Meningitis: Vaccination
Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) whether he expects to introduce a meningococcal B vaccine as soon as one is licensed; [69575]
(2) if he will provide an update on the work of the meningococcal subgroup of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation following the call for evidence on vaccines against meningococcal group B disease; [69576]
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(3) when he plans to begin preparation for the introduction of a meningococcal B vaccine into the childhood immunisation schedule. [69577]
Anne Milton: The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), the independent expert Committee that provides advice to the Department of Health on the use of vaccines in the national immunisation programme has started to consider the evidence on the use of meningococcal B vaccines.
Following a call for evidence, ending in December 2010, the JCVI considered the submissions and a range of other evidence on meningococcal B vaccines. At its first meeting in February 2011, the meningococcal sub-committee of JCVI discussed the available evidence, provided initial advice and asked for further evidence and research before final advice can be formed. The JCVI considered the sub-committee's views in June 2011. The minutes of these meetings have been published as follows:
Minute of JCVI meningococcal sub-committee 18 February 2011
www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/@dh/@ab/documents/digitalasset/dh_128724.pdf
Draft minute of JCVI 8 June 2011
www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/@dh/@ab/documents/digitalasset/dh_128453.pdf
A copy of the minutes from these meetings has also been placed in the Library.
The Department will consider JCVI's recommendation on meningococcal B vaccination when it is received.
Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his Department's policy is on the provision of efficient and up-to-date disease surveillance and microbiology in the monitoring of existing and new vaccines for (a) meningococcal and (b) pneumococcal disease; and how such services will be incorporated into Public Health England. [69578]
Anne Milton: Surveillance of meningococcal infection is a core responsibility of the Health Protection Agency (HPA). Currently, registered medical practitioners are required to immediately report cases of meningococcal meningitis or septicaemia to the HPA. Enhanced surveillance of meningococcal disease is undertaken in the HPA and involves following up all cases of vaccine preventable infections to ascertain vaccination status and additional clinical details. These data are used, in conjunction with information on coverage of vaccination, to establish the effectiveness of the current routine vaccination programme.
The HPA also carries out pneumococcal disease surveillance. National pneumococcal surveillance is used to monitor the impact and effectiveness of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines currently given in the childhood immunisation schedule.
“Healthy Lives, Healthy People: update and way forward” indicated that the Department will publish the operating model for Public Health England in autumn 2011. The operating model will set out Public Health England’s functions and organisational design, including in disease surveillance. Engagement is proceeding over the summer months to involve stakeholders in helping to shape the operating model.
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Mental Health Services
Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure equality across the regions in the provision of mental health services. [69207]
Paul Burstow: The Mental Health strategy ‘No health without mental health’ recognises that better mental health, mental well-being and mental health services must be better for all—whatever people's age, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, disability, marital or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, or gender reassignment status.
The public sector duty in the Equality Act 2010 means that public bodies, including Government Departments, will need to be mindful of how the inclusion and equitable treatment of all protected groups is incorporated, as public agencies produce, monitor and report on how they have met their equality objectives.
The Ministerial Working Group on Equality in Mental Health has been established to support the Mental Health Equality work-stream of the Mental Health Strategy programme. The group will report to the Mental Health Strategy Ministerial Advisory Group. This will help to ensure that equality issues directly inform strategy implementation and enable the Government to fulfil their duties under the Equality Act 2010 and the Human Rights Act.
The National Health Service Equality Delivery System will help NHS organisations to comply with the Equality Act and deliver fair and personalised services.
NHS Foundation Trusts: Private Patients
Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of private patients who may be treated by foundation trusts in the first year following the lifting of the private patients income cap. [69206]
Mr Simon Burns: The effect of removing the private patient income cap for national health service foundation trusts is considered in the Government's Command Paper, ‘Liberating the NHS: Legislative framework and next steps’, and the impact assessments so far published for the Health and Social Care Bill 2011.
NHS: Drugs
Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health by what means the dispensing of medication for in-patients in NHS hospitals is regulated. [69427]
Mr Simon Burns: In general, including in national health service hospitals, the supply of medicines is regulated through the Medicines Act 1968 and the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, as well as registration of health care providers with the Care Quality Commission and professional regulation.
In July 2011, the Department issued a reminder notice to NHS chief executives and pharmaceutical officers, through its publication “The Week”, of the importance of adhering to existing guidance on medicines management, published by the former Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain, “The Safe and Secure Handling of
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Medicine: A Team Approach”, in 2005. The Department expects all hospitals to ensure they have in place a robust policy, signed off by the Trust Board, for the safe and secure handling of medicines, and that managers and all staff who prescribe, dispense or administer medicines are familiar with the policy.
NHS: Reorganisation
Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health who will be responsible for commissioning services for (a) acquired brain injury, (b) tuberous sclerosis, (c) trigeminal neuralgia, (d) transverse myelitis, (e) Tourette's syndrome, (f) Guillain-Barre syndrome, (g) narcolepsy, (h) myasthenia gravis, (i) multiple system atrophy, (j) spina bifida, (k) hydrocephalus, (l) dystonia, (m) myalgic encephalomyelitis, (n) Parkinson's disease, (o) motor neurone disease, (p) epilepsy and (q) multiple sclerosis following his proposed NHS reorganisation. [68491]
Paul Burstow: Although it is expected that Clinical Commissioning Groups will commission the majority of services, the Health and Social Care Bill sets out the Government's intentions that the NHS Commissioning Board will commission certain services directly. Services that will be commissioned by the NHS Commissioning Board will be referred to as prescribed services and will be those that are included within specialised services that are currently commissioned both nationally and regionally.
A Clinical Advisory Group has been established to develop a list of services that the NHS Commissioning Board will commission from 1 April 2013, subject to the passage of the Health and Social Care Bill and, as part of this work, the Group has been considering the neurosciences. While the list will be based on the services set out in the third edition of the Specialised Services National Definitions Set (SSDNS), the Group is also considering additional services that were excluded from the third edition of SSNDS, and which featured in earlier editions of SSNDS.
NHS: Theft
Mark Pawsey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the financial loss attributable to theft of medical equipment and other supplies from each health authority was in the last five years for which figures are available. [69014]
Mr Simon Burns: The information is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Obesity
Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans his Department has to reduce levels of obesity; and what recent progress has been made. [70225]
Anne Milton: Later this year we will be publishing a document on obesity that will set out how obesity will be tackled in the new public health and national health service systems, and the role of key partners. This will also set out what progress has already been made to facilitate action to help people make healthier choices and improve their lifestyles.
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We want people to know that they can change their own and their families' lifestyle and in doing so they can make a difference to their health. What the Government can do is give the public clear, consistent messages on why they should change their lifestyle, how to do so, and put in place ways to make this easier. However, we cannot tackle obesity alone it is an issue for society as a whole. We all have a role to play.
Obesity : North Yorkshire
Andrew Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost to the NHS in York and North Yorkshire was of obesity-related illness in the latest period for which figures are available. [68979]
Anne Milton: Information on the actual cost to the national health service of overweight and obesity is not collected by the Department.
The estimated cost of overweight and obesity to the NHS nationally was set out in the Foresight report “Tackling Obesities: Future Choices—Modelling Future Trends in Obesity and the Impact on Health” published in 2007. In 2010, the Department published “Supporting Commissioning of Adult Weight Management Services”. This included an estimate of a total annual cost of £258 million to the NHS in North Yorkshire and York for the principal diseases, including type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, breast and colorectal cancer, where elevated Body Mass Index is a risk factor.
As not every patient who has one of these diseases is obese or overweight, the modelling overestimates the cost to the NHS in North Yorkshire and York directly attributable to overweight and obesity.
Obesity Management Association
Conor Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what recent discussions he has had with the Obesity Management Association; [69564]
(2) whether he has had discussions with representatives of the Obesity Management Association on conducting a clinical trial of the methods advocated by the Association. [69565]
Anne Milton: Ministers have not had any discussions with the Obesity Management Association.
Palliative Care
Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many bed days of palliative care were provided by the NHS in the last period for which figures are available; and what the cost at national tariff rates was for such care. [68543]
Paul Burstow: Information about bed days used for palliative care is not available centrally.
There is currently no national tariff for palliative or end of life care. We made a commitment in the coalition programme to review payment systems to support end of life care, including exploring options for per-patient funding, and set up an independent Palliative Care Funding Review to take this work forward.
The review published its final report on 1 July 2011. We welcome the report, which has made an excellent
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start in looking at this complex and challenging issue. The review has come up with a range of significant proposals. We need now to consider these recommendations in detail and expect to consult stakeholders on the way forward shortly before running pilots.
Patients: Nutrition
Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health who in the Care Quality Commission has responsibility for (a) malnutrition and (b) improvement of nutritional care across health and care settings. [68769]
Mr Simon Burns: Providers of regulated activities have to comply with registration requirements including one on meeting nutritional needs and are therefore responsible for delivering nutritional care. Where a provider is not meeting this requirement the Care Quality Commission (CQC) can take action to bring about improvement needed to ensure compliance with legal requirements.
The Chief Executive of the CQC is Cynthia Bower. As such, she has overall responsibility for the CQCs delivery of its functions. This includes ensuring that the CQC carries out its registration function, providing assurance that the CQC takes appropriate action where providers are not compliant, including where it is found that providers are not meeting nutritional needs.
Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to provide nutritional screening for vulnerable patients on admission to hospital and in care settings. [68770]
Paul Burstow: National health service organisations and local authorities are responsible for nutrition screening policies. There are a number of initiatives in place to help organisations develop their policies. These include the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidance on malnutrition which recommends that all hospital in-patients be weighed, measured and have their Body Mass Index calculated on admission to hospital. Additionally, the “Essence of Care” benchmarking system includes a benchmark on “food and drink” which illustrates the good practice of screening and assessment of patients on initial contact with a health professional in health and social care settings. This is reinforced within the Council of Europe resolution on food and nutritional care in hospital recommending the screening of all patients on admission to hospital.
Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many commissioners have established Commissioning for Quality and Innovation schemes to tackle malnutrition in hospitals since May 2010. [68771]
Mr Simon Burns: The information is not held centrally. Commissioners are encouraged to share their Commissioning for Quality and Innovation schemes at the website of the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement:
www.institute.nhs.uk/world_class_commissioning/pct_portal/cquin.html
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Tissue Viability Services
Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health who will be responsible for commissioning community-based tissue viability services after the abolition of primary care trusts. [68529]
Mr Simon Burns: Clinical commissioning groups will in future commission the majority of national health service services. This includes the commissioning of community-based tissue viability services. The proposed NHS Commissioning Board would commission services it would not be appropriate for clinical commissioning groups to commission, such as primary care, and national and regional specialised services for patients with rare conditions.
Primary Care Trusts: Finance
Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the financial settlement for each primary care trust for the duration of the comprehensive spending review period. [69137]
Mr Simon Burns: The majority of primary care trust (PCT) revenue funding is allocated to PCTs via their revenue allocations.
Of over £102 billion in total revenue investment in the national health service announced for 2011-12, the majority of the PCT revenue budget, £89 billion, was allocated to PCTs in December 2010. This funding included an increase of £1.9 billion in PCT recurrent allocations (including £150 million for re-ablement), £69 million in non-recurrent allocations for primary dental services, pharmaceutical services and general ophthalmic services, and £648 million to support joint working between health and social care.
Full details of the revenue allocations made to PCTs for 2011-12 can be found by visiting the NHS allocations page of the Department's website at:
www.dh.gov.uk/allocations
PCT recurrent revenue allocations for 2012-13 will be announced as soon as is practical this year.
Subject to the passage of the Health and Social Care Bill, PCTs will be dissolved in April 2013.
Psychiatry
Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's methodology for assessing different types of psychotherapy. [69331]
Paul Burstow: We have made no such assessment. As an independent body, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence is responsible for developing and reviewing its own processes and methods for the development of guidance.
Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with Ministers in the Scottish Government on the performance of the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme; and if he will make a statement. [69638]
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Paul Burstow: No discussions have taken place between the Secretary of State for Health, the right hon. Member for South Cambridgeshire (Mr Lansley) and Ministers in the Scottish Government on the performance of the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme.
Mr Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to ensure that the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence consults professional organisations in the field of psychotherapy on the adequacy of its guidelines on psychotherapy. [69752]
Paul Burstow: We have no plans to do so. In developing its guidance to the national health service, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) consults widely with relevant stakeholders, including professional organisations. NICE is an independent body and it would not be appropriate for Ministers to intervene in the detail of its work.
Radiotherapy
Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what consideration the NHS has given to the 2007 recommendations of the National Radiotherapy Advisory Group on maximum travel times for radiotherapy patients in determining the provision of radiotherapy treatment with CyberKnife for cancer patients resident in Wells constituency; [69132]
(2) how much his Department plans to give to each primary care trust from the sum it has allocated in additional funding for the improvement of radiotherapy treatment; [69133]
(3) what his policy is on the commissioning recommendations in respect of stereotactic body radiotherapy treatment made in the April 2011 report of the National Radiotherapy Implementation Group. [69134]
Paul Burstow: The National Radiotherapy Advisory Group report ‘Radiotherapy: developing a world class service for England’, published in 2007, recommended that, where possible, patients should not travel more than 45 minutes for radiotherapy treatment. It was for local trusts to take account of this recommendation. The report made no specific recommendations regarding the provision of stereotactic body radiotherapy, which is the type of the radiotherapy that Cyberknife delivers.
‘Improving Outcomes: A Strategy for Cancer’ sets out our commitment to expand radiotherapy capacity by investing over £150 million nationally in additional funding over the next four years. This funding, as well as existing funding for radiotherapy, is included in overall primary care trust (PCT) baseline allocations which amount to around £85 billion nationally.
These overall baseline allocations are currently set on the basis of a weighted capitation formula, used to determine PCTs target shares of overall national health service resources to enable them to commission similar levels of health services for populations in similar need. However, the Secretary of State for Health does not mandate how much individual PCTs are to spend on particular services within these overall allocations. PCTs have local discretion to decide how to use their overall allocation to commission services, including radiotherapy services, to meet the health care needs of their local populations, taking account of local and national priorities.
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The National Radiotherapy Implementation Group report ‘Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy Guidelines for Commissioners, Providers and Clinicians in England 2011’ has now been made available on the National Cancer Action Team website at:
www.ncat.nhs.uk/our-work/ensuring-better-treatment/radiotherapy
It is for local commissioners to take account of this guidance.
Smoking
Mr Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he plans a national review of the smoking ban; and if he will make a statement. [68654]
Anne Milton: In “Healthy Lives, Healthy People: A Tobacco Control Plan for England” published in March 2011, the Government sets out their belief that the aims of smokefree legislation are continuing to be achieved effectively. Alongside this plan, an independent academic review of the evidence of the impact of smokefree legislation was published, titled “The Impact of Smokefree legislation in England”, showing that the legislation has had beneficial effects on health. Copies of both documents have already been placed in the Library.
The Government also published their interim Post-Legislative Assessment of the Health Act 2006 on 12 July 2011, a copy of which is available in the Library.
The Government have no plans to review smokefree legislation further at this stage.
Specialised Services Patient and Public Engagement Steering Group
Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 6 July 2011, Official Report, columns 1277-8W, on the Specialised Services Patient and Public Engagement Steering Group, which patient representative organisations have been selected to sit on the Specialised Services Patient and Public Engagement Steering Group. [69113]
Mr Simon Burns: The Specialised Services Patient and Public Engagement Steering Group includes patient interest group representation from: the Specialised Healthcare Alliance (representing a range of patient interest groups covering most of the National Specialised Services Definition Set), the Genetic Alliance UK (a national charity of over 130 patient organisations supporting all those affected by genetic disorders), Rare Disease UK, the Advisory Group for National Specialised Services (AGNSS), Emergence, Bliss, Comprehensive Care for Sickle Cell Disease(1), Sickle Cell Society(1), Progressive Supranuclear Palsy Association, the Haemophilia Society, the British Heart Foundation and the Richmond Group (representing 10 of the largest patient/service users organisations in the United Kingdom).
(1) Alternating attendance
Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what the name is of each representative of the Specialist Healthcare Alliance who sits on the Specialised Services Patient and Public Engagement Steering Group; and if he will identify which organisation each represents; [69136]
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(2) pursuant to the answer of 12 July 2011, Official Report, columns 305-06W, on Specialised Services Patient and Public Engagement Steering Group, for what reasons the Specialised Healthcare Alliance was chosen to represent patients. [69200]
Mr Simon Burns: A key aim of the Specialised Services Patient and Public Engagement Steering Group is to ensure that there is stakeholder involvement in the co-design and co-production of the future model for engaging patients and the public in the commissioning of specialised services through the NHS Commissioning Board.
The Director of the Specialised Healthcare Alliance sits on the Specialised Services Patient and Public Engagement Steering Group. The Specialised Healthcare Alliance was selected as one of the two main umbrella organisations with an interest in specialised health care. It represents a range of patient interest groups covering most of the National Specialised Services Definition Set.
Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 12 July 2011, Official Report, columns 305-06W, on Specialised Services Patient and Public Engagement Steering Group, which groups his Department considered when selecting organisations to represent patients on the group. [69199]
Mr Simon Burns: When establishing the Specialised Services Patient and Public Engagement Steering Group, the Department was mindful of the need to ensure broad representation from a range of different stakeholder interests without making the steering group so unwieldy that it would have problems discharging its functions. As such, in consultation with Specialised Services Commissioners, the Specialised Healthcare Alliance and the Department, a number of patient organisations were identified that would have different perspectives. The group has representatives from the two main umbrella organisations with an interest in specialised health care, the Specialised Healthcare Alliance and the Genetic Alliance UK.
In consultation with the Specialised Healthcare Alliance, it was agreed that additional members would represent a patient's organisation with a mental health focus; an organisation with a focus on children's health; and organisations with backgrounds in acute and chronic illnesses. It was also agreed to have a mix of small and large organisations, to gain a broad perspective. In addition, there is membership from a representative of the Richmond Group, representing 10 of the largest patient/service users organisations in the United Kingdom.
By selecting these organisations, we aim to ensure that the future model is aware of the different ways in which engagement would need to function for different types of health condition. The group is a “broad-church” to provide advice on the design of a future structure and as such does not aim to represent the unique and particular interests of every health condition. Its aim is to design a framework that can be used sensitively to ensure appropriate patient engagement across the range of specialised health services.
Tessa Munt:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 12 July 2011, Official Report, columns 305-6W, on Specialised Services Patient and
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Public Engagement Steering Group, what the
(a)
nature and
(b)
membership is of the Richmond Group; if he will list the 10 major charities to which his answer refers; and what information his Department holds on the relationship between the Richmond Group and the financial services company of the same name. [69201]
Mr Simon Burns: The Richmond Group comprises 10 large charities across a range of health and social care issues. Brought together by the Department as part of the Quality, Innovation, Productivity and Prevention programme, they have formed an identity of their own. The group membership is Age UK, Asthma UK, Breakthrough Breast Cancer, British Heart Foundation, British Lung Foundation, Diabetes UK, Macmillan Cancer Support, The Neurological Alliance, Rethink and The Stroke Association.
The Group is known as the Richmond Group because they first met in Richmond House and are not associated with the financial services company with this name.
Suicide: Internet
Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information his Department holds on the number of suicides that had a connection to websites promoting suicide in the latest period for which figures are available. [69072]
Paul Burstow: We do not collect this information centrally. There is no routine recording of internet-related suicide and it would be difficult to define and identify such cases nationally. It is expected that the “National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Homicide by People with Mental Illness” will, in the future, include data on suicides among patients where websites that promote suicide have been involved.
Surgery
Andrew Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many surgical errors leading to avoidable harm were recorded in the NHS in (a) 2009-10 and (b) 2010-11. [68998]
Mr Simon Burns: Data held by the National Patient Safety Agency shows that from April 2009 to March 2010, there were 47,645 surgical incidents resulting in harm reported to the National Reporting and Learning System (NRLS).
From April 2010 to March 2011 there were 50,183 surgical incidents resulting in harm reported to the NRLS.
Surgery: Safety
Andrew Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which primary care trusts have not implemented the surgical safety checklist recommended by the World Health Organisation. [68976]
Mr Simon Burns: On 26 January 2009, the National Patient Safety Agency issued a patient safety alert to the national health service in relation to the World Health Organization (WHO) Surgical Safety Checklist. This required the following actions:
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ensure an executive and a clinical lead are identified in order to implement the surgical safety checklist within the organisation;
ensure the checklist is completed for every patient undergoing a surgical procedure (including local anaesthesia); and
ensure that the use of the checklist is entered in the clinical notes or electronic record by a registered member of the team, for example, surgeon, anaesthetist, nurse, operating department practitioner.
Data held on the Central Alerting System (CAS), through which the patient safety alert was issued, shows that all NHS trusts listed on the CAS have received and made responses in relation to the patient safety alert that required implementation of the WHO Surgical Safety Checklist.
Analysis of these data shows that 301 trusts (77 per cent.) state they have completed implementing the alert and 91 trusts (23 per cent.) have stated that no action is required by them. Of the 147 of these trusts that are primary care trusts, 112 state they have completed implementing the alert and 35 state that no action is required by them in relation to the alert.
A response of ‘Action not required' indicates that a trust considers that the actions required in a patient safety alert are not relevant to their organisation, whereas a response of ‘Completed' signifies that a trust considers that it has carried out all the actions required in the alert that are applicable to them.
Tobacco
Jason McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what discussions he has had with the National Association of Cigarette Machine Operators on the change in the law affecting the operation of cigarette vending machines from 1 October 2011; [69362]
(2) whether compensation will be made available to the operators of cigarette vending machines affected by a change in the law from 1 October 2011; [69363]
(3) what steps he plans to take to inform operators of cigarette vending machines of the change in the law relating to their businesses from 1 October 2011. [69364]
Anne Milton: The prohibition of tobacco sales from vending machines will come into force, in England, on 1 October 2011. The Government are not intending to pay compensation to vending machine companies.
Sinclair Collis and the members of the National Association of Cigarette Machine Operators (NACMO) who, between them, own the majority of vending machines in England, are both aware of the requirements of legislation and the commencement date.
The Department will undertake activity to raise awareness of the legislation before October, and have supported the preparation of guidance for local authorities. NACMO have been invited to comment on the draft version of this guidance.
Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the health impact of the sale of counterfeit cigarettes from tab houses. [69523]
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Anne Milton: The Department is not aware of any evidence, which estimates the health impact of the sale of counterfeit cigarettes in tab houses.
All cigarettes are harmful to health, whether genuine or counterfeit. There is no evidence to suggest that counterfeit cigarettes or other counterfeit tobacco products are more harmful to health than genuine products, regardless of where that counterfeit tobacco is sold.
‘Healthy Lives, Healthy People: A Tobacco Control Plan for England’, published earlier this year sets out a range of Government actions on both the supply-side and demand-side to reduce smoking prevalence and the harms from tobacco in England. The availability of illicit tobacco undermines activity to try to reduce the affordability of tobacco, including through tax increases. Reducing the share of the illicit tobacco market also helps to reduce tobacco consumption, reduce organised crime in local communities, reduce potential revenue loss to the Treasury and support legitimate retailers. Latest estimates indicate action led by HM Revenue and Customs over the past decade has reduced the illicit share of the cigarette market down to 11% in 2009 (from 20% in 2000) and the illicit share of the hand-rolling tobacco market down to 49% in 2009 (from 60% in 2000).
Warwickshire Primary Care Trust
Chris White: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding was received by Warwickshire Primary Care Trust in each year since 2007. [69525]
Mr Simon Burns: Allocations for 2007-08 were announced in 2005 for North Warwickshire Primary Care Trust (PCT), Rugby PCT and South Warwickshire PCT. These PCTs merged to form Warwickshire PCT in 2006. The information requested is in the following tables:
| PCT | 2007-08 PCT recurrent revenue allocations (£000) |
|
|
Warwickshire PCT recurrent revenue allocations (£000) |
| Note: Allocations are not always comparable between years because of changes in baselines—that is changes in PCTs' responsibilities to be funded from allocations. Source: Financial Planning and Allocations Division, Department of Health | |
Chris White: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what the estimated cost was of management for Warwickshire Primary Care Trust in each year since 2007; [69527]
(2) what the costs of administration of the Warwickshire Primary Care Trust were in each year since 2007. [69530]
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Mr Simon Burns: Information on management and administration costs for Warwickshire Primary Care Trust is shown in the following table:
|
|
Managers and senior managers | Administrative and clerical staff |
| Note: The figures represent expenditure on managers and senior managers and administrative and clerical staff for each year since 2006-07. Source: Financial Returns | ||
Chris White: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospital bed days there were for (a) chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and (b) all respiratory diseases in Warwickshire Primary Care Trust area in each year since 2007. [69529]
Mr Simon Burns: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Hove (Mike Weatherley) on 22 November 2010, Official Report, column 426W.
Education
Academies
Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many schools in each local authority (a) had applied and (b) were applying for academy status on the latest date for which figures are available; and how many in each local authority area are planning to use the payroll and human resources services of the local authority. [68807]
Mr Gibb: The latest number of schools in each local authority who have applied for academy status is published on the Department's website monthly. The list can be accessed at the following web address:
http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/leadership/typesofschools/academies/b0069811/open-academies-and-academy-projects-in-development
We do not collect data on which academies plan to use the payroll and human resources services of the local authority.
Academies: First Aid Training
Andrew Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what provisions academies are required to make to train staff to deliver emergency first aid to those diagnosed with (a) epilepsy and (b) allergies. [68973]
Mr Gibb:
The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act (HSWA) 1974 places duties on employers for the health and safety of their employees and anyone else on the premises including, if they are a school, its pupils. As employers, academies must: prepare a written Health and Safety policy; make sure that staff are aware of the policy and their responsibilities within that policy; make arrangements to implement the policy; and make sure
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that appropriate safety measures are in place to ensure staff are trained and receive guidance on their responsibilities.
The responsibility of the academy is to make sure that safety measures cover the needs of all children at the school. In some cases children with medical needs may be more at risk than other children and staff may need to take additional steps to safeguard the health and safety of such children. Where children have medical needs, they may require specific support. The academy is responsible for making sure that all relevant staff know about and are, if necessary, trained to provide any additional support these children require.
Building Schools for the Future Programme
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent estimate has been made of the total cost to the public purse to date of the cancellation of Building Schools for the Future funding, including costs to local authorities of legal fees and contractual liabilities for cancellation of work already underway. [69674]
Mr Gibb: No estimate has been made of the total cost of the cancellation of the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme.
The design of BSF meant that significant sums had to be spent by local authorities before contracts were finalised and we have terminated the programme to prevent such waste. We are taking steps to ensure that future education capital expenditure delivers greater value for money.
Education: Assessments
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether his Department has considered granting additional powers to Ofqual in order that it may better regulate awarding bodies; and if so, with what outcomes. [68165]
Mr Gibb: Ofqual have acted quickly and decisively to address the serious and unacceptable errors in this summer's exam papers. However, in the light of the concerns raised by these errors, the Government are currently considering whether any additional powers of enforcement would further equip Ofqual to: tackle poor practice to prevent the kind of errors that happened this year; incentivise improvements in the standard of awarding body performance; and provide proportionate and effective sanctions for non-compliance with regulatory requirements whenever it occurs. Further information on the outcome will be available in the autumn.
Food Technology
Anna Soubry: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the merits of maintaining the teaching of practical cooking skills as a compulsory part of the school curriculum at Key Stage 3. [68069]
Mr Gibb:
This Government believe that teaching practical cooking to children makes a significant contribution to healthier living. It is not currently a compulsory part of the KS3 curriculum in schools, but the national curriculum review which is underway will
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advise the government about the merits of making it so. Our proposals for the content of the new national curriculum at each key stage will be published early in 2012.
Free School Meals
Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and what proportion of (a) primary and (b) secondary schools with over 40 per cent. of pupils eligible for free school meals are (i) below and (ii) above the floor level. [68466]
Mr Gibb: The information requested is as follows.
(a) There are 1,810 maintained primary schools with over 40% of pupils eligible for free school meals, of which; (i) 397 (22%) are below the floor standard and (ii) 1,413 (78%) are not below the floor standard.
(b) There are 417 maintained secondary schools with over 40% of pupils eligible for free school meals, of which; (i) 40 (10%) are below the floor standard and (ii) 377 (90%) are not below the floor standard.
These figures are based on data for 2010 (using data from 2009 for primary schools that did not participate in the 2010 national curriculum tests). Figures for 2011 are not yet available.
Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and what proportion of (a) primary and (b) secondary schools with over 40 per cent. of children eligible for free school meals and in the most deprived third of schools in the sector, as measured by the Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index, are (i) below and (ii) above the floor level. [68468]
Mr Gibb: The information is as follows:
(a) There are 1,768 maintained primary schools with over 40% of children eligible for free school meals and in the most deprived third of schools in the sector as measured by the Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index, of which; (i) 393 (22%) are below the floor standard and (ii) 1,375 (78%) are not below the floor standard.
(b) There are 390 maintained secondary schools with over 40% of children eligible for free school meals and in the most deprived third of schools in the sector as measured by the Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index, of which; (i) 39 (10%) are below the floor standard and (ii) 351 (90%) are not below the floor standard.
These figures are based on data for 2010 (using data from 2009 for primary schools that did not participate in the 2010 national curriculum tests). Figures for 2011 are not yet available.
Free School Meals: Tower Hamlets
Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and what proportion of pupils of each ethnicity at each (a) primary and (b) secondary school in Bethnal Green and Bow constituency were eligible for free school meals on the latest date for which figures are available. [68681]
Mr Gibb: The information requested has been placed in the House Libraries.
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The latest published information, for January 2011, on ethnicity and free school meal eligibility and other school and pupil information can be found at:
http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s001012/index.shtml
Health Education: Sex
Mr Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 6 July 2011, Official Report, column 1300W, on health education: sex, in schools which teach aspects of sex and relationships education in science lessons that are not covered by the national curriculum for science, whether there are requirements on the governing body to consult parents on the (a) delivery and (b) content of what is taught for the purposes of ensuring that it reflects the wishes of parents; what powers parents have to withdraw their children from such lessons; and if he will make a statement. [68555]
Mr Gibb: Parents have the right to withdraw their children from all or part of the sex and relationships education (SRE) provided at school except for those parts included in the statutory National Curriculum, including the statutory science curriculum. The Department's SRE guidance requires governing bodies to have a written policy and strongly encourages them to consult parents during its development. The policy must define SRE, describe how it is provided and who is responsible for providing it.
Outdoor Education
Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to promote the Learning Outside the Classroom Quality Badge. [63643]
Mr Gibb: In the Government's response to the recommendations of the Children, Schools and Families Committee on Learning Outside the Classroom, published in October 2010, we made clear our support for education outside the classroom. The Government also set out their view that the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom and its member organisations should work directly with schools and education providers. We do not intend to provide additional resources, Government regulation, monitoring or guidance for the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom and the Quality Badge scheme.
Pupils: Disadvantaged
Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many 16 to 18 year olds in schools are (a) entitled to and (b) receive free school meals.[R] [68487]
Mr Gibb: The information available on the number of pupils eligible for and claiming free school meals by age as at January 2011, is published in table 3a of the Statistical First Release “Schools, Pupils and their Characteristics, January 2011” available at
http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s001012/index.shtml
Information on pupils who may be entitled but do not make a claim is not centrally collected.
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School Milk
Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to promote the drinking of milk in nursery and primary school settings as part of the implementation of the revised Early Years Foundation Stage Framework. [67963]
Sarah Teather: The Government believe that the early years are crucial to the future success and well-being of all children and have published a statement of their vision for the early years.
Dame Clare Tickell's review of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) reflected the findings from the Advisory Panel on Food and Nutrition in Early Years about offering voluntary nutritional guidance to help settings to provide healthy, balanced and nutritious food and drink for children in child care up to age five. The Government have asked the School Food Trust to develop voluntary guidance and a code of practice to support practitioners.
Schools: Standards
Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many (a) primary and (b) secondary schools are below the floor level. [68467]
Mr Gibb: There are currently (a) 1,394 maintained primary schools and (b) 216 maintained secondary schools below the floor standards. These figures are based on data for 2010 (using data from 2009 for primary schools that did not participate in the 2010 national curriculum tests). Figures for 2011 are not yet available.
Sixth Form Education: Sunderland
Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 17 June 2011, Official Report, column 992W, on sixth form colleges, how many young people entered formal post-16 education in sixth forms in (a) Sunderland Central constituency and (b) Sunderland in (i) 2000 and (ii) 2009. [69005]
Mr Gibb: Data on participation in education post-16 is published in a Department for Education (DFE) Statistical First Release (SFR) entitled "Participation in Education, Training and Employment by 16-18 Year Olds in England".
Information on participation is not available at constituency level. The following table shows the numbers and proportions of the cohort of young people of academic age 16 (the vast majority of whom will be in their first year of post-compulsory education) in the Sunderland local authority area who were participating in education, by institution type, in 2000 and 2009.
Young people in school sixth forms are shown here as participating in maintained schools, academies and city technology colleges, and independent schools.
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| Sunderland local authority: participation in education at academic age 16 by institution type, end 2000 and end 2009 | ||||
| End 2000 | End 2009 | |||
|
|
Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage |
| (1) Includes all pupils in maintained schools and maintained special schools and pupil referral units. (2) Includes all pupils in independent schools, non-maintained special schools. | ||||
Special Educational Needs
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether the new Special Educational Needs Code of Practice will give rights to children without education, health and care plans or statements who have special educational needs. [66984]
Sarah Teather [holding answer 18 July 2011]: Any revision of the special educational needs (SEN) Code of Practice following the SEN and disability Green Paper, ‘Support and aspiration’, will make clear that schools will continue to have a duty to “use their best endeavours” to make appropriate provision to meet the special educational needs of children with SEN but without education, health and care plans or SEN statements.
The Green Paper sets out a proposal that local authorities must publish a “local offer” of the support that is normally available for children with SEN or who are disabled and their families, and from whom.
The new inspection requirements set out in the Education Bill are quite explicit with regard to disability and SEN. Her Majesty's Chief Inspector (HMCI) will be required, when reporting on the quality of education in a school, to consider how the school meets the needs of pupils who have a disability and pupils who have special educational needs.
We are also considering a package of measures to ensure that schools are properly accountable for outcomes for vulnerable pupils. We are exploring the options for publishing better information on pupil destinations on leaving school and on progress made by the lowest performers.
Special Educational Needs: Employment
Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the effect of attending a special school on the ability of a young person to gain employment; and if he will make a statement. [66815]
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Sarah Teather: Currently, the Department for Education does not collect information about the impact of special schools on the ability of a young person to gain employment. However, in the recent Green Paper, “Support and aspiration: a new approach to special educational needs and disability”, we announced our intention to introduce Key Stage 4 and Key Stage 5 destination measures. These school and college level measures will demonstrate how many of schools’ and colleges’ former pupils progress into further education, employment or training. It is our intention to include special school pupils within these measures at the earliest opportunity, following testing of the data collection processes.
Special Educational Needs: Pendle
Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will bring forward proposals to increase the efficacy of special needs education provision in Pendle. [67040]
Sarah Teather: In March 2011 the Government published their SEN and Disability Green Paper, “Support and aspiration: A new approach to special educational needs and disability”. The Green Paper made wide ranging proposals to improve the efficiency of special educational needs provision across the country, including in Pendle. Consultation on the Green paper closed on 30 June with over 2,300 responses received.
Proposals in the Green Paper include: a new single early years setting and school-based category of SEN; replacing the statutory SEN assessment and statement for children with complex needs and the Learning Difficulty Assessment for those aged 16-25 with a new, stronger single assessment and plan, called the Education, Health and Care plan; reducing the time limit for the statutory assessment process from 26 weeks to 20 weeks; a local offer, set out by local authorities and other services, of all services available to support children and young people who are disabled, or who have SEN and their families and the option of a personal budget by 2014 for all families with an Education, Health and Care plan.
The Green Paper also promotes a reduction in the bureaucratic burdens on professionals so that they can concentrate on helping children and young people fulfil their potential. It commits the Government to simplifying and improving statutory guidance for professionals working with children with SEN and disabilities so that it is clear accessible and helpful and to withdrawing guidance that does not provide useful support. In particular, we will shorten the SEN Code of Practice and incorporate within it other guidance that is considered helpful to professionals.
The process of commissioning pathfinders to test out some of our proposals began in June, to start from September 2011. Local pathfinders will show what is possible and whether central Government must act to facilitate local innovation, working with local areas and the voluntary and community sector to drive reforms.
Supply Teachers
Craig Whittaker:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the likely effect on the (a) quality and (b) rates of pay of supply
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teachers of the introduction of the Agency Workers Regulations. [69039]
Mr Gibb: Schools and agencies will continue to be responsible for appointing the most suitable supply teachers. The Department's Quality Mark scheme will continue to ensure the quality of supply teachers provided to schools by agencies. The Quality Mark recognises private sector agencies and local authorities which have demonstrated good practice in recruiting and managing supply teachers for schools. The award gives increased confidence to schools, parents and pupils that staff supplied through agencies have been recruited properly.
The Agency Workers Regulations will entitle agency supply teachers to be paid the same rates they would receive if they had been recruited by either the school or the local authority. This will only apply after the teacher has completed a qualifying period of 12 weeks in the same role with either the same school or local authority. After the qualifying period, teachers in maintained schools will be paid at their appropriate point on the main or upper pay scale in the School Teachers' Pay and Conditions Document (STPCD). Teachers in academy schools which are outside the STPCD will be entitled to the same salaries as other teachers in the academy.
Women and Equalities
Workplace Dress Codes
Naomi Long: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what recent assessment she has made of the compatibility with equalities legislation of (a) the requirement to wear a necktie and (b) other gender-specific workplace dress codes. [68710]
Mrs May: Today I am wearing a silver grey trouser suit and a pair of shoes from LK Bennett.
As Secretary of State for the Home Department I have not found that traditional gender-based workplace dress codes have held me back. I indeed believe that they encourage a sense of professionalism in the workplace.
Business, Innovation and Skills
Adult Education: Greater London
Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has for future provision of adult education in (a) Bethnal Green and Bow constituency and (b) the London borough of Tower Hamlets. [68627]
Mr Hayes: Skills are vital to achieve sustainable growth, prosperity, social mobility and fairness. The Skills Funding Agency is responsible for funding arrangements, and has made an allocation of £14,151,665 for post-19 further education to colleges and training organisations in the London borough of Tower Hamlets for the 2011/12 academic year. This includes support for adult apprenticeships as the programme at the heart of the skills system we are building. The agency does not hold specific data relating to the constituency of Bethnal Green and Bow.
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As well as apprenticeships, this investment will fully fund basic literacy and numeracy qualifications for those who left school without basic reading, writing and mathematics, and foundation learning and first full level 2 and level 3 qualifications for young adults. We will also fully fund units and full qualifications to support unemployed people into work who are in receipt of active benefits. The Government will continue to invest in training outside those areas where full subsidy is available, with the costs shared between the Government and the learner or employer.
From 2013/14, FE fee loans will be introduced for learning at Level 3 and above for those aged 24 and over.
Our investment for 2011/12 will also support Informal adult and community learning in Tower Hamlets. Informal learning is an important part of the wider learning continuum and comprises a broad range of provision. We are currently reviewing nationally how to maximise this form of learning's contribution to initiatives such as building the Big Society through learning for personal development, digital inclusion and motivating people from disadvantaged groups and supporting their progression.
As part of our wider reforms, we have provided greater freedoms and flexibilities for FE colleges and training organisations, including simplifying funding so that colleges can manage their budgets more flexibly in line with priorities. This will place them in a better position to respond to the needs of learners, employers and communities to whom they will be increasingly accountable.
Apprentices: Chatham
Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many apprenticeships have been started in Chatham and Aylesford constituency since 2005. [68400]
Mr Hayes: Table 1 shows the number of apprenticeship programme starts in Chatham and Aylesford constituency for academic years 2005/06 to 2009/10, the latest year for which final data are available.
| Table 1: Apprenticeship programme starts in Chatham and Aylesford parliamentary constituency, 2005/06 to 2009/10 | |
|
|
Number |
| Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest ten. 2. Geographic information is based upon the home postcode of the learner. 3. These figures are based on the geographic boundaries of parliamentary constituencies as of May 2010. Source: Individualised Learner Record. | |
Information on the number of apprenticeship starts is published in a quarterly statistical first release (SFR). The latest SFR was published on 23 June 2011:
http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/sfr_current
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Apprentices: North East England
Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to encourage small and medium-sized businesses to offer apprenticeships to young people in (a) the North East and (b) Sunderland. [69012]
Mr Hayes: The National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) was set up to increase the number of apprenticeship opportunities and provide a dedicated, responsive service for both employers and learners. Specifically for smaller employers (those with up to 250 employees), NAS provides support through a dedicated web and telephone based service.
In the North East between 1 August 2010 to 31 July 2011, NAS has helped 500 businesses to create 950 apprenticeship opportunities—71% of these businesses had less than 250 employees. This includes 50 businesses in Sunderland which have been helped by NAS to create 87 apprenticeship opportunities—with 76% having less than 250 employees. It is not possible to provide a breakdown by age group.
The Government do want to do more to encourage small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) to offer apprenticeships. We are currently examining what more can be done to facilitate greater SME engagement in skills and training and will publish our recommendations in the autumn.
Intellectual Property
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has to bring forward legislative proposals on private format shifting. [69669]
Mr Davey: The Government published their response to the Hargreaves review ‘Digital Opportunity, A Review of Intellectual Property and Growth’ on 3 August 2011. The response sets out the Government's broad acceptance of the review's recommendations, including the introduction of a limited exception to copyright for private copying, and outlines how the Government propose to take matters forward. We will consult on how we plan to implement this recommendation in the autumn.
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what his policy is on the pricing model in the central rights database. [69670]
Mr Davey: On 3 August the Government published their response to the independent review of intellectual property and growth, in which we accepted the report's recommendations including the establishing of a cross-sectoral Digital Copyright Exchange (DCE).
In the Government's response we set out some of the required parameters, one of which is that a successful DCE would need to allow prices to be set or negotiated by the rights holder, subject to controls on unfair competition (such as the tariffs currently set by the Copyright Tribunal).
The Government are looking to appoint a senior figure to work with relevant parties to lead this work with a view to setting up a DCE by the end of 2012.
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Manpower
Mr Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many people have been (a) recruited and (b) made redundant from (i) his Department and (ii) each non-departmental body for which he is responsible since May 2010. [66323]
Mr Davey: In June 2009 the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) was merged with the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) to create the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS).
Since May 2010 BIS has recruited 14 people to fill posts requiring special skills not already available in the Department. We have also brought in 22 graduates as part of the annual Fast Stream recruitment round conducted on behalf of all Departments by the Cabinet Office.
330 people left BIS under a voluntary exit scheme in September-October 2010. In February 2011 the Department launched a further voluntary redundancy scheme which is still ongoing, under which 220 people are currently scheduled to leave.
This information for agencies and non-departmental public bodies is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Internships
Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Liverpool, Wavertree of 25 October 2010, Official Report, column 132W, on departmental work experience, what the level was of the training allowance paid to interns while working in his Department. [69474]
Mr Davey: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills pays a training allowance of £350 per week to interns in London and £300 per week to interns outside London.
Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many (a) persons undertaking unpaid work experience, (b) unpaid interns and (c) other persons in unpaid positions were working in his Department as of 1 July 2011. [69515]
Mr Davey: As of 1 July 2011, the position in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills was as follows: (a) it has been normal practice for informal unpaid work experience placements to be offered to schoolchildren but these are not recorded centrally as they are normally of a very limited duration, (b) no unpaid interns and (c) no civil servants working in the Department who were not being paid.
Single European Payment Area
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will assess the potential benefits to economic growth in (a) the UK, (b) the Eurozone and (c) the EU of expansion of the Single European Payment Area. [69306]
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Mr Davey: A study commissioned by the European Commission shows that the use of Single European Payment Area (SEPA) payment instruments holds a potential of up to €123 billion in benefits (cumulative over six years) for the European Union. When fully implemented, all parties (consumers, SMEs, other corporate) are shown to benefit while banks would retain their current margins. According to the same study, the full implementation would lead to gains annually for the UK of 0.15% of GDP. That would be between 0.08% and 0.17% of GDP for other countries of the European Union.
The study by Capgemini is published under the title “SEPA: the benefits at stake” and available on the European Commission's website.
Electricians: Females
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what information his Department holds on the proportion of electricians who are women; and if he will make a statement. [65852]
Mr Davey: Estimates of employment by type of occupation are available from the Annual Production Survey (APS).
Individuals' occupations are recorded in accordance with the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) 2010. For the period January to December 2010 women accounted for 1% of the total number of people in employment in the SOC category ‘Electricians and electrical fitters’.
As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
Electronic Equipment: Waste Disposal
Mrs Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the contribution by the Under-Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills of 14 July 2011, Official Report, column 450, on regulation (EU Directives), when he expects the EU waste electrical and electronic equipment directive to be agreed; and what interim guidance he has given to industry on the existing directive. [68786]
Mr Prisk: I currently expect negotiations for the recast EU waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) directive to be concluded by early 2012. My Department will continue to consult stakeholders for their views and inform them of progress as negotiations continue.
Comprehensive guidance on compliance with the requirements of current UK WEEE regulations is available at:
http://www.bis.gov.uk/weee
Employment: Overseas Investment
Martin Horwood:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate his Department has made of the (a) number of jobs and (b) share of the workforce that were (i) directly and (ii) indirectly dependent on the export of goods or services to other EU member states in (A) the latest period for
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which figures are available, (B) 2005, (C) 2000, (D) 1995, (E) 1990, (F) 1985 and (G) 1981; and if he will make a statement. [66959]
Mr Davey [holding answer 18 July 2011]:BIS has estimated that in 2006 3.5 million jobs were linked directly and indirectly to the UK's trade with the EU, representing around 12% of UK's work force. This is based on the assumption that the share of UK employment linked to trade with the EU is equal to the share of total UK value added generated in the production of goods exported to the EU.
This is the most recent estimate available and no similar comparisons have been made over time.
EU Internal Trade
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment his Department has made on the stage of completion of the single market in services and the digital economy. [69303]
Mr Davey: The Government believe that there continues to be scope to improve the single market in services. One important element of this should be to fully and effectively implement the services directive, which would boost EU GDP by 2.8%. The European Commission will produce a report by the end of this year on how well EU member states have implemented the directive to date and is also carrying out legal assessments (so-called "performance checks") to ensure that the services directive is working in practice. The UK will work closely with the European Commission to take forward this work.
We also consider the digital economy as being of enormous economic significance and support many of the initiatives proposed by the European Commission in the 2010 Digital Agenda.
Our priorities include: an EU copyright management system to create an improved market for intellectual property; encouraging private sector provision of a sustainable infrastructure capable of providing super-fast broadband connections for all UK citizens; and we have supported a package of measures to strengthen the consumer confidence in buying goods online, including a new consumer rights directive, the introduction of an alternative dispute resolution for online trading and a communication on the e-commerce directive.
Further Education: Offenders
Mr Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent representations he has received from further education colleges regarding the provision of offender learning programmes. [69649]
Mr Hayes: I have had no representations from further education colleges recently about the provision of offender learning programmes.
A number of further education colleges responded to the call for evidence which informed the review of offender learning I commissioned last year. I launched “Making Prisons Work: Skills for Rehabilitation”, the report on the review, at the Association of Colleges' offender learning conference in May, and took the opportunity whilst there to speak to representatives from further education colleges that provide offender
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learning. In addition, I have regular meetings with Martin Doel, chief executive of the Association of Colleges, and offender learning is often on our agenda.
Green Investment Bank
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether the Green Investment Bank will fund (a) proven and (b) emerging technologies to accelerate private sector investment in the UK's transition to a green economy. [69881]
Mr Prisk: The Green Investment Bank (GIB) will be an enduring financial institution, and as such it will need to make investments that are expected to make a positive return. The GIB will focus on mobilising additional capital into a wide range of green infrastructure and the deployment of late-stage technologies, and, while there are no plans for a wider role at this stage, this will remain subject to further review.
Higher Education: Admissions
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many and what proportion of Higher Education Funding Council supported students entering university for the first time in England with the equivalent of A level grades of AAB or higher (a) were UK domiciled and (b) had studied at (i) independent schools, (ii) selective state schools and (iii) state schools or colleges in the last year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [69056]
Mr Willetts: The following table shows the number of entrants in 2009/10 split by school type, AAB threshold and domicile. The table does not show students on medicine, dentistry or Postgraduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) courses.
| AAB or above (1) | ||||
| School type (2) | UK | EU | UK and EU total | School type as percentage of total |
| (1) This total excludes entrants to medicine, dentistry or PGCE courses. (2) School type is taken from previous institution attended Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) field PREVINST). All schools or colleges that are not denoted ‘independent’ are assumed to be state schools. This means that students from sixth-form or further education colleges, for example, are included as being from state schools. | ||||
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) if he will estimate the potential savings to higher education institutions of removing 20,000 non-AAB student places and offering them to institutions charging £7,500 or less per year in tuition fees; and if he will make a statement; [69058]
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(2) if he will estimate the potential effects on the Government's education budget of removing 20,000 non-AAB student places and offering them to institutions charging £7,500 or less per year in tuition fees; and if he will make a statement. [69059]
Mr Willetts: We anticipate that this approach will exert a downward pressure on fees but it is not possible to specify precisely the impacts of this approach on either the Department's budgets or those of higher education institutions.
Higher Education: Leicestershire
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many colleges with 1,000 or more full-time students he expects to be awarded university status in (a) Leicester City local authority area and (b) Leicestershire and Rutland. [69677]
Mr Willetts: As part of a technical consultation following the publication of the Higher Education White Paper, the Government are currently consulting on the future criteria for university title. The consultation asks for views on the following possible future criteria for gaining university title, consisting of:
Holding Taught Degree Awarding Powers;
At least 1,000 full-time equivalent higher education students, of which at least 750 are studying for a degree;
More than 50% of the full-time equivalent overall student body are studying for a degree; and
Having regard to the principles of good governance in the sector.
The consultation is open until 27 October and is available at:
http://discuss.bis.gov.uk/hereform/technical-consultation/
The likelihood of any institution gaining university title in future will depend on the outcomes of this consultation, the final criteria we decide to apply and whether those criteria are met.
Intellectual Property
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he has any plans to discourage intellectual property businesses from leaving the UK. [69659]
Mr Davey: The Government have broadly accepted the 10 recommendations made by the review of intellectual property and growth led by Professor Ian Hargreaves and will begin consultations on their implementation in the autumn. These proposals will modernise the UK intellectual property system and enable businesses reliant on intellectual property to attract investment, develop new products and services and compete internationally.
The Intellectual Property Office is working with Treasury on the design of the Patent Box tax regime, a key initiative which will improve the competitiveness of the UK corporate tax regime for companies which develop and exploit intellectual property. This will provide an additional incentive for companies in the UK to retain and commercialise existing patents and to develop new innovative patented products.
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Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he has any plans to commission a review of intellectual property in the next 12 months. [69660]
Mr Davey: In “The Plan for Growth” published on 23 March the Government made a commitment that following the completion of the Hargreaves Review,
“no further broad reviews of intellectual property would be conducted during the lifetime of this Parliament.”
The Government have not changed their position on this matter.
Following the publication on 3 August of the Government response to the Hargreaves Review of Intellectual Property and Growth the Government will launch their programme of consultation in the autumn. The response broadly accepted all of the Hargreaves recommendations and the Government will be seeking views on how the recommendations should be implemented.
Overseas Students: EU Nationals
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what his latest estimate is of the Resource Accounting Budget charge for student fee loans for EU students studying in England under (a) the current fee system and (b) the fee system for academic year 2012-13, taking into account any change in EU student numbers; and if he will make a statement. [69061]
Mr Willetts: The Government's current estimate of the Resource Accounting and Budgeting (RAB) charge is around 30% for student loans issued under both the current fee system and the system for academic year 2012/13 onwards. There is no separate RAB charge for EU students.
Students: Loans
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many complaints he has received about career development loans taken out with (a) Barclays and (b) other financial service providers to participate in courses approved by the Learning and Skills Council or its successor bodies in the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement. [69055]
Mr Hayes: The Department shares relevant Professional and Career Development Loans (PCDLs) correspondence with both the Young People's Learning Agency, who are responsible for the administering the programme, and the respective bank(s). This ensures that any issues are sufficiently addressed with responses being provided by the most suitable partner. The correspondence covers a range of areas including questions about the parameters of the programme and comments when an individual has not had an application approved. We are able to provide data on the overall number of PCDL correspondence received by the Department and the Young People's Learning Agency in recent years.
Since April 2007, when the Young People's Learning Agency (then Learning and Skills Council) assumed operational responsibility for PCDLs, around 250,000 application forms have been sent out to interested
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individuals. In the same period, only 275 pieces of correspondence have been submitted to the Young People's Learning Agency regarding PCDLs. The Department's PCDL policy team has dealt with 40 letters since PCDLs replaced career development loans in July 2009. In total, there have been 27 parliamentary questions raised in regard to the programme.
From September 2011, the responsibility for administering the programme and the contractual relationships with the banks resides with the Skills Funding Agency.
The lending banks deal with any direct complaints through their own procedures. All complaints are aggregated to business unit level and figures are not available on a product-specific basis to the Department. It is therefore not possible to provide details on the specific number of complaints that the banks have received that relate to PCDLs.
Supermarkets: Competition
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he has considered the merits of referring the matter of the level of competition between supermarkets and small independent retailers to the Competition Commission. [69238]
Mr Davey: No. Referrals to the Competition Commission are normally made by the Office of Fair Trading, who need reasonably to suspect market features restrict, prevent or distort competition.
Third Sector
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the name is of each charity and voluntary organisation Ministers in his Department have visited since 12 May 2010. [67814]
Mr Davey [holding answer 19 July 2011]: This information is not readily available and cannot be obtained without incurring disproportionate cost.
Trade Agreements
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment his Department has made of the potential benefits to economic growth and trade of bilateral free trade agreements with (a) India, (b) Canada, (c) Japan, (d) Mercosur and (e) the ASEAN nations. [69304]
Mr Davey: Concluding ambitious Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with India, Canada, Japan, Mercosur and ASEAN countries would bring substantial economic gains to the EU and the UK. European Commission impact assessments available at:
http://ec.europa.eu/trade/analysis/sustainability-impact-assessments/assessments/
show that the potential benefits to the EU from these FTAs would range from a few billion to over 30 billion euros per year. The UK would gain a significant proportion of these benefits.
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Trade: EU Countries
Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate his Department has made of the effect on (a) national and (b) household income of trade with other EU member states in each year since 1981; and if he will make a statement. [67079]
Mr Davey [holding answer 18 July 2011]: There is no estimate available for the effect of trade with EU member states on UK national income as the consequences of the counterfactual, the absence of trade with these countries, are particularly difficult to establish. However, there is no doubt that the single market is important to the UK's prosperity: it gives UK business access to the world's largest market with 500 million people generating about £10 trillion economic activity. EU countries account for half of the UK's overall trade and foreign investments. As a result, around 3.5 million jobs in the UK are linked to the export of goods and services to the EU. Available estimates show that the greater level of trade liberalisation achieved through the single market leads EU countries to trading currently twice as much with each other as they would do otherwise. As a result, the single market may be responsible for income gains in the UK between 2% and 6%, that is between £1,100 and £3,300 a year per British household.
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is publishing a series of economic studies on trade related issues, as part of its work on the Trade and Investment White Paper. As these are being published, they are available in the Libraries of both Houses.
UK Trade & Investment Business Link
Alan Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether his Department has issued directions to staff in (a) UK Trade & Investment and (b) Business Links on communications with hon. Members about potential (i) job losses and (ii) organisational changes within each organisation. [68076]
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Mr Prisk [holding answer 5 September 2011]:The Department has not issued any directions to staff in regional Business Links or in UK Trade & Investment about communications with hon. Members about potential job losses or organisational changes.
York College: Finance
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what funding was allocated to York College by the Skills Funding Agency, Young People's Learning Agency and their predecessor in (a) cash and (b) real terms in each year since 2005. [65594]
Mr Hayes: The following table shows the participation funding that has been allocated to York College by the Young People's Learning Agency (YPLA), the Skills Funding Agency (“the Agency”) and their predecessor, the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), in each of the years requested, alongside the corresponding real terms value of these allocations.
| York College—Funding allocations 2004/05 to 2010/11 | |||
| £ | |||
|
|
Academic year | Cash allocation (1) | Real terms (2) |
| (1 )Source: YPLA, LSC and Agency allocation data for 16-18 and 19+ participation. (2) These figures have been calculated using HM Treasury Deflators, last updated 28 June 2011. | |||