National Union of Rail Maritime and Transport Workers
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether facilities provided to the RMT union and funded through the RMT Remote Access Project have been used for campaigning and political purposes. [71036]
Mr Davey: The Remote Access Project created enhanced website facilities include an integrated voice messaging/SMS function to enable better targeting of services to meet individual members’ needs and to improve interaction between the union and its members.
We are not aware of the use of these facilities for campaigns or political purposes but newsletters, circulars, bulletins and news articles were used between the union to raise awareness of union members of the development and subsequent availability of the website, the improved access to information and membership services for offices located remotely.
Improving two-way communications between unions and their members and providing services geared to the needs of a diverse membership were key themes for this round of Union Modernisation Fund projects.
Overseas Investment: India
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions he has had on the conduct of British-based multinational corporations that are investors in the acquisition of Adivasi land in central India. [71153]
Mr Davey: The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, my right hon. Friend the Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), has not had discussions with specific British multinationals that are investors in the acquisition of Adivasi land in central India on their conduct of these transactions.
14 Sep 2011 : Column 1214W
Overseas Trade: Balkans
Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate his Department has made of the levels of (a) trade and (b) investment between the UK and (i) Macedonia and (ii) Serbia in (A) 2009 and (B) 2010. [70033]
Mr Davey: In 2009 bilateral trade in goods and services with Macedonia was valued at £76 million. In 2010 bilateral trade in goods with Macedonia was valued at £267 million.
In 2009 bilateral trade in goods and services with Serbia and Montenegro was valued at £348 million. In(1) 2010 bilateral trade in goods with Serbia and Montenegro was valued at £183 million. (Data for the UK's trade in goods and services are not yet available separately for Serbia and Montenegro).
Precise figures for the level of investment made by UK companies is more difficult to ascertain, but estimates put this figure for Macedonia at £46 million in 2010. UK investment in Serbia was estimated to be £45 million in 2009 and £46 million in 2010.
No data are available for Macedonian or Serbian Foreign Direct Investment into the UK.
(1 )Statistics for bilateral trade in goods and services for 2010 will be published on 5 October.
Unite
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether facilities provided to the Amicas/Unite union and funded through the Piloting IT Services for Branches Project have been used for campaigning and political purposes. [71037]
Mr Davey: The Piloting IT Services for Branches Project created enhanced website facilities including a discussion board to improve the services and communication for members from branch secretaries.
We are not aware of the use of these facilities for campaigns or political purposes but a survey of IT skills was undertaken to meet the training needs of the union's branch secretaries. The development of these skills was necessary to support the website's discussion board facility and together with the introduction of weekly emails for members, was needed to improve engagement and communication and to provide more effective membership services.
Improving two-way communications between unions and their members and providing services geared to the needs of a diverse membership were key themes for this round of Union Modernisation Fund projects.
Justice
CCTV
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent representations he has received on the use of television cameras in law courts. [71577]
Mr Kenneth Clarke: Last month I received a letter from the Lord Chief Justice on behalf of himself and senior judiciary regarding the use of television cameras in law courts. I also received letters from BBC News, Sky and ITN in January of this year following on from a meeting on this subject in October last year.
14 Sep 2011 : Column 1215W
Civil Disorder: Compensation
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many compensation orders have been issued to people found guilty of offences connected with public disorder in August 2011; and what the total amount of compensation specified in such orders is. [71355]
Mr Blunt: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 6 September 2011, Official Report, column 378W.
Departmental Manpower
Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the potential savings to the public purse of the reduction in funding for staff of HM Courts and Tribunals Service to accompany magistrates to community meetings. [71032]
Mr Kenneth Clarke: Decisions about funding for staff to accompany magistrates to community meetings are handled at a local level by HMCTS and are made on a case-by-case basis.
While HMCTS is operating within a reduced budget as part of the Government's deficit reduction plan, there has been no specific reduction in the funding for staff to accompany magistrates to community meetings. Consequently there has been no assessment of the savings to the public purse.
Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the potential effects of the reduction in funding for HM Courts and Tribunals Service staff to accompany magistrates to community meetings. [71033]
Mr Kenneth Clarke: Decisions about funding for staff to accompany magistrates to community meetings are handled at a local level by HMCTS and are made on a case-by-case basis.
While HMCTS is operating within a reduced budget as part of the Government's deficit reduction plan, there has been no specific reduction in the funding for staff to accompany magistrates to community meetings. Consequently, there has been no assessment of the potential effects of the reduction in funding.
Private Finance Initiative
Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will publish the value of estimated tax receipts, calculated in accordance with the Green Book, in each public sector economic assessment of private finance initiative projects in procurement by his Department as of March 2011. [71222]
Mr Kenneth Clarke: As of March 2011 the Ministry of Justice has no private finance initiatives projects in procurement and consequently there is no estimated value of tax receipts available.
Drugs: Bexley
Mr Evennett:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people in the London borough of Bexley have been convicted of offences of (a) possession and (b) supply of illegal class A drugs in each of the last
14 Sep 2011 : Column 1216W
five years; and how many people received (i) a custodial sentence and (ii) the maximum available sentence in each case. [71544]
Mr Blunt: The number of persons found guilty and sentenced at all courts to immediate custody, and those receiving the maximum sentence available for possession, possession with intent to supply, and supply of a controlled drug in the Metropolitan police force area, for the years 2006 to 2010 (latest available) are presented in the following table.
Information available centrally does not allow a breakdown of London borough cases.
Court proceedings data for 2011 are planned for publication in the spring of 2012.
| Number of persons found guilty at all courts and sentenced for possession, possession with intent to supply, and supply of a controlled drug (1) , and those receiving the maximum sentence available, Metropolitan police force area, 2006-10 (2,3) | |||||
| Drug offences/Outcome | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
14 Sep 2011 : Column 1217W
| ‘—’ = Nil (1) Offences under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. (2) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken Into account when those data are used. (4) Those sentenced may exceed those found guilty as it may be the case that a defendant found guilty, and committed for sentence at the Crown court, may be sentenced In the following year. (5) Other sentence includes absolute discharge, conditional discharge, fine, community sentence, fully suspended sentence, and otherwise dealt with. (6) Maximum sentence for offences as follows: Possession class A: seven years Possession with intent to supply class A: life Supply class A: life Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice | |||||
Drugs: Reading
Alok Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people in Reading West constituency have been convicted of (a) possession and (b) supply of illegal class A drugs in each of the last five years; and how many people received (i) a custodial sentence and (ii) the maximum sentence in each case. [71429]
Mr Blunt: The number of persons found guilty and sentenced to immediate custody and those receiving the maximum sentence available at all courts for possession, supply and possession with intent to supply a controlled drug, in the Thames Valley police force area for the years 2006 to 2010 (latest available) can be viewed in the table.
Information available centrally does not allow a breakdown of cases by parliamentary constituency.
Court proceedings data for 2011 are planned for publication in spring 2012.
| Persons found guilty and sentenced at all courts for possession, supply and possession with intent to supply a controlled drug and maximum sentence available, Thames Valley police force area, 2006-10 (1,2) | |||||
| Drug offences | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
14 Sep 2011 : Column 1218W
| (1) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) The sentenced column may exceed those found guilty as it may be the case that a defendant found guilty, and committed for sentence at the Crown court, may be sentenced in the following year. (4) Other sentences: absolute and conditional discharge, fine, community sentences, suspended sentences, otherwise dealt with. (5) Maximum custodial sentences as follows: Possession class A—7 years: Supply class A—life; Possession with intent to supply class A—life. All offences under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice | |||||
Incentives
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much the Prison Service has spent on staff bonuses in each of the last three years. [71638]
Mr Blunt: Depending on their various terms and conditions, staff employed in the National Offender Management Service (including HM Prison Service) may be eligible for (a) ‘year-end’ and (b) ‘in-year’ non-consolidated performance related pay.
The National Offender Management Service (including HM Prison Service) has different staff groups who are covered by separate pay determination arrangements and ‘year-end’ and ‘in-year’ non-consolidated performance payments are made. The Senior Salaries Review Body provides recommendations on non-consolidated performance payments for members of the senior civil service (SCS).
Information on the total amount of ‘year-end’ non-consolidated performance payments paid to staff below SCS across the National Offender Management Service (including HM Prison Service) in the 2008-2009, 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 performance years is contained in the following table(1):
14 Sep 2011 : Column 1219W
| Performance year | Total amount paid (£) |
Information on the total amount of ‘in-year’ non-consolidated performance payments paid to staff below the SCS across the National Offender Management Service (including HM Prison Service) in the 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11 financial years is contained in the following table(2):
| Financial year | Total amount paid (£) |
(1) Information excludes senior civil servants which are reported by the Ministry of Justice as a whole.
(2) Information has been adjusted to exclude payments that have been found not to be ‘in year’ performance payments. The figures presented here will therefore differ from previously published totals. Information excludes staff that transferred to the Ministry of Justice Headquarters in June 2010.
Legal Aid Scheme
Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues about removing clinical negligence from the scope of legal aid. [71807]
Mr Djanogly: I have had discussions with a number of ministerial colleagues. Those discussions have covered a range of matters affecting our respective Departments, including the potential impact that our proposals to reform legal aid could have on those colleagues' Departments.
Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people accessed legal aid in connection with claims for clinical negligence in the last year for which figures are available. [71808]
Mr Djanogly: According to data held by the Legal Services Commission, the number of certificates granted for legal representation for clinical negligence cases in 2010-11 was 2,897. In the same financial year 3,977 Legal Help matters were started in the clinical negligence category.
Legal Services Commission: Closures
Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of potential effects on his Department of the planned closure of the Legal Services Commission. [71810]
Mr Djanogly: A final impact assessment of the abolition of the Legal Services Commission was published alongside the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill in June 2011, which contains the enabling clauses for abolition. This lays out the best estimates as to the costs and benefits of abolishing the LSC and is available here:
http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/publications/bills-acts/legal-aid-sentencing/ia-abolition-lsc.pdf
14 Sep 2011 : Column 1220W
National Archives
Tristram Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many documents have been identified as missing from the National Archives; and what steps are being taken to recover any such documents. [71350]
Mr Djanogly: As of 8 September 2011, 1,674 documents at the National Archives were identified as missing, which represents around 0.01% of their collection of over 11 million public records. Most of these records have been misfiled and are quickly located and accounted for. The National Archives has an ongoing programme dedicated to locating such documents, so this number fluctuates slightly although the level remains fairly consistent. A small number of incorrectly located documents at any one time is an inevitable consequence of being one of the most open and accessible archives in the world.
The National Archives produces over 600,000 documents for readers annually, with a document ordered on average once every 10 seconds on busy days. Occasionally, records are found not to be in their correct location within the 185 km of shelving, generally as a result of human error. The National Archives proactively monitors all missing documents on a weekly basis and employs a robust 11 stage search process. This includes tracking the document's movements on its ordering system, searching reading rooms and inspecting documents viewed by the same user. Documents in use at the same time, those in the same series, those with similar reference numbers, and documents filed in the same area are also searched. Documents which are not located after an initial search are listed as ‘missing' on The National Archives' online catalogue.
Prison and Probation Services
Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 13 July 2011, Official Report, column 31WS, on prison and probation services (England and Wales), what pilot exercises in regard to rehabilitation he intends to run; and if he will make a statement. [70898]
Mr Blunt: On 13 July the Ministry of Justice published the Government's response to the Green Paper "Breaking the Cycle". In this document we set out our plans to tackle re-offending through payment by results.
A pilot is running at HMP Peterborough and six justice reinvestment pilots are running across Greater Manchester and in five London boroughs. Further to this, in 2011 we will be starting a pilot at HMP Doncaster and are in the process of developing pilots in the community (probation), in public sector prisons, jointly with the DWP Work Programme and will also be creating an opportunity for providers to come to us with innovative proposals. We are also supporting the development and implementation of payment by results approaches for drug and alcohol recovery, led by the Department of Health, which includes offenders. We expect these additional pilots to commence in 2012. Finally, the Youth Justice Board intend to run four pilots over a two year period, targeting reductions in the number of young people being sentenced or remanded to custody.
14 Sep 2011 : Column 1221W
Through piloting payment by results we will learn what works to enable us to develop our future policy.
Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 13 July 2011, Official Report, column 31WS, on prison and probation services (England and Wales), what selection criteria were used by the National Offender Management Service to decide on (a) which prisons to market test and (b) which prisons to close; and if he will make a statement. [70899]
Mr Blunt: To determine the prisons included in the competition announcement that I made on 13 July 2011 the following publicly available data were taken into account:
Prison category
Prison location (region)
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The following internal metrics were also taken into account.
Prison size as defined by operational capacity in March 2010
Direct cost per place as defined by operational capacity in March 2010. Direct costs are taken from 2009-10 outturns, with costs associated with unique services stripped out.
An internal assessment of the suitability for payment by results.
An internal assessment of the suitability for working prisons.
Latest estimates of maintenance necessary to be undertaken in the next ten years.
Internal estimates of potential levels of inefficiency on a prison by prison basis used to estimate the potential savings which could be delivered as a result of competition.
I have placed in Table 1 a summary of all these metrics for the nine prisons competed, except the internal estimates of potential levels of inefficiency and the level of maintenance, because these data are commercial in confidence.
Decisions on the future size of the prison estate will be driven by prison population demand. Prisons will only close when capacity allows. We will always ensure that there are enough places for those offenders sentenced to custody by the courts, including a margin to manage fluctuations in the prison population. Decisions to reduce or make changes to prison capacity will only be taken if they do not put this ability at risk.
14 Sep 2011 : Column 1223W
The decision to close an establishment will be based on the following primary factors:
an economic assessment which identifies prisons that are inefficient to operate or maintain; and
an operational assessment to consider whether the closures of prisons can be managed while continuing to maintain the safe and decent operation of the prison estate and to meet the needs of offenders.
The prison estate as a whole is kept under review and is subject to consideration through the assessment process described above.
Prisoners' Transfers
Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners in C category prison accommodation approved for transfer to D category prison accommodation have been waiting (a) more than three months, (b) more than six months and (c) more than a year to be transferred. [71589]
Mr Blunt: This information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost as it would be necessary to contact every category C prison and request it to consult individual prisoner records.
Probation
Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many probation officers were working for the probation service in England and Wales on 31 March 2011; and what estimate he has made of the equivalent number on 31 March 2012. [71602]
Mr Blunt: The number of probation officers employed in the probation service for England and Wales on 31 March 2011 was 6,794.50 FTE.
It is not possible to forecast probation officer staffing levels at 31 March 2012, as the responsibility for resourcing levels lies with the individual probation trusts. It is for them to take the necessary action at a local level to ensure they can deliver the required service within available resources.
Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many (a) probation officers and (b) probation service officers were employed by the probation service in England and Wales on 31 December (a) 2008, (b) 2009 and (c) 2010. [71603]
Mr Blunt: The following table shows the number of probation officers and probation service officers employed by the probation service in England and Wales on 31 December in 2008, 2009 and 2010, by FTE:
|
|
Probation officer | Probation services officer |
14 Sep 2011 : Column 1224W
Sentencing: EU Nationals
Mr Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many EU nationals resident in the UK were convicted of an offence resulting in a custodial sentence of more than two years in each year since 2004. [71696]
Mr Blunt: The Ministry of Justice Court Proceedings Database holds information on defendants proceeded against, found guilty and sentenced for criminal offences in England and Wales. This database holds information on offences provided by the statutes under which proceedings are brought but not the specific circumstances of each case. It is not possible to identify from this centrally held information a defendant's nationality.
Squatting: Crime
Dr Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans he has to make the occupation of a home by squatters a criminal offence. [71010]
Mr Kenneth Clarke: We are consulting on options for dealing with squatting, including the possibility of criminalisation. The consultation process is due to end on 5 October 2011. The full consultation can be found at:
http://www.justice.gov.uk/consultations/dealing-with-squatters.htm
We will decide which option to pursue after we have considered the consultation responses.
Victim Support Schemes: Witnesses
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department spent on supporting victims of crime and witnesses who were party to proceedings at York (a) magistrates court and (b) Crown court in each year since 1997; and how many victims of crime and witnesses were offered support in each such period. [71499]
Mr Blunt: The main provider of support for victims and witnesses of crime in England and Wales is Victim Support, an independent charity which is principally funded by the Ministry of Justice. Victim Support offers support to victims and witnesses who are party to court proceedings through its Witness Service.
The following table shows the total annual funding allocated by central Government to Victim Support since 1996/97 and the amount of funding provided by Victim Support to its Witness Service in North Yorkshire from 2001-02 to 2010-11. Records of how Victim Support allocated its grant regionally prior to 2001-02 are not available.
|
|
Total Government funding to Victim Support (£ million) | North Yorks: Funding allocated to Crown court Witness Service | North Yorks: Funding allocated to magistrates court Witness Service |
14 Sep 2011 : Column 1225W
| n/a = Not available (1) The Witness Service at York and Selby magistrates courts only. (2) Core grant only. Does not include any additional monies allocated to Victim Support for services for people bereaved by homicide or any potential funding received through the Prisoners' Earnings Act, which comes into force on 26 September 2011. (3 )Not yet known. | |||
The following table shows the number of victims and witnesses supported by the Witness Service at York Crown court and York magistrates court since 2009-10, when Victim Support introduced a centralised case management system. Victim Support does not hold records of the number of victims and witnesses supported by individual courts before this date.
|
|
York Crown court | York magistrates court |
Cabinet Office
Graduates: Unemployment
Gloria De Piero: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent estimate he has made of the number of unemployed graduates in (a) Ashfield constituency, (b) Nottinghamshire and (c) England. [71750]
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 September 2011:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what recent estimate has been made of the number of unemployed graduates in (a) Ashfield Constituency, (b) Nottinghamshire and (c) England. (071750)
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles unemployment statistics for local areas from the Annual Population Survey (APS) following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions.
Whilst the APS does collect data on graduate unemployment, no reliable statistics can be produced for Ashfield constituency or Nottinghamshire due to small sample sizes.
14 Sep 2011 : Column 1226W
The latest APS estimates available are for the period January to December 2010. Based on this survey, the number of unemployed people in England whose highest qualification was degree level or higher was 269,000. .
National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
Voluntary Work: Young People
Penny Mordaunt: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office when the independent evaluation of the first year of National Citizen Service will be completed; and when the outcome of the commissioning process for the second year of the National Citizen Service pilots will be announced. [71521]
Mr Hurd: The findings of the independent evaluation of the 2011 National Citizen Service pilots will be published in February 2012. The outcome of the commissioning process for the second year of National Citizen Service pilots will be announced later in September.
Young People
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what his most recent estimate is of the number of young people under the age of 24 years who are in (a) training, (b) employment and (c) education in (i) York Central constituency, (ii) York Unitary Authority and (iii) England. [71431]
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 September 2011:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what the most recent estimate is of the number of young people under the age of 24 years who are in (a) training, (b) employment and (c) education in (i) York Central constituency, (ii) York Unitary Authority and (Hi) England (71431).
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles employment statistics for all geographic areas smaller than regions from the Annual Population Survey (APS) following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions.
Table 1 shows the number people age 16 to 24 in employment, education (attending or waiting to attend an education course); and training (taken part in job related education or training or a recognized apprenticeship). It should be noted that an individual can be included in more than one of these categories e.g. in employment and in education.
As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty. A guide to the quality of the estimates is given in table 1.
National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
| Table 1: Number of people aged 16 to 24 in employment, education and training (1) , January to December 2010 | |||
| Thousand | |||
|
|
Employment | Education | Training |
14 Sep 2011 : Column 1227W
| n/a = not available (1) It should be noted that an individual can be included in more than one of these categories, e.g. in employment and in education. (2) Coefficients of Variation have been calculated as an indication of the quality of the estimates. See Guide to Quality below. Guide to Quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of an estimate, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV—for example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5% we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220. Key: * 0 = CV<5%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered precise ** 5 = CV <10%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered reasonably precise *** 10 = CV <20%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered acceptable **** CV ? 20%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered too unreliable for practical purposes Source: Annual Population Survey | |||
Deputy Prime Minister
House of Lords Reform
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what recent progress he has made towards reform of the House of Lords; and if he will make a statement. [71575]
Mr Harper: I refer the hon. Member to my reply of 10 June 2011, Official Report, column 488W. Further to that reply, both Houses have agreed the establishment and composition of a Joint Committee to consider the draft House of Lords Reform Bill and White Paper and to report by 29 February 2012. The Joint Committee has issued a call for written evidence. A Government Bill will then be introduced in the next Session.
Health
Abortion: Counselling
Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the terms of reference are of his Department's planned consultation on abortion counselling. [71752]
Anne Milton: Details of the consultation on abortion counselling, including the terms of reference, are currently being developed by the Department.
Ambulance Services: Manpower
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information his Department holds on the number of ambulance staff employed at band (a) six and (b) seven in (i) 2007, (ii) 2009 and (iii) 2011. [71483]
Mr Simon Burns: The information requested is not collected centrally.
14 Sep 2011 : Column 1228W
Ambulance Services: Unemployment
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information his Department holds on the average number of years of unemployment of ambulance staff employed at each band from two to seven. [71484]
Mr Simon Burns: Information on unemployment is not collected by the Department.
CJD: Blood
Mr Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent estimate he has made of (a) the number of people with asymptomatic variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease and (b) the proportion of such people who are blood donors. [71792]
Anne Milton: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Colne Valley (Jason McCartney) on 16 May 2011, Official Report, column 61W.
Mr Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects the variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease disclaimer to be removed from UK blood bags and products. [71798]
Anne Milton: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Brighton, Kemptown (Simon Kirby) on 3 March 2011, Official Report, columns 558-59W.
Dental Health: Children
Anne Marie Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department plans to take to reduce levels of childhood tooth decay; and what recent progress has been made in reducing those levels. [71262]
Mr Simon Burns: We are committed to introducing a new dental contract based on capitation, registration and quality, with the aim of improving oral health, especially that of children. Dental contract pilots, which will test aspects of the new contract, are under way and include significant emphasis on prevention of dental disease. To reinforce the benefits of the contractual changes, we will also be piloting oral health promotion schemes which include measures to link general dental practices more closely with primary schools.
In addition, we have included rates of dental decay among five-year-old children as an outcome measure in “Healthy Lives, Healthy People: proposals for a public health outcomes framework”. Surveys of child dental health show that, between 1973 and 2009, the number of 12-year-old children free of tooth decay increased from 7%, to 66%, of the population in that age group. However, significant inequalities remain which we are resolved to address.
Dental Services: North Yorkshire
Hugh Bayley:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the (a) gross expenditure including dental charges and (b) net expenditure was in respect of NHS
14 Sep 2011 : Column 1229W
general dental services in North Yorkshire and York in each year since 1996-97. [71475]
Mr Simon Burns: Since 2006-07, data on primary dental care expenditure can be derived from primary care trust (PCT) financial records. These data reflect the new contract framework for primary dental care services introduced from 1 April 2006, based on the PCT areas introduced from 1 October 2006. They take account of all relevant service costs for primary dental care services including those provided by dental providers under general dental service (GDS) or personal dental service (PDS) contracts. They are not directly comparable with the available pre-2006 data. Expenditure on primary dental care services in the North Yorkshire and York PCT since 2006-07 is shown in the following table.
| Expenditure on primary dental care services in North Yorkshire and York PCT | |||
| £000 | |||
|
|
Gross expenditure | Dental charges paid by patients | Net expenditure |
| Source: Calculated from details of gross primary dental care expenditure, and income from dental charges, recorded in the notes to the PCT’s accounts. | |||
Prior to April 2006, most primary dental care services were provided under former GDS arrangements. These were demand-led services where the pattern of dental expenditure was largely determined by where dentists chose to practise and how much national health service work they chose to undertake.
The Information Centre for health and social care holds local-level information on the expenditure for NHS primary dental care under the former GDS and PDS arrangements. Expenditure information for the financial years 1997-98 to 2005-06 is available for the following former PCTs: Selby and York; Hambleton and Richmondshire; Craven, Harrogate and Rural District; and Scarborough, Whitby and Ryedale. This information is contained in the document “Expenditure on General Dental Services and Personal Dental Services in North Yorkshire, 1997-98 to 2005-06” which has been placed in the Library.
Government Procurement Card
John Glen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 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 Health Protection Agency using the Government Procurement Card in (i) 2008-09 and (ii) 2009-10. [71394]
Anne Milton: Transparency is an important commitment for the coalition Government and we are committed to providing good quality information, whilst also being mindful of any additional cost burdens. In this instance, the resources needed to review all of these transactions and redact personal and commercially sensitive information would be disproportionate.
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In line with Government policy, the Health Protection Agency (HPA) does already publish information on staff remuneration, organograms, and expenditure of over £25,000 at:
www.data.gov.uk
HPA are currently reviewing the practicality and cost-effectiveness of publishing expenditure over the lower—and currently optional—£500 threshold.
Health Services: EU Nationals
Mrs Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 5 September 2011, Official Report, column 156W, on health services: foreign nationals, what the cost was of reclaiming NHS costs from each other EU state for treatment of its nationals in the UK in the latest period for which figures are available; what average length of time it took each other EU state to process repayment of NHS costs for treatment of its nationals in the UK in the latest period for which figures are available; and how many outstanding claims the UK has against each other EU state for treatment of its nationals in the UK. [71271]
Anne Milton: Historically, payment of claims between member states was slow in this area—the previous European Union regulations did not provide for time limits on payments. New regulations, which came into force in May 2010, introduced an 18-month time limit on payments. A total of 53 claims have been submitted in 2010-11 under the new regulations, and payments have been made to date for 23 of these claims. By country, the time from claim to payment, or average time if more than one payment, is set out in the following table.
| European economic area medical cost UK claims— Claims made in 2010-11 under Regulation (EC) No. 883/2004, time from claim to payment | |
| Country | Months |
Payments have yet to be made for 30 claims. None of these claims currently exceeds the time limit for payment.
In 2010-11, departmental salary costs for staff handling UK claims and income payments totalled around £100,000. In addition, each NHS trust is likely to have an overseas visitors’ manager. A small proportion of their time will be dedicated to collecting the required data required to raise a claim.
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Negligence: Legal Aid Scheme
Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the potential effect on the NHS of the Government's proposal to remove clinical negligence from within the scope of legal aid. [71811]
Mr Simon Burns: The Department believes that the potential effect on the national health service of removing clinical negligence from the scope of legal aid will be cost neutral.
NHS Walk-in Centres: York
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people received treatment at York NHS walk-in centre in each year of its operation. [71472]
Mr Simon Burns: Information is not centrally available in the format requested. Quarterly information on the number of attendances at the York NHS walk-in centre from 2003 onwards, is shown in the following table:
| Quarter ending | First attendances | Follow-up attendances | Total attendances |
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| Notes: 1. Data up to September 2006 were reported by Selby and York Primary Care Trust (PCT). There are data quality concerns regarding the figures reported for this period, but all figures are being provided in line with transparency principles. Up to September 2005, follow-up attendances reported by this organisation incorrectly included planned follow-up attendances, but these cannot be separately identified in the data and hence cannot be removed. For the quarter ending December 2005, the follow-up attendances were incorrectly included in the first attendance figure. For the quarter ending March 2006 onwards, planned follow-up attendances were correctly removed from the reporting. 2. Data from October 2006 to March 2011 (inclusive) were reported by North Yorkshire and York PCT. 3. Data from April 2011 was reported by Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust. Source: Department of Health—Quarterly Monitoring of Accident and Emergency | |||
NHS: Finance
Dr Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what effect the implementation of the Health and Social Care Bill will have on NHS baseline funding. [R] [71384]
Mr Simon Burns: Implementation of the Health and Social Care Bill will not affect the overall level of funding allocated to the national health service, as set in the 2010 spending review. The provisions of the Bill will help the NHS achieve a one-third reduction in administrative spending, saving £1.5 billion each year from 2014-15. This money will be reinvested in improving front-line services and delivering better care for patients.
Further information is given in the revised impact assessment for the Health and Social Care Bill, which is available at:
www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsLegislation/DH_123583
A copy has already been placed in the Library.
Dr Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what changes in the funding allocated to the devolved Administrations he expects to result from implementation of the provisions of the Health and Social Care Bill. [R] [71385]
Mr Simon Burns: Implementation of the Health and Social Care Bill will not affect the funding allocated to the devolved Administrations in the 2010 spending review.
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Organs: Donors
Alok Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many organ donations made by non-UK citizens have been used in operations performed within the NHS in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [71428]
Anne Milton: The information requested is provided in the following table.
| United Kingdom solid organ transplants from deceased non-UK donors (1) to UK residents, 2010-11 | |||
| Country of donation | |||
| Transplant type | Republic of Ireland | Overseas | Total |
| (1) Based on the country of donation. Source: NHS Blood and Transplant | |||
Chronic Pain
Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent estimate he has made of the number of people with chronic pain in (a) England and (b) Gloucestershire; what NHS services and treatment are available to people with chronic pain; and if he will make a statement. [71809]
Paul Burstow: An authoritative estimate of the prevalence of chronic pain in England is not currently available. The 2008 report by the former Chief Medical Officer reported an estimate that 7.8 million people in the United Kingdom suffer moderate to severe pain that has lasted for six months or more. A module has been included in the 2011 Health Survey for England which should in due course provide an estimate of the total number of people with chronic pain for England—though not for individual counties—using the more normal definition of pain lasting for three or more months.
All general practitioners have experience of treating patients with pain, and of referring on for specialist assessment or treatment as needed. Specialist treatments include specialist pain relief, physiotherapy, surgery, osteopathy and chiropraxis, pain self-management programmes and psychological interventions. The aim of treatment is to support patients in living with and managing their pain and there is an important role for voluntary organisations in providing peer group support and patient education.
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Social Services: Training
Nicola Blackwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding his Department provided for the social work bursary in each of the last three years; what proportion of the bursary was awarded in the form of (a) grants and (b) loans in the latest period for which figures are available; and how much funding is to be provided in 2012. [71398]
Paul Burstow: The table sets out expenditure on the social work bursary. All of the funding is granted to students—the social work bursary does not contain provisions for loans. Undergraduate social work students are able to apply to the Students Loan Company for a loan in addition to a bursary.
| Financial year | £ million |
| (1 )The bursary is demand-led—there is no cap on the number of students or on the budget. | |
Budgets for 2012-13 are in the process of being set, as part of the Department of Health's annual budget setting process, and have not yet been confirmed.
York Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what capital expenditure York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust incurred in each year since 1996-97. [71474]
Mr Simon Burns: This is a matter for the chair of York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. We have written to Alan Rose informing him of the hon. Member's enquiry. He will reply shortly and a copy of the letter will be placed in the Library.
York Hospitals NHS Trust
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many finished consultant episodes there were (a) in total and (b) in each specialty at York Teaching Hospital NHS Trust in each year since 1996-97. [71473]
Mr Simon Burns: The number of finished consultant episodes for York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust split by main specialty from 1996-97 to 2009-10 is shown in the following table:
| Main specialty code | Main specialty description | 2009-10 | 2008-09 | 2007-08 | 2006-07 | 2005-06 | 2004-05 | 2003-04 |
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