Members: Complaints
Bob Russell: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, on what date the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) compliance office commenced operations; how many staff are engaged to work in the office; what the (a) job title and (b) salary is of each post in that office; and what estimate IPSA has made of the annual cost of operating the office. [61810]
Mr Charles Walker: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Compliance Officer for IPSA, who is statutorily independent of IPSA's executive branch. I have asked him to reply.
Letter from Luke March, dated June 2011:
As the Compliance Officer for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking on what date the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority Compliance Office (IPSA) commenced operations; how many staff are engaged to work in the office; what the (a) job title and (b) salary is of each post in that office; and what estimate IPSA has made of the annual cost of operating the office.
The interim Compliance Officer was appointed on 10 May 2010 to establish the Office and to develop policies and procedures. The first Compliance Officer appointed under the statute took office on 31 March 2011; on a salary of £43,000 for three days a week.
The office of the Compliance Officer employs two full time members of staff.
(a) The Investigations Manager, salary scale £46,000 - £51,000;
(b) Investigations Officer, salary scale £23,000 - £28,000.
For the year to 31 March 2011, the cost of operating the Compliance Office was £307,000 including salaries and overheads.
Energy and Climate Change
Carbon Sequestration
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent assessment he has made of the UK's performance in developing carbon capture and storage. [63314]
Charles Hendry: The UK remains at the forefront of global activity for the development of carbon capture and storage (CCS). The allocation last year of up to £1 billion for the capital costs of the first CCS demonstration project is the largest confirmed public funding commitment to a single commercial-scale CCS project in the world.
The Government have also committed to providing public sector investment for a further three commercial-scale CCS projects and made significant investments in a number of smaller scale projects; for example, £6.3 million in the Ferrybridge Carbon Capture 100+ pilot project and £1.6 million in the Oxyfuel/Oxycoal 2 pilot in Renfrew. This investment in demonstrating the technology is underpinned by our proposed energy market reforms, designed to drive commercial investment in new low-carbon generation including CCS.
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The forthcoming CCS Roadmap, due to be published in the autumn, will set out further information regarding progress so far and future aims for the development of CCS.
There is also a statutory requirement under the Energy Act 2010 for the Government to report on progress in decarbonising the Great British electricity system and on the development and use of CCS. The first reporting period ends in 2011, with further periods running on a three-year basis starting in 2012. The first of these reports will be published in due course.
Fukushima
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 21 June 2011, Official Report, column 5WS, on Fukushima (Interim Report), whether he plans to involve (a) nuclear licensed site stakeholder groups and (b) local non-governmental organisations in the review of emergency planning arrangements; and whether he plans to publish in full the final report of the review. [63372]
Charles Hendry: Local non-governmental organisations have the opportunity to engage on local nuclear emergency arrangements through nuclear licensed site stakeholder groups. Local issues may be represented by local authority representatives involved in the review.
The conclusions of the review of arrangements will be reflected in updated guidance which is publicly available at:
http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/meeting_energy/nuclear/safety_and_sec/emergency_plan/neplg/guidance/guidance.aspx
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 21 June 2011, Official Report, column 5WS, on Fukushima (Interim Report), what resources will be provided to support the planned review by the Nuclear Emergency Planning Liaison Group of the UK's national nuclear emergency arrangements; what completion deadline he has given for the report; and whether he plans to publish the full report of the review. [63373]
Charles Hendry: The Nuclear Emergency Planning Liaison Group's planned review of the UK's national nuclear emergency arrangements will be supported by the Department of Energy and Climate Change's dedicated Civil Nuclear Emergency Planning Team. The conclusions of the review of arrangements will be reflected in guidance which will be updated before the chief inspector's final report in the autumn. The guidance is publicly available at:
http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/meeting_energy/nuclear/safety_and_sec/emergency_plan/neplg/guidance/guidance.aspx
Public Sector: Energy
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he plans a national roll-out of the Re:Fit public sector energy efficiency retrofit programme. [62744]
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Gregory Barker: Energy efficiency in the public sector is important in order to reduce carbon emissions and to save money spent on energy bills. Re:Fit is an effective model, and is proving to be a success in London. I would encourage other regions and local authorities to learn from the Greater London Authority experience in order to improve their own energy efficiency.
Health
Abortion: Counselling
Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) under which provisions of the Abortion Act 1967, as amended by the Human Fertilisation Act 1990, he proposes to sever the financial links between abortion providers and counselling; for what reasons these provisions have never previously been invoked; what criteria will be used to determine the independent character of counselling; and if he will make a statement; [63602]
(2) what (a) regulations and (b) amendable legislative proposals he plans to lay before the House to alter the arrangements governing abortion counselling; what timetable he has set for the laying of such provisions; if he will publish each item of correspondence with hon. Members relating to this issue; and if he will make a statement. [63675]
Paul Burstow: We are drawing up proposals to enable all women who are seeking an abortion to be offered access to independent counselling. The current arrangements for counselling related to abortion services can be varied within the existing statutory framework for the commissioning of such services. The Health and Social Care Bill, now before Parliament, expands that framework. These proposals would not affect any of the current provisions of the Abortion Act 1967.
We would want the counselling to be provided by appropriately qualified individuals. Independent counselling will focus on risks to health posed by both the abortion procedure and continuing with the pregnancy enabling a woman to make a decision that would benefit her overall health and wellbeing.
We will seek the permission of hon. Members to publish correspondence on this issue.
Care Homes
Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps his Department is taking to monitor changes in the level of care home fees in England; [62958]
(2) what steps his Department is taking to monitor changes in the number of placements available in care homes in England. [62960]
Paul Burstow: There has been no change in the Department's long standing policy of not collecting data on the levels of care home fees in England.
The Care Quality Commission, as regulator of health and adult social care services, registers all care and nursing homes and numbers of available places in England. The numbers of care home placements arranged or funded by local authorities in England are monitored
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via the annual report on social care provision, “Community Care Statistics: Social Services Activity Report, England”, which is published in April each year by the NHS Information Centre for Health and Social Care.
Further information is available on the Information Centre website at:
http://www.ic.nhs.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/social-care/adult-social-care-information/community-care-statistics-social-services-activity-england-2009-10-further-release
Colorectal Cancer: Screening
Mr Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of bowel cancer were detected as a result of the bowel cancer screening programme in each year since its inception; and what estimate he has made of the number of additional cases which would have been detected if the age limit for screening had been reduced to 50. [63538]
Paul Burstow: The number of cancers detected by the NHS bowel cancer screening programme in each year since its inception has been provided in the following table.
|
|
Number of cancers detected |
No estimate has been made of the number of additional cases that would have been detected if the age limit for screening were reduced to 50. The original programme only invited people in their 60s because the risk of bowel cancer increases with age, with over 80% of bowel cancers arising in people who are 60 or over.
In the pilot, over three times more cancers were detected in people aged over 60 than under 60, and people in their 60s were most likely to complete a testing kit.
‘Improving Outcomes: A Strategy for Cancer’, published on 12 January 2011, sets out how we have committed to invest £60 million between 2011 and 2014 to incorporate flexible sigmoidoscopy (FS) into the NHS bowel screening programme. Men and women from age 55 will be invited for a once only bowel scope prior to commencing faecal occult blood testing from age 60, as now. Experts estimate FS will save around 3,000 lives every year.
Day Care
Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to monitor changes in the number of day care placements in local authorities. [63448]
Paul Burstow: Changes in the numbers of people receiving day care funded either wholly or partly by local authorities in England are monitored via the annual report on social care provision, "Community Care Statistics: Social Services Activity Report, England", which is published in April each year by the NHS Information Centre for health and social care.
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Further information is available on the Information Centre website at:
www.ic.nhs.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/social-care/adult-social-care-information/community-care-statistics-social-services-activity-england-2009-10-further-release
Departmental Billing
Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 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. [63562]
Mr Simon Burns: The Department does not keep separate statistics in relation to small and medium-sized businesses, but aims to pay all invoices within five days regardless of the size of the supplier. Performance against that target is published on the Department's website as required by Cabinet Office.
www.dh.gov.uk/en/Aboutus/HowDHworks/Servicestandardsandcommitments/DH_117222
In the period 1 June 2010 to 31 May 2011 the Department paid 92.54% of all valid invoices received at our nominated address within five days of receipt.
Departmental Freedom of Information
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 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. [63573]
Mr Simon Burns: The information on the number of Freedom of Information requests from hon. Members by each political party is shown in the following table:
| Freedom of information (FOI) requests from hon. Members by political party | |||
| Year (January to December) | Conservative party | Labour party | Liberal Democrat party |
These figures may not represent all FOI requests from hon. Members as we only record those that are clearly stated as being from an hon. Member.
The Department does not collect information on the number of requests from members of the public. In accordance with the Freedom of Information Act, all requests are dealt with equitably and the Department's correspondence database does not categorise FOI questions using the term ‘members of the public’.
However, the total number of requests received by the Department each year since the FOI Act 2000 came into force is shown in the following table:
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| Total number of FOI requests received by the Department | |
| Year (January to December) | Total number of FOI requests received by the Department of Health |
Direct Payments
Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department provides to local authorities on the tendering of care home contracts to preferred providers where those service users affected wish to maintain provision with their existing provider via the use of direct payments. [63644]
Paul Burstow: The regulations and guidance on direct payments prevent them from being used for care home placements.
Where a person needs to go into residential care, the local authority should arrange care for them in a care home of their choice. In some cases, councils will have a list of preferred providers. The Choice of Accommodation Directions 1992 ensure that people are given a genuine choice when deciding which care home to live in. The Department issued revised guidance on the directions on 14 October 2004.
If an individual in the community needs respite care up to four weeks, in a care home, they can use a direct payment to purchase their care.
Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of take-up of the direct payment method of providing social care. [63645]
Paul Burstow: The “Vision for Adult Social Care: Capable Communities and Active Citizens”, a copy of which has already been placed in the Library, sets the context for the future direction of adult social care in England. It states that councils should provide personal budgets, preferably as a direct payment, for everyone eligible, by 2013.
The total number of people receiving self directed support (both direct payments and personal budgets) in 2009-10 was 217,000. Of these there were 107,000 users receiving direct payments, a 24% increase over the previous year. In addition, there were 48,000 carers receiving direct payments, a 56% increase over the previous year. In total, there are 155,000 people in receipt of direct payments.
This is based on the most recent data published by the NHS Information Centre for health and social care in April 2011.
Health Services: Learning Disability
Caroline Lucas:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to page 22, paragraph 3.59 of the Government's response to the NHS Future Forum Report, what guidance he proposes to provide on the
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requirements for dedicated professional and clinical leadership with regard to services for people with learning disabilities. [63619]
Mr Simon Burns: Subject to the passage of the Health and Social Care Bill, clinical commissioning groups will take on responsibility for commissioning the majority of national health service health care services. The Government's response to the NHS Future Forum Report makes clear that it will strengthen existing duties on clinical commissioning groups to secure professional advice and ensure this advice is from a full range of health professionals where relevant. Clinical commissioning groups will also receive expert support and advice from clinical networks and senates on the design and delivery of services, in order to provide the best care and outcomes for patients.
Clinical commissioning groups will be supported and held to account by a national NHS Commissioning Board. An amendment has been put forward to provide for the NHS Commissioning Board to issue guidance to commissioning groups on their duty to obtain appropriate professional advice, for example in relation to working with clinical senates and clinical networks. The NHS Commissioning Board will also develop commissioning guidance to support effective commissioning, and promote consistent national Quality Standards produced by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence to ensure all patients, including those with learning disabilities, receive high quality services.
Home Care Services
Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to monitor changes in the number of domiciliary care packages offered by local authorities in England. [62959]
Paul Burstow: Changes in the numbers of domiciliary care packages provided by local authorities in England are monitored via the annual report on social care provision, “Community Care Statistics: Social Services Activity Report, England”, which is published in April each year by the NHS Information Centre for Health and Social Care.
Further information is available on the Information Centre website at:
www.ic.nhs.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/social-care/adult-social-care-information/community-care-statistics-social-services-activity-england-2009-10-further-release
Human Papilloma Virus: Vaccination
Mr McFadden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what recent estimate his Department has made of the number of young women who have experienced side effects from the Cervarix vaccine; [63461]
(2) what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on side effects from the Cervarix vaccine. [63462]
Mr Simon Burns:
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) collects information on suspected side effects to vaccines and medicines via the Yellow Card Scheme. Since the Cervarix (human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine) immunisation programme began in September 2008, the MHRA has received
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5,479 reports of suspected side effects up to 29 June 2011 (this includes reports in which the brand of HPV vaccine was not specified). This follows administration of more than five million doses of Cervarix across the United Kingdom to date.
Yellow Card reports relate to ‘suspicions’ that a side effect may have occurred. They may relate to true side effects, or they may be due to coincidental illness. As reports are not necessarily proof that a vaccine or medicine was a cause of the reported illness, the data cannot be used to estimate the true frequency of side effects to the vaccine. The frequency of known side effects from clinical trials is listed in the available product information.
As with all vaccines and medicines, the MHRA keeps the safety of Cervarix under continual review. The benefits of Cervarix vaccine in protecting against cervical cancer far outweigh any known side effects.
When the Cervarix immunisation programme began in the UK, the MHRA implemented proactive, real-time safety surveillance. This involved daily review of all suspected side effect reports and an epidemiological approach to detection and evaluation of any new safety ‘signals’. This included review of data from other countries using the vaccine. MHRA published weekly updates on this surveillance via its website as well as summaries in the Drug Safety Update bulletin April 2009, October 2009 and October 2010:
www.mhra.gov.uk/Safetyinformation/DrugSafetyUpdate/index.htm
After the second year of the immunisation programme, the MHRA sought independent expert advice from the Commission on Human Medicines (CHM) on the safety experience. This followed administration of more than 4.5 million doses of vaccine in the UK up to July 2010. CHM advised that no serious new risks have been identified in association with Cervarix and the balance of risks and benefits of the vaccine remains positive. A detailed safety assessment was published on the MHRA website in October 2010 at:
www.mhra.gov.uk/HPVvaccine
As with all vaccines and medicines, the MHRA keeps the safety of Cervarix under continual review.
Mental Health Services
Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) which professional psychotherapy groups he has met to discuss provision of psychotherapy in NHS settings; [63684]
(2) what assessment he has made of the range of psychological therapies available on the NHS; and if he will assess recent changes in the range of therapies available; [63685]
(3) what opportunities are provided for mental health patients to rate the services they have received; [63686]
(4) what opportunities he plans to provide for people using talking therapies to rate the services they have received; [63687]
(5) what consultation he has carried out on the provision of psychological therapies in the NHS; and if he will make a statement. [63710]
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Paul Burstow: The Mental Health Strategy Ministerial Advisory Group, of which I am Chair, includes in its membership representatives of the psychological therapy disciplines.
It is for the national health service locally to decide how best to meet the needs of its local populations and in doing so they are free to commission a wide range of psychotherapeutic services. In addition, the Department recommends evidence-based, and preferably National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) approved, therapies for the treatment of common mental health problems.
Following the provision of the NICE guidance on the treatment of depression in October 2009, the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme now offers five therapies for the treatment of depression at step three of the stepped care model (moderate to severe). These are:
Cognitive behavioural therapy;
Interpersonal psychotherapy;
Counselling for depression;
Dynamic interpersonal therapy; and
Couples therapy for depression.
The IAPT programme regularly consults with stakeholders about the development of the programme. The IAPT Programme Board has representatives of both commissioners and service providers from the NHS, voluntary providers, therapists' professional associations, service users, social care and the Department for Work and Pensions.
IAPT services routinely collect patient satisfaction information. This is collected at the end of assessment, mid-treatment and end of treatment using the IAPT Patient Experience Questionnaire. The questionnaire asks patients to rate services in a number of areas and also invites patients to make comments on their experience of the service.
The NHS Choices website also provides the opportunity for patients and service users to provide comments and rate health services. This includes mental health services. Service users can provide an overall rating of care; specific ratings of issues including cleanliness, dignity and involvement in decisions; and free text comments. In addition patient comment providers such as Patient Opinion give patients the opportunity to comment through an independent route if they choose.
NHS: Reorganisation
Jack Lopresti: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effects on commissioning decisions of the incentives of staff of health providers who are also members of commissioning boards, following the implementation of the provisions of the Health and Social Care Bill. [63835]
Mr Simon Burns: The Department published the response to the NHS Future Forum's report on 21 June 2011, which outlined in greater detail arrangements that will ensure there is independent oversight of key governance arrangements, including systems for managing conflicts of interest between commissioners and providers.
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Prosthetics
Mrs Mensch: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the terms of reference are of the consultation on the Murrison report on prosthetic services. [63838]
Mr Simon Burns: The Terms of Reference for the Review into NHS Prosthetics Services for military veterans are:
Gather evidence on the current and future needs of veterans for prosthetics services, and on the provision and cost of services;
The future funding of high specification, evidence-based prosthetics services within the national health service;
The possible contribution of personal health budgets and the inclusion of this in continuing health care arrangements;
How regional variations in service can be minimised;
The possibility of designating centres of excellence for NHS prosthetics care;
The effectiveness of the Seriously Injured Leavers Protocol currently being piloted;
How the transition from the armed forces' prosthetics care to the NHS can be improved including liaison between the new army recovery centres, the four rehabilitation centres in England, Headley Court and the NHS;
An initiative is in development within the NHS medical directorate to ensure that the NHS deals better with the rehabilitation and recovery needs of the general population. Discussions with clinical advisors to the Department of Health team could consider how to link provision for trauma and after care with these initiatives;
Longer term implications for the new Defence National Rehabilitation Centre;
Clarification of responsibilities in the new NHS architecture for commissioning prosthetics services for those leaving the armed forces; and
The role of service charities in helping to meet the realistic needs of individuals over and above that which the NHS can provide.
Ritalin: Children
Mr McFadden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the effects of Ritalin and similar drugs on young children. [63460]
Mr Simon Burns: Clinical trials submitted by the marketing authorisation holder (MAH) for Ritalin (methylphenidate) were evaluated at the time of licensing to ensure that it met appropriate standards of safety, quality and efficacy to support its use in the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Since the marketing of Ritalin, the independent scientific advisory committee, the Commission on Human Medicines (CHM) and the Medicines Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) have kept its safety under close review. As new data have emerged, product information for prescribers and patients has been updated and advice has been issued.
In June 2007, the MHRA led a European review of the risks and benefits of Ritalin and sought advice from the CHM and an expert working group whose membership included those with expertise in child and adolescent psychiatry. This European review was requested by the European Commission following concerns over the safety of methylphenidate, particularly the possible risk of
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cardiovascular disorders (problems affecting the heart and blood vessels) and cerebrovascular disorders (problems affecting the blood vessels in the brain).
The review considered the available data on efficacy and safety and concluded that the benefits of methylphenidate-containing medicines continue to outweigh their risks, when used in their approved indication for children aged six years or over and adolescents with ADHD, as part of a comprehensive treatment programme.
The conclusions of this review were communicated to health care professionals in March 2009 through the MHRA's monthly drug safety bulletin, Drug Safety Update.
The product information of all methylphenidate-containing medicines authorised across Europe, including the patient information leaflets, has been updated to ensure it contains clear, comprehensive information about the effects of methylphenidate and the importance of monitoring children and adolescents throughout their treatment.
Following this, surveillance measures to review the safety of Ritalin continue.
The MAH for Ritalin has been asked to conduct studies to further characterise the safety of methylphenidate, particularly the long-term safety. The information from the ongoing studies will be evaluated as soon as it becomes available.
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has also published a technology appraisal on methylphenidate, atomoxetine and dexamfetamine (2006) and are following up with recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD (2008).
Skin Cancer: Young People
Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to increase awareness of skin melanoma among young people. [63678]
Paul Burstow: SunSmart, the national skin cancer prevention campaign run by Cancer Research UK, raises awareness amongst the public and professionals of the risks to health from skin cancer, including melanoma. The SunSmart website
www.sunsmart.org.uk
provides information and advice on prevention and early detection of skin cancer. The primary audience for this year's campaign is 16 to 24-year-olds.
In March, SunSmart also launched a digital campaign entitled ‘Leatha Face’ to raise awareness amongst young people of the skin cancer risks posed by sunbeds. In addition, the Department has published guidance on the implementation of the Sunbeds (Regulation) Act 2010, which came into force on 1 April 2011 and aims to prevent young people under 18 from being allowed to use sunbeds.
Specialised Services Patient and Public Engagement Steering Group
Tessa Munt:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health on whose instruction the Specialised Services Patient and Public Engagement Steering Group was established; on what date the decision to establish the Group was
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taken; how
(a)
patients and
(b)
members of the public were selected to sit on the Group; and on what dates it has met. [63764]
Mr Simon Burns: To support the proposed changes to the commissioning of specialised services, NHS Specialised Services established the Specialised Services Patient and Public Engagement Steering Group at the beginning of the year. The patient representative organisations selected to sit on the group were chosen in partnership with the Specialised Healthcare Alliance. The Group has met on 5 May 2011 and 27 May 2011.
Deputy Prime Minister
Departmental Responsibilities
Mr Bone: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what recent discussions he has had with the Prime Minister on the arrangements for Government in the event that the Prime Minister is incapacitated. [63713]
The Deputy Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 17 February 2011, Official Report, column 923W.
House of Lords: Reform
Mr Dodds: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what process he plans to follow to enable the devolved legislatures to contribute to consideration of the future of the House of Lords. [63627]
Mr Harper: The draft House of Lords Reform Bill extends to the whole of the United Kingdom and addresses matters relating to the Parliament of the United Kingdom which is an “excepted matter” under Schedule 2 to the Northern Ireland Act 1998, and a “reserved matter” under Schedule 5 to the Scotland Act 1998. No relevant powers have been transferred to the National Assembly for Wales or the Welsh Ministers.
We are always willing to hear the views of the devolved Governments and legislatures through correspondence or discussions within forums such as the Joint Ministerial Committee. The Joint Committee is take evidence from those in each part of the UK including the devolved legislatures.
Business, Innovation and Skills
Business Assistance
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to increase (a) levels of net capital investment in small and medium-sized businesses, (b) the proportion of managers of small and medium-sized businesses carrying out management or leadership training and (c) the use of ICT by small and medium-sized businesses. [61999]
Mr Prisk:
The Government have demonstrated their commitment to increasing the level of net capital investment in small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) by extending
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our commitment to the Enterprise Finance Guarantee to unlock up to £2 billion of additional lending to SMEs over the course of the Parliament, working with the banks to establish the Business Growth Fund in order to secure £2.5 billion of finance for growing small and medium firms, and securing an agreement with five banks on the Merlin commitment of £76 billion of gross new lending to small and medium sized enterprises in 2011. Among other measures, Government have also extended our commitment to the Enterprise Capital Fund programme by £200 million over the Parliament, and have announced changes to the Enterprise Investment Scheme that incentivise equity investment in small firms. The Government have also approved, subject to due diligence, a bid to the Regional Growth Fund for a new £50 million business angel co-investment fund.
In “Skills for Sustainable Growth” published in November 2010, we emphasised the importance of improving leadership and management skills and set out our intention to work with employers, employer bodies, the Trades Union Congress, Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service, and others to develop a framework for improving leadership and management skills to encourage high performance working and better use of skills. We are continuing to provide the SME Leadership and Management Programme with priority for support being given to those SMEs that demonstrate a potential for growth, and are looking closely at how best this programme can be integrated or aligned with Business Coaching for Growth from January 2012.
The Government provide information and advice to SMEs on the use of Information and communication technologies through
www.businesslink.gov.uk/
which is the Government's online information (ICT) and advice channel to all businesses. The website includes information on a whole range of issues including detailed guidance on the use of ICT for SMEs.
Businesses: Beckenham
Bob Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to reduce the burden of regulation on small and medium-sized enterprises in Beckenham. [61135]
Mr Prisk: This Government have set out a clear aim—to leave office having reduced the overall burden of regulation.
In September, the Government introduced the ‘One-in, One-out rule’ for new regulation so a new regulatory burden cannot be introduced without identifying another to be removed first. In December, we introduced a new approach to transposing EU directives, to end ‘gold plating’ and ensure they are not transposed in such a way that they disadvantage UK businesses relative to their EU competitors. In March we introduced sunset clauses in new regulations that impose a cost on businesses, to ensure they remain relevant and are fit-for-purpose.
However, we recognise that badly designed regulation and red tape can have a particularly damaging effect on our smallest businesses. In ‘The Plan for Growth’, published alongside the Budget 2011, as part of a package of measures to improve the UK's regulatory environment, the Government announced that micro-businesses (those with fewer than 10 employees) and start-ups would be
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exempt from all new domestic regulation for three years. We also decided not to extend the Right to Request Time to Train to SMEs, potentially saving SMEs approximately £350 million and not to bring forward the Dual Discrimination provision, saving business up to £3 million per year.
Last month, the Prime Minister launched the Red Tape Challenge website:
www.redtapechallenge.cabinetoffice.gov.uk
which asks the public and businesses to identify regulations that need to be amended or removed. Every few weeks regulations affecting one specific sector or industry will be published on the website. There is also the opportunity to comment on cross-cutting areas of regulation, such as employment law.
I believe that businesses in the hon. Member’s constituency will feel the benefit of these policies in the months and years ahead, as our ambitious reducing regulation agenda makes a positive difference to the UK's business environment.
Care Homes: Private Sector
Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the oral answer of 9 June 2011, Official Report, column 277, what steps he is planning to take to review the business model of companies that provide public services in the care home sector. [60942]
Mr Prisk: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 4 July 2011, Official Report, column 1080W, to the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent (Nick Smith).
Debt Managers Standards Association
Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent progress has been made by the Office of Fair Trading in its joint working with the Debt Managers Standards Association on standards in the debt management industry. [64018]
Mr Davey: The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) continues to work closely with the Debt Management Standards Association (DEMSA) as it seeks to improve standards in the debt management industry. Such industry engagement is an important and ongoing part of the OFT's action plan announced following the outcome of its Compliance Review published in September 2010.
DEMSA has an OFT Approved Code which means that members are committed to providing high standards of customer service and ensuring consumer rights are protected.
Liaison between DEMSA and OFT is ongoing and takes the form of, for instance, engagement and discussion on the OFT's recently revised draft Debt Management Guidance or a more specific exchange of information in relation to a particular member.
Departmental Billing
Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 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. [63572]
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Mr Davey: In May 2010 a new cross-Government target was introduced that required Departments to pay at least 80% of valid invoices within five working days. The previous target was payment within 10 working days. Over the last 12 months (July 2010 to June 2011 inclusive), the Department has exceeded the 80% target and has paid 95.3% of valid invoices within five working days of receipt.
For information, the Department publishes its monthly payment performance against the five working day target and this can be found at:
http://www.bis.gov.uk/about/procurement/prompt-payment/bis-payment-performance
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 SMEs can be found within larger supply chains.
Departmental Freedom of Information
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 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. [63588]
Mr Davey: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) was created on 5 June 2009 by merging the former Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) and the Department for Innovation Universities and Skills (DIUS).
(a) The number of requests BIS has received since its creation from hon. Members:
|
|
Number |
| (1) From 5 June - 31 December 2009. (2) From 1 January - 31 March 2011. | |
These figures may not represent all Freedom of Information requests from MP's as we may only record those that are clearly stated as being from an MP. We do not record the political party of the MP.
(b) The number of requests BIS has received from members of the public since its creation:
|
|
Number |
| (1) From 5 June - 31 December 2009. (2) From 1 January - 31 March 2011. | |
Departmental Statistics
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what statistical data his Department has ceased to collect in the last year; and what the (a) reasons for and (b) savings arising from each such cessation were. [63669]
6 July 2011 : Column 1282W
Mr Davey: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has not ceased any national or official statistical data collection in the last year.
Departmental Visits Abroad
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many overseas visits to what destinations he plans to make in an official capacity in the next 12 months. [62647]
Mr Davey: The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, intends to visit Turkey, Singapore, Indonesia and Vietnam in the coming months.
Directors
Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many people were disqualified from being a director of a company following a recommendation by the Serious Organised Crime Agency in each year since 2006. [63721]
Mr Davey: No statistics are maintained of company director disqualifications that have Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) involvement as BIS does not receive specific recommendations from SOCA in respect of director disqualifications.
The majority of director disqualifications arise after investigation by the Insolvency Service (an executive agency of BIS) of a company that has entered formal insolvency. The Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986 is not restricted to issues arising from insolvencies as, for example, section 2 of the Act provides for disqualification on the conviction of an indictable offence.
Export Development Credits: Colombia
Naomi Long: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how he will ensure that export development credits are not made available to businesses which require the use of land in Colombia until a national land register has been established which records the land titles of peasant farmers, Afro-Colombians and indigenous peoples. [64097]
Mr Davey: The Export Credits Guarantee Department (ECGD) has not received any applications for support in connection with exports to Colombia. If ECGD was approached, its support would be provided in accordance with the OECD “Revised Council Recommendation on Common Approaches on the Environment and Officially Supported Export Credits” (the Common Approaches). Applications for ECGD support that fall within the ambit of the Common Approaches are screened by ECGD for potential environmental, social and human rights impacts, including the impacts of land acquisition and involuntary resettlement. Under the Common Approaches, relevant projects are required to meet international standards, usually those of the World Bank Group. This includes the International Finance Corporation's Performance Standard 5, which covers land acquisition and involuntary resettlement issues.
6 July 2011 : Column 1283W
ECGD has published guidance on its website on the processes and factors in ECGD's consideration of applications. This guidance explains the applicability of the Common Approaches to the provision of its support for export contracts.
Higher Education: Finance
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many higher education institutions were deemed to be at risk by the Higher Education Funding Council for England in the most recent period for which information is available; and if he will make a statement. [64083]
Mr Willetts [holding answer 5 July 2011]: The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) is responsible for monitoring the financial health of the Higher Education institutions and for providing advice and support where appropriate. To protect the viability of institutions at risk, and with the agreement of the Information Commissioner, HEFCE releases information on institutions assessed to be at higher risk three years after the assessment was made. The most recent available information relates to November 2007, when there were six institutions in HEFCE's ‘at higher risk’ category. The Government accepts the Public Accounts Committee's recent recommendation that this approach should be reviewed and will do this in the context of its forthcoming consultation on the future role of HEFCE.
Manufacturing Industry
Simon Danczuk: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of machine tools procured by the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre were manufactured in the UK. [63441]
Mr Prisk: AMRC is an independent research organisation owned by the university of Sheffield. It is only part funded by Government. Procurement decisions are a matter for the organisation itself, and can only be answered through direct correspondence with the centre or the university.
Defence
Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations
Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 27 April 2011, Official Report, column 415W, on Afghanistan: peacekeeping operations, what estimate he has made of the cost per flying hour of using (a) Tornado and (b) Harrier aircraft for operations in (i) Afghanistan and (ii) other theatres. [63270]
Nick Harvey [holding answer 4 July 2011]: Following reductions to the Harrier Force in 2009 by the previous Government, the Harrier was no longer sufficient in size to meet our requirement in Afghanistan. Hence following the strategic defence and security review the Harrier force is no longer in service.
The marginal costs per flying hour of Tornado GR4 is £5,000 per hour. These are the direct running costs, principally made up of consumables such as fuel.
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Armed Forces: Bexley
Mr Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service personnel resident in the London borough of Bexley received council tax relief during deployment on specified operations overseas in each of the last three years. [63889]
Mr Robathan: This information is not held in the format requested.
Armed Forces: Germany
Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent estimate he has made of the cost to his Department of the draw-down of troops from Germany. [63650]
Nick Harvey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 27 October 2010, Official Report, column 369W.
Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what arrangements he plans to put in place to implement the draw-down of troops from Germany. [63652]
Nick Harvey: It is part of the routine business of Headquarters Land Forces (HQ LF) to plan and manage unit moves. For example, in September 2010 the Army completed the move of HQ Allied Rapid Reaction Corps (ARRC) and its supporting elements from the Rhine Garrison to Innsworth, Gloucestershire. This move and other scheduled activities were planned before we completed the Strategic Defence and Security Review. Consequently, there is already a team in HQ LF which is carrying out the necessary work. Once we have concluded the basing study, this team will work with the Defence Infrastructure Organisation, UK Support Command (Germany) and the German authorities to develop and implement the larger draw-down plan.
Armed Forces: Housing
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what service personnel accommodation his Department provides by (a) type and (b) grade in each local authority area. [63864]
Mr Robathan: A table showing the number of service family accommodation (SFA) properties in the UK, broken down by county, SFA type and standard for condition, as at 30 June 2011 will be placed in the Library of the House.
Currently 96% of UK SFA is in good condition, and this includes an assessment of the stock in Northern Ireland.
The number of single living accommodation bed spaces broken down by local authority area is not held.
Armed Forces: Private Education
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service personnel of each rank based at each location received the continuity education allowance (CEA) in each financial year since 2000-01; and how much was paid to service personnel of each rank in CEA in each such year. [63358]
6 July 2011 : Column 1285W
Nick Harvey [holding answer 4 July 2011]: The purpose of continuity of education allowance (CEA) is to allow the children of service personnel to achieve a stable education against a background of parental postings both at home, and overseas.
The amount of CEA paid to each rank from financial year 2007-08 onwards can be found in the following tables. Prior to the implementation of the joint personnel administration system (JPA), this information was held on single service legacy systems and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
I announced to the House on 16 December 2010, Official Report, column 116W, changes to the regulations governing CEA that took effect from 1 April 2011. These changes altered the rules regarding involuntary separated service, transfer to day schooling, the aggregation of claims and the formal review of claims.
In addition, a dedicated team is being established to ensure probity and compliance of future claims and a review of CEA is being conducted to ensure this expenditure is fully justified.
I will write to the right hon. Member about the number of service personnel of each rank by location receiving CEA and a copy will be placed in the Library of the House.
| Number of personnel in receipt of CEA | ||||
| Financial year | ||||
| Army Rank or equivalent | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 |
| (1) Represents five or fewer. (2 )Represents zero. Notes: Rounding has been applied to all figures. When rounding to the nearest 10, numbers ending in five have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent systematic bias. Totals have been rounded separately and therefore may not equal the sum of their rounded parts. | ||||
6 July 2011 : Column 1286W
| Amount of CEA paid by rank (£ million) | ||||
| Financial year | ||||
| Army r ank or equivalent | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 |
| (1 )Tax and National Insurance on CEA paid to HMRC by the MOD on behalf of the individual. (2) Not yet available | ||||
Armoured Fighting Vehicles
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) whether (a) Mastiff, (b) Ridgback, (c) Warrior, (d) Panther, (e) Coyote, (f) Husky, (g) Warthog, (h) Wolfhound and (i) Jackal vehicles can be transported on An-124 aircraft leased under the NATO Strategic Airlift Interim Solution; [63065]
(2) how many (a) Mastiff, (b) Ridgback, (c) Warrior, (d) Panther, (e) Coyote, (f) Husky, (g) Warthog, (h) Wolfhound and (i) Jackal vehicles may be transported on (i) An-124, (ii) C-17 and (iii) C-130 aircraft per flight. [63066]
Peter Luff: Mastiff, Ridgback, Warrior, Panther, Coyote, Husky, Warthog, Wolfhound and Jackal vehicles can be transported on chartered Antonov AN-124 and the RAF C17 aircraft. However, Mastiff, Ridgback, Warrior, Warthog and Wolfhound cannot be transported on the RAF C130K and C130J variants of the Hercules aircraft as their physical dimensions exceed cargo hold limitations.
The following table provides details of the total number of each vehicle type that can be carried on a single aircraft.
| Vehicle type | AN-124 | C-17 | C-130K | C-130J |
6 July 2011 : Column 1287W
| (1) Not transported. | ||||
Mr Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what recent progress his Department has made on the Future Rapid Effect System Utility Vehicle programme; and if he will make a statement; [63740]
(2) what recent estimate he has made of the total cost of the Future Rapid Effect System Utility Vehicle programme. [63741]
(3) what estimate he has made of how many vehicles will be supplied to the armed forces under the Future Rapid Effect System Utility Vehicle programme. [63742]
Peter Luff: The Future Rapid Effect System has been recast from a single programme into a set of constituent programmes, one of which is the utility vehicle programme. The Department continues to examine the best way to take the utility vehicle programme forward. The total cost of the utility vehicle programme and platform numbers will be confirmed when the main investment decision is taken. The Department does not publish such estimates before this point as its disclosure would prejudice commercial interests.
Mr Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent estimate he has made of how many vehicles will be supplied to the armed forces under the Terrier programme. [63760]
Peter Luff: Terrier is an armoured earthmoving vehicle that will provide an improved capability to support mobility, counter-mobility and survivability throughout the spectrum of conflict. 60 vehicles will be supplied.
Civil Service: Pensions
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the size was of the pension liability in respect of his Department's civil servants in each year since 1997; and what actuarial forecasts his Department has made of such liabilities in future years. [63471]
Mr Robathan: The capitalised value of the liability in respect of all members contributing to the principal civil service pension scheme is shown each year in the report of the actuary contained in the Cabinet Office: civil superannuation accounts. Copies of the accounts up to 2009-10 can be found in the Library of the House. However, the liability in respect of civil servants serving in individual Departments is not recorded separately and this figure could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total cash equivalent transfer value is of pensions owed to current and former civil servants of his Department. [63472]
6 July 2011 : Column 1288W
Mr Robathan: Cash equivalent transfer values for civil servants on the Defence Board are shown in the remuneration report of the Department's annual resource accounts. Transfer values for the Department's other current civil servants or for any former civil servants are not routinely calculated, and these figures could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the average cash equivalent transfer value is of the pension of a civil servant in his Department at retirement. [63473]
Mr Robathan: Cash equivalent transfer values for civil servants on the Defence Board are shown in the remuneration report of the Department's annual resource accounts. Transfer values for the Department's other current civil servants are not routinely calculated, and would vary depending upon personal circumstances and the section of the civil service pension scheme to which the member belongs. This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Defence Capabilities
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the UK's current standing commitments are; what capabilities are deployed in order to meet these commitments in each case; and for what reasons each such commitment is essential to UK security or British interest. [63356]
Nick Harvey [holding answer 4 July 2011]: The Ministry of Defence has several standing commitments. These include strategic intelligence, the strategic nuclear deterrent, defence against direct threats to the UK and its overseas territories, counter-terrorism and military aid to the civil authorities. These roles are essential to the UK's safety and security and support key British interests around the world.
A range of specialist capabilities are deployed in order to meet these commitments. I am withholding the detail of what these capabilities are and the reasons for the commitment, as their disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.
Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which defence projects were awaiting approval by his Department on the last date for which information is available. [63648]
Peter Luff: As at 30 June 2011, business cases for the following major projects had been submitted to the relevant departmental approval authority for decision. These include projects that are at various stages of the process from initial circulation, clarification of outstanding issues to a final decision.
Elements of the Complex Weapons pipeline
Elements of Nuclear Warhead Capability Sustainment Programme
Core Production Capability
Acquisition of new Chinooks
Project Phoenix
Maritime Equipment Transformation
Seaseeker.
6 July 2011 : Column 1289W
Defence Assistance Fund
Mr Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the Defence Assistance Fund is in operation. [59001]
Dr Fox: The Defence Assistance Fund is a Ministry of Defence fund used to finance activities in support of bilateral defence relationships to strengthen international security and co-operation and remains in operation.
Defence: Equipment and Support
Mr Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) whether the Indirect Fire Precision Attack programme is included in the Gray Review; [63739]
(2) whether the Future Rapid Effect System programme is included in the Gray Review; [63743]
(3) whether the Merlin Capability Sustainment Programme is included in the Gray Review; [63747]
(4) whether the Beyond Visual Air-to-Air Missile programme is included in the Gray Review; [63751]
(5) whether the search and rescue helicopter project is included in the Gray Review. [63818]
Peter Luff: I am interpreting the Gray Review to be “The Materiel Strategy” currently being developed by the Chief of Defence Materiel. This will not address individual projects but will consider the Defence Equipment and Support organisation's performance more generally, including establishing its core role and how it can deliver its business most efficiently and effectively. This review will be coherent with Lord Levene's Defence Reform recommendations and my forthcoming White Paper which I expect to publish later this year. The Materiel Strategy will be implemented from early 2012 onwards.
Defence: Expenditure
Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he plans to take to reduce expenditure through rationalisation of the defence estates. [63653]
Mr Robathan: Following the strategic defence and security review the Ministry of Defence announced it would achieve cost reductions of up to £350 million per year on the defence estate. This includes those arising through the rationalisation of the estate, including the sale of surplus land and buildings, associated running cost savings and a revised approach to the way the Department manages and delivers infrastructure services.
The creation of the Defence Infrastructure Organisation with effect from 1 April 2011 was the first major step to achieving these savings and will improve decision-making on estate and rationalisation issues.
Defence: Reform
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many consultants were employed by his Department to assist or participate in the Defence Reform Unit's independent report into the structure and management of his Department. [63354]
Dr Fox [holding answer 4 July 2011]: None.
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Departmental Billing
Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 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. [63571]
Peter Luff: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is a signatory to the Prompt Payment Code and is fully committed, along with the Department's trading partners, to pay all suppliers as quickly as possible.
We aim to pay 80% of invoices within five working days. The following cumulative performance has been achieved, in the 12 months to 31 May 2011.
|
|
Number/Percentage |
The five-day target and the above performance relate to all MOD suppliers, irrespective of size, as it would be impractical to differentiate between small and medium enterprises and others.
Departmental Manpower
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people were employed by his Department's (a) Defence Estates and (b) corporate services in (i) Scotland, (ii) England, (iii) Northern Ireland and (iv) Wales in each year since 2007. [63068]
Mr Robathan: The headcount of employees in the Defence Estates organisation as at 1 April each year up to 2010 is shown in the following table. On 1 April 2011 the new Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) was established and the figure given reflects the new organisation.
There is no single body of staff in the MOD defined as “corporate services”; depending on the definition adopted, staff from several different businesses might be included in the list.
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Fire Services
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what steps he is taking to ensure effective co-operation between the Ministry of Defence Fire Service and fire and rescue services in the event of serious fire incidents at defence (a) research and (b) storage facilities; and if he will make a statement; [63206]
(2) whether he has met officials from the Health and Safety Executive as part of its investigation into the response to the fires at Aldermaston Atomic Weapons Establishment in August 2010; [63207]
(3) what assessment he has made of the performance of the Ministry of Defence Fire Service in responding to the fires at Aldermaston Atomic Weapons Establishment in August 2010. [63359]
Mr Robathan [holding answer 4 July 2011]:Fire services employed on the Ministry of Defence (MOD) estate have established plans that identify the respective roles and responsibilities of the MOD fire services and the local authority fire services in the event of fire incidents at Defence establishments. In support of the mutual co-operation and interoperability that already exists between these organisations, joint training and exercises are regularly undertaken, as are liaison visits to review risks and to ensure emergency responders maintain familiarity with the sites' facilities, hazards and operational procedures. These arrangements are in place at all Defence sites where MOD fire services are established, including research and storage facilities.
Several local authority fire and rescue services responded to the fire at Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) on 3 August 2010, including Royal Berkshire, Hampshire and the London fire brigade, as well as the AWE fire and rescue service and the Defence Fire Risk Management Organisation (DFRMO). DFRMO has investigated the fire and rescue services' operational response to the fire. Their report, which was published on the MOD website on 9 June, identifies a number of learning points and provides recommendations to rectify those shortfalls identified in the fire services' response to the fire incident. The DFRMO report can be accessed via the following link:
http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/MicroSite/DES/OurPublications/HealthandSafety/
I have also placed a copy of the report in the Library of the House, along with the DFRMO report on their investigation into the cause of the fire.
There have been no meetings between MOD Ministers and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) concerning the latter's investigation into the fire at the Atomic Weapons Establishment and none have been needed, although MOD officials with regulatory responsibilities meet routinely with the HSE and other relevant bodies as part of their duties.
Helicopters
Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many helicopters are under order by his Department; and when he expects them to be delivered. [63655]
6 July 2011 : Column 1292W
Peter Luff: There are currently 62 Lynx Wildcat on order from AgustaWestland, of which 34 Lynx Wildcat (Army variant) are due to be delivered incrementally between 2012 and 2016, with the remaining 28 Lynx Wildcat (Navy variant) being delivered between 2013 and 2017. As announced in the Strategic Defence and Security Review, we plan to buy 12 additional Chinook helicopters for the RAF, as well as a further two to replace those lost on operations in Afghanistan in 2009. We continue to work closely with Boeing on the assessment phase of this programme prior to the main investment decision on these helicopters.
Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service pilots have flown field carrier landing practice missions; on which aircraft such missions have been flown; and how many such missions there have been. [63310]
Nick Harvey: Field carrier landing practice missions are not currently carried out by the Royal Navy or RAF. Individual pilots on secondment to the US Navy conduct such missions in T-45 Goshawk and F-18 Hornet aircraft, but information on the number of these missions is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Libya: Armed Conflict
Mr Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether officials of his Department involved in post-conflict planning in Libya have discussed the task with officials involved in post-conflict planning after the invasion of (a) Afghanistan in 2001 and (b) Iraq in 2003. [63086]
Nick Harvey: Officials have had many discussions regarding post-conflict planning. These discussions have involved those with previous experience of post-conflict planning to ensure that any appropriate lessons learnt from Afghanistan and Iraq are fed into the planning process.
Military Aircraft: Repairs and Maintenance
Sheryll Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many maintainers there are per airframe in the (a) RAF, (b) Fleet Air Arm and (c) Army Air Corps. [62106]
Peter Luff [holding answer 27 June 2011]: The information is not held in the format requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Aircraft maintenance is carried out by service personnel, Ministry of Defence civilians and as part of contractual agreements with industry across all three services.
NATO
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Weapon System Partnerships the UK has participated in through NATO's Maintenance and Supply Agency; and what the (a) partner country and (b) weapon system is in each case. [62175]
6 July 2011 : Column 1293W
Mr Gerald Howarth: The UK is a member of the following NATO Maintenance and Supply Agency (NAMSA) Weapon System Partnerships (WSP):
Artillery Rocket and Missile Systems (ARMS) WSP with France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Turkey and USA. This partnership supports the Multiple Launch Rocket System.
Helicopter WSP with Germany, Greece, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey and Austria. This partnership supports the overhaul and upgrade of Mi-17 helicopters for the Afghan theatre.
Ship-Shore-Ship Buffer (SSSB) WSP with Denmark, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, and Turkey. This partnership supports maritime tactical data links.
Ammunition WSP with Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey and USA. This supports ammunition procurement and the disposal of obsolete or redundant items.
Mobile Pipeline Repair Equipment (MPRE)/War Damage Repair (WARDAM) WSP with Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Netherlands and Turkey. This WSP supports the overhaul of high pressure and low pressure pumps, shock reducing valves and pressure reducing valves.
Global Positioning Systems (GPS) WSP with Canada, Netherlands, and US. This WSP provides technical and engineering support for GPS systems.
RAF Menwith Hill: Manpower
Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many UK national (a) full-time employees and (b) full-time equivalent employees there were at Menwith Hill on the most recent date for which figures are available; and in what capacity they are employed. [63659]
Nick Harvey: As of 30 June 2011 the following number of UK nationals were employed at RAF Menwith Hill:
|
|
Number |
I am withholding further information in the interests of national security.
Somalia: Armed Conflict
Alun Michael: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department has allocated funding for the purposes of defence capacity building in Somaliland during the comprehensive spending review period. [63271]
Nick Harvey [holding answer 5 July 2011]: There are no plans to allocate Ministry of Defence funds to defence capacity building in Somaliland. The United Kingdom's contribution to security sector reform in Somaliland is carried out under the tri-departmental conflict prevention pool.
Timber
Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make an assessment of the effects of his Department's policies on the availability of wood for commercial purposes. [63613]
6 July 2011 : Column 1294W
Mr Robathan: The Ministry of Defence (MOD), its agencies and its non-departmental public bodies ensure compliance with Government policy on timber and wood derived products. The MOD has a standard condition that is used in all contracts where such products are to be supplied. It requires the contractor to obtain and retain evidence of sustainability for timber and wood-containing products delivered to the MOD and consumed during performance of contracts. We are not aware that any of the contractors have encountered problems sourcing sufficient supplies to meet our requirements. The Department has not assessed the effect of its purchasing strategy on the wider timber market.
Trident Submarines
Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the potential savings to the public purse arising from a reduction in the number of operational warheads on the Vanguard class submarines to no more than 120. [63656]
Nick Harvey: We are reducing the number of operational warheads to demonstrate our commitment to maintaining only the minimum nuclear deterrent necessary. The resulting financial saving was not a factor in this decision, however we do expect to save some tens of millions of pounds over the next 10 years. This contributes to the overall £1.2 billion of savings on the deterrent programme identified in the strategic defence and security review.
Cabinet Office
Departmental Billing
Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 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. [63568]
Mr Maude: The information requested for the Cabinet Office is not readily available and could not be obtained without exceeding the disproportionate cost threshold.
For details of Cabinet Office invoices paid on time I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 29 June 2011, Official Report, column 843W, to the right hon. Member for Southampton, Itchen (Mr Denham).
Departmental Freedom of Information
Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 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. [63586]
Mr Maude: The Cabinet Office 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 requestor is a Member of Parliament or member of the public.
6 July 2011 : Column 1295W
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.
Departmental Statistics
Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what statistical data, other than official statistics, his Department has ceased to collect in the last 12 months; and what the (a) reasons for and (b) savings arising from each such cessation were. [63664]
Mr Maude: Over the last 12 months the Cabinet Office has ceased to collect the following statistical data:
Horizon scan a programme of activity analysing the accounts of suppliers considered to be critical to Government delivery for signs of financial distress, and working with suppliers at risk of bankruptcy to turn situations around. There were two FTEs assigned to this work in the centre, with ad hoc support from senior commercial leaders. This work was stopped as it was overtaken by a new supplier management strategy;
The Operational Efficiency Programme reporting: There was never a costing of this, however it incurred significant manpower costs for all the 100 plus organisations that completed it, from several man days for a small organisation to an estimate of several hundred man days for the largest completing organisation. This was stopped because it was considered highly inefficient to deliver poor quality data;
The CAF supplier reporting: A six monthly statistical survey of our key IT suppliers, focusing on delivery quality, cost and efficacy; and of their customers. The manpower in the centre to support this was around two FTEs. A decision was taken to suspend the CAF process while consideration was given to recent work on the crown commercial portfolio, and launch of an alternative if necessary later in the year;
The Government CPO has cancelled the programme of PSPES data survey on public sector procurement spend providing expenditure details by supply market category of every significant central Government organisation. There were two FTEs centrally leading
6 July 2011 : Column 1296W
this work. This was stopped as plans are under way to collect procurement spend data in a more efficient and timely manner as part of ERG's Centralising Commodity Procurement programme.
The Government are committed to reducing statistical data collections as a way of reducing burdens and cost on all involved. There would be a disproportionate cost to accurately calculating what has been saved by stopping the collection of these data sets as work spanned across not just the Cabinet Office but resources across all central Government Departments involved in the completion of these exercises.
Employment
Mr Clappison: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many and what proportion of (a) UK nationals, (b) people born in the UK, (c) foreign nationals, (d) non-UK EU nationals and (e) non-EU foreign nationals (i) aged over 16 years and (ii) of working age were in employment in the UK in each of the last 12 quarters for which figures are available. [63837]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated July 2011:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many and what proportion of (a) UK nationals, (b) people born in the UK, (c) foreign nationals, (d) non-UK EU nationals and (e) non-EU nationals (i) aged over 16 years and (ii) of working age were in employment in the UK in each of the last 12 quarters for which figures are available. 63837
The requested information is provided in the attached table.
Labour market statistics published in the monthly Labour Market Statistical Bulletin previously described as working age (men aged 16-64 and women aged 16-59) have now been replaced with statistics based on those aged 16-64 for both men and women. Consequently, the estimates provided have been produced on this basis.
| Employment levels and rates (1) for people aged 16 and over, by nationality and country of birth (2) —Three months ending March, June, September, December, 2008 to 2011—United Kingdom, not seasonally adjusted | |||||||||||
| Thousands and per cent age | |||||||||||
| Aged over 16 years | |||||||||||
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UK nationals | Rate (%) | UK born | Rate (%) | Foreign nationals | Rate (%) | Non-UK EU nationals | Rate (%) | Non-EU nationals | Rate (%) |