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Written Answers to Questions
Tuesday 13 September 2011
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
European Union: Legislative Competence
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which powers he is seeking to repatriate from the European Union. [70540]
Mr Lidington: As set out in the coalition agreement, the Government are committed to examining the balance of the EU's existing competences and working to limit the application of the working time directive in the United Kingdom.
Lockerbie: Bombings
Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions his Department has had with (a) the First Minister of Scotland and (b) other Ministers in the Scottish Government on the possible return to the UK of Abdel Baset al-Megrahi since 1 February 2011. [70116]
Alistair Burt: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has had no contacts with the First Minister of Scotland or other Minister of the Scottish Executive on the possible return to the UK of Abdel Baset al-Megrahi since 1 February 2011. The decision to release Mr al-Megrahi was one for the Scottish Executive alone to take, as would be any decision to request his return.
Moussa Koussa
Mr Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whose authorisation was given for Moussa Koussa to leave the United Kingdom. [70981]
Alistair Burt: Moussa Koussa did not require authorisation to leave the UK. He was not in detention in the UK but was here as a private individual.
Mr Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Government made arrangements with the authorities in Qatar for Moussa Koussa to go to Doha. [70983]
Alistair Burt: No. Mr Koussa's entry into Doha was a matter for him and the Qatari authorities.
Mr Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether Moussa Koussa is expected to return to the United Kingdom. [70984]
Alistair Burt: All foreign nationals are subject to compliance with the immigration rules but we cannot discuss the details of an individual's case. Nor can we comment on Mr Moussa Koussa's possible future movements.
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War Crimes
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on an independent commission of inquiry into war crimes in Somalia; and if he will make a statement. [71377]
Mr Bellingham: We are not aware of any current UN proposal for an Independent Commission of Inquiry for Somalia.
We believe it is right that international efforts at this time remain focused on the Djibouti Peace Process, and on ending the transition in August 2012, in order to secure longer-term stability in Somalia. In this context, we welcome the adoption in Mogadishu on 6 September of a roadmap for progress over the next year and are urging the Transitional Federal Institutions to keep to the commitments contained within that roadmap. Those commitments include the prevention of the presence of children in the armed forces and efforts to improve protection of civilians from all armed violence. The British Government are also exploring ways in which we can support the African Union Mission in Somalia to minimise the risk to civilians when they defend themselves from insurgent attack.
Wales
Departmental Written Questions
Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proportion of written questions tabled to her for answer on a named day did not receive a substantive answer on the day named for answer between (a) 27 May 2010 and 19 July 2011 and (b) 9 March 2011 and 19 July 2011. [71134]
Mr David Jones: Between the dates of (a) 27 May 2010 and 19 July 2011 the Wales Office received 48 written questions tabled for answer on a named day, of which two did not receive a substantive answer on the named day.
Between the dates of (b) 9 March 2011 and 19 July 2011 the Wales Office received 12 written questions tabled for answer on a named day, all of which were answered on the named day.
The Government have committed to providing the Procedure Committee with information relating to written parliamentary question performance on a sessional basis and will provide full information to the Committee at the end of the Session. Statistics relating to Government Departments’ performance for the 2009-10 parliamentary Session were previously provided to the Committee and are available on the Parliament website.
Women and Equalities
Discrimination
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what steps she plans to take to raise awareness of discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. [57645]
Lynne Featherstone:
This Government are committed to advancing equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGB&T) people, both in the UK and
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internationally. It is clear that too many LGB&T people still face discrimination and the Government are committed to addressing this.
That is why, in March 2011, the Government published “Working for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Equality: Moving Forward”, which outlines evidence of discrimination and the targeted action that Government will take in a number of areas of public policy including education, workplaces, hate crime, sport and our international work.
The Government will continue to engage with a range of employers, service providers, public sector bodies, voluntary and community sector groups and individuals to ensure that discrimination against LGB&T people is tackled at all levels.
Driving: Age Discrimination
Philip Davies: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities whether she plans to grant the car rental industry an opt-out clause from the age discrimination provisions of the Equality Act 2010 similar to that provided to the financial services industry. [70644]
Lynne Featherstone: We are currently considering the issue and will announce our decision in the Government's published response to the recent age discrimination consultation in due course.
Philip Davies: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what estimate she has made of the potential cost to the car rental industry of the provisions of the Equality Act 2010 relating to age discrimination. [70646]
Lynne Featherstone: My officials have discussed estimates with the car rental industry. Any costs would be dependent on the Government's decision which is under consideration and will be announced in our response to the recent consultation.
Equality
Mr David Hamilton: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what proportion of respondents to the Equality Act 2010: The public sector Equality Duty: reducing bureaucracy consultation were in favour of the Government's revised draft regulations. [64507]
Lynne Featherstone [holding answer 7 July 2011]: There were 189 responses to the policy review. A summary of the responses received is included in the Explanatory Memorandum published alongside the draft specific duties regulations on 27 June 2011. The discursive nature of the responses means that giving exact proportions in favour or against is not possible. But in general terms:
virtually all respondents supported the stated aims of reducing unnecessary processes and bureaucracy, and promoting greater transparency and accountability;
there was also widespread agreement that the revised regulations would achieve the first of these aims;
there was a more mixed response in regard to the latter aim. Around 40% of the public bodies supported the proposed approach, while around 80% of respondents overall raised concerns of one sort or another.
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The Government strongly believe the approach set out in the policy review is the right approach, and that the draft regulations strike the right balance between prescription and flexibility. This approach will help public bodies comply with the Equality Duty and understand what constitutes good practice through guidance, not regulation.
But we have listened to the concerns raised and will review the operation of the regulations in two years’ time, to ensure they are delivering the transparency and accountability we expect.
Work and Pensions
Atos Healthcare
Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many face-to-face assessments scheduled by Atos Healthcare have been (a) cancelled by Atos and (b) missed by benefit applicants in each of the last 12 months for which figures are available. [70796]
Chris Grayling: Atos Healthcare arranges over 1 million medical appointments each year and appointments are only cancelled by Atos Healthcare when necessary to minimise any inconvenience or prolonged waiting time for the claimant. Atos Healthcare always aims to provide good notice to claimants of a cancellation.
Atos Healthcare is also working with the DWP to improve the level of claimants who do not attend their appointments, and the figures indicate improvements have been seen recently.
| Month | Cancelled by Atos | Claimant did not attend |
| Source: Atos Healthcare—(these figures are rounded to the nearest 50) | ||
Carer’s Allowance
Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he plans to amend the overlapping benefit rules which prevent simultaneous payment of carer’s allowance and retirement pension. [71401]
Steve Webb: We have no plans to do so.
Carer's allowance has always been subject to the overlapping benefits rules which ensure that only one benefit at a time can be paid for the same purpose.
Carer's allowance and state pension overlap because they both provide a replacement income. Carer's allowance provides a measure of financial support for people who forgo the opportunity of full-time employment in order to care for a severely disabled person. State pension replaces income in retirement.
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Although an entitlement to both benefits will mean that carer's allowance is not payable, or not payable in full, an underlying entitlement to carer's allowance gives access to the carer premium, currently £31, in housing benefit and council tax benefit and an additional amount at the same rate in pension credit.
Child Maintenance
Mr Shepherd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he has any plans to amend the Child Support (Information, Evidence and Disclosure) Regulations 1992 to enable the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission to confirm a child's attendance with a school or college in order to verify the parent with carer’s entitlement to child benefit. [70697]
Maria Miller: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to my hon. Friend with the information requested and I have seen the response.
Letter from Noel Shanahan, dated 8 September 2011:
In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner as the Child Support Agency is now the responsibility of the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission.
You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has any plans to amend the Child Support (Information Evidence and Disclosure) Regulations 1992 to enable the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission to confirm a child's attendance with a school or college in order to verify the parent with care's entitlement to child benefit. [70697]
The Child Support (Information Evidence and Disclosure) Regulations 1992 were replaced by the Child Support Information Regulations 2008. The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission (the Commission) has no plans to amend these regulations as mentioned in the question.
Under child support legislation, children under the age of 16 are considered a child for child maintenance purposes regardless of their attendance at a school or college. However, for children between the ages of 16 and 19, the criterion used for deciding whether they are considered a qualifying child for child maintenance purposes is if child benefit is in payment for that child.
Whilst matters relating to child maintenance are the responsibility of the Commission; matters relating to the entitlement and payment of child benefit are the responsibility of HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).
The Child Maintenance and Other Payments Act 2008 (the 2008 Act) provided for a new child maintenance scheme. The Commission is developing plans for the new child maintenance scheme and the 2008 Act provides for the maximum age of a child under the new scheme to be 20 years of age, which will align with the maximum age for the payment of Child Benefit and Child Tax Credits. Detailed rules about the new scheme will be contained in regulations which will be subject to public consultation before the new scheme goes live. The consultation process will be publicly announced, although the date for this process to begin is still to be confirmed.
Where a child benefit claim is cancelled with retrospective effect, then the Commission, upon notification, can close the case from the date that the child benefit claim ceased, and the Commission can then consider, refunding, the non-resident parent or reducing any arrears balance as appropriate. Additionally, if the non-resident parent believes that child benefit is not lawfully in payment, they should contact HMRC who may investigate this claim.
I hope you find this answer helpful.
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Cold Weather Payments
Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what criteria trigger the payment of cold weather payments; which vulnerable groups qualify for these payments; and whether the level of cold weather payments has increased since May 2010. [70782]
Steve Webb: Cold weather payments are made for each period of very cold weather between 1 November and 31 March. A network of weather stations covering the whole of Great Britain gathers temperature information. A payment of £25 is made when the average temperature at the weather station linked to the claimant's postcode is, or is forecast to be, zero degrees Celsius or below over seven consecutive days.
The qualifying benefits are: pension credit, income support, income-based jobseeker's allowance and income-related employment and support allowance. Those in receipt of income-related employment and support allowance in the assessment phase, income support, or income-based jobseeker's allowance must have a pensioner or disability premium, a child who is disabled, or a child under the age of five.
The rate of cold weather payments was permanently increased to £25 per period of very cold weather from 1 November 2010.
Further information on cold weather payments is available on the direct.gov website:
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/BenefitsTaxCreditsAndOtherSupport/On_a_low_income/DG_10018668
Statistics for the number of payments by Met Office weather station for winter 2010-11 are available in the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Annual Report on the Social Fund, which is available through the Department for Work and Pensions website:
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/2011-annual-report-social-fund.pdf
Departmental Written Questions
Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of written questions tabled to him for answer on a named day did not receive a substantive answer on the day named for answer between (a) 27 May 2010 and 19 July 2011 and (b) 9 March 2011 and 19 July 2011. [71141]
Chris Grayling: The number of written questions tabled to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for answer on a named day; (a) between 27 May 2010 and 19 July 2011 was 1,061 of which 41 (3.86%) did not receive a substantive answer on the named day, and (b) between 9 March 2011 and 19 July 2011 was 360 of which 14 (3.89%) did not receive a substantive answer on the named day.
The Government have committed to providing the Procedure Committee with information relating to written parliamentary question performance on a sessional basis and will provide full information to the Committee at the end of the Session. Statistics relating to Government Departments' performance for the 2009-10 parliamentary Session were previously provided to the Committee and are available on the Parliament website.
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Employment
Mr Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in how many of the households which have never included an adult in work he expects an adult to enter employment by 2015. [71676]
Chris Grayling: The Department for Work and Pensions does not produce labour market forecasts. The independent Office for Budget Responsibility has forecast a net increase of around 1 million in total employment between 2011 and 2015, but does not break down its forecasts by household type.
The latest estimate published by the Office for National Statistics is that in April-June 2011, among UK households including at least one person aged 16 to 64 years, 370,000 households (1.8% of the total) contained no-one who had ever worked. A household is defined as having never worked if all adult members are not currently in employment and state that they have never had paid work (apart from casual or holiday work, or a job they are waiting to begin).
The number of households where no-one has ever worked illustrates part of the wider problems of workless households and long-term unemployment that the UK currently faces. The Government are committed to tackling these urgent problems. This is why we launched the Work programme this summer, which will give tailor made support to help people get off benefits and into work, and through universal credit we are overhauling the benefits system to ensure that people are always better off in work.
We have also begun to reassess 1.6 million of the people who claim incapacity benefits to see if they are fit for work. Around 10,000 people a week are being asked to take part in a process that will focus on what they can do, not what they cannot. In return we will give them the specialist help they need to get back to work.
Incapacity Benefits: Yorkshire and the Humber
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in (a) Great Britain, (b) Yorkshire and the Humber and (c) York (i) applied for incapacity benefit, (ii) were required to attend a personal capability assessment, (iii) had their incapacity benefit refused following an assessment and (iv) had their incapacity benefit reinstated following a review or appeal in the latest 12-month period for which information is available. [71456]
Chris Grayling: Since October 2008, new claims to incapacity benefits have been made to employment and support allowance so the only flows to old-style incapacity benefits—incapacity benefit (IB) and severe disablement allowance (SDA)—have been from linked claims. Information on flows to incapacity benefits and other benefits can be found on the Department's tabulation tool at the following link:
http://83.244.183.180/flows/flows_on/tabtool.html
For example, the following link shows flows onto old-style incapacity benefits for people of working age by region. This shows the number of flows in the year to February 2011 was 26,500 in Great Britain, of which 2,050 were in Yorkshire and the Humber.
http://83.244.183.180/flows/flows_on/ibsda/cdquarter/ccgor/ccclient/a_carate_r_cdquarter_c_ccgor_p_ccclient_working _age.html
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The number of flows on to old-style incapacity benefits in York unitary authority is around 60. This is calculated from further breakdowns available using the tabulation tool.
Information tracking people claiming old-style incapacity benefits and what happened to them at the personal capability assessment (PCA) is held only from October 2008 onwards. At this stage most assessments related to existing longer-term incapacity benefit claims and not new incapacity benefit claims, (i.e. repeat PCAs and not the initial PCA). We have therefore presented information relating to both initial and repeat PCAs combined.
Table 1 shows information on the number and outcomes of PCAs carried out between March 2010 and February 2011 (the latest data available). Note that the information in Table 1 cannot be directly compared to data on new claims to IB as the data contain information on repeat PCAs which make up the vast majority of PCAs carried out in this time period.
| Table 1: Personal capability assessments outcomes, March 2010 to February 2011 | ||||
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PCA e xempt | Disallowed at PCA | Pass PCA | Total |
| Notes: 1. The information in the table is from benefit claims data held by the Department for Work and Pensions and functional assessment data sourced from Atos Healthcare. 2. Figures are rounded to the nearest 100 claims and totals may not sum due to rounding. | ||||
Table 2 shows information on appeals that have been heard relating to PCAs carried out between March 2010 and February 2011 (as in Table 1). The Department holds information on appeals only once they have been heard by the Tribunals Service. Due to the time it takes for appeals to be submitted to the Tribunals Service and heard, it is likely there are more appeals that have not yet been heard, so the number of appeals is likely to change as more up to date information becomes available.
| Table 2: Appeals heard for PCAs completed between March 2010 and February 2011 by decision made by the Tribunals Service | |||
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Decision in favour of appellant | Decision upheld | Total |
| Notes: 1. The data presented above come from benefit claims data held by the Department for Work and Pensions, functional assessment data from Atos Healthcare and appeals data from the Tribunals Service. 2. Figures are rounded to the nearest 100 claims and totals may not sum due to rounding. | |||
Jobseeker’s Allowance: Females
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many women claimed jobseeker's allowance in Coventry in the latest period for which figures are available. [70702]
Chris Grayling: The stock number of female jobseeker’s allowance (JSA) claimants in Coventry, recorded in July 2011, is as follows:
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|
|
Number |
| Notes: 1. Data taken from 100% count of unemployment-related benefits, Jobcentre Plus computer systems 2. Figures include clerically held cases 3. Caseload data is unrounded 4. Data are published at: https://www.nomisweb.co.uk | |
Members: Correspondence
Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he plans to reply to the letter from the right hon. and learned Member for Camberwell and Peckham of 27 July 2011 concerning the proposed closure of Camberwell Jobcentre Plus. [71586]
Chris Grayling: A reply was sent to the right hon. and learned Member on 5 August 2011.
National Employment Savings Trust Scheme
Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he plans to allow transfers in to National Employment Savings Trust pensions before the 2017 review. [71151]
Steve Webb: The independent ‘Making Automatic Enrolment Work’(1) review, which reported last October, recognised that facilitating transfers is critical to the success of reforms. The review concluded that these issues are not restricted to how transfer rules apply to NEST, but apply across the pensions market. The review also recognised the importance of the transfer restrictions on NEST during the roll-out of the reforms and recommended that the Government address the issue of transfers with a view to relaxing the restrictions on NEST once the reforms were fully rolled out.
The Government agree with the review's conclusions and we are currently working with stakeholders to consider the wider issues of facilitating transfers. We will publish proposals on how issues arising from short service refunds rules, small pots and transfers might be addressed in the autumn.
(1) Making automatic enrolment work: a review for the Department of Work and Pensions. 2010. Department for Work and Pensions. Cm 7954
Pensioners: Jarrow
Mr Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what information his Department holds on how much per capita his Department has spent on pensioners in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the north-east and (d) the UK in (i) 2009-10 and (ii) 2010-11. [70097]
Steve Webb: Parliamentary constituency, local authority and regional expenditure data are not available for all benefits. Details of benefits included in the per capita calculations in the following tables can be found in the footnotes. DWP is not responsible for Northern Ireland spending. Therefore we are unable to show expenditure per capita for the UK. We have shown per capita expenditure for Great Britain.
| Table 1: Annual per capita expenditure for all benefits paid to pensioners (Great Britain) (1) | ||
| Per capita expenditure (£) | ||
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2009-10 | 2010-11 |
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| Table 2: Annual per capita expenditure for all benefits recorded at local authority level paid to pensioners (2) | ||
| Per capita expenditure (£) | ||
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2009-10 | 2010-11 |
| Table 3: Annual per capita expenditure for all benefits recorded at parliamentary constituency level paid to pensioners (3) | ||
| Per capita expenditure (£) | ||
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2009-10 | 2010-11 |
| (1) Includes all benefits paid to pensioners: attendance allowance, bereavement benefit/widow's benefit, carer's allowance, council tax benefit, housing benefit, disability living allowance, pension credit, state pension, winter fuel payments, Christmas bonus, industrial injuries benefits, income support, over 75 TV licences, social fund, state second pension, and severe disablement allowance. (2) Includes all benefit paid to pensioners where data are available at local authority level: attendance allowance, bereavement benefit/widow's benefit, carer's allowance, council tax benefit, housing benefit, disability living allowance, pension credit, state pension and winter fuel payments. (3) Includes all benefit paid to pensioners where data are available at parliamentary constituency level: attendance allowance, bereavement benefit/widow's benefit, carer's allowance, disability living allowance, pension credit, state pension and winter fuel payments. (4) Population data at parliamentary constituency level are not available for 2010-11 until October 2011. Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest £100. 2. Housing benefit and council tax benefit data are not available by parliamentary constituency. 3. Expenditure data for 2010-11 are based on latest estimates of outturn. Source: DWP statistical and accounting data and ONS population estimates. | ||
Mr Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners (a) in Jarrow constituency, (b) in South Tyneside, (c) in the north-east and (d) nationwide were in receipt of pension credit in each year since its inception. [70418]
Steve Webb: The information available is in the following table:
| Household recipients of pension credit in the Jarrow parliamentary constituency, South Tyneside, the north-east and Great Britain | ||||
| As at February each year | Jarrow parliamentary constituency | South Tyneside local authority | North-east | Great Britain |
| Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Pension credit was introduced on 6 October 2003. 3. Pension credit household recipients are those people who claim pension credit either for themselves or on behalf of themselves and a partner. 4. These data are available on the Department's tabulation tool at: http://83.244.183.180/100pc/tabtool.html https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/Default.asp 5. Northern Ireland data are the responsibility of the Department for Social Development in Northern Ireland. Source: DWP Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100% data | ||||
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Mr Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many pensioners were living in relative poverty in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) nationwide in each year since 1997; [70447]
(2) how many and what proportion of pensioners were living in absolute poverty in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) nationwide in each year since 1997. [70448]
Steve Webb: The most commonly used measure of pensioner poverty relates to those with incomes below 60% of contemporary median income, After Housing Costs. This is often referred to as relative poverty.
An alternative measure of poverty uses the 1998-99 median income held constant in real terms, as opposed to the contemporary median. This is often referred to as absolute poverty.
Estimates of poverty, published in the Households Below Average Income series, only allow a breakdown of the overall numbers in poverty at regional level. Therefore, information is available for the North East region, but not available for Jarrow or South Tyneside.
Three-year averages are used to report regional statistics as single-year estimates are subject to volatility.
The first table shows the number and percentage of pensioners living in households in the North East of England with relative and absolute low incomes, After Housing Costs, for three year periods spanning 1997-98 to 2009-10, which is the latest year for which figures are available.
The second table shows the number and percentage of pensioners in the UK in relative and absolute low income, After Housing Costs in each year since 1997-98. In 1997-98 the figures refer to Great Britain only. Thereafter, the figures are for the United Kingdom.
| Table 1: Number and proportion of pensioners in the North East of England in low income according to relative and absolute measures, After Housing Costs | ||||
| Relative low income | Absolute low income | |||
| Three year period | Number (million) | Percentage | Number (million) | Percentage |
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| Table 2: Number and proportion of pensioners nationwide in low income according to relative and absolute measures, After Housing Costs | ||||
| Relative low income | Absolute low income | |||
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Number (million) | Percentage | Number (million) | Percentage |
| ‘—’ = Indicates less than 50,000 pensioners. Notes: 1. These statistics are based on Households Below Average Income (HBAI) data sourced from the Family Resources Survey (FRS). This uses disposable household income, adjusted using modified OECD equivalisation factors for household size and composition, as an income measure as a proxy for standard of living. Family Resources Survey figures are for Great Britain up to 1997-98, and for the United Kingdom from 1998-99 onwards. 2. Net disposable incomes have been used to answer the question. This includes earnings from employment and self-employment, state support, income from occupational and private pensions, investment income and other sources. Income tax, payments, national insurance contributions, council tax/domestic rates and some other payments are deducted from incomes. 3. Figures have been presented on an After Housing Cost basis. For After Housing Costs, housing costs are deducted from income. 4. All estimates are based on survey data and are therefore subject to a degree of uncertainty. Small differences should be treated with caution as these will be affected by sampling error and variability in non-response. 5. The reference period for HBAI figures is the financial year. 6. Numbers of pensioners have been rounded to the nearest 100,000 pensioners. 7. Proportions of pensioners in low-income households have been rounded to the nearest percentage point. | ||||
Pensions
Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he plans to end short service refunds. [71152]
Steve Webb: The Government ran a call for evidence on regulatory differences which included short service refunds. The call closed on 18 April and the Government published their initial response on 27 June. Short service refund rules provide a valuable easement for employers and schemes to manage small pension pots.
But short service refunds in defined contribution schemes are inconsistent with automatic enrolment. With more people saving and higher job churn, the Government do not want to see some individuals missing out on building their pension pot because of the rules.
The Department will publish a full set of proposals on how Government intend to address the short service refunds rules, small pots and transfers in the autumn.
This will include a decision on short service refunds in DC occupational schemes and a consultation on options to address small pension pots.
Mrs Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his most recent estimate is of the number of non-UK EU citizens who attempted to claim state pension in the UK without passing the habitual residence test. [71259]
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Steve Webb: The UK state pension is a contributory benefit. It is payable worldwide to people who claim it after reaching state pension age and who satisfy the national insurance contribution conditions.
People do not need to satisfy the habitual residence test to get their state pension.
Pensions: York
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in (a) the City of York local authority area and (b) York Central constituency are in receipt of (i) the basic state pension and (ii) pension credit; and what the average weekly value of pension credit received is in each case. [71437]
Steve Webb: The information available is in the following table:
| State pension and pension credit recipients in the York local authority area and York Central parliamentary constituency | |||
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State pension claimants | Pension credit household recipients | Average weekly amount of pension credit (£) |
| Notes: 1. Case loads are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. The state pension figure provided is the total state pension case load. Around 1% of state pension recipients are not in receipt of the basic state pension, but are receiving additional pension only or graduated retirement benefit only. 3. Pension credit household recipients are those people who claim pension credit either for themselves or on behalf of themselves and a partner. 4. Information is published on our tabulation tool at http://83.244.183.180/100pc/tabtool.html Source: DWP Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study. | |||
Sick Leave: Musculoskeletal Disorders
Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people with musculoskeletal conditions living in each (a) region of England and (b) country in Great Britain were on long-term sick leave in (i) 2008, (ii) 2009 and (iii) 2010. [70535]
Maria Miller: There are few reliable sources of sickness absence data in Great Britain. Employers pay statutory sick pay (and in some cases occupational sick pay) but are not required to submit this information to the Government unless they are seeking reimbursement for moneys paid under the percentage threshold scheme. Consequently there are no comprehensive centrally recorded administrative data. Sample sizes from survey data are also too small to address the specific question raised.
Social Fund: Funerals
Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he expects Social Fund budgeting loans to be available to help relatives meet a family member's funeral expenses; and what criteria he plans to use to assess applicants. [71680]
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Steve Webb: The provision that extends Social Fund budgeting loans to funeral and maternity expenses will come into force two months after Royal Assent is granted to the Welfare Reform Bill.
The criteria used to assess applications will be the existing budgeting loan criteria.
Social Security Benefits: Non-EU Nationals
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost of benefits paid to non-EU immigrants was in each of the last eight years. [71104]
Chris Grayling: The information requested is not available.
The UK's benefit payment systems do not record the nationality of people receiving benefits and therefore it is not possible to determine the cost of benefits paid to non-EU nationals. I have, however, commissioned work to make information available on the nationality of benefit claimants.
Access to income-related benefits(1) by non-European economic area nationals is strictly limited. They are excluded from such benefits because they are subject to immigration control, which prevents them from receiving public funds. Access to these benefits is therefore dependent on the type of leave the Home Office grants the individual.
Those who have worked in the UK and paid national insurance contributions may claim contributory benefits such as contribution-based jobseeker's allowance if they satisfy the contributions and other conditions for the benefit.
(1) Income support, income-based jobseeker's allowance, income-related employment and support allowance; pension credit, housing benefit and council tax benefit.
Social Security Benefits: Offenders
Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he plans to review the benefits paid to convicted criminals who reside in secure psychiatric hospitals. [71000]
Chris Grayling: Currently those detained in secure psychiatric hospitals who are sentenced and convicted criminals do not receive benefits. However, there are those who have not received a sentence who can, in certain circumstances, receive benefit. We are currently reviewing this policy.
Winter Fuel Payments: York
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many households in York with at least one person aged 75 years or over received the winter fuel allowance in 2010-11. [71439]
Steve Webb: Information for 2010-11 is not currently available.
The information is available in the document "Winter Fuel Payment recipients 2009-2010 by Parliamentary Constituencies and Gender". This is available in the Commons Library and on the internet at:
http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=wfp
13 Sep 2011 : Column 1071W
Working Tax Credit
Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many couples with children who claim working tax credit and who work between 16 and 24 hours a week include at least one partner who claims (a) carers allowance, (b) disability living allowance, (c) incapacity benefit and (d) disability living allowance on behalf of a disabled child. [70470]
Maria Miller: The information requested is not available. Neither the administrative datasets held by DWP, nor those held by HMRC, contain all the information needed to link receipt of working tax credit by the specified group with receipt of the benefits named in the question.
Transport
Bus Services: Concessions
Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will estimate the number of people aged 60 and over in the Leeds West constituency who are eligible for the concessionary coach travel scheme. [71690]
Norman Baker: Data relating to the number of people aged 60 years and older who are eligible for the concessionary coach travel scheme are not available at a constituency level.
Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will estimate the number of people affected by the removal of the concessionary coach travel scheme. [71691]
Norman Baker: According to mid-2010 population estimates from the Office for National Statistics, there were 11,746,500 people aged 60 years and older who were eligible for the concessionary coach travel scheme in England.
The Department does not hold information on the number of people with a disability who are eligible for the concessionary coach travel scheme in England.
Bus Services: Theft
Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to improve co-ordination and provision of information between National Express and other coach operators and police forces in cases of theft from coaches. [70664]
Norman Baker [holding answer 8 September 2011]: Theft from coaches and the provision of information between coach operators and the police is a matter for the company involved and an operational matter for the relevant police force concerned.
Government Procurement Card
John Glen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish the (a) purchase date, (b) transaction amount, (c) supplier and (d) level 3 or enhanced transaction entry if held for each individual transaction undertaken by British Transport Police using the Government Procurement Card in (i) 2008-09 and (ii) 2009-10. [71220]
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Mrs Villiers: I am able to confirm to the hon. Member that neither the British Transport Police nor the British Transport Police Authority used the Government Procurement Card between 2008-09 and 2009-10.
Attorney-General
Crown Prosecution Service: Mental Health
Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Attorney-General what training is provided to Crown Prosecution Service staff on dealing with people who have mental health disorders; and if he will make a statement. [71268]
The Attorney-General: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has recently developed an online (e-learning) course on supporting victims and witnesses with mental health issues (as well as learning disabilities and autism). The course was launched in August 2011 and is mandatory for all prosecutors. In addition to this training, there is detailed guidance that sets out the practice and procedure to be followed when dealing with victims and witnesses with mental health issues. There is separate guidance to assist prosecutors when deciding whether to charge an offender who has a mental disorder.
Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Attorney-General what support is provided by the Crown Prosecution Service to suspected offenders with mental health disorders; and if he will make a statement. [71269]
The Attorney-General: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does not have direct contact with suspected offenders and is not responsible for providing support to defendants. There are ‘Liaison and Diversion' schemes in police stations and courts that screen defendants for mental health problems. Defendants who consent will be assessed and may be referred to appropriate services for treatment and support.
Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Attorney-General what assessment is made by the Crown Prosecution Service of a person's mental health before decisions on whether to charge them are taken; and if he will make a statement. [71270]
The Attorney-General: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does not carry out its own assessment of the mental health of a suspect but may receive such information from a mental health liaison and diversion schemes based at police stations or courts or from other sources such as the police, relatives or offenders' solicitors. When there is sufficient reliable information about an offender's mental health, the CPS will take this into account when making the decision whether to charge. Evidence that the defendant has a significant physical or mental illness is a factor that the CPS will take into account when deciding if a prosecution is required in the public interest. However, the defendant's health must always be balanced with the seriousness of the offence and the need to safeguard the public.
Departmental Written Questions
Thomas Docherty:
To ask the Attorney-General what proportion of written questions tabled to him for answer on a named day did not receive a substantive
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answer on the day named for answer between
(a)
27 May 2010 and 19 July 2011 and
(b)
9 March 2011 and 19 July 2011. [71138]
The Attorney-General: The information requested is contained in the following table.
|
|
Number of named day questions tabled | Number answered substantially on the named day | Percentage not answered substantially on the named day |
The Government have committed to providing the Procedure Committee with information relating to written parliamentary question performance on a sessional basis and will provide full information to the Committee at the end of the Session. Statistics relating to Government Departments' performance for the 2009-10 parliamentary Session were previously provided to the Committee and are available on the Parliament website.
Government Procurement Card
John Glen: To ask the Attorney-General if he will publish the (a) purchase date, (b) transaction amount, (c) supplier and (d) level 3 or enhanced transaction entry if held for each individual transaction undertaken by the Crown Prosecution Service using the Government Procurement Card in (i) 2008-09 and (ii) 2009-10. [71219]
The Solicitor-General: Reports detailing Government Procurement Card transactions undertaken by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) will be placed in the Library of the House. These reports cover the periods (i) 2008-09 and (ii) 2009-10 and show (a) purchase dates, (b) transaction amounts and (c) suppliers.
The Department does not hold level 3 or enhanced transaction entry data centrally for individual transactions. Card holders do maintain manual records of the transactions they make which will include some level 3 equivalent data including item description. Providing this information would however involve checking individual records across the CPS which would incur disproportionate cost.
Northern Ireland
Departmental Written Questions
Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proportion of written questions tabled to him for answer on a named day did not receive a substantive answer on the day named for answer between (a) 27 May 2010 and 19 July 2011 and (b) 9 March 2011 and 19 July 2011. [71132]
Mr Paterson: The information requested is as follows:
(a) Of the 34 questions received in this period, 31 (91%) were given a substantive answer on the day named.
(b) Of the 23 questions received in this period, 23 (100%) were given a substantive answer on the day named.
The Government have committed to providing the Procedure Committee with information relating to written parliamentary question performance on a sessional basis
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and will provide full information to the Committee at the end of the Session. Statistics relating to Government Departments' performance for the 2009-10 Parliamentary Session were previously provided to the committee and are available on the Parliament website.
Scotland
Departmental Public Expenditure
Mr Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what efficiency savings in his Department's administrative budget (a) were delivered in 2010-11 and (b) are targeted in 2011-12. [71114]
David Mundell: The final administrative provision for the Scotland Office and Office of the Advocate-General for 2010-11 was £7.889 million. Our actual expenditure was £7.66 million. For 2011-12, the administrative budget is £7.62 million.
To spend less than our allocated budget in 2010-11 we reduced on costs wherever possible, utilised framework contracts between suppliers and other Government bodies to achieve maximum savings and cancelled the contract for the ministerial car in London. To ensure we deliver the required savings in 2011-12 we are aiming to reduce accommodation costs by sharing space with other Government bodies, as well as investigating the possibility of sharing some back office functions with the other offices.
Departmental Written Questions
Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of written questions tabled to him for answer on a named day did not receive a substantive answer on the day named for answer between (a) 27 May 2010 and 19 July 2011 and (b) 9 March 2011 and 19 July 2011. [71133]
David Mundell: The information requested is as follows:
(a) Of the 177 questions received in this period, 167 (94%) were given a substantive answer on the day named.
(b) Of the 54 questions received in this period, 51 (94%) were given a substantive answer on the day named.
The Government have committed to providing the Procedure Committee with information relating to written parliamentary question performance on a sessional basis and will provide full information to the Committee at the end of the Session. Statistics relating to Government Departments' performance for the 2009-10 parliamentary session were previously provided to the Committee and are available on the Parliament website.
Human Trafficking
Mr Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the First Minister on implementing the Government's new strategy on human trafficking. [71115]
David Mundell:
Policy responsibility for human trafficking rests with the Minister for Immigration. Combating human trafficking is a key priority for the Government and we are committed to tackling organised crime groups who profit from this human misery, and to protecting victims. There is an Inter-Departmental
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Ministerial Group on Human Trafficking to co-ordinate work on trafficking across Government which includes Ministers from the devolved Administrations. The next meeting is scheduled for mid-autumn.
House of Commons Commission
Parliament: Security
Mr Amess: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, which postholder is responsible for the setting of the criteria for the issuing of security passes for access to the Parliamentary Estate for people who are not hon. Members, employees of hon. Members, or House of Commons staff; and to which areas such passes provide access. [71027]
John Thurso: The Speaker sets the criteria for the issuing of security passes for access to the parliamentary estate for people who are not hon. Members, employees of hon. Members, or House of Commons staff. He receives advice on this from the House of Commons Administration Committee. Passes that are issued allow the passholder access to the parliamentary estate.
Mr Amess: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, which postholder authorised the opening of the Curtis Green entrance; who was consulted; what the cost to the public purse was of the opening; and what the purpose is of the opening. [71030]
John Thurso: The vehicle entrance at Derby Gate is scheduled to close from November for a period of about six months while works are carried out to install the perimeter security measures. The Curtis Green entrance offers the most practical solution for vehicles access and egress during the work. As the principal vehicle entry point, improvements to the existing entrance were needed. While upgrading the entrance, the opportunity was identified to improve traffic management in the long-term when Derby Gate re-opens by establishing a one-way traffic flow system. This one-way system has been in operation since the new facility was completed in August to resolve any problems in advance of Derby Gate's temporary closure. Planning consent was required, which included an assurance that there would not be disruption to the public road network. The business case for the Curtis Green entrance improvement works was approved in accordance with set procedures. Decisions on the authorisations of works and operations are made under delegations given by the House of Commons Commission, and in line with criteria set by Member Committees where appropriate. It is not the Commission's practice to publish names of individual staff who took particular decisions.
Subject to the agreement of the final account with the contractor, the total cost of the works to improve the Curtis Green entrance is estimated currently to be approximately £627,000.
As well as consultation among officials, letters were sent to all Members in Norman Shaw and billboards were posted in Portcullis House.
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Hugh Bayley: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, how many people employed by contractors to work for the House of Commons service were issued with parliamentary passes in (a) 2001-02, (b) 2005-06 and (c) 2010-11. [69744]
John Thurso: Our data retention policy means that we do not hold the data for 2001-02 and 2005-06, but we have the data for 2010-11. The number of contractors or people employed by contractors who held parliamentary passes valid during some or all of the period from 1 January 2010 to 9 September 2011 was as follows:
| Type of pass | Count |
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Countryside: Access
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many hectares of land in (a) England and (b) North Yorkshire and York have been opened to the public under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000. [71490]
Richard Benyon: The areas of land opened to the public under the Countryside and Rights of Way (CROW) Act 2000 to date in England, North Yorkshire and York are shown in the following table.
| H ectares | |||
|
|
England | North Yorkshire county | City of York |
| (1) This is open country (mountain, moor, heath or down) or registered common land conclusively mapped under section 4 of the CROW, with the removal of some areas of excepted land (military byelaw, racecourse and aerodromes), and of areas subject to military and national security restrictions, on the basis that they are not subject to CROW access rights. Some of the land included in these figures will have been subject to pre-existing open access rights of the type mentioned in CROW section 15, and as a result will not be subject to CROW access rights. (2) This is land voluntarily dedicated by its owner or long leaseholder for open access, under CROW section 16. | |||
Consultants
Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many senior civil servants in her Department at each grade had worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers, Ernst and Young, Deloitte or KPMG immediately prior to taking up their appointment in each of the last four years; what consultancy agreements her Department had with those firms in each such year; and how many consultants from those firms have advised her Department in each such year. [68954]
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Richard Benyon: The Rural Payments Agency (RPA), which is an executive agency of my Department, recruited one senior civil servant from Deloitte, starting on 18 May 2011. No other senior civil servants were recruited by my Department from these companies in the last four years.
13 Sep 2011 : Column 1078W
DEFRA (including executive agencies) had the following contracts to provide services from these companies over the last four years, some of which were not for consultancy:
The number of contractors from these companies who have worked in RPA in each of the last four years is as follows:
2007-08: 36
2008-09: 8
2009-10: 40
2010-11: 13.
Note that this shows the number of people who have worked in each financial year and therefore the same person will be counted against multiple years if their period of service crossed over from one year to the next.
In the core Department, the number of consultants used from these companies has not been kept centrally. To identify how many would incur disproportionate cost.
Internships
Bridget Phillipson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Liverpool, Wavertree of 19 October 2010, Official Report, columns 629-30W, on departmental work experience, what guidelines her
13 Sep 2011 : Column 1079W
Department issues on recruitment, selection, advertisement and operation of unpaid placements. [69472]
Richard Benyon: The Department is currently reviewing and adding content to its work experience guidance. We will have this completed by mid September and the final version will be shared between DEFRA and the Agencies.
The following documents are currently in use and will be made available in the House Library:
DEFRA Work Experience guidance;
DEFRA Placements and Scheme guidance;
Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS) HR Policy Recruitment (pages 9 and 10 specifically);
Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA) Work Experience leaflet.
Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many (a) persons undertaking unpaid work experience, (b) unpaid interns and (c) other persons in unpaid positions were working in her Department as of 1 July 2011. [69512]
Richard Benyon: DEFRA and its Agencies had a total of (a) 31 persons undertaking unpaid work experience (b) 0 unpaid interns (c) three in other unpaid positions.
Departmental Written Questions
Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of written questions tabled to her for answer on a named day did not receive a substantive answer on the day named for answer between (a) 27 May 2010 and 19 July 2011 and (b) 9 March 2011 and 19 July 2011. [71128]
Richard Benyon: Between 27 May 2010 and 19 July 2011 638 questions for answer on a named day were tabled to DEFRA. Of these 343 or 53.8% were answered on the named day.
Between 9 March 2011 and 19 July 2011 203 questions for answer on a named day were tabled to DEFRA. Of these 94 or 46.3% were answered on the named day.
The Government have committed to providing the Procedure Committee with information relating to written parliamentary question performance, on a sessional basis and will provide full information to the Committee at the end of the Session. Statistics relating to Government Departments' performance for the 2009-10 parliamentary session were previously provided to the Committee and are available on the Parliament website.
Environment Protection
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment the National Ecosystem Assessment has made of the value of ecosystem services provided by the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. [69447]
Richard Benyon: The National Ecosystem Assessment has made assessments of the value of a range of ecosystem services across the UK at a variety of spatial scales. This work is presented in the full technical report, which can be found on the UK National Ecosystems website, with the economic, health and well-being values of these services examined in detail in chapters 22, 23 and 24.
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The valuation of ecosystem services was undertaken with reference to the distribution and condition of ecosystems across the country, rather than with reference to administrative boundaries. Therefore the UK National Ecosystem Assessment did not separately value ecosystem services provided by the Chilterns area of outstanding natural beauty, although much of the valuation work will be relevant to that area due to the range of ecosystems contained within it.
Fisheries: Western Sahara
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the effects of the EU-Morocco Fisheries Partnership Agreement on the indigenous population of Western Sahara. [71425]
Richard Benyon: I have made no assessment of the impact of the EU-Morocco Fisheries Partnership Agreement on the indigenous population of Western Sahara. However, my officials have asked the EU Commission to request such an assessment from the Moroccan authorities.
Landfill
Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which potentially dangerous particulates emanating from landfill and hazardous waste sites (a) are and (b) are not tested for; and if she will make a statement. [70742]
Richard Benyon: Environmental permits require operators to monitor any dust blowing off landfill sites. The results are normally expressed as the concentration of PM10s (all particles up to and including ten microns diameter).
Similar conditions may be imposed on sites treating hazardous waste where there is a risk of particulates blowing off the site. The Environment Agency may undertake monitoring in response to public concern about a specific site, and the parameters monitored will depend on the materials handled.
Nature Conservation: Hydroelectric Power
Mr Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures are in place to protect river habitats designated as special areas of conservation or sites of special scientific interest from hydro-electric schemes; and if she will make a statement. [71051]
Richard Benyon: Development in protected areas (special areas of conservation or sites of special scientific interest) is subject to specific legislation designed to ensure a high level of environmental protection. This includes hydro-electric schemes.
The Environment Agency and Natural England have procedures in place to ensure that hydro-electric schemes are only permitted where no adverse impact will take place on the features for which the site has been designated.
The Environment Agency is currently revising its Hydropower Good Practice Guidelines with help from Natural England, Countryside Council for Wales, developers and those with an interest in rivers. These will give further guidance on the conditions associated with hydropower schemes in protected areas.
13 Sep 2011 : Column 1081W
Recycling: Coventry City Council
Mr Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much funding her Department allocated to Coventry city council for the purposes of increasing recycling rates in (a) 2009-10 and (b) 2010-11. [70355]
Richard Benyon: DEFRA provided funding through the Waste Infrastructure Capital Grant to upper tier local authorities outside London to support investment in infrastructure, such as recycling and composting facilities, to boost recycling rates. Authorities in London receive support through the London Waste and Recycling Board.
DEFRA provided Coventry city council with the following amounts:
|
|
£ |
The Government provide funding more generally to local authorities to support the delivery of their services through the Revenue Support Grant. This funding is not ring-fenced, giving councils the freedom to work with their residents to decide how best to prioritise their spending, including on the provision of recycling services.
Recycling: West Midlands
Mr Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much revenue each local authority in the West Midlands has raised from selling recyclable waste in each year since 2006. [70369]
Richard Benyon: Data on revenue raised by local authorities from the sale of recyclable waste are not held centrally.
River Itchen: Hydroelectric Power
Mr Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the status is of the Shears Mill mini-hydro scheme application on the River Itchen; and what assessment her Department has conducted on the potential effects of this scheme on salmon spawning redds. [71050]
Richard Benyon: Eastleigh borough council has submitted an application for an impoundment licence in the River Itchen at Shears Mill to enable the restoration of turbines for small-scale electricity generation. The River Itchen is a designated site of special scientific interest and a special area of conservation, placing duties on the Environment Agency to protect its chalk stream habitat and species including salmon, bullhead and lamprey.
Negotiations on the application continue in order to ensure the proposed scheme is sensitive to the needs of habitat and species protection.
Rural Advocate
Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to provide an independent voice for rural communities after the expiry of the position of Rural Advocate. [71075]
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Richard Benyon: The Government abolished the role of Rural Advocate in July 2010, and do not believe that it is necessary or appropriate to have a publicly-funded external rural campaigner when there are many respected rural organisations and commentators who already advocate strongly and effectively on behalf of rural people.
DEFRA Ministers are the Rural Champions within Government, and the Department remains keen to work closely with external stakeholders to ensure that the needs and interests of rural communities and businesses are fully and fairly reflected in all policies and programmes.
In addition, the Government are exploring the scope to encourage independent review of its approach to rural proofing, and will respond positively to any such review.
Salmon: Conservation
Mr Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what statutory duties the Environment Agency has to protect salmon spawning redds as part of its river management obligations. [71052]
Richard Benyon: The Environment Agency (EA) has a general duty set out in The Environment Act 1995 to
“maintain, improve and develop fisheries of salmon, trout, lampreys, smelt and freshwater fish”.
The EA also has a duty to further the conservation of salmon and their aquatic environment, which includes salmon eggs and the gravels in which they are laid. More specifically, under section 2(4) of the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act 1975 anyone who
“wilfully disturbs any spawn or spawning fish, or any bed, bank or shallow on which any spawn or spawning fish may be, shall be guilty of an offence”.
The maximum fine under section 2(4) is £2,500.
Sewers: Berkshire
Alok Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent estimate she has made of the number of privately-managed sewers in (a) Berkshire, (b) Reading and (c) Reading West constituency. [70804]
Richard Benyon: DEFRA has no estimates of the number of privately-managed sewers located in (a) Berkshire (b) Reading and (c) Reading West constituencies. However, the impact assessment supporting The Water Industry (Schemes for Adoption of Private Sewers) Regulations 2011, which came into force on 1 July 2011, estimated that in England and Wales approximately 184,000 km of private sewers and 36,000 km of private lateral drains connect to and affect the public system, but are not the responsibility of the water and sewerage companies.
Trade Unions
David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 8 August 2011, Official Report, column 1179W, on trade unions, for what reasons it is expected that the level of spending by her Department and its executive agencies on trade union activities will fall between 2010-11 and 2011-12. [70718]
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Richard Benyon: It is expected that the level of spending on trade union activities will fall because we have reduced the budget available for funding facility time in 2011-12. This is in line with other cost efficiencies we are making and reflects decreasing staff numbers in the Department. It has resulted in a reduction of full-time trade union representatives from 12 to six in core DEFRA. Further work is planned both in core DEFRA and the Executive Agencies to reduce further the number of full-time trade union representatives, and the consequential cost.
13 Sep 2011 : Column 1084W
Water Supply
Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many (a) males and (b) females aged over 60 years had water supplies disconnected in each year since 1997; and if she will make a statement. [R] [71235]
Richard Benyon: Disconnection from the water supply has been banned since 30 June 1999 under the Water Industry Act 1999. Figures on disconnections between 1997 and 1999 are given as follows:
| Number of water supply disconnections made by water undertakers for non-payment of a water bill | ||||
|
|
(a) Total disconnections | (b) Non- households | (c) Households | Percentage of households |
The Government's recent consultation on water affordability, “Affordable Water: a consultation on the Government's proposals following the Walker Review of Charging”, which was published in April 2011 (and closed July 2011) stated:
“The Government will not reverse the ban on disconnection. Nor will we allow water companies to use reduced flow devices (sometimes known as “trickle valves”) which, in the Government's view, are tantamount to disconnection and could result in the same social and health problems that would arise from disconnection.”
Wild Boar
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what advice her Department has provided to the Forestry Commission on policy on the culling of wild boar on land managed by the Commission in each of the last four years. [70415]
Mr Paice: The Forestry Commission England would have received the same advice as any other owner or occupier requesting management advice for wild boar. Natural England's Wildlife Management and Licensing Team provides such advice on behalf of DEFRA. Its web page about wild boar has links to DEFRA's wild boar action plan, which outlines the Government's responsibilities in the management of feral wild boar in England, and to the wild boar best practice guides website.
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will estimate the number of wild boar culled in each local authority area in each of the last four years. [70416]
Richard Benyon: Primary responsibility for feral wild boar management lies with local communities and individual landowners. Landowners, including local authorities, are free to control feral wild boar as they see fit as long as it is carried out in a humane and legal manner.
There is no requirement for landowners or local authorities to report numbers of wild boar culled to DEFRA. This information is therefore not held centrally.
Wildlife: Licensing
Mr David: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she has considered removing cobras and other venomous snakes from the list of animals which require a licence to be kept privately. [70269]
Mr Paice: DEFRA has not considered removing cobras or other venomous snakes from the schedule to the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976, which lists the species requiring a licence to be kept privately.
International Development
Departmental Written Questions
Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of written questions tabled to him for answer on a named day did not receive a substantive answer on the day named for answer between (a) 27 May 2010 and 19 July 2011 and (b) 9 March 2011 and 19 July 2011. [71139]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: Between 27 May 2010 and 19 July 2011, 2% of written questions tabled to the Department for International Development (DFID) for answer on a named day did not receive a substantive answer on the day named. Between 9 March 2011 and 19 July 2011 the proportion was 1%. This is clearly not good enough and will improve.