Cambridgeshire, Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk a central contact centre answered approximately
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210,000 calls during the same period. Again we do not have a breakdown of the split of calls between civil and family work.
Family Courts: Termination of Employment
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many legal advisers have (a) resigned and (b) been made (i) compulsorily and (ii) voluntarily redundant from family courts in 2010-11. [63450]
Mr Djanogly: In Her Majesty's Courts Service (HMCS), legal advisers are trained and work multi-jurisdictionally across adult crime, youth and family courts. While a legal adviser may specialise in family work they often still work on other types of cases and for this reason it is not possible to give figures for legal advisers who have left family courts in isolation. The following figures relate to legal advisers in all jurisdictions who left HMCS in 2010-11.
(a) 12 resignations
(b) (i) No compulsory redundancies
(b) (ii) No voluntary redundancies
While no legal advisers left through voluntary or compulsory redundancy, HMCS ran a Voluntary Early Departure Scheme, with terms similar to voluntary redundancy as stipulated in the Civil Service Compensation Scheme, under which 88 legal advisers left in 2010-11.
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether he has any plans for redundancies amongst managers of legal advisers in family courts. [63451]
Mr Djanogly: There are currently no plans to make legal advisers in the family proceedings court redundant.
Homicide: Young Offenders
Mike Wood: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many persons aged 16 to 18 at the time of conviction for (a) murder or (b) manslaughter that were subsequently released on licence have been recalled to custody following commission of a further offence or for a breach of the licence in each of the last 10 years. [63182]
Mr Blunt: There were nine offenders aged 16 to 18 years when convicted for murder and subsequently released on licence who were recalled to custody following a breach of licence conditions in 2010. Of these, two had committed a further offence, neither of which were defined as serious further offences as set out in ‘Probation Circular 22/2008—Revised Notification and Review Procedures for Serious Further Offences’.
During 2010, no offenders aged between 16 and 18 years at conviction were recalled to custody while on licence for manslaughter.
Detailed data on recalls before 2010 are not held centrally in an electronic format. To provide these data would require a manual trawl of individual prison records and incur disproportionate cost.
These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
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Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how many persons aged (a) under 16, (b) 16 to 18 and (c) 18 to 21 years at the time of conviction for (i) murder or (ii) manslaughter in each of the last 10 years, released on licence, breached the conditions of that licence and are not in custody; [63383]
(2) how many persons aged under 16 years at the time of conviction for (a) murder or (b) manslaughter and subsequently released on licence have been recalled to custody following commission of a further offence or for a breach of the licence in each of the last 10 years. [63384]
Mr Blunt: There are no offenders who were aged under 22 years at the time of conviction for murder or manslaughter who were subsequently released during 2010 on licence and recalled to custody following a breach of licence conditions who are not currently in custody.
There were no offenders aged under 16 years when convicted for murder who were released on licence during 2010 and subsequently recalled to custody following a breach of licence conditions in 2010.
There was one offender aged under 16 when convicted for manslaughter and subsequently released on licence during 2010 who was recalled to custody for poor behaviour which constituted a breach of licence conditions. No further offence was committed.
Detailed data before 2010 on recalled offenders returned to custody are not held centrally in an electronic format. A manual trawl of prisoner files would be required to obtain these data; this would incur disproportionate cost.
These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
Miscarriages of Justice
Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) if he will make an assessment of the performance of the Miscarriages of Justice Support Service in assisting victims of miscarriages of justice to access appropriate medical support and counselling; [63724]
(2) what criteria the Miscarriages of Justice Support Service uses to determine the medical support and counselling required by service users; and who is responsible for making any medical diagnosis that is required; [63843]
(3) how many service users the Miscarriages of Justice Support Service helped to access appropriate counselling in each year since its inception. [63844]
Mr Blunt: The National Offender Management Service funds the Miscarriages of Justice Support Service organisation for a total of £150,000 per year. Access to appropriate health and counselling provision is central to the support provided by the organisation to all clients and cuts across all strands of their advice.
Regarding psychiatric support, all staff are trained in mental health safety and access personal and professional support from Tavistock clinic. Some clients are referred following release for a free mental health assessment which is passed to their GP. The GP will make an onward referral for specialist support (including family
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therapy) as necessary. In the majority of cases the organisation is able to draw on probono support in relation to diagnosis via Dr Adrian Grounds, a leading forensic psychiatrist and member of the organisation's advisory group.
Information since the organisation's inception is not available. However, I can confirm that the Miscarriages of Justice Support Service made 30 referrals in the last three years. In general terms the organisation is content that all clients who need or request an assessment are seen, mainly by Dr Adrian Grounds.
Prisoners
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will estimate the number of prisoners per 100,000 head of population in each region in the latest period for which figures are available. [63605]
Mr Blunt: The following table shows the number of prisoners per 100,000 head of population for each region in England and Wales using the prison population as at 30 June 2010 and the Office for National Statistics 2010 mid-year population estimates. Prisoners are not necessarily held in their home region so these rates partly reflect the geographic distribution of prisons.
| Region | Prison population | Prisoner s per 100,000 population |
These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
Prisoners: Human Rights
Amber Rudd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department spent on the provision of legal aid to prisoners in respect of human rights cases in each of the last five years. [64074]
Mr Djanogly: The information is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost; a matter involving human rights can be brought under various categories of law and the status of an individual as a prisoner is not specifically recorded within those categories of law.
Prisoners can receive legal aid within the prison law category of legal aid funding, subject to a means and merits test. This covers advice and assistance on matters relating to treatment, discipline and sentence and advocacy assistance at prison discipline and parole board hearings. The total cost of legal aid in the prison law category of funding for each of the past five years is as follows:
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|
|
£ million |
Prisoners: Repatriation
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with which countries the UK has an agreement to automatically deport foreign prisoners to serve their sentence in their country of origin. [63846]
Mr Blunt: All prisoner transfer agreements (PTA) to which the United Kingdom is a signatory require the agreement of the other jurisdiction before a transfer is effected. None provide for the unfettered transfer of a sentenced prisoner to their country of origin. Most current agreements also require the consent of the prisoner but a number do not.
The Government believe that wherever possible foreign national prisoners should serve their sentences in their own country and Government policy is to negotiate prisoner transfer agreements wherever they can. However, they cannot compel other states to conclude such agreements or to take back their nationals for the purpose of serving a prison sentence.
The United Kingdom is a signatory to the additional protocol to the Council of Europe Convention on the transfer of sentenced persons and also has bilateral agreements with Rwanda and Libya which do not require the consent of the prisoner. However, the additional protocol requires certain criteria to be met before transfer, specifically that a deportation order should be in place.
In December 2011 the United Kingdom will implement the EU PTA. This will require the receiving member state to accept a prisoner who meets the criteria for transfer and does not require the prisoner to consent. As a result of the EU PTA we expect to see a steady increase in the number of prisoners transferred to prisons in Europe.
The signatory countries to the additional protocol are listed as follows. However, very few signatory states operate the protocol.
Signatories to the additional protocol to the Council of Europe Convention on the transfer of sentenced persons
Austria
Belgium
Bulgaria
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Georgia
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Iceland
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Ireland
Latvia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Moldova
Montenegro
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Romania
Russian Federation
San Marino
Serbia
Sweden
Switzerland
Macedonia
United Kingdom
Ukraine