Revenue and Customs: Tyne and Wear
Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effects of the outcome of the comprehensive spending review on the (a) quality and (b) availability of face-to-face services provided by HM Revenue and Customs in Washington and Sunderland West constituency. [70103]
Mr Gauke: Like all Government Departments, HMRC must operate cost effectively within its spending review settlement. HMRC does not believe that its settlement has had any material effect on the quality or availability of its face-to-face services. Changes that have been made to the opening hours of the Department's Enquiry Centres followed a public consultation and a full equality impact assessment that predate the spending review.
HMRC's business strategy is designed to ensure that services are tailored to the needs of its customers. The Department keeps under review the range and mix of service channels available to customers, to ensure they remain appropriate. But in line with both the spending review and the business strategy, HMRC will continue to provide face-to-face support for customers who need it—including customers in Washington and Sunderland West.
Tax Avoidance
Stephen Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the estimated monetary rate was of (a) tax avoidance and (b) tax planning schemes in force in (i) 2000 and (ii) each year since 2005. [70392]
Mr Gauke: The latest tax gap estimates were published in September 2010 in “Measuring Tax Gaps 2010” on HMRC's website:
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/measuring-tax-gaps-2010.htm.pdf
This publication also contained an illustrative breakdown of the tax gap by behaviour for 2007-08. This estimated that avoidance and legal interpretation accounted respectively for 17.5% and 15% of the total tax gap.
HMRC do not produce an estimate of the monetary rate of tax planning schemes; unacceptable tax planning is covered by avoidance.
HMRC will be publishing “Measuring Tax Gaps 2011” on 21 September 2011.
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Tax Evasion
Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effects of the outcome of the comprehensive spending review on HM Revenue and Customs’ capacity to (a) prevent and (b) prosecute tax evasion. [70104]
Mr Hoban: Over the next four years HMRC will reinvest £917 million of the savings they make to maximise additional revenues, which will include putting extra resource into tackling both evasion and avoidance.
The reinvestment will fund a range of measures including significantly increasing coverage of the mass market, tackling tax evasion, building on the existing one-to-one client relationship model for large businesses and wealthy individuals, tackling organised crime and a range of interventions designed to collect more debt.
Specifically, HMRC will increase staff tackling evasion and fraud and avoidance by around 2,500 FTEs by 2014-15. Some 200 more criminal investigators and 40 intelligence officers will provide a significant increase in the criminal investigation of evasion cases.
Together this should bring in around £7 billion each year by 2014-15 in additional revenues.
Stephen Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the level of tax evasion in the last year for which figures are available. [70391]
Mr Gauke: The latest tax gap estimates were published in September 2010 in “Measuring Tax Gaps 2010” on HMRC's website:
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/measuring-tax-gaps-2010.htm.pdf
This publication also contained an illustrative breakdown of the tax gap by behaviour for 2007-08. This estimated that evasion accounted for around 17.5% of the total tax gap, equating to approximately £7 billion.
HMRC will be publishing "Measuring Tax Gaps 2011" on 21 September 2011.
Stephen Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much funding HM Revenue and Customs allocated to measures to tackle tax evasion in each year since 2005. [70393]
Mr Gauke: It is not possible to provide an answer to the question in the format requested as HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) do not allocate on this basis. Overall funding for HMRC's compliance activity cannot be broken down in this way as its activity - from policy making, through support and education, to audits and investigations - covers all aspects of compliance behaviour from error through to evasion as well as countering criminal attacks and avoidance.
VAT: Fuel
Tessa Munt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he plans to give tax relief on VAT on fuel to (a) Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance and (b) other charities. [70083]
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Mr Hoban: There is no option to extend VAT relief on fuel to charities that carry out other charitable activities. EU VAT agreements, entered into by successive Governments, do not allow the UK, or any other Member State, to unilaterally extend the scope of existing zero rates, or introduce new ones. However, the Government give very generous support through tax reliefs to the charitable sector. These reliefs allow charities to purchase medicines, medical equipment and certain other specialised equipment, and charities which provide rescue or assistance at sea to purchase fuel, VAT-free.
VAT: Golf
Mr Brine: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his Department has made an assessment of the effect on competition between proprietary and members' golf clubs of the VAT rating applicable to proprietary golf club membership fees. [70180]
Mr Hoban: No assessment has been made. I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 6 September 2011, Official Report, column 402W, to my hon. Friend the Member for Sittingbourne and Sheppey (Gordon Henderson).
VAT: Registration and Tax Yields
Stephen Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how much revenue was raised from VAT receipts in (a) 2000 and (b) each year since 2005; [70384]
(2) how many companies were registered liable to pay VAT in (a) 2000 and (b) each year since 2005; [70385]
(3) what estimate he has made of the number of businesses who are not registered for VAT; [70386]
(4) what recent estimate he has made of the increase in VAT receipts arising from the increase in the rate of VAT. [70387]
Mr Gauke: Information on VAT receipts and VAT registered traders are available in the VAT Bulletin
https://www.uktradeinfo.com/index.cfm?task=bullvat
No estimate has been made of the number of businesses that are not registered for VAT.
The Exchequer yield from the increase in the standard rate of VAT to 20% was published in the June 2010 Budget
http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/junebudget_costings.htm
Cabinet Office
Procurement
Owen Smith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many Buying Solutions suppliers are (a) small and medium-sized enterprises and (b) large companies based in (i) Wales, (ii) Scotland, (iii) Northern Ireland, (iv) London and the Home Counties, (v) East Anglia and Lincolnshire, (vi) the Midlands, (vii) the North West including Merseyside and Lancashire and (viii) the North East. [69337]
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Mr Maude: Breakdown of suppliers on Government Procurement Service frameworks 2010-11 is in the table:
| Region | SME suppliers | Large suppliers | Unknown status | Total |
Internships
Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many (a) persons undertaking unpaid work experience, (b) unpaid interns and (c) other persons in unpaid positions were working in the Prime Minister's office as of 1 July 2011. [69502]
Mr Maude: As of 1 July 2011 the Prime Minister's office and Deputy Prime Minister's office had no individuals undertaking unpaid work experience or any unpaid interns, or individuals in unpaid positions in either office. However, there were 16 individuals on paid placements within the entire Cabinet Office, including the Prime Minister's and Deputy Prime Minister's offices, on either apprenticeships or graduate internships.
The Social Mobility Strategy, published in April 2011, clearly states that we want to ensure that everyone has a fair opportunity to fulfil their potential. Making work experience and internships available to young people from all walks of life is a key element of this. I am pleased that the Government are leading by example in Whitehall with a new internship programme for under-represented groups. The new Whitehall Internship Scheme has been developed in response to a pledge in the coalition agreement which states that the Government will provide internships in every Whitehall Department for under-represented groups, including Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities. Government Departments began their participation in the scheme over the summer, with the Cabinet Office committed to offering 20 places by the end of the financial year.
SMEs
Tom Greatrex: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office who the members are of his Department's SME Panel. [70040]
Mr Maude: The 25 members of the SME Panel are drawn from SMEs who represent a cross section of regions and industry sectors.
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Tom Greatrex: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) on how many occasions he has met the Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Crown Representative; [70072]
(2) when he last met the Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Crown Representative; [70073]
(3) when he next plans to meet the Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Crown Representative. [70074]
Mr Maude: I meet the Crown Representative for small and medium-sized enterprises frequently.
Royalties
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate he has made of the cost to industry of offering software and technology products to Government on a royalty free basis. [70113]
Mr Maude: Government have no intention of demanding the intellectual property for all ICT solutions it specifies. The proper place for discussion of these rights is during contract negotiation.
The current policy states that intellectual property relating to solutions provided by the private sector for public sector contracts should remain with the party best placed to exploit them. This ensures that, wherever sensible, business can retain their IP to use with other clients and internationally.
As outlined in the Government ICT Strategy(1), published in March 2011, the Government is committed to creating a level playing field for open source software for Government ICT procurement. We recognise that open source solutions present significant opportunities for improved value for money and the stimulation of a more competitive ICT environment. We are therefore taking positive action to encourage the use of open source in Departments, where cost is equal to, or less than, the lifetime costs of proprietary software.
The Government will publish guidance on intellectual property related to public procurement later this year, to raise awareness in the public sector and industry.
(1) Available online at:
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/sites/default/files/resources/uk-government-government-ict-strategy_0.pdf
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what representations he has received from industry on procurement policy Action Note 3/11. [70114]
Mr Maude: Cabinet Office has met with representatives and members of Open Forum Europe, Intellect and the Business Software Alliance to discuss Action Note 3/11. In addition, written correspondence has been received from several individual suppliers.
The UK Government Open Standards Survey included an opportunity to provide feedback on the criteria which define an open standard, which is included in Action Note 3/11—over 400 contributions were received. These are currently being considered with a Government response is due in October.
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Thameslink: Rolling stock
Margaret Beckett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what (a) instructions and (b) advice was given by his Department to the Department for Transport on the conduct of the procurement for the Thameslink rolling stock contract [68845]
Mr Maude: Unless asked to do so, the Cabinet Office does not give instructions or guidance on specific procurement projects, which remain the responsibility of the sponsoring Department.
Unemployment
Julie Elliott: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the answer of 7 July 2011, Official Report, column 1337W, on unemployment, how many children in (a) the City of Sunderland and (b) the North East were living in workless households in the latest period for which figures are available. [68909]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated July 2011:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many children in (a) the City of Sunderland and (b) the North East were living in workless households in the latest period for which figures are available. (68909)
The figures requested come from the Annual Population Survey (APS) household dataset. The latest data currently available is for 2009. The table shows estimates for Sunderland and the North East. Further information can be found at:
http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/lmac/workless-households-for-regions-across-the-uk/2010/rft-table-c-children-areas.xls
The Labour Force Survey (LFS) produces a timelier estimate of children in workless households:
http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/lmac/working-and-workless-households/2011/table-m.xls
However these estimates are only provided down to Regions and so estimates are not available for local authority. Therefore, in order to maintain consistency, the APS is used for alt geographical areas.
As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty as different samples give different results. These estimates are such that there is 95 per cent certainty that from all samples possible they will lie within the lower and upper bounds.
| Table 1: Children in workless households (1) in Sunderland local authority and the North East | |||
| Thousand | |||
| January-December 2009 | Estimate | Lower bound (2) | Upper bound (2) |
| (1) Households containing at least one person aged 16-64, where all individuals aged 16 or over are not in employment. (2) 95% confidence interval which means that from all samples possible there would be 95 per cent certainty that the true estimate would lie within the lower and upper bounds. Source: APS household dataset | |||
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Communities and Local Government
Local Government: Carbon Emissions
Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assistance he is giving to local authorities to assist them in reducing their emissions; and if he will make a statement. [71199]
Andrew Stunell: This Department is working with the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) to develop the Green Deal, which will provide the means for households and landlords, including local authorities, to improve the energy efficiency of their properties. A number of local authorities are already undertaking trailblazer retrofit projects in advance of the Green Deal and we are encouraging others to consider forming partnerships, for example, with energy providers and other private sector organisations, to deliver Green Deal in their area.
It should also be noted that DECC are working with the Local Government Group, and directly with many local authorities, to promote Green Deal delivery and wider carbon reduction activity, particularly in the context of the Memorandum of Understanding between DECC and the Local Government Group and the development of local government's proposed new Nottingham Declaration.
Local Government: Pensions
Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the opt out rates for the Local Government Pension Scheme were in each year from 2006 to 2010. [71216]
Robert Neill: The information in the form requested is not held centrally. Individual Scheme administering authorities will have details of those who have left the Scheme before their normal retirement age.
Private Rented Housing: Energy
Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he is taking to improve standards of energy efficiency in the private rented sector; and if he will make a statement. [71198]
Andrew Stunell: The Government will be introducing the Green Deal in late 2012 to provide the means for households and landlords to improve the energy efficiency of their properties. The Green Deal will enable energy efficiency measures to be installed at no up-front cost, through a Green Deal provider, and paid for through energy bill savings over time. The Energy Bill includes provision to introduce a minimum energy efficiency standard for private rented sector housing in 2018. The Government are committed to ensuring that there are no net negative costs to landlords. The Bill also proposes a requirement for landlords to provide consent to reasonable requests from tenants for energy efficiency improvements, in 2016.
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Trade Unions: Subscriptions
Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which of the trade unions recognised by (a) his Department and (b) its public bodies charge a political levy on staff trade union subscription fees; whether the political levy may be deducted at payroll level; and what the policy of his Department and each public body is on informing staff joining such unions of the right to opt out of payment of the political levy. [61783]
Robert Neill: The following table sets out the trade union recognised by the main Department and the 10 sponsored bodies that have collective bargaining agreements:
| Organisation | Trade Union(s) |
With the exception of Valuation Tribunal Service and Ordnance Survey all the organisations shown offer the facility to deduct subscription fees through payroll if requested.
Notwithstanding, given departmental resources are used to facilitate the payment of union subscriptions including the political levy, direct from the DCLG payroll (under so-called ‘check off’ arrangements), I appreciate there is a broader public interest in scrutinising this matter.
In that context, as an illustration, I observe that PCS campaigning leaflets, handed out within my Department, do not inform DCLG staff members of their statutory right to opt-out of the political levy when they join, and they correspondingly are signed up to have their union membership fee deducted direct from their DCLG pay packet.
Such a collection of the political levy is clearly not a transparent practice. The consideration of the right to opt-out cannot be an informed choice or decision if individuals are simply not informed of that right.
I am depositing in the Library of the House a typical membership form/campaigning leaflet that has been distributed inside my Department to inform hon. Members of these practices.
Deputy Prime Minister
Boundary Commission for Wales: Public Appointments
Guto Bebb: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he expects to announce the appointment of commissioners to the Boundary Commission for Wales. [70725]
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Mr Harper: The Government have begun the process to appoint new Commissioners to the Boundary Commission for Wales, following the Code of Practice published by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. I expect the appointments to be made in October 2011.
Internships
Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many (a) persons undertaking unpaid work experience, (b) unpaid interns and (c) other persons in unpaid positions were working in his office as of 1 July 2011. [69516]
Mr Maude: I have been asked to reply.
As of 1 July 2011 the Prime Minister's office and Deputy Prime Minister's office had no individuals undertaking unpaid work experience or any unpaid interns, or individuals in unpaid positions in either office. However, there were 16 individuals on paid placements within the entire Cabinet Office, including the Prime Minister's and Deputy Prime Minister's offices, on either apprenticeships or graduate internships.
The Social Mobility Strategy published in April.2011 clearly states that we want to ensure that everyone has a fair opportunity to fulfil their potential. Making work experience and internships available to young people from all walks of life is a key element of this. I am pleased that the Government are leading by example in Whitehall with a new internship programme for under-represented groups. The new Whitehall Internship Scheme has been developed in response to a pledge in the coalition agreement which states that the Government will provide internships in every Whitehall Department for under-represented groups, including black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. Government Departments began their participation in the scheme over the summer, with the Cabinet Office committed to offering 20 places by the end of the financial year.
Culture, Media and Sport
Digital Broadcasting: Television
Mr Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the number of households which have purchased additional equipment in order to access fully the new digital television signal in (a) Glasgow, (b) Scotland and (c) the UK to date; and if he will make a statement. [70158]
Mr Vaizey: The Government do not collect these statistics. The matter is primarily one for Digital UK, the independent not-for-profit company leading the implementation of switchover. Digital UK does not hold the information requested, but data from Digital UK's switchover tracker survey shows that in December 2010, five months before switchover in Glasgow, 88% of TV sets across the STV Central region were equipped to receive digital television services. Across the UK as a whole in December 2010, 83% of TV sets were equipped to receive digital television services. Statistics are not held on the reasons for making purchases of digital television equipment.
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Radio Frequencies
Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether he has assessed the potential effects on the Government's commitment to provide universal broadband coverage by 2015 if the auction of the 800MHz and 2,600MHz spectrum does not take place by mid 2012. [70374]
Mr Vaizey [holding answer 7 September 2011]: The timing of the auction is unlikely to impact on the delivery of universal broadband coverage by 2015.
Telecommunications
Michael Connarty: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the functional equivalence of Ofcom's proposal for a video relay service. [70703]
Mr Vaizey: As the Government made clear in responding to their consultation on implementing the revised EU Electronic Communications Framework—which includes measures to advance access and choice for disabled end-users—equivalence is a broad concept and not tied to any particular service. It is for the independent national regulator, Ofcom, to assess what needs to be done to advance that access and choice for disabled end-users and what obligations might be placed on communications providers to make communications more accessible to those with hearing and speech difficulties and other disabilities. In making those determinations, and ahead of any intervention in sector, Ofcom is obliged to undertake a public consultation to fulfil the prerequisite legal obligation on them, under domestic and European law, to ensure that any decision it makes ensures proportionality and transparency, and that their decision is non-discriminatory and objectively justifiable. Its current review of relay services will inform those tests.
Consequently, no formal assessment of the functional equivalence of Ofcom's proposal for a video relay service has been undertaken by the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, although officials have worked closely with Ofcom, as it has developed their proposals.
Ofcom's current review of the provision of relay services in the UK includes proposals for a package of improvements to existing relay provision. These proposals include the introduction of Next Generation Text Relay (NGTR), enabling support for two way simultaneous communication with live captions/text; and the introduction, on a non-commercial basis, of an allocated amount of access to video relay for the deaf, hearing-impaired and British Sign Language (BSL) users. The Secretary of State welcomes these proposals for improvements in relay provision in the UK and is confident they will deliver economic and social benefits to deaf, hearing impaired and BSL end-users of electronic communications.
Mr Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the functional equivalence of Ofcom's proposal for a video relay service. [71452]
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Mr Vaizey: As the Government made clear in responding to their consultation on implementing the revised EU Electronic Communications Framework—which includes measures to advance access and choice for disabled end-users—equivalence is a broad concept and not tied to any particular service. It is for the independent national regulator, Ofcom, to assess what needs to be done to advance that access and choice for disabled end-users and what obligations might be placed on communications providers to make communications more accessible to those with hearing and speech difficulties and other disabilities. In making those determinations, and ahead of any intervention in sector, Ofcom is obliged to undertake a public consultation to fulfil the prerequisite legal obligation on it, under domestic and European law, to ensure that any decision they make ensures proportionality and transparency, and that its decision is non-discriminatory and objectively justifiable. Its current review of relay services will inform those tests.
Consequently, no formal assessment of the functional equivalence of Ofcom's proposal for a video relay service has been undertaken by the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, the right hon. Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), although officials have worked closely with Ofcom, as it has developed its proposals.
Ofcom's current review of the provision of relay services in the UK includes proposals for a package of improvements to existing relay provision. These proposals include the introduction of Next Generation Text Relay (NGTR), enabling support for two way simultaneous communication with live captions/text; and the introduction, on a non-commercial basis, of an allocated amount of access to video relay for the deaf, hearing-impaired and British Sign Language (BSL) users. The Secretary of State welcomes these proposals for improvements in relay provision in the UK and is confident they will deliver economic and social benefits to deaf, hearing impaired and BSL end-users of electronic communications.
Television: Licensing
Mr Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many pensioners have received free television licences in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) the UK in each year since 1997. [70449]
Mr Vaizey: The administration and enforcement of the television licensing system is the responsibility of the BBC which operates independently of the Government.
The BBC does not record the numbers of free TV Licences issued on a constituency or regional basis.
The BBC has provided the number of free TV Licences issued to persons aged 75 or over throughout the UK, since the concession was introduced on 1 November 2000, as shown in the following table.
|
|
Number of free TV licences issued to persons in the UK aged 75 or over |
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Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Armed Conflict: Diamonds
Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government are taking to prevent conflict diamonds being sold in the UK; and if he will make a statement. [70784]
Mr Bellingham: The UK was a founding member of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS), launched in 2003 to prevent ‘conflict diamonds’ from entering the legitimate diamond trade. The KPCS imposes strict requirements on its members to enable them to certify that shipments of rough diamonds are ‘conflict-free’. Since the launch of the KPCS, ‘conflict diamonds’ now represent less than 1% of the global trade in rough diamonds, compared to 15% in the 1990s.
The British Government are committed to implementing the KPCS, eradicating trade in ‘conflict diamonds’ and working with the international community to strengthen the scheme. The Government Diamond Office, based in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, is responsible for overseeing UK implementation of the KPCS. We work closely with UK Customs and law enforcement agencies to maintain robust import and export procedures to prevent 'conflict diamonds' from entering the UK.
Bahrain: Politics and Government
Mr Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met representatives of Bahraini opposition parties. [70173]
Alistair Burt: I have not met representatives of the Bahraini opposition parties. Our ambassador in Bahrain will be meeting with representatives of all political parties.
Mr Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met the Bahraini ambassador. [70174]
Alistair Burt: Bahrain is currently between ambassadors. When the new ambassador arrives, my officials will be holding substantive discussions with her on a wide range of topics.
Mr Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on the provision of support for political reforms in Bahrain. [70175]
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Alistair Burt: The United Kingdom supports political reform in Bahrain, as essential for Bahrain's long-term stability. Full participation in the political process is in the interests of all parties. We welcomed His Majesty King Hamad's pledge to initiate reforms during his Ramadan address, following the end of the National Dialogue process. Implementation will now be essential.
Mr Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many requests for meetings he has received from Bahraini opposition spokespersons; and how many such requests he has agreed to. [70176]
Alistair Burt: I have not had any requests for meetings from spokespersons of Bahrain's opposition societies.
British Nationals Abroad: Homicide
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what training is provided to officials based in (a) his Department and (b) embassies and high commissions on assistance for the families of British nationals murdered overseas. [70102]
Mr Bellingham: All consular staff in London and abroad undergo pass/fail training before taking up their duties. Much of this is delivered by professional external trainers and includes specific modules on death in violent and suspicious circumstances and on bereavement. Staff refresh their skills by attending consular workshops held regularly at posts around the world which also include specific modules on deaths in violent or suspicious circumstances and bereavement.
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what (a) organisations and (b) Government Departments are represented on the Death Abroad Working Group. [70130]
Mr Bellingham: The Death Abroad Working Group includes representatives from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA), Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), Home Office Pathologist, Missing Abroad, Victim Support Homicide Service, European RoadPeace, Coroners Society of England and Wales and Support After Murder and Manslaughter Abroad.
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects the draft memorandum of understanding on murder, manslaughter and infanticide of British nationals abroad to come into effect. [70131]
Mr Bellingham: The National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) is co-ordinating drafting the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which will apply for both the deceased and their family. The MoU clarifies the role of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), Victim Support National Homicide Service and Coroners Society of England and Wales. The FCO is ready to sign. NPIA has advised FCO officials that they are carrying out further amendments and a final version will be ready for signature in early December.
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Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what resources his Department has made available to support the families of victims of murder and manslaughter abroad. [70441]
Mr Bellingham: In addition to staff resources in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and at our embassies, high commissions and consulates abroad, the FCO has entered into an agreement with the Victim Support National Homicide Service to provide funding of up to £100,000 per year for financial years 2011-12 and 2012-13 to enable them to commission services on behalf of bereaved families in England and Wales when a British national dies as a result of murder, manslaughter or infanticide abroad.
Commonwealth
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on the application of South Sudan to join the Commonwealth. [70881]
Mr Bellingham: I fully support South Sudan's application to join the Commonwealth. A decision on whether South Sudan is admitted will be for all member states. Should South Sudan meet the standard for Commonwealth membership, this will give South Sudan the benefits and support that come from being part of a global network as they build their new country.
Crimes against Humanity
Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Government of Ethiopia on allowing a UN Commission of Enquiry access to Somali Region State to investigate allegations of crimes against humanity. [70686]
Mr Bellingham: The Government are greatly concerned by the allegations of serious human rights abuses in some parts of Ethiopia's Somali regional state. We receive frequent reports of human rights abuses by both Government security forces and the Ogaden National Liberation Front. We have on many occasions called on the Ethiopian Government to allow a credible and independent investigation, both in private conversations and in public, such as during the British Government's statement at the last UN Universal Periodic Review of Ethiopia's human rights. One option that we would support would be an investigation under the auspices of the UN. Our requests, however, have consistently been rejected.
With regard to access, of the nine zones in the Somali region, five are subject to varying access restrictions (Gode, Degaxbur, Warder, Korahe and Fik). UK officials travel frequently to these zones, and I visited as well in July, although permission is needed for most travel, even in the less conflict-affected areas, and is sometimes problematic.
The Government are also extremely concerned about the humanitarian situation in the Somali region, where some 1.5 million drought-affected people need assistance. Access by humanitarian agencies is very limited due to a combination of security threats to aid workers and restrictions imposed by the Somali Regional Government.
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We have urged the Ethiopian Government to increase access to allow greater provision of humanitarian assistance.
I raised my concerns about the situation in the Somali region with the regional president when I visited Jijiga in late July. The Under-Secretary of State for International Development, my hon. Friend the Member for Eddisbury (Mr O'Brien), made similar representations to Prime Minister Meles in June.
Diplomatic Relations
Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his Department's policy is on the criteria for establishing diplomatic relations with Governments. [71003]
Mr Bellingham: Article 2 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations 1961 states that “the establishment of diplomatic relations between States, and of permanent diplomatic missions, take place by mutual consent”. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office would consider establishing diplomatic relations when deemed to be appropriate and in the UK interest.
Eritrea
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken to press the Government of Ethiopia to abide by the Independent Boundary Commission's ruling on the demarcation of the border with Eritrea. [71374]
Mr Bellingham: The UK Government continue to believe that the Ethiopia-Eritrea border must be demarcated in accordance with the ruling of the Ethiopia-Eritrea Boundary Commission. We are concerned by the lack of progress, which has damaging consequences for Eritrea, Ethiopia and the stability of the wider region. The UK Government have encouraged both sides to engage in dialogue as we believe this could help to move beyond the status quo. We do not consider dialogue to be a pre-requisite to initiating the process of demarcation, however, and we have made clear to the Ethiopian Government the importance of taking practical steps to begin demarcation without further delay. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, the right hon. Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), raised this issue with Prime Minister Meles when he visited Ethiopia in July, and with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Hailemariam when they met in London in June.
Ethiopia
Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when UK Government officials were last granted access to the Ogaden region in Ethiopia; and under what conditions. [70687]
Mr Bellingham:
The Government are greatly concerned by the allegations of serious human rights abuses in some parts of Ethiopia's Somali regional state. We receive frequent reports of human rights abuses by both Government security forces and the Ogaden National Liberation Front. We have on many occasions called on the Ethiopian Government to allow a credible and independent investigation, both in private conversations
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and in public, such as during the British Government's statement at the last UN Universal Periodic Review of Ethiopia's human rights. One option that we would support would be an investigation under the auspices of the UN. Our requests, however, have consistently been rejected.
With regard to access, of the nine zones in the Somali region, five are subject to varying access restrictions (Gode, Degaxbur, Warder, Korahe and Fik). UK officials travel frequently to these zones, and I visited as well in July, although permission is needed for most travel, even in the less conflict-affected areas, and is sometimes problematic.
The Government are also extremely concerned about the humanitarian situation in the Somali region, where some 1.5 million drought-affected people need assistance. Access by humanitarian agencies is very limited due to a combination of security threats to aid workers and restrictions imposed by the Somali Regional Government. We have urged the Ethiopian Government to increase access to allow greater provision of humanitarian assistance.
I raised my concerns about the situation in the Somali region with the regional president when I visited Jijiga in late July. The Under-Secretary of State for International Development, my hon. Friend the Member for Eddisbury (Mr O'Brien), made similar representations to Prime Minister Meles in June.
Female Genital Mutilation
Mr MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the prevalence of female genital mutilation in Gambia; and if he will make a statement. [71087]
Mr Bellingham: The British Government strongly condemn female genital mutilation (FGM) as an abhorrent form of violence against girls and women.
We welcome current efforts, supported by the Gambian Government, to eradicate female genital mutilation in The Gambia by 2012. The UN Population Fund (UNFPA), as part of its programme to promote sexual and reproductive health in The Gambia, works hard on this issue, alongside a range of non-governmental organisations and civil society organisations such as the Gambia Committee on Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of Women and Children (GAMCOTRAP). The EU also works closely with and supports GAMCOTRAP, as does our high commission in Banjul. In July, the British high commissioner attended an all-day event in the Lower River Region of The Gambia to celebrate GAMCOTRAP's progress on eradicating FGM in that region.
Gibraltar
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his Spanish counterpart on Gibraltar. [70876]
Mr Lidington:
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and I have regular contact with our Spanish counterparts on a wide range of issues. Any discussions that we have on
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Gibraltar reflect our clear position on sovereignty, which is that the UK will never enter into arrangements under which the people of Gibraltar would pass under the sovereignty of another state against their wishes. Furthermore, the UK will not enter into a process of sovereignty negotiations with which Gibraltar is not content.
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has any plans to visit Gibraltar. [70884]
Mr Lidington: I visited Gibraltar on 12-13 April 2011. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs currently has no plans to visit Gibraltar.
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many officials of his Department are based in Gibraltar. [70912]
Mr Lidington: There are currently approximately 20 officials in the Governor's Office in Gibraltar. This figure includes UK-based civil servants and staff employed locally. For operational and security reasons, we cannot provide a more detailed breakdown.
Human Rights
Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has received on human rights in the Ogaden region of the Somali Region State in Ethiopia; and if he will make a statement. [70685]
Mr Bellingham: The Government are greatly concerned by the allegations of serious human rights abuses in some parts of Ethiopia's Somali regional state. We receive frequent reports of human rights abuses by both Government security forces and the Ogaden National Liberation Front. We have on many occasions called on the Ethiopian Government to allow a credible and independent investigation, both in private conversations and in public, such as during the British Government's statement at the last UN Universal Periodic Review of Ethiopia's human rights. One option that we would support would be an investigation under the auspices of the UN. Our requests, however, have consistently been rejected.
With regard to access, of the nine zones in the Somali region, five are subject to varying access restrictions (Gode, Degaxbur, Warder, Korahe and Fik). UK officials travel frequently to these zones, and I visited as well in July, although permission is needed for most travel, even in the less conflict-affected areas, and is sometimes problematic.
The Government are also extremely concerned about the humanitarian situation in the Somali region, where some 1.5 million drought-affected people need assistance. Access by humanitarian agencies is very limited due to a combination of security threats to aid workers and restrictions imposed by the Somali Regional Government. We have urged the Ethiopian Government to increase access to allow greater provision of humanitarian assistance.
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I raised my concerns about the situation in the Somali region with the regional president when I visited Jijiga in late July. The Under-Secretary of State for International Development, my hon. Friend the Member for Eddisbury (Mr O'Brien), made similar representations to Prime Minister Meles in June.
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with officials from the (a) EU and (b) UN regarding human rights in Zimbabwe. [70886]
Mr Bellingham: Although my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has not personally raised the question of human rights with the EU or UN in recent months, I regularly discuss Zimbabwe issues, including human rights, with EU partners. Officials are also in regular contact with EU and UN officials on this issue.
The UK ambassador to the UN in Geneva raised concern about the situation in Zimbabwe in a statement at the UN Human Rights Council on 15 June. The UK will be seeking to speak at the UN Human Rights Council on 10 October when Zimbabwe will go through the Universal Periodic Review.
Iran: Baha'i Faith
Jim McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made concerning the treatment of the Baha'i community in Iran, including the imprisonment of community leaders by that country; and if he will make a statement. [70250]
Alistair Burt: We remain deeply concerned at the ongoing plight of members of the Baha'i faith in Iran, including the 20-year sentences imposed on seven Baha'i leaders on charges of establishing an illegal organisation, following a trial that failed to meet international standards. We are also deeply concerned about the recent closure of the Baha'i Institute of Higher Education and arrest of members of staff. These form part of a wider pattern of harassment of Baha'is in Iran. We regularly raise these issues with the Iranian authorities, including when I met the Iranian Chargé d'Affaires in August this year. We will continue to press the Iranian Government to accord their people full rights of religious expression.
Libya: Terrorism
Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will discuss with his counterpart in the Libyan Transitional National Council evidence that links the former government of Libya with the bombing of flight UTA 772. [70056]
Alistair Burt: The National Transitional Council has stated publicly that a future Libyan Government will investigate the crimes of the former Gaddafi regime, and has asked the United Nations for advice on establishing a transitional justice programme. We would expect the bombing of flight UTA 772 to be included in such a process.
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Pitcairn Islands
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his (a) New Zealand and (b) French counterpart on the Pitcairn Islands. [70868]
Mr Bellingham: Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials regularly liaise with their counterparts in New Zealand, France and French Polynesia over a range of issues that affect Pitcairn, including policing, medical and shipping matters. Neither the Secretary of State nor I have been involved in any of these discussions ourselves.
Southern Sudan
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many officials of his Department are based in South Sudan. [70907]
Mr Bellingham: The embassy in South Sudan is one of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's small posts, which have five or fewer staff members including UK based civil servants and staff engaged locally. For operational and security reasons we cannot provide a more detailed breakdown.
Sri Lanka: Politics and Government
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his Sri Lankan counterpart on the humanitarian situation in that country. [68869]
Alistair Burt: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by the Minister of State, Department for International Development, my right hon. Friend the Member for Rutland and Melton (Mr Duncan) on 7 September 2011, Official Report, column 709W.
Sudan
Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the role of the (a) UN Interim Security Force for Abyei and (b) UN Mission in Sudan in relation to the borders of Sudan and South Sudan. [70724]
Mr Bellingham: The UN Interim Security Force in Abyei (UNISFA) has a key role. Now it has established an operating capability in Abyei, we expect to see a full withdrawal by the Sudanese armed forces and the Sudan People's Liberation Army. We welcome the 30 July agreement by Sudan and South Sudan in Addis Ababa, covering deployment of a border monitoring support mission as part of UNISFA. However, the UN Security Council has not yet mandated UNISFA to monitor the border between Sudan and South Sudan. The UN Mission in Sudan ended on 9 July and is now drawing down.
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Western Sahara: Politics and Government
Mr Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will ask HM ambassador in Rabat to investigate reports of an attack on journalists by the Moroccan security forces during a demonstration in El Aaiún, Western Sahara on 12 August 2011. [70036]
Alistair Burt: We are aware of reports of an attack on journalists by the Moroccan security forces during demonstrations in Laayoune, on 12 August 2011. Our ambassador in Rabat is in close contact with the Moroccan authorities at a senior level, including the new National Council of Human Rights, which is mandated to investigate allegations of this kind. We will be monitoring its performance in advance of next year's Security Council discussions on Western Sahara.
There is a regular EU-Morocco human rights dialogue and we will continue to discuss human rights including freedom of the press with Morocco bilaterally and with EU partners.
Education
Academies
Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the average cost to each local authority of processing and implementing applications from schools for academy status. [68792]
Mr Gibb: Careful consideration has been given to the cost to schools', local authorities and other organisations involved in the conversion of schools to academy status. Costs to local authorities will vary depending on the complexities of local arrangements and are, for example, associated with their responsibilities to conduct the TUPE consultation, land transfer and where relevant agreeing a Commercial Transfer Agreement. We have sought to minimise costs by making the process simple and straightforward. This includes producing model documentation, such as leases. Each conversion is also assigned a dedicated Project Lead who will aim to hold early discussions with the local authorities and the schools involved to agree an approach in order to make the conversion process as efficient and cost-effective as possible.
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Academies: Teachers
Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent representations he has received on the ability of academy schools to acquire visas for foreign teachers. [70432]
Mr Gibb: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education has not received any representations on the ability of academies to acquire visas for foreign teachers. The Young People's Learning Agency (YPLA), as the agency responsible for funding and supporting academies, has received inquiries from three academies on the arrangements for employing non-European economic area nationals as teachers. The YPLA has provided these schools with advice based on guidance available on the Department for Education website at:
http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/careers/careeropportunities/overseas-trainedteachers/a0077487/uk-border-agency-ukba-requirements-for-bringing-overseas-trained-teachers-to-the-uk
Adoption
Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the average length of time was between a child being approved for adoption by the courts and their placement with an adoptive family for each local authority in each of the last five years. [68882]
Tim Loughton: Information on the average length of time between the making of a freeing order or a placement order and the child's placement with an adoptive family is shown in the following table.
The table shows information for each local authority for the years ending 31 March 2006 to 2010, where each year accounts for the number of looked after children who were first placed for adoption in that year. The average time is measured from the date of the freeing order or placement order, which may have occurred in the same, or a previous year and the date the child was placed for adoption. The table does not include those children for whom a court has made a placement order but who are yet to be placed for adoption.
Prior to 30 December 2005 local authorities could place a child for adoption without a freeing order or parental consent. From 30 December 2005, local authorities can place a child for adoption only with parental consent or with a placement order. A child may be placed for adoption with parental consent before a placement order is made. Numbers and averages exclude children who were placed for adoption without a freeing order or were placed for adoption prior to the making of a placement order.
| Table 1: Average length of time between the making of a freeing order or a placement order and the child's placement with prospective adopters during the year by local authority (1,2,3,4) , Years ending 31 March 2006 to 2010 , Coverage: England | ||||||||||
| 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | ||||||
|
|
No. of children placed for adoption during the year | Average time (days) between the making of a freeing or placement order and placement | No. of children placed for adoption during the year | Average time (days) between the making of a freeing or placement order and placement | No. of children placed for adoption during the year | Average time (days) between the making of a freeing or placement order and placement | No. of children placed for adoption during the year | Average time (days) between the making of a freeing or placement order and placement | No. of children placed for adoption during the year | Average time (days) between the making of a freeing or placement order and placement |
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| x = Figures not shown in order to protect confidentiality. n/a = Not applicable. (1) England and region totals have been rounded to the nearest 10. Other numbers have been rounded to the nearest five. Average time between approval for adoption and placement is shown as mean number of days. (2) Figures exclude children looked after under an agreed series of short term placements. (3) Historical data may differ from older publications. This is mainly due to the implementation of amendments and corrections sent by some local authorities after the publication date of previous materials. (4) Freeing orders were abolished with effect from 30 December 2005. Placements order were introduced when the Adoption and Children Act 2002 came into force. (5) In 2009, Cheshire local authority split into Cheshire East and Cheshire West and Chester. Similarly, Bedfordshire LA split into Bedford and Central Bedfordshire. Source: SSDA 903 | ||||||||||