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Public Services: Private Sector
Nick Smith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the answer of 4 July 2011, Official Report, column 1080W, on public services: private sector, what plans he has for monitoring the business models of companies providing key public services. [67303]
Mr Letwin: The Open Public Services White Paper set out our principles for ensuring the continuity of public services. The Chief Secretary to the Treasury and I will be working with colleagues to develop continuity regimes based on these principles over the next few months.
Skin Cancer
Chris Skidmore: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many cases of skin cancer were diagnosed in each (a) primary care trust and (b) cancer network in each of the last 10 years. [66013]
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 recent question asking how many cases of skin cancers were diagnosed in each (a) primary care trust and (b) cancer network in each of the last 10 years. [66013]
The latest available figures for newly diagnosed cases of skin cancer (incidence) are for the year 2008. Please note that these numbers may not be the same as the number of people diagnosed with cancer, because one person may be diagnosed with more than one cancer.
The tables provide the number of newly diagnosed cases of melanoma skin cancer in each (a) primary care organisation (Table 1) and (b) cancer network (Table 2) in England for each year from 1999 to 2008.
Numbers of cases of non-melanoma skin cancer are not collected centrally.
Copies of Tables 1 and 2 have been placed in the House of Commons library.
The latest published figures on the incidence of cancer in England are available on the National Statistics website at:
www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_health/mb1-39/mb1-no39-2008.pdf
Deputy Prime Minister
Alternative Vote: Referendums
Jim Shannon: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the value for money of the referendum on the alternative vote. [66845]
Mr Harper: The referendum on the voting system was important in enabling people to have their say on whether a new voting system should be adopted. The Government took steps to reduce costs where possible, for example, by combining the referendum with the devolved and local government elections, which saved an estimated £30 million across all the polls held on 5 May.
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The Electoral Commission is responsible for accounting for the funds which were allocated for the referendum, and has assured us that value for money will be taken into account when assessing individual claims. We will make an overall assessment on the cost of the referendum, and whether there are further opportunities for providing value for money in such polls once all claims from regional counting officers and counting officers for the conduct of the poll have been submitted to the Electoral Commission and settled.
Departmental Official Hospitality
Chris Bryant: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much his Department has spent on hospitality for staff since May 2010. [67625]
The Deputy Prime Minister: My private office has spent £30.64 on official hospitality for staff since May 2010.
Ministerial Meetings
Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many meetings he has had with hon. Members of each political party since May 2010. [67169]
The Deputy Prime Minister: I regularly meet with parliamentary colleagues from all political parties in the course of Government business. However, the information requested, could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.
Elections: Armed Forces
Mr Burley: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what his policy is on the Electoral Commission’s recommendation that the electoral timetable should be extended to support participation by overseas and service voters. [67062]
Mr Harper: I announced in a written ministerial statement to the House of Commons on 13 July 2011, Official Report, columns 24-25WS, that the Government had published draft legislation on three electoral administration provisions for pre-legislative scrutiny. This included provisions which extend the timetable for UK parliamentary elections from 17 to 25 days, which will help to support the participation of overseas and service voters in UK elections. The draft legislation addresses particular issues that have been raised by MPs and peers, and by others, including the Electoral Commission.
National Assembly for Wales: Elections
Paul Murphy: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what discussions he has had with the First Minister of Wales regarding the electoral arrangements of the National Assembly for Wales. [64994]
The Deputy Prime Minister: I regularly speak to the First Minister for Wales on a wide range of issues in the course of Government business.
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Third Sector
Chris Bryant: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister which charities and voluntary organisations he has visited since 12 May 2010. [67438]
The Deputy Prime Minister: Details of my meetings with external organisations, including charities and voluntary organisations, are published quarterly on:
www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Justice
Bill of Rights Commission: European Court of Human Rights
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice which members of the Bill of Rights Commission visited the European Court of Human Rights on 5 July 2011; what matters were discussed; and what the costs were to the public purse. [67090]
Mr Djanogly: Eight members of the Commission on a Bill of Rights visited the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg on 4 and 5 July 2011. Discussions that took place on this visit are a matter for the Commission.
A total figure for the precise cost of the visit is not yet available. I will write to the hon. Member with this information once it is available and a copy of the letter will be placed in the House Library.
Sky TV
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department has spent on subscriptions to Sky TV since May 2010. [67568]
Mr Djanogly: The Department's central records show no recorded information on subscription payments to Sky TV.
Civil Proceedings: Legal Costs
John Glen: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what advice his Department has received from the Insolvency Service on reform of civil litigation funding and costs for insolvency cases. [67466]
Mr Djanogly: As I stated in my answer on 15 June 2011, Official Report, column 835W, the Insolvency Service provided a response to the consultation 'Reforming Civil Litigation Funding and Costs in England and Wales—Implementation of Lord Justice Jackson's Recommendations'. Ministry of Justice officials are in ongoing contact with officials at the Insolvency Service regarding the impact of the reforms on insolvency proceedings.
Defamation: Conditional Fee Agreements
Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will delay his decision to cap no win, no fee conditional fee agreements for cases involving the publication of libel by newspaper organisations until the Government's inquiry into the ethics and practices of the media has reported. [66936]
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Mr Djanogly: The Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill includes provisions to implement fundamental reforms to how no win no fee conditional fee agreements operate across all categories of civil litigation, for both claimants and defendants. Under our proposals, claimants in libel cases would still be able to bring claims under no win no fee agreements. The Bill is now before the Public Bill Committee for scrutiny. The Government are not minded to delay the reforms to no win no fee agreements in respect of libel cases, which are intended to make the costs of civil litigation more proportionate.
Departmental Lost Property
Mr MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what property has been (a) lost and (b) stolen from his Department in the last 12 months; and what the cost of replacement was; [66574]
Mr Blunt: The latest figures show that the following items were lost or stolen from the Department's premises in the past year:
43 personal computers; 14 laptops; 12 BlackBerry cell phones; 26 RSA secure ID tokens; 15 BeCrypt encryption tokens and five items of removable media.
The following items were lost or stolen while outside the Departments premises:
1 PC; 40 laptops; 53 BlackBerrys; 52 RSA tokens; 39 BeCrypt tokens and 25 items of removable media.
Losses of other equipment, such as mobile telephones and the cost of replacing individual items are not recorded centrally. This information is kept at a local level and can be obtained only at a disproportionate cost. Central data do not distinguish between loss and theft, nor provide an indication of recovery.
The above excludes losses from HM Prison Service stores. This information will shortly be published in the Department's annual resource accounts, which are currently being finalised.
Departmental Official Hospitality
Alun Michael: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department has spent on hospitality for staff since May 2010. [67539]
Mr Djanogly: Information on total hospitality expenditure is reflected in a broader category of account. We do not hold a further breakdown of these costs showing specific costs relating to staff.
The Department has strict controls in place to control hospitality expenditure.
Departmental Photographs
Alun Michael: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department has spent on ministerial (a) photoshoots and (b) videos since May 2010. [67540]
Mr Djanogly: The Ministry has not incurred any cost for ministerial photographs or videos since May 2010.
Since August 2009, the Ministry of Justice has the capability to provide photography and video production in-house.
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Departmental Procurement
Mr Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the annual value is of his Department's current contracts in each sector in which contracts are held. [66616]
Mr Djanogly: The Ministry of Justice current contracts and annual values are in the following table:
| Annual contract value | |
| Sectors | £ |
| (1) Including inter-prison transfers(.) (2) Interims, clerical agency and ancillary. (3) Including cleaning and security guarding. | |
Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many procurement contracts his Department has awarded to small businesses since May 2010. [67231]
Mr Djanogly: The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) did not hold centrally information regarding the procurement of goods or services from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) prior to April 2011. This information can be obtained only at a disproportionate cost to the Department, by a number of staff manually reviewing large volumes of records.
Following the development of the MOJ's SME action plan this information is now recorded. Between 1 April 2011 and 30 June 2011 87 contracts were awarded to SMEs.
Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of procurement contracts offered by his Department have been advertised on the Contracts Finder website since the website's inception. [67232]
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Mr Djanogly: Since 1 April 2011 (when Departments were required to advertise ‘live’ opportunities on Contracts Finder), 100% of the Ministry of Justice's contract opportunities above £10,000 that are subject to open competition have been submitted for publication on Contracts Finder.
Departmental Redundancy
Alun Michael: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department has spent on redundancy costs since May 2010. [67541]
Mr Djanogly: There have been no compulsory redundancies since May 2010, therefore there are no costs.
Departmental Responsibilities
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many meetings he has had with hon. Members of each political party since May 2010. [67161]
Mr Djanogly: My right hon. and learned Friend Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice regularly meets hon. Members of the House in the course of his ministerial and constituency duties. Due to the large number of meetings he attends which involve hon. Members, the work involved in searching records to assemble this information would exceed the cost limit for answering PQs.
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will consider keeping data on the number of times (a) he and (b) officials of his Department have declined a request for a meeting from an hon. Member of each political party. [67184]
Mr Djanogly: My right hon. and learned Friend Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice seeks to accommodate requests to meet with hon. Members of the House wherever possible and appropriate. Due to the variety of means by which meeting requests are made, both formally and informally, we do not believe it would be practical to centrally record instances where a meeting request may have been declined.
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice on how many occasions a request for a meeting by an hon. Member of each political party was refused by (a) a Minister in his Department directly and (b) his Department on behalf of a Minister in November 2010. [67583]
Mr Djanogly: Ministers in the Ministry of Justice seek to accommodate requests to meet with hon. Members of the House wherever possible and appropriate. The Ministry of Justice does not centrally record instances where meeting requests have been declined, and the work involved in searching records to attempt to assemble this information would exceed the cost limit for answering PQs.
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Departmental Training
Alun Michael: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department has spent on training for Ministers since May 2010; and what the purpose was of such training. [67537]
Mr Djanogly: Since May 2010, the Ministry of Justice has spent £4,000 on training for Ministers.
One Minister completed a workshop on ‘Finance in Government’. In addition, three Ministers completed media training, designed to assist Ministers in clearly communicating the work of the Ministry of Justice to the public.
No other training has been provided for Ministers.
Employment Tribunals Service
Mr Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the potential of early neutral evaluation as a method of alternative dispute resolution in employment tribunal claims. [67396]
Mr Djanogly: The Government are committed to encouraging the public to resolve their issues out of court without recourse to public funds, using simpler, more informal remedies where they are appropriate. In this context, my Department is working to develop proposals to promote wider use of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) across the courts and tribunals system.
Insofar as employment tribunals are concerned, and given the unique position of ACAS in the employment dispute resolution system, ADR is already embedded as a central feature of the process. The Pre Claim Conciliation scheme run by ACAS allows parties to engage in ADR before claims are even lodged with a tribunal. The Government’s consultation paper “Resolving Workplace Disputes” sets out how we intend to build on our experience in this area.
However, it is generally accepted that there will be cases which reach the tribunal but have little or no prospect of success. Identifying these cases at an early stage helps tribunals to allocate resources more effectively. There are already wide-ranging powers for employment judges to case manage proceedings from an early stage. These include holding interim hearings to consider the relevant issues involved. Tribunals have the power to make deposit orders where a claim/response has little reasonable prospect of success; and ultimately to strike out any claim/response which has no reasonable prospect of success. Again, the “Resolving Workplace Disputes” consultation considers how these powers could be made more effective.
In the tribunals system more widely, we have considered early neutral evaluation (ENE) techniques, alongside others. Given the findings from pilot exercises, there was no clear case for onward consideration of ENE specifically. However, we have been able to apply lessons learned to good effect and we are considering how increased use of ADR could be further encouraged across the civil, family and administrative justice system.
Mr Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment his Department has made of non-payment of employment tribunal awards since 2009. [67397]
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Mr Djanogly: While Employment Tribunals collate, and HMCTS regularly publishes, data on awards made, no data are collected on whether those awards are satisfied in individual cases. This is largely because of the difficulties in collecting any reliable data, particularly in the scenario where judgment creditors receive payment but then (understandably) fail to report that fact to the tribunal after the end of their case. In any event, once an award has been given, it falls to the claimant to enforce that award using the civil courts should they so wish.
In order to assist with the commencement of the enforcement process, the Ministry of Justice introduced, in April 2010, the ACAS and Employment Tribunal Fast Track. The Fast Track enables the claimant to have a High Court Enforcement Officer (HCEO) appointed to their case as soon as the respondent has defaulted in payment of the award. The HCEO will then take forward the enforcement process on behalf of the claimant.
In the first year, 1,495 unpaid employment tribunal awards have been issued using the Fast Track, resulting in 42.5% of those unpaid awards being fully recovered.
Employment Tribunals Service: Fees and Charges
Mr Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) what assessment he has made of the start-up costs, including information technology costs, of a system to collect fees in the employment tribunal system; [67393]
(2) what assessment he has made of the likely ongoing costs of introducing collection of fees in the employment tribunal system (a) in total and (b) as a proportion of estimated fee income; [67394]
(3) what (a) waivers and (b) other arrangements he proposes to introduce to ensure access to justice for vulnerable people should fees for employment tribunals be introduced; [67398]
(4) what assessment he has made of the likely effects on access to justice for disadvantaged groups of the introduction of fees for employment tribunals. [67399]
Mr Djanogly: We are in the process of developing proposals for the introduction of fees into the employment tribunals and Employment Appeal Tribunal and options are still being finalised. We will be consulting on our proposals later in the year.
Legal Aid Scheme: Negligence
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the capacity of parents to pay for initial expert reports necessary prior to obtaining after-the-event insurance in clinical negligence litigation in respect of their children. [66674]
Mr Djanogly: After-the-event insurance premiums can cover the cost of initial expert reports in clinical negligence cases funded under conditional fee agreements currently, and there is no reason why this should not continue once the Government’s reforms are implemented.
Members: Correspondence
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he plans to reply to the letter of 6 June 2011 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Ms Sahar Safdar. [67515]
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Mr Djanogly: My right hon. and learned Friend Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice replied on 6 July. We apologise for the delay. A copy of his reply has been sent to the right hon. Member’s office.
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he plans to reply to the letter of 7 June 2011 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr J W Hargreaves. [67517]
Mr Djanogly: My right hon. and learned Friend Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice replied on 18 July. We are sorry for the delay in replying.
Prison Service: Retirement
David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) if he will reduce the retirement age for prison officers to 60; [67614]
(2) for what reasons the retirement age of frontline Prison Service staff is not in line with that of other frontline public sector workers. [67845]
Mr Blunt: I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave on 9 June 2011, Official Report, column 473W. The normal pension age (NPA) for Prison Service staff is in line with the relevant provisions of the principal civil service pension scheme (PCSPS). Lord Hutton's final report on the proposed reform of public service pensions recommended that a pension age of 60 might be more appropriate for employees in uniformed services to recognise the unique nature of their job. Consultation will take place on what form this takes and whom it covers as part of the reform process.
Prisoners’ Release: Foreign Nationals
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many foreign national prisoners convicted of murder are (a) currently serving a custodial sentence and (b) have been released from custody in each of the last 10 years; and how many of those released from custody (i) are still residing in the UK, (ii) have returned to their country of origin and (iii) have unknown residential status. [61750]
Mr Blunt: The following table shows numbers of foreign national prisoners in England and Wales serving a custodial sentence for murder during each of the last 10 years:
|
|
Number of prisoners |
| (1) Due to the introduction of a new prison IT system, from 2010 on the prison population data is taken from a different source. Note: Excludes recalls | |
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In 2010, the Parole Board directed the release of seven foreign national prisoners serving a life sentence for murder. Of these, one has been returned to custody, two are residing in the UK and being supervised on life licence by the probation service, and four have been deported. As with any other life sentence prisoner, a foreign national prisoner serving a life sentence for murder is eligible for release on parole only once he has completed the minimum period of imprisonment specified by the court and only where the Parole Board determines that it is no longer necessary, on the grounds of public protection, for him to be detained in custody.
Detailed data before 2010 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.
Prisoners: Pregnancy
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many pregnant women were held in prison (a) on remand and (b) having been sentenced on the latest date for which figures are available. [66989]
Mr Blunt: Information on the number of pregnant women in custody is not collected centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost, as in order to provide this information staff would need to look at each individual's record.
Prisons
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 13 July 2011, Official Report, column 31WS, on prison and probation services, in what ways (a) HMP Latchmere House and (b) HMP Brockhill are (i) not considered to be fit for purpose and (ii) unable to deliver high quality, cost effective and secure regimes; and if he will make a statement. [67892]
Mr Blunt: There is currently a substantial gap between our available capacity and the actual population. We also have 2,500 spaces coming on line over the next 12 months and our assessment of the population projections is that there is now an opportunity to close places.
To determine which places could be closed there has been a rigorous economic and operational evaluation process of every establishment in the prison estate. This evaluation considered factors such as operating costs, outstanding maintenance issues and the geographic and strategic function that establishments provide to the rest of the Prison Service to identify prisons that can close during this financial year. The selection of which places to close is not based on performance of establishments.
These two sites provide the best option from those identified through our evaluation process to close the available gap between population and capacity. HMP Brockhill is in need of costly remedial work and there are options for the redeployment of staff. Having made the decision on HMP Brockhill, HMP Latchmere House was the best establishment to close given the size of the
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gap that remains, it occupies a valuable site whose sale will make a significant contribution to the savings target, and its staff can be redeployed at other establishments in the region.
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 13 July 2011, Official Report, column 31WS, on prison and probation services, if he will place in the Library a copy of the analysis that determined that (a) HMP Latchmere House and (b) HMP Brockhill were (i) not considered to be fit for purpose and (ii) unable to deliver high quality, cost effective and secure regimes; and if he will make a statement. [67893]
Mr Blunt: The decision to close these two sites is not a reflection of performance at either establishment. It followed a rigorous economic evaluation of every establishment in the prison estate based on age and economic factors, including operating costs, outstanding maintenance issues and land value. This gave a ranked economic assessment of the prison estate which was then used as the basis for an operational assessment which considered the geographic and strategic function that each prison provides to the rest of the Prison Service and the possible staffing implications of closure. The process of selection and decision making was therefore not based on a single piece of analysis which can be placed in the Library.
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what representation his Department has had from individuals and community organisations in (a) Yorkshire, (b) Northumberland, (c) County Durham, (d) Northamptonshire and (e) Surrey on the need to improve services at prison establishments in those areas recently announced for market testing; and if he will make a statement. [67894]
Mr Blunt: Such representations could be received by a large number individuals and groups within the Ministry of Justice and National Offender Management Service, and no central record is kept. This information could therefore be provided only at disproportionate cost. The prisons announced for competition by the Secretary of State on 13 July 2011 were chosen because they form a balanced package that meets our competition priorities. We expect to obtain savings from each of these prisons, which will help the National Offender Management Service meet its revised budget for the spending review period. Individual prisons within the package also offer the potential for service innovation, as outlined in the Competition Strategy for Offender Services.
Prisons: Mother and Baby Units
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how many and what proportion of women prisoners who have children under the age of 10 and are being held in the standard women's prisons estate were diagnosed as suffering from mental health problems in the last year for which figures are available; [67086]
(2) how many and what proportion of women prisoners who were being held in units where babies are kept with their mothers until the age of 18 months were diagnosed as suffering from mental health problems in the last year for which figures are available; [67092]
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(3) how many and what proportion of women prisoners who were being held in units where babies are kept with their mothers until the age of 9 months were diagnosed as suffering from mental health problems in the last year for which figures are available. [67093]
Mr Blunt: The information requested is not collected centrally, or in the format requested, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Prisons: Private Sector
David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the criteria are which his Department uses to select prisons for market testing. [67611]
Mr Blunt: Prisons will be selected for competition, balancing the need for efficiencies, the desire to implement new policy models and encourage innovation, and the operational concerns of running a large dynamic system.
The criteria used to select the nine prisons announced for competition on 13 July 2011 are contained in the “Competition Strategy for Offender Services”, published on the same day.
Prisons: Wales
Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what progress has been made in construction of a prison in north Wales. [67781]
Mr Blunt: As part of the spending review announcement on 20 October 2010, plans to build new prisons were deferred for the spending review period. As a result, there are no current plans to build a new prison in north Wales.
However, long-term decisions on the prison capacity programme will be taken in the light of future policy developments.
Restraint Accreditation Board
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he expects to receive the recommendations of the Restraint Accreditation Board; when he plans to respond to the recommendations; and whether he plans to make (a) the recommendations and (b) his response available to hon. Members. [66504]
Mr Blunt: We are due to receive and respond to advice from the Restraint Accreditation Board in the autumn following which we will communicate key outcomes with stakeholders and interested parties.
Rural Areas
Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether officials of his Department have had recent discussions with the Rural Communities Policy Unit in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. [67142]
Mr Djanogly: Ministry of Justice officials hold discussions with officials from other Government Departments, including DEFRA, as necessary when developing justice policy. Officials also undertake equality impact assessments in order to assess the impact of MOJ policies on particular groups, including rural communities.
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Theft: Metals
Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many successful prosecutions there were for metal theft in the last three years. [67519]
Mr Blunt: The Ministry of Justice Court Proceedings Database contains information on defendants proceeded against, found guilty and sentenced for criminal offences in England and Wales. Other than where specified in a statute statistical information available centrally does not include the circumstances of each case. It is not possible to separately identify those proceedings under the Theft Act 1968 specifically related to metal theft.
Third Sector
Alun Michael: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the name is of each charity and voluntary organisation Ministers in his Department have visited since May 2010. [67538]
Mr Djanogly: Ministers in the Ministry of Justice have made visits to the following charitable and voluntary organisations since May 2010:
Change Project Nottingham—6 May 2011
Turning Point—18 March 2011
Koestler Trust—29 June 2010
Rehabilitation for Addicted Prisoners Trust—1 July 2010
Corston Coalition—12 July 2010
Third Sector Advisory Group—14 July 2010
National Association of Care and Resettlement of Offenders (West Norwood Centre)—22 July 2010
Howard League/National Association of Care and Resettlement of Offenders/Liberty and Criminal Justice Alliance—3 September 2010
Koestler Exhibition—28 September 2010
Centre for Social Justice—5 October 2010
Catch 22—18 November 2010
Jagnari (Women's Educational Support Research Centre)—25 November 2010
Amber Project—1 April 2011
NEPACS—19 May 2011
Barking Community Legal Advice Centre—27 May 2010
Wandsworth Citizens advice Bureau—3 July 2011
Child Concern conference—8 July 2011
Citizen's Advice Parliamentary Reception—6 July 2011.
Victims: British Nationals Abroad
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what measures he plans to introduce to support victims of crime and their families in cases where the crimes committed have been perpetrated overseas. [67140]
Mr Blunt: We are carrying out a review of services, support and compensation for victims and intend to consult on our proposals in the autumn. As part of the review we are considering the issue of compensation for victims of terrorism overseas.
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Victims of crimes committed abroad are already entitled to support from the national charity Victim Support when they return to the UK.
In cases where a homicide has occurred abroad, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) now provide an automatic referral to Victim Support's National Homicide Service for bereaved families resident in England and Wales. The FCO has also agreed to provide £100,000 to Victim Support in this and the next financial year to help families bereaved by homicide abroad.
In cases of terrorism abroad, the FCO's exceptional assistance measures scheme provides financial assistance to British victims. In addition, UK resident victims of overseas terrorism may apply for financial relief to the Red Cross Relief Fund for UK Victims of Terrorism.
Young Offender Institutions: Violence
David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he is taking to ensure that leisure items available in young offender institutions are not used as weapons against staff. [67610]
Mr Blunt: NOMS is committed to zero tolerance to violence in prisons. No act of violence is acceptable, be it verbal, physical or directed at property. Zero tolerance is a proactive approach to reducing prison violence in all its forms and is subject to ongoing assessment.
Prisoners rarely use weapons and especially not in assaults against staff. However, where items are used as weapons and the balance of risk suggests that removal of such items is justified, NOMS takes robust action. Following serious assaults on staff in 2010 using glass items, these were removed from the lists of items available for prisoners to purchase.
NOMS has recently completed a comprehensive review of its violence reduction policy and a revised national instruction, including further advice for governors, will be issued in the autumn of 2011.
Education
Academies
Mr Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what requirements there are on the (a) governing body and (b) head teacher of an academy to provide to the relevant local education authority information about the process followed in considering and determining an application for academy status for the purpose of responding to requests made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. [66383]
Mr Gibb: Academies, in the same way as maintained schools, are responsible for dealing with their own freedom of information requests. There are no requirements for governing bodies or head teachers to pass on any information to local authorities for the purposes of responding to requests made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and this would include those related to applications for academy status.
Academies: ICT
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what information his Department holds on which academy schools do not provide children with laptops. [67436]
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Mr Gibb: This is a matter for the academy. The Department does not hold this information.
Academies: Primary Education
Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what criteria his Department has used to identify the 200 underperforming primary schools that will become academies in 2012-13; what the name of each such school is; and who is sponsoring each such academy. [64208]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 14 July 2011 ] : The 200 underperforming primary schools have been identified as those that have not achieved minimum standards of performance for the previous five years.
The Department does not intend to publish a list of the 200 worst performing primary schools in England.
Academy sponsors have yet to be identified.
Apprentices
Mr Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many apprenticeships have been created directly by contracts with his Department in each of the last three years. [66608]
Tim Loughton: The Department does not maintain a central record of the number of apprenticeships created directly by contracts and the information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Carbon Emissions
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether he has issued any guidance to schools on the generation of low-carbon energy on their estates. [65417]
Mr Gibb: The Department for Education (DfE) has produced a document on “How to Reduce Energy and Water use in Schools”, which is available on the Department for Education's website. The DfE also encourages a number of low carbon and sustainable development initiatives, including those from the Sustainable Schools Alliance and the Carbon Trust's Collaborative Low Carbon Schools service.
The Government remain fully committed to sustainable development and the importance of preparing young people for the future. At the same time, we believe that schools perform better when they take responsibility for their own improvement. We want schools to make their own judgments on whether generating low-carbon energy on their estate is the best decision for them, and how sustainable development should be reflected in their ethos, day-to-day operations and teaching.
Departmental ICT
Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what guidance is issued to (a) staff and (b) special advisers in his Department on the use of private email accounts for communications relating to their official duties; and if he will make a statement. [66782]
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Tim Loughton [holding answer 18 July 2011]: The guidance issued to (a) staff and (b) special advisers in the Department for Education on the use of private email accounts for communications relating to their official duties is as follows:
(a) for Departmental staff: “Never use non-DfE email services (such as your own personal internet email account on Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo Mail, AOL, MobileMe, etc) to carry out Departmental business.” An extract from this guidance for DfE staff, covering the salient points, is shown in Annex A.
(b) for Ministers and special advisers: “DON ’ T use unofficial devices (such as your own/constituency PC/Laptop/PDA) or unofficial services (such as internet email accounts like Hotmail or Gmail) to access or hold DfE information. Only official devices and services have been tested and risk assessed to ensure they are secure enough for routine HMG business.”
Special Advisers are bound by the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers, paragraph 6 of which says that
“Special Advisers should not use official resources for party political activity”.
Essential steps to protect information in DfE
Use only official DfE ICT systems, services and devices to access or store DfE information
Official DfE ICT (Information and Communications Technology), computing and telephony services, systems and devices, have been configured, risk assessed, and tested to ensure they are secure enough for Departmental business. Official DfE mobile devices (Laptops and BlackBerry’s) have HM Government approved strong encryption enabled.
Never use non-DfE devices (such as your own laptop, PC, Mac, PDA or memory stick) to access or store DfE Information.
Never use non-DfE email services (such as your own personal internet email account on Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo Mail, AOL, MobileMe, etc.) to carry out Departmental business.
Never set your ‘Out of Office’ message or email forwarding rules to direct official email to your personal internet email account.
If you have a compelling requirement to conduct DfE business when away from the office, but do not already have the appropriate DfE remote working tools to support this, talk to your line manager about making the business case.
The loss or compromise of personal or otherwise sensitive information that has not been adequately protected can have serious consequences including:
Financial loss, disruption to the work of the Department, or distress to citizens or staff;
Damage to DfE’s reputation which could in turn lead to loss of public confidence in the services of our Department or of Government as a whole;
Breach of the Data Protection Act, which could lead to public censure of the Department by the Information Commissioner, whose statutory powers also include the right to impose fines on the Department of up to £500,000.
Use of unapproved ICT systems, services and devices could also put in jeopardy the Department’s continued right to use the Government Secure Intranet (GSI) which we rely on for secure intra-government email and data sharing.
As well as breaching security rules the use of unapproved ICT systems, services and devices to conduct Government business also creates Information Management issues. For example: information not held on DfE ICT systems would not be searched when responding to a Freedom of Information (FoI) Request.
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Departmental Procurement
Mr Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the annual value is of his Department's current contracts in each sector in which contracts are held. [66607]
Tim Loughton: To get the information on what the annual value is of the Department's current contracts by sector could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Responsibilities
Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he plans to publish details of (a) meetings attended and (b) gifts and hospitality received by (i) Ministers and (ii) special advisers in his Department for the period 1 January 2011 to 31 March 2011. [66119]
Tim Loughton: The information will be published on the Department's website in due course.
Education Maintenance Allowance
Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what estimate he has made of the number of vulnerable pupils in each local education authority area who will be entitled to the maximum award from the education maintenance allowance replacement bursary fund; [66799]
(2) how many education maintenance allowance recipients in each local education area in 2011-12 have been defined as vulnerable. [66800]
Mr Gibb: The Department for Education estimates that around 12,000 vulnerable young people nationally will be eligible to receive £1,200 from the new 16-19 bursary fund in the academic year 2011/12. This estimate was based on the number of young people in care, care leavers, young people living independently and those receiving welfare benefits in their own right who were participating in education and receiving the education maintenance allowance in England in 2010. The Department is not able to break down this estimate by provider, local authority or region.
Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many education maintenance allowance recipients in each school sixth form and college in London in 2010-11 were defined as vulnerable. [66801]
Mr Gibb: Under the education maintenance allowance (EMA) scheme payments were not made on the basis of a defined vulnerable group, but on the basis of an assessment of household income. For a small proportion of young people a household income assessment was not appropriate—this group included looked after children, those who applied while in custody, and those who could demonstrate that they were estranged from their parents. There were 1,664 such young people who were resident in London and receiving EMA in 2010-11.
Young parents with caring responsibility for their child were assessed on their own income and that of their partner. There were 69 young parents who were resident in London and receiving EMA in 2010-11.
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In accordance with policy on data protection, where the numbers of young people in these categories would be equal to or less than five, they cannot be specified at the level of individual schools and colleges.
Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many students in each local authority area received education maintenance allowance in 2010-11. [66835]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 18 July 2011]:This is a matter for the Young People's Learning Agency (YPLA) who operate the education maintenance allowance for the Department for Education. Peter Lauener, the YPLA's chief executive, will write to the hon. Member with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in the House Libraries.
Education Maintenance Allowance: Greater London
Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many sixth formers in each school and college in London were in receipt of education maintenance allowance in 2010-11. [66834]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 18 July 2011]:This is a matter for the Young People's Learning Agency (YPLA) which operates the education maintenance allowance for the Department for Education. Peter Lauener, the YPLA's chief executive, will write to the hon. Member with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in the House Libraries.
Education Maintenance Allowance: York
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many young people in York local authority area are in receipt of education maintenance allowance; and how many young people in that area he expects to benefit from the 16 to 19 years bursary scheme. [65597]
Mr Gibb: This is a matter for the Young People's Learning Agency (YPLA) which operates the education maintenance allowance for the Department for Education. Peter Lauener, the YPLA's chief executive, will write to the hon. Member with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in the House Libraries.
Further Education: Finance
Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much has been allocated from the 16 to 19 bursary fund to each school and college in London for 2011-12. [66837]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 18 July 2011]: This is a matter for the Young People's Learning Agency (YPLA) which operates the education maintenance allowance for the Department for Education. Peter Lauener, the YPLA's chief executive, will write to the hon. Member with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in the House Libraries.
GCE A-level
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what discussions he has had with UCAS and A-level examination boards about errors in the marking of A-level papers; and if he will make a statement; [66286]
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(2) what estimate he has made of the number of A-level candidates likely to be affected by errors in the marking of A-level papers in 2011-12; and if he will make a statement; [66287]
(3) what representations he has received on errors in the marking of A-level examination papers in each of the last six months; and if he will make a statement. [66288]
Mr Gibb: No representations concerning errors in A- level marking have been received by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education during the past six months. As regulator of the examination awarding bodies concerned, it is for the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) to work with the awarding bodies to investigate any issues concerning A-level examination marking standards. Ofqual have not advised Education Ministers of any representations on this matter during the last six months. No forecast of A-level marking errors has been prepared for Ministers. While it is not feasible to eliminate all incidences of error from the initial marking process, Ministers expect that awarding bodies will always operate procedures to minimise marking errors, and that all suspected errors that are subsequently reported to them by schools will then be dealt with through the established inquiry and appeals mechanisms.
History: GCSE
Chris Skidmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and what proportion of pupils of each ethnicity eligible for free school meals achieved a grade C or above in (a) history GCSE and (b) history A-level in 2010; how many pupils of each ethnicity were entered for (i) history GCSE and (ii) a history A-level in 2010; and how many were eligible for free school meals. [65365]
Mr Gibb: The information requested is provided in the following tables:
| Table 1: Number and percentage of pupils (1, 2) entering GCSE history by ethnicity and free school meal (FSM) eligibility (3) in 2009/10 | ||||
| Pupils entering GCSE history | ||||
| All pupils | Pupils eligible for FSM | |||
| Ethnicity | Number of pupils | Percentage of pupils | Number of pupils | Percentage of pupils |
| Table 2: Number and percentage of pupils (1, 2) achieving an A*-C grade in GCSE history by ethnicity and FSM eligibility in 2009/10 | ||||
| Pupils achieving an A*-C grade in GCSE history | ||||
| All pupils | Pupils eligible for FSM | |||
| Ethnicity | Number of pupils | Percentage of pupils | Number of pupils | Percentage of pupils |
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| (1) Pupils attending maintained schools (including Academies and CTCs). (2) Number of pupils at the end of Key Stage 4. (3) FSM eligibility taken from the 2010 Spring School Census (January 2010). (4) Includes pupils of any other ethnic group and for whom ethnicity was not obtained, refused or could not be determined. Source: National Pupil Database (final data) | ||||
| Table 3: Number and percentage of students (1, 2 ) entering A-level history by ethnicity and FSM eligibility (3) in 2009/10 | ||||
| Students entering A-level history | ||||
| All students | Students eligible for FSM | |||
| Ethnicity | Number of students | Percentage of students | Number of students | Percentage of students |
| Table 4: Number and percentage of pupils (1, 2) achieving an A*-C grade in A-level history by ethnicity and FSM eligibility (3) 2009/10 | ||||
| Students achieving an A*-C grade in A-level History | ||||
| All students | Students eligible for FSM | |||
| Ethnicity | Number of students | Percentage of students | Number of students | Percentage of students |
| (1) Maintained schools and FE sector colleges only. Students taking A levels in independent schools are not included. (2) Students entered for a GCE or Applied GCE A level or other Level 3 qualification equivalent in size to an A level and aged 16-18 at the start of the 2009/10 academic year i.e. 31 August 2009. (3) Students eligible for free school meals at the end of year 11. (4) Includes students of any other ethnic group and for whom ethnicity or first language was not obtained, refused or could not be determined. Source: National Pupil Database (final data) | ||||
Home Education: Special Educational Needs
Mr Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to support parents of children with special educational needs who choose to home-educate. [66267]
Mr Gibb:
The Department for Education has recently consulted on proposals in a Special Educational Needs and Disability Green Paper which include arrangements to give parents greater control over the choice of education provision for their children. The Secretary of State has no plans to change the current arrangements for supporting parents of children with special educational needs who choose to home educate. In 2010 the Department for Children, Schools and Families issued guidance to local authorities on their duties and powers in relation to
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home educated children with special educational needs. That guidance highlighted local authorities' powers to make provision for these children, to help parents ensure that home education is suitable for the child's needs. For home educated children with statements of special educational needs, local authorities are under a duty to ensure that the provision the parents are making is suitable and meets each child's special educational needs. The local authority must review statements at least annually.
Offences Against Children
Mr Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Hampstead and Kilburn of 24 January 2011, Official Report, column 27W, on offences against children, what steps his Department has taken to safeguard children and young people from sexual exploitation in 2011. [66716]
Tim Loughton: On 5 April 2011 I chaired a roundtable meeting of senior representatives from organisations with wide-ranging knowledge and experience of child sexual exploitation. We recognised that much excellent work is being done around the country, especially by voluntary and community organisations who have a key role in reaching out to and engaging the most vulnerable children and young people. However, we identified a number of further actions that needed to be taken by the Government, working with national and local partners, to safeguard children and young people from this appalling form of child abuse.
On 17 May at an event organised by Barnardo's, I confirmed the Government's commitment to working with national and local partners to develop an action plan to tackle child sexual exploitation. Work on this action plan is under way, building on existing guidance and our developing understanding of this dreadful abuse, including through local agencies' work around the country. The action plan, which will be published in the autumn, will address issues of raising awareness and understanding; effective prevention and detection; the challenge of securing prosecutions; and the need to improve support for victims
The Government are determined to work with partners to ensure that everything possible is done to stamp out child sexual exploitation.
Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education
Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Education for what reasons the review of personal, social, health and economic education focusing on sex and relationships education and alcohol education has been suspended; and when it will be resumed. [66110]
Mr Gibb: The review of personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education has not been suspended; it has not started. PSHE education is an important subject and we are giving proper consideration to the review’s remit, process and time scale. This will ensure that the review has the best chance of determining how schools can be supported to improve the quality of PSHE teaching and of how to give teachers the flexibility to use their judgment about how best to deliver PSHE education.
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Private Education: Scholarships
Mr Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the oral statement of 11 July 2011 on the Open Public Services White Paper, if he will make it his policy that independent schools may be able to provide places funded by the state only if the cost of doing so is no greater than the cost of providing a place in the state sector in the local education authority area. [66232]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 14 July 2011]: Local authorities may purchase places in independent schools, and the negotiation of fee levels for pupils placed in independent schools by local authorities is a matter for the local authority concerned. Independent schools can apply to become free schools and receive state funding, which would give them equivalent funding to other publicly-funded schools of a similar character in the same local authority area.
The majority of placements in independent schools are made to meet the specific needs of children with special education needs. The fees in these schools are therefore often much higher than the average cost of providing a place in a maintained school in the authority concerned. We have no plans to limit the ability of local authorities to pay fees to secure specialist provision they need.
Pupils: Disadvantaged
Mark Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what consideration he has given to allocating funding through the pupil premium to schools which provide no school meals. [63895]
Mr Gibb: We have introduced the Pupil Premium to provide additional funding to schools to help raise the attainment of deprived pupils. Eligibility for the Pupil Premium is based on known eligibility for Free School Meals (FSM) as the link between FSM eligibility and educational underachievement is strong. We aim to extend the coverage of the Pupil Premium from 2012-13 onwards to pupils who have previously been known to be eligible for FSM.
We know that not all pupils eligible for FSM are registered. However, whether a school provides school meals more generally should not be a significant factor in this registration as a school or local authority must provide a meal for FSM pupils where valid requests for such meals are made. We have made it clear that we want all children eligible for free school meals to be registered so that Pupil Premium funding can be targeted correctly, and so they can choose to take a free meal to which they are entitled.
Pupils: Transport
Steve Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what representations he has received on changes to home-to-school transportation schemes. [66509]
Tim Loughton:
The Department regularly receives correspondence from parents, local authorities, dioceses and other stakeholder groups regarding changes to home-to-school transport. Planning, procuring and
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providing school transport is the responsibility of local authorities and is funded directly from a combination of DCLG provided revenue support grant and any locally determined council tax.
Schools: Assessments
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what assessment he has made of the ranking of examination boards in respect of examination question errors made in 2011; [66931]
(2) what reasons he has received from Oxford, Cambridge and RSA Examinations (OCR) for errors contained in the A-level physics examination paper of June 2011; [66932]
(3) on what date Oxford, Cambridge and RSA Examinations (OCR) informed Ofqual that they had checked their examination paper questions for errors; [66933]
(4) on what dates he received assurances from Ofqual that there were no further errors in examination questions for exams taken in summer 2011; [66934]
(5) how many errors in examination questions prepared by each examination board were corrected following an intervention by Ofqual in June 2011. [66935]
Mr Gibb: The errors that have come to light in GCSE and A-Level examination papers are extremely serious and are unacceptable. I can confirm that Ofqual has now announced that they are carrying out an inquiry to discover the causes of these errors. A copy of this inquiry will be placed in the House Libraries. The aims of the inquiry are to:
Establish the facts and find out the root causes of the errors;
Inform decisions about further regulatory action relating to the errors;
Consider how effectively the awarding bodies have communicated with candidates, schools, colleges and other stakeholders;
Identify any improvements necessary in awarding bodies' procedures; and
Consider arrangements for risk management and redress that should be used in the future and any implications for regulatory arrangements.
The inquiry will take into account information and views that Ofqual has already received from sources including exam candidates, schools and colleges, parents and student representatives.
Separate from the inquiry, the regulators will continue their work to monitor the actions being taken by the awarding bodies to make sure that candidates who have faced exam paper errors this summer are, as far as possible, not unfairly disadvantaged or advantaged.
I have asked Ofqual to write directly to the hon. Member, to provide the detail requested. A copy of their reply will be placed in the House Libraries.
Schools: Broadband
Mr Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what studies his Department has made of the broadband speeds available to school students in rural areas; and what advice and support his Department has given to (a) local authorities and (b) other school operators in this regard. [66840]
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Mr Gibb: The Department for Education has not carried out a detailed study of broadband data rates in rural schools. Local authorities and regional broadband consortia (RBCs) typically make arrangements for schools broadband and should hold information on speeds available to their schools. However, individual institutions are able to opt out of this provision.
The Department for Education maintains a dialogue with RBCs and other providers and has encouraged them to look at any opportunities available from the Government's broadband strategy, led by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, including additional funding for superfast broadband.
Schools: Freedom of Information
Mr Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he plans to take to ensure that academy and free schools remain within the scope of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. [66730]
Mr Gibb: The Academies Act 2010 brought academies and free schools within the scope of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 2000 and there is no intention to change this.
Schools: York
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much central Government capital funding was allocated to schools in York in each year since 1996-97; and how much he expects to be allocated in (a) cash and (b) real terms (i) in total and (ii) per pupil in each year of the comprehensive spending review period. [65595]
Mr Gibb: The following table shows allocations of central capital support to York local authority and its schools since 1996-97.
|
|
£ million |
| (1) Of which, £15.4 million of PFI credits. (2) £253 per pupil—this is an estimate using pupil numbers taken from the January 2010 census and is consistent with those used for devolved formula capital allocations. In practice, funding streams have different methodologies consisting of lump sums, unit values dependent on phase, allocations based on growth forecasts, etc. | |
Future allocations covering the rest of the current spending review period, up to 2014-15, will be announced in due course.
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Teachers: Misconduct
Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many allegations of misconduct were made against teachers in Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire in each year since 2008; and in how many cases the associated investigation found against the teacher. [66207]
Tim Loughton: This is a matter for the Welsh Assembly Government.
Teachers: Pensions
Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he plans to reinstate the quinquennial independent valuation of the Teachers' Pension Scheme. [67520]
Mr Gibb: The Government put valuations of the public service pension schemes on hold while the consultation on the discount rate used to calculate contribution rates was taking place. The outcome of the consultation was announced in Budget 2011. The valuations remain on hold pending detailed consideration of the implications of the new discount rate.
Young People: Voluntary Work
Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent representations he has received on the value for money provided by the National Citizen Service. [65500]
Tim Loughton [holding answer 11 July 2011]: I discuss National Citizen Service (NCS) regularly with a range of stakeholders. A key requirement in the specification for NCS pilots is that organisations demonstrate innovation and set out creative and cost effective approaches to delivering the core principles of NCS.
Government investment in the NCS pilots, which is being met by the Cabinet Office, has been matched with considerable additional support secured locally through other funding sources and in-kind donations.
The Government have commissioned an independent evaluation of NCS and value for money is something it will be looking at to help identify the most cost-effective way forward, informed by evidence not conjecture.
Health
Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse
Mrs Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether alcohol-related admission statistics are designated as national statistics; and whether they are published in accordance with the UK Statistics Authority's code of practice for official statistics. [66510]
Anne Milton: The NHS Information Centre for health and social care publish data about alcohol-related hospital admissions in two annual National Statistics publications:
1. Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) (admitted patient care) England
2. Statistics on Alcohol: England
They are designated as National Statistics and are published in accordance with the UK Statistics Authority code of practice for official statistics.
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Mrs Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) with reference to page 84 of the NHS Information Centre's publication, Statistics on Alcohol: England 2011, for what reasons 2002-03 is the baseline year for comparison of alcohol-related admissions over time; [66511]
(2) with reference to paragraph 4.4.1 of the NHS Information Centre's publication, Statistics on Alcohol: England 2011, in what proportion of alcohol-related hospital admissions in 2009-10 the alcohol-specific condition was a secondary diagnosis; [66512]
(3) with reference to page 78 of the NHS Information Centre's publication, Statistics on Alcohol: England 2011, what the updates were of the application of North West Public Health Observatory methodology which were made in summer 2010; [66513]
(4) with reference to paragraph 4.4.4 of the NHS Information Centre's publication, Statistics on Alcohol: England 2011, which ICD-10 codes were added to the group of conditions wholly attributable to alcohol; and for what reasons such changes were made. [66514]
Anne Milton: In the NHS Information Centre's publication, “Statistics on Alcohol: England 2011”, the series on admissions with an alcohol related condition goes back to 2002-03 as that is the earliest year for which estimates have been generated.
Estimates of the number of admissions with an alcohol related condition based on the current methodology were first generated in 2008. At that time, estimates were generated for the latest year for which hospital admissions data were available (2006-07) and retrospectively for the years 2002-03 to 2005-06. Estimates were not generated for years before 2002-03 primarily because the maximum number of diagnoses collected centrally for a hospital episode increased from seven to fourteen between 2001-02 and 2002-03, creating the possibility of a discontinuity in the series that might affect comparability.
The estimates for 2002-03 to 2006-07 were revised slightly in summer 2010. The revisions resulted from the inclusion of chronic hepatitis (K73) and psoriasis (L40), that had been previously been excluded unintentionally.
At a national level, the revisions ranged in scale from an increase of 543 admissions (0.07%) in 2005-06 to an increase of 2,946 (0.37%) in 2006-07.
With regard to paragraph 4.4.1, 74% of the estimated 1,057,000 admissions with a diagnosis of disease attributable to alcohol in 2009-10 did not involve a primary diagnosis attributable to alcohol.
With regard to paragraph 4.4.4, in the 2008 edition of the NHS Information Centre's publication, “Statistics on Alcohol: England”, the following three ICD-10 codes were included in the figure for admissions with a diagnosis of diseases wholly-attributable to alcohol:
F10: Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of alcohol
K70: Alcoholic liver disease
T51: Toxic effect of alcohol
In the 2011 edition, the following additional ICD-10 codes were included:
E24.4: Alcohol-induced pseudo-Cushing's syndrome
G31.2: Degeneration of nervous system due to alcohol
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G62.1: Alcoholic polyneuropathy
G72.1: Alcoholic myopathy
I42.6: Alcoholic cardiomyopathy
K29.2: Alcoholic gastritis
K86.0: Chronic pancreatitis (alcohol induced)
X45: Accidental poisoning by and exposure to alcohol
and the following ICD-10 codes were no longer included:
T51.2: Toxic effect of 2-Propanol
T51.3: Toxic effect of fusel oil
T51.8: Toxic effect of other alcohols
The changes have been applied to data from 2002-03. The changes were made to offer figures based on a more comprehensive set of diseases that are wholly attributable to alcohol, in line with the review undertaken by the North West Public Health Observatory published in “Jones et al. (2008) Alcohol-attributable fractions for England”.
Mrs Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) whether patients admitted to NHS hospitals are asked if they have consumed any alcohol that day; and where such information is recorded; [66647]
(2) pursuant to the answer of 20 June 2011, Official Report, column 56W, on alcoholic drinks: misuse, what the source was of alcohol consumption data used to calculate alcohol-related admissions for 2009-10. [66648]
Anne Milton: There is no central requirement for patients admitted to national health service hospitals to be asked if they have consumed any alcohol that day, although that may happen locally in some settings and such information may be recorded on some local systems.
The estimates of admissions with a diagnosis of diseases attributable to alcohol in 2009-10 in the answer of 20 June 2011, Official Report, column 56W, on alcoholic drinks: misuse were based on the method developed by the North West Public Health Observatory (NWPHO). The method makes use of the internationally applied concept of attributable fractions. In the case of alcohol-related admissions, an attributable fraction represents the estimated percentage of admissions that can be attributed to alcohol consumption. The NWPHO estimated fractions for the 47 conditions for which there was sufficient epidemiological evidence that the risk of morbidity is significantly affected by alcohol consumption. In some cases, such as alcoholic liver disease, the conditions are wholly attributable to alcohol, in which case the attributable fraction is one or 100%. In the case of partially attributable conditions, the fractions often vary by age and sex. The list includes chronic conditions such as some cancers, acute conditions such as ethanol poisoning, and external causes such as road accidents. For most conditions, NWPHO estimated the attributable fraction for a condition by combining information from epidemiological studies on the risk of different levels of alcohol consumption, with information on alcohol consumption among adults in England from the 2005 General Household Survey. Information on the primary and secondary diagnoses recorded for each admission is then used in combination with the fractions to estimate the number of admissions involving an alcohol-related condition.
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Continuing Care
Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many representations he has received from (a) patient groups, (b) health charities and (c) employees of his Department on the accuracy of the decision support tool for NHS Continuing Care in assessing people with fluctuating conditions; [66384]
(2) for what reasons a person diagnosed with a degenerative condition who has been awarded NHS Continuing Care may have it withdrawn; and if he will make a statement. [66423]
Paul Burstow: The Department receives a large number of representations from individual patients, patient groups and stakeholders on the accuracy of decision support tool assessments of people for continuing healthcare. It is not possible to say how many of these represent patients with fluctuating conditions.
Those receiving continuing healthcare are subject to a re-assessment, on at least an annual basis, to determine their current care needs. Those who no longer meet the eligibility criteria will no longer receive continuing healthcare, but may be eligible for alternative health and social care services.
Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment he has made of the accuracy of the decision support tool for NHS Continuing Care in assessing the needs of people with (a) fluctuating conditions, (b) long-term conditions and (c) Parkinson’s disease; [66385]
(2) what assessment he has made of the provision of NHS Continuing Care for people with (a) Parkinson’s disease and (b) long-term conditions; and if he will make a statement; [66420]
(3) how many people with Parkinson’s disease in England were awarded NHS Continuing Care in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [66421]
Paul Burstow: National health service-funded continuing health care is a package of care designed for people with a primary health need. The actual services provided as part of that package are tailored to meet the specific health and social care needs of the individual. As eligibility for continuing health care is not condition specific, we have not made any assessment of provision for people living with specific medical conditions.
Information on the number of people in receipt of continuing health care, diagnosed with specific medical conditions, is not collected centrally.
We have no assessment of the accuracy of the decision support tool for specific medical conditions. Assessment for continuing health care is made by a multi-disciplinary team who use their clinical expertise to make an assessment of an individual’s needs based on all the existing available evidence.
Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) which body or bodies will be responsible for (a) determining eligibility for NHS Continuing Care and (b) the independent appeals process in relation to NHS Continuing Care under the proposals contained in the Health and Social Care Bill; and if he will make a statement; [66422]
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(2) what consideration he has given to reviewing the decision support tool for NHS Continuing Care following the report of the Dilnot Commission; and if he will make a statement. [66675]
Paul Burstow: It is proposed that those functions currently the responsibility of primary care trusts will transfer to clinical commissioning groups while those functions currently the responsibility of strategic health authorities will transfer to the NHS Commissioning Board.
We are currently considering the implications of the Dilnot report.
Advertising
Chris Skidmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department has spent on (a) television, (b) radio and (c) newspaper advertising in (i) real and (ii) nominal terms in each year since 1997-98; and what the total cost to the public purse was. [66698]
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Mr Simon Burns: The following tables outline the specific costs relating to the Department's advertising spend during the financial year 1997-98 to 2003-04 and advertising spend broken down into television, radio and newspaper media for 2004-05 onwards. To provide a breakdown from 1997 to 2004 would incur disproportionate cost.
The financial information is not available in the format requested and to provide the information in real and nominal terms would incur disproportionate costs.
| Department of Health media spend , 1997-98 to 2003-04 financial years | |
|
|
£ million |
| Department of Health media spend on radio, television and newspapers , 2004-05 to 2010-11 financial years | |||||||
| £ million | |||||||
|
|
2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 (1) |
| (1) Figures are provisional. Notes: 1. Advertising spend is defined as covering only media spend (inclusive of agency commissions but excluding production costs, Central Office of Information (COI) commission and VAT). 2. These figures do not include the Department's recruitment/classified advertising costs and ad hoc spend under £10,000. All figures are rounded to the nearest £10,000. 3. These figures may include occasional minor spend through COI by national health service organisations, to supplement national campaigns in their area. While this expenditure has been excluded as far as possible so that this spreadsheet reflects central Departmental spend, it would incur disproportionate cost to validate that every item of NHS expenditure has been removed. | |||||||
Apprentices
Mr Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) whether his Department has a policy on requirements for the provision of (a) apprenticeships and (b) other training by (i) his Department's prime contractors and (ii) suppliers in the supply chain of such contractors; [66609]
(2) what the annual value is of his Department's current contracts in each sector in which contracts are held; [66610]
(3) how many apprenticeships have been created directly by contracts with his Department in each of the last three years. [66611]
Mr Simon Burns: The Department does not have a specific procurement policy relating to the provision of apprenticeships or other training requirements in relation to prime contractors or those within the extended supply chain.
The Department has calculated the annual value of contracts through a subset of the purchase order information contained within its Business Management System.
The following table shows the number of contracts and monetary value.
| Category |
|
Total spend (£) |
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