Entry Clearances: Overseas Students
Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reason private colleges which run courses validated by a university are subject to an additional review under tier 4 arrangements; and if she will make a statement. [70732]
Damian Green [holding answer 8 September 2011]: Under Tier 4 of the points based system (PBS) we have seen that the level of compliance with PBS obligations has been closely aligned to the type of institution, with higher rates of abuse found in the privately funded sector. We are moving to a system of more rigorous inspection to be carried out by the independent bodies that have previously inspected the sectors with the highest levels of compliance.
University validation is limited to particular courses and in many cases does not cover the majority of courses offered by a college, and is therefore insufficient for Tier 4 purposes.
Human Trafficking
Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases were accepted for consideration as victims of trafficking by the National Referral Mechanism but were subsequently not pursued because the person was the victim of abusive practices but was not trafficked in the latest period for which figures are available. [71993]
Damian Green: During the first 24 months of the National Referral Mechanism's operation to 31 March 2011, competent authority decision makers found reasonable grounds for believing trafficking had occurred in 895 cases. This is 67% of the cases referred where there has been a decision made. A further 450 cases (33%) did not meet the reasonable grounds threshold.
15 Sep 2011 : Column 1279W
A competent authority will assess a case according to the definition of trafficking given in the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings. They are not responsible for assessing whether a person is a victim of other abusive practices or crimes.
Criminal allegations may be investigated by the police and wider protection issues are considered by the UK Border Agency.
Offenders
Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 27 July 2011, Official Report, column 908W, on first offenders, how many people given a custodial sentence for a first offence of a non-violent and non-sexual nature were sentenced to a prison term of less than one year in each year since 2005. [71791]
15 Sep 2011 : Column 1280W
Mr Blunt: I have been asked to reply.
The table gives figures for the total number of offenders who were convicted for a first offence of a non-violent or non-sexual nature and given an immediate custodial sentence, from the 12 month period ending March 2006 to the 12 month period ending March 2011. These figures have been taken from the dataset used for the production of Table Q7m and Table Q7n of ‘Criminal Justice Statistics, Quarterly Update to March 2011' which was published on 25 August 2011 and can be found at:
http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/statistics-and-data/criminal-justice/criminal-justice-statistics.htm
The table provides an update of the figures provided in the answer of 27 July 2011, Official Report, column 908W, as well as providing additional figures for offenders receiving custodial sentences of less than 12 months.
| Number of offenders who were convicted and sentenced to immediate custody for a first offence of a non-violent or non-sexual nature in England and Wales, 12 months ending March 2006 to 12 months ending March 2011, indictable offences only (1) | |||||
| First time offenders sentenced for a first offence of a non-violent or non-sexual nature | |||||
| Immediate custody | Immediate custodial sentences of less than 12 months in | ||||
| Sentenced in 12 months ending March | All | Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage |
| (1) Including indictable and trial either ways offences. Not es: The figures have been drawn from the police's administrative IT system, the police national computer, which, as with any large scale recording system, is subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. The figures are provisional and subject to change as more information is recorded by the police. | |||||
Overseas Students: Employment
Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reason overseas students studying at independent colleges are prohibited from undertaking paid work while studying; and if she will make a statement. [70731]
Damian Green [holding answer 8 September 2011]: Under Tier 4 of the points based system (PBS) we have seen that the level of compliance with PBS obligations has been closely aligned to the type of institution, with higher rates of abuse found in the privately funded sector. That is why in July we restricted the right to work to students studying at universities and publicly funded colleges.
It is entirely appropriate to afford greater privileges in areas of the sector with a better track record of both compliance with their sponsor duties and recruitment of international students who are more likely to comply with the terms of their leave.
Overseas Students: Religion
Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions she has had with colleges which provide religious education on changes to the Tier 4 accreditation process. [71189]
Damian Green: The Government's fundamental reforms of student visas will tighten up the system, tackle abuse and ensure we continue to attract the brightest and the best students from across the world. We are moving to a system of more rigorous inspection of those privately funded institutions that sponsor international students, carried out by independent bodies that already inspect the sectors with the highest levels of compliance. There has been a significant amount of correspondence about these changes and a number of discussions at official level with representatives of colleges that provide religious education.
Visas
Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations she has received from professional bodies regarding the changes to Tier 1 and 2 visas. [70456]
Damian Green: We have received no representations from professional bodies regarding the changes to Tier 1 and Tier 2 since the public consultation in 2010, expect for discussions with representatives of the legal profession.
15 Sep 2011 : Column 1281W
Defence
Adam Werritty
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many times he has met Adam Werritty (a) in total and (b) in his Department's main building since May 2010. [71541]
Dr Fox [holding answer 13 September 2011]: I have met Mr Werritty 14 times at the Ministry of Defence Main Building over the last 16 months but not in an official capacity.
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions Adam Werritty has travelled with him on overseas visits since May 2010. [71542]
Dr Fox [holding answer 13 September 2011]: Mr Werritty is not an employee of the Ministry of Defence and has, therefore, not travelled with me on any official overseas visits.
Armed Forces: Housing
Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent estimate he has made of the number of empty service family quarters. [71412]
Mr Robathan: As at 1 September 2011 there were 6,245 void service family accommodation (SFA) properties in the UK, representing 12.72% of housing stock.
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) will always need to maintain a management margin of empty properties in order to ensure that homes are available for entitled families when required. Further properties are held empty to allow major upgrade work to take place, or pending bulk moves of personnel or disposal action. The MOD is committed to reducing the number of void SFA properties to a target management margin of 10% of total stock.
Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on upgrading service personnel accommodation in each month since May 2010. [71413]
Mr Robathan: The service family accommodation (SFA) upgrade programme targets those properties in the greatest need and upgrades them to the highest standard for condition (SfC). Other improvement activities, such as new kitchen and bathroom programmes, may also have the effect of upgrading properties to the highest SfC, however it is not possible to separately identify such expenditure.
The Ministry of Defence upgraded 898 SFA to the highest SfC in financial year 2010-11 and aims to upgrade 800 this financial year subject to funding. The cost of the SFA upgrade programme since May 2010 is shown in the following table:
|
|
£ million |
15 Sep 2011 : Column 1282W
The single living accommodation (SLA) upgrade programme is being delivered through various initiatives across the Department, including private finance initiative projects where SLA improvements are only one element of the work, therefore exact expenditure by month cannot be separately identified without disproportionate cost.
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many homes are provided for service personnel and their families in City of York constituency; and how many have been provided in each year since 1994. [71494]
Mr Robathan: There are currently 147 service family accommodation (SFA) properties within the City of York constituency.
A total of 89 SFA properties in the City of York constituency have been disposed of since 1996. Records prior to this date are no longer available.
|
|
SFA disposals |
Armed Forces: Investigations
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what investigation his Department conducted into an incident on 15 November 2006 in Helmand Province in Afghanistan in which a Royal Marines Commando patrol reportedly fired warning shots at a white Hilux vehicle, resulting in the death of two civilians and two civilians being wounded; when that investigation was conducted, which part of his Department conducted that investigation; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the report of that investigation; [19901]
(2) what investigation his Department conducted into allegations relating to the conduct of Coldstream Guards in Afghanistan in October and November 2007; when the investigation was conducted; which part of his Department conducted this investigation; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the report of the investigation; [20787]
(3) what investigation his Department conducted into an incident on 6 November 2007 in Kabul in which a son of an Afghan general was reportedly killed by a warning shot from an unidentified UK company; when
15 Sep 2011 : Column 1283W
this investigation was conducted; which part of his Department conducted the investigation; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the report of the investigation; [20788]
(4) what investigation his Department conducted into the incident on 25 October 2007 in Kabul, in which a vehicle reportedly failed to stop for an unidentified patrol and a warning shot was reportedly fired by a British soldier; when the investigation was conducted; which part of his Department conducted the investigation; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the report of the investigation; [20789]
(5) what investigation his Department conducted into the incident on 21 October 2007 in Kabul, in which an unidentified British vehicle with a gunner on top reportedly wounded three civilian interpreters; when this investigation was conducted; which part of his Department conducted the investigation; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the report of the investigation; [20790]
(6) what investigation his Department conducted into the incident on 4 October 2007 in Kabul, in which British soldiers reportedly wounded a non-combatant with a warning shot; when the investigation was conducted; which part of his Department conducted the investigation; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the report of the investigation; [20791]
(7) what investigation his Department conducted into the incident on 10 November 2009 in Helmand province in which a patrol of 1 Company Coldstream Guards reportedly killed a driver who failed to stop; when the investigation was conducted; which part of his Department conducted the investigation; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the report of the investigation; [20792]
(8) what investigation his Department conducted into the incident on (1) 30 September 2009 in Helmand province, in which a platoon from B Company, 4th Battalion The Rifles, called in an air strike; when the investigation was conducted; which part of his Department conducted the investigation; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the report of the investigation; [20793]
(9) 28 May 2009 in Helmand province, in which a patrol from A Company, 2nd Battalion The Rifles, reportedly shot at a car; when the investigation was conducted; which part of his Department conducted the investigation; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the report of the investigation; [20794]
(10) 19 May 2009 in Helmand province, in which Gurkhas mentoring a police unit reportedly called in a Harrier air strike after an ambush; when the investigation was conducted; which part of his Department conducted the investigation; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the report of the investigation; [20795]
(11) 22 October 2008 in Helmand province, in which a soldier in a British squad mentoring the Afghan army reportedly killed a motorcyclist; when the investigation was conducted; which part of his Department conducted the investigation; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the report of the investigation; [20796]
(12) what investigation his Department conducted into the incident on 14 October 2008 in Helmand province, in which Y Company 45 Commando Royal Marines reportedly hit a motorcyclist at a roadblock;
15 Sep 2011 : Column 1284W
when the investigation was conducted; which part of his Department conducted the investigation; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the report of the investigation; [20797]
(13) what investigation his Department conducted into the incident on 12 March 2008 in Helmand province, in which ambushed troops reportedly called in gunships after a soldier was wounded; when the investigation was conducted; which part of his Department conducted the investigation; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the report of the investigation; [20798]
(14) what investigation his Department conducted into the incident on 19 November 2008 in Helmand province in which soldiers from J Company, 42 Commando Royal Marines, reportedly fired warning shots at a vehicle approaching a convoy; when the investigation was conducted; which part of his Department conducted the investigation; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the report of the investigation; [20799]
(15) what investigation his Department conducted into the incident on 26 March 2009 in Helmand province in which W Company, 45 Commando Royal Marines, reportedly shot and wounded a motorcyclist observing the patrol; when the investigation was conducted; which part of his Department conducted the investigation; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the report of the investigation; [20800]
(16) what investigation his Department conducted into the incident on 3 January 2009 in Helmand province in which British mentors with the Afghan army allegedly fired a warning rifle shot at a suspicious person; when the investigation was conducted; which part of his Department conducted the investigation; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the report of the investigation; [20801]
(17) what investigation his Department conducted into the incident on 19 January 2009 in Helmand province in which Y Company, 45 Commando Royal Marines, called in a Reaper drone to launch a missile on alleged Taliban; when the investigation was conducted; which part of his Department conducted the investigation; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the report of the investigation; [20802]
(18) what investigation his Department conducted into the incident on 27 January 2009 in Helmand province in which W Company, 45 Commando Royal Marines, reportedly shot at two people watching the patrol; when the investigation was conducted; which part of his Department conducted the investigation; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the report of the investigation; [20803]
(19) what investigation his Department has conducted into the incident on 4 December 2008 in Helmand province in which W Company, 45 Commando Royal Marines, reportedly shot and wounded a man; when the investigation was conducted; which part of his Department conducted the investigation; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the report of the investigation; [20804]
(20) what investigation his Department conducted into the incident on 24 December 2009 in Helmand province in which L Company, 42 Commando Royal Marines, reportedly shot at an approaching vehicle; when the investigation was conducted; which part of his
15 Sep 2011 : Column 1285W
Department conducted the investigation; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the report of the investigation; [20805]
(21) what investigation his Department conducted into the incident on 30 December 2009 in Helmand province in which W Company, 45 Command Royal Marines, reportedly fired a warning shot at a white van; when the investigation was conducted; which part of his Department conducted the investigation; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the report of the investigation; [20806]
(22) what investigation his Department conducted into the incident on 29 November 2008 in Helmand province in which a police patrol mentored by UK troops reportedly shot at a vehicle driven by another Afghan policeman; when the investigation was conducted; which part of his Department conducted the investigation; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the report of the investigation. [20860]
Dr Fox [holding answer 27 October 2010]: We deeply regret all civilian casualties. Protecting the Afghan civilian population is a cornerstone of International Security Assistance Force (ISAF)'s mission, and all British troops undergo comprehensive training on the strict rules of engagement. Where incidents do occur, procedures are in place to ensure they are promptly reported to the chain of command and follow-up actions take place in accordance with ISAF and UK national procedures. This contrasts directly with the attitude of the insurgents, whose indiscriminate use of suicide bombs, roadside explosive devices and human shields cause the majority of civilian deaths and injuries in Afghanistan. We will continue our efforts to prevent insurgents harming civilians and to develop the capacity of Afghan security forces to protect the population.
The records relating to the follow-up actions taken following these incidents are not held centrally by the Department and will take time to identify. I will write to the hon. Member once work has been completed.
Substantive answer from Liam Fox to Paul Flynn:
I undertook to write to you in response to your Parliamentary Questions on 3 November 2010 (Official Report, columns 847W-850W) on Armed Forces Investigations. I am new in a position to do so.
Let me begin by reiterating that protecting Afghan civilians is among our and ISAF's top priorities. There are strict procedures in place to both minimise the risk of casualties occurring and to investigate any incidents that, regrettably, do happen. Where there are incidents in which civilians have been injured or killed, and UK forces are potentially believed to have been involved, the chain of command conducts an investigation to ensure that Rules of Engagement (ROE) have been complied with and Escalation of Force procedures followed. If it is suspected that a criminal act has taken place it will be reported to the Service Police for further investigation.
The information disclosed by Wikileaks about each incident came from the Serious incident Report, which is an initial snapshot of what occurred, often reported in the few moments immediately after an event. Because of their immediacy to the event these reports do not always have all of the-facts and it is .for this reason that sub-sequent, more detailed investigations are conducted to consider all of the relevant information.
I can confirm that we have located the necessary records to confirm that 11 of the incidents you enquired about were fully investigated by the Chain of Command in theatre. All the troops involved complied with UK ROE and followed Escalation of Force procedures correctly. Those incidents were:
15 Sep 2011 : Column 1286W
| Allegation | Date |
A further five incidents were investigated by the Chain of Command but the reports we have located are incomplete:
| Allegation | Date |
We have been unable to confirm whether these reports were not completed properly or simply the wrong version was filed upon return from theatre. However, they had all found that the troops had not breached UK law or ROE.
Allegation 2 (dated 4 October 2007) was, as you know, attributed to an unknown patrol. Despite the extensive searches we have undertaken no further details of this incident have been uncovered.
Allegation 9 (dated 19 November 2008) was investigated by the Chain of Command. A summary of the investigation report was located in a separate document, which found that the troops involved correctly followed Escalation of Force procedures, but it has not been possible to locate the report itself.
For two incidents, Allegation 15 (dated 19 January 2009) and Allegation 20 (dated 30 September 2009), the civilian casualties were caused by other ISAF nations, and, in accordance with policy at the time, were not investigated by the UK. Our policy now states that in such circumstances, where UK troops are .involved even if clearly not directly responsible for a civilian casualty, a UK investigation will take place.
With regard to Allegation 6 (dated 12 March 2008), no investigation took place as there was no indication of civilian casualties. A possible Afghan National Police casualty was initially reported (as published by Wikileaks) but a few moments later he was confirmed as a UK soldier. UK helicopters were called in and engaged the enemy. However, despite The Guardian stating two women and two children were killed, and another child injured, in this incident there is no mention of this in our reports.
None of the incidents were reported to the Service Police for further investigation.
The-Permanent Joint Headquarters has completed a review of the policy regarding these incidents to confirm the reporting process and ensure investigations are properly recorded.
I will not be placing copies of the investigation reports in the Library of the House as their release could prejudice the safety and effectiveness of the Armed Forces.
I hope this response has been helpful.
Ben Parkinson
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will take steps to ensure that Lance Bombardier Ben Parkinson will not be discharged from the Army on medical grounds whilst he is in receipt of medical rehabilitation from his Department. [71620]
15 Sep 2011 : Column 1287W
Mr Robathan: We do not comment on individual cases. However, I can confirm that every case is assessed individually and no one will leave the armed forces until they have reached a point in their recovery where it is right for them to leave, however long that takes.
Commando Brigade
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the Order of Battle is of the Commando Brigade. [71103]
Peter Luff: As at 7 September 2011, 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines consisted of:
Cdo IX Group
40, 42 and 45 Cdo RM
1 Rifles
29 Cdo Reg (Royal Artillery)
24 Cdo (Royal Engineers)
Cdo Logistics Regiment
539 Assault Squadron
Armoured Support Group
Outside the brigade, the Royal Marines include the following units:
Force Protection Group
1 Assault Group
Commando Training Centre
Commando Helicopter Forces
Royal Marines Band
Defence Reform Review
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much he expects to be saved as a result of the implementation of Lord Levene's recommendations in the report, Defence Reform—an independent report into the structure and management of the Ministry of Defence, published in June 2011. [71276]
Dr Fox: As the Defence Reform report explains, its aim was to develop a simpler and more effective model for the management of Defence. While this should enable the Department to make significant reductions in running costs and get greater value for money out of the Defence budget this was not its primary purpose. Work during the implementation phase will determine the projected savings, and any associated costs, from those Defence Reform recommendations that become formal change programmes.
Defence Support Group
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to sell (a) the Defence Support Group, (b) the Marchwood Sea Mounting Centre and (c) his Department's share of the telecommunications spectrum. [70845]
Peter Luff: As the strategic defence and security review made clear, sales of assets such as the Defence Support Group and the Marchwood Sea Mounting Centre and the defence stake in the telecommunications spectrum, should generate in excess of £500 million over the spending review period. Sales are expected to be completed by the end of the current comprehensive spending review period in 2015.
15 Sep 2011 : Column 1288W
Procurement
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what effect the transposition of directive 2009/81/EC into UK law will have on Yellow Book procurement rules regarding sole source procurement. [70849]
Peter Luff: The transposition of Directive 2009/81/EC into UK law will have no effect on the current arrangements used by the Ministry of Defence for pricing work that it has decided to procure on a sole source basis. These arrangements are often referred to as 'Yellow Book' rules. This is because the EU treaties and the directive establishes the legal framework under which a decision is made to procure goods, works and services in the defence and security fields either sole source or through competition. Only when that decision has been made are any specific rules governing the selected type of procurement applied. When a decision, in compliance with that legal framework, has been made to procure sole source, then the existing sole source arrangements will continue to apply to that procurement.
Manpower
Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) Army personnel, (b) Ministry of Defence Police, (c) civil servants working for his Department and (d) civilian staff of his Department were employed at (i) Dreghorn, (ii) Redford and (iii) Craigiehall barracks in the latest period for which figures are available. [71812]
Mr Robathan [holding answer 14 September 2011]: The figures requested are shown in the following table.
|
|
Army | MOD Police | MOD Civilians |
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) Police and MOD civilian figures represent the actual numbers of personnel in post at 31 August 2011.
The Army figures have been taken from the joint personnel administration system and represent the number of Army personnel employed at the locations as at 13 September 2011.
Private Finance Initiative
Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 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. [71223]
Peter Luff
[holding answer 13 September 2011]:The Ministry of Defence (MOD) currently has no private finance initiative (PFI) projects in procurement. It does have a small potential future pipeline of housing and aircrew training service projects which are subject to
15 Sep 2011 : Column 1289W
investment decisions prior to commencing procurement. The MOD remains committed to using PFI only where it is value for money.
Public Expenditure
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to his Department's Business Plan 2011-2015, how much is projected to be saved in (a) Resource DEL, (b) Capital DEL, (c) annually-managed expenditure and (d) in total from the reduction of the number of Tornados in each financial year from 2010-11 to 2014-15. [71275]
Dr Fox: Savings over the next four years are expected to be:
| £ million | ||||
|
|
2011-12 | 2012-13 | 2013-14 | 2014-15 |
No savings were identified in 2010-11
Other Resource DEL includes depreciation and the costs of writing down or writing off the value of capital equipment no longer required. In 2010-11, the portion of this cost attributable to decisions made in the strategic defence security review was treated as annually managed expenditure. Its treatment in 2011-12 and future years has yet to be decided.
Because Resource DEL includes depreciation, which is the capital cost of equipment spread over time, it cannot be added to Capital DEL to give a total figure.
All figures are planning assumptions and are rounded to the nearest £5 million.
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much (a) has been saved and (b) is projected to be saved in each financial year of the spending review period in (i) Resource DEL, (ii) Capital DEL, (c) annually-managed expenditure and (d) in total from sales of his Department's assets. [71277]
Dr Fox: The Department has agreed a target of £162 million of capital receipts over the spending review period from disposing of assets that could be sold as viable businesses. Preparatory work is in the early stages and will include a value for money analysis to identify ongoing costs and potential savings for each of the asset sales. The earliest receipt is likely to be realised during financial year 2013-14.
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much will be saved in (a) Resource DEL, (b) Capital DEL, (c) annually-managed expenditure and (d) in total by April 2013 from the withdrawal of the three variants of the TriStar transport/tanker aircraft from service. [71282]
Dr Fox: The savings to April 2013 are expected to be as follows:
15 Sep 2011 : Column 1290W
| £ million | ||
|
|
2011-12 | 2012-13 |
Other Resource DEL includes depreciation and the costs of writing down or writing off the value of capital equipment no longer required. In 2010-11, the portion of this cost attributable to decisions made in the Strategic Defence and Security Review was treated as Annually Managed Expenditure. Its treatment in 2011-12 and future years has yet to be decided.
Because Resource DEL includes depreciation, which is the capital cost of equipment spread over time, it cannot be added to Capital DEL to give a total figure.
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much will be saved in (a) Resource DEL, (b) Capital DEL, (c) annually-managed expenditure and (d) in total by March 2012 from placing at extended readiness a landing and command ship. [71283]
Dr Fox: Savings over the next four years are expected to be:
| £ million | ||||
|
|
2011-12 | 2012-13 | 2013-14 | 2014-15 |
Other Resource DEL includes depreciation and the costs of writing down or writing off the value of capital equipment no longer required. In 2010-11, the portion of this cost attributable to decisions made in the strategic defence and security review was treated as annually managed expenditure. Its treatment in 2011-12 and future years has yet to be decided.
Because Resource DEL includes deprecation, which is the capital cost of equipment spread over time, it cannot be added to Capital DEL to give a total figure.
All figures are planning assumptions and are rounded to the nearest £5 million.
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how much has been saved in (a) Resource DEL, (b) Capital DEL, (c) annually-managed expenditure and (d) in total from the removal of the Royal Navy component of the Joint Harrier Force from service; [71284]
(2) how much has been saved in (a) Resource DEL, (b) Capital DEL, (c) annually-managed expenditure and (d) in total from the removal of the RAF component of the Joint Harrier Force from service. [71285]
Dr Fox: Savings over the next four years are expected to be:
15 Sep 2011 : Column 1291W
| £ million | ||||
|
|
2011-12 | 2012-13 | 2013-14 | 2014-15 |
The figures represent the total projected savings arising from the retirement of the Joint Harrier Force. We have not calculated the projected savings individually for the Royal Naval and Royal Air Force components as many costs are common and are not directly attributable, to either service.
Other Resource DEL includes depreciation and the costs of writing down or writing off the value of capital equipment no longer required. In 2010-11, the portion of this cost attributable to decisions made in the strategic defence and security review was treated as annually managed expenditure. Its treatment in 2011-12 and future years has yet to be decided.
Because Resource DEL includes depreciation, which is the capital cost of equipment spread over time, it cannot be added to Capital DEL to give a total figure.
All figures are planning assumptions and are rounded to the nearest £5 million.
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much has been saved in (a) Resource DEL, (b) Capital DEL, (c) annually-managed expenditure and (d) in total from the decommissioning of HMS Ark Royal. [71286]
Dr Fox: Savings over the next four years are expected to be:
| £ million | ||||
|
|
2011-12 | 2012-13 | 2013-14 | 2014-15 |
Other Resource DEL includes depreciation and the costs of writing down or writing off the value of capital equipment no longer required. In 2010-11, the portion of this cost attributable to decisions made in the strategic defence and security review was treated as annually managed expenditure. Its treatment in 2011-12 and future years has yet to be decided.
Because Resource DEL includes depreciation, which is the capital cost of equipment spread over time, it cannot be added to capital DEL to give a total figure.
All figures are planning assumptions and are rounded to the nearest £5 million.
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much has been saved in (a) Resource DEL, (b) Capital DEL, (c) annually-managed expenditure and (d) in total from the reduction by four in the number of frigates. [71287]
Dr Fox: Savings over the next four years are expected to be as follows:
15 Sep 2011 : Column 1292W
| £ million | ||||
|
|
2011-12 | 2012-13 | 2013-14- | 2014-15 |
Other Resource DEL includes depreciation and the costs of writing down or writing off the value of capital equipment no longer required. In 2010-11, the portion of this cost attributable to decisions made in the Strategic Defence and Security Review was treated as Annually Managed Expenditure. Its treatment in 2011-12 and future years has yet to be decided.
Because Resource DEL includes deprecation, which is the capital cost of equipment spread over time, it cannot be added to Capital DEL to give a total figure.
All figures are planning assumptions and are rounded to the nearest £5 million.
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much has been saved in (a) Resource DEL, (b) Capital DEL, (c) annually-managed expenditure and (d) in total from the decommissioning of one Bay-class amphibious support ship. [71288]
Dr Fox: Savings over the next four years are expected to be:
| £ million | ||||
|
|
2011-12 | 2012-13 | 2013-14 | 2014-15 |
Other Resource DEL includes depreciation and the costs of writing down or writing off the value of capital equipment no longer required. In 2010-11, the portion of this cost attributable to decisions made in the strategic defence and security review was treated as annually managed expenditure. Its treatment in 2011-12 and future years has yet to be decided.
Because Resource DEL includes deprecation, which is the capital cost of equipment spread over time, it cannot be added to Capital DEL to give a total figure.
All figures are planning assumptions and are rounded to the nearest £5 million.
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to his Department's Business Plan 2011-2015, how much has been saved in (a) Resource DEL, (b) Capital DEL, (c) annually-managed expenditure and (d) in total from not bringing into service the Nimrod MRA4 maritime patrol aircraft. [71289]
Dr Fox: Savings over the next four years are expected to be as follows:
15 Sep 2011 : Column 1293W
| £ million | ||||
|
|
2011-12 | 2012-13 | 2013-14 | 2014-15 |
Other Resource DEL includes depreciation and the costs of writing down or writing off the value of capital equipment no longer required. In 2010-11, the portion of this cost attributable to decisions made in the Strategic Defence and Security Review was treated as Annually Managed Expenditure. Its treatment in 2011-12 and future years has yet to be decided.
Because Resource DEL includes depreciation, which is the capital cost of equipment spread over time, it cannot be added to Capital DEL to give a total figure.
All figures are planning assumptions and are rounded to the nearest £5 million.
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to his Department's Business Plan 2011-2015, what efficiencies over the Comprehensive Spending Review period, including work under the Transforming Defence programme, have been made; how much is projected to be saved in respect of those efficiencies in (a) Resource DEL, (b) Capital DEL, (c) annually managed expenditure and (d) in total in each financial year from 2010-11 to 2014-15. [71300]
Dr Fox [holding answer 12 September 2011]:Savings over the next four years are expected to be:
| £ million | ||||
|
|
2011-12 | 2012-13 | 2013-14 | 2014-15 |
Other Resource DEL includes depreciation and the costs of writing down or writing off the value of capital equipment no longer required. In 2010-11, the portion of this cost attributable to decisions made in the strategic defence and security review was treated as annually managed expenditure. Its treatment in 2011-12 and future years has yet to be decided.
Because Resource DEL includes deprecation, which is the capital cost of equipment spread over time, it cannot be added to Capital DEL to give a total figure.
All figures are planning assumptions and are rounded to the nearest £5 million. They do not include any future efficiency that may result from future planning rounds or the programming of the Transforming Defence programme.
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much is projected to be saved in (a) Resource DEL, (b) Capital DEL, (c) annually managed expenditure and (d) in total from the Ministry of Defence Efficiency Programme in each financial year from 2010-11 to 2014-15. [71301]
15 Sep 2011 : Column 1294W
Dr Fox: [holding answer 12 September 2011]:Savings over the next four years are expected to be:
| £ million | ||||
|
|
2011-12 | 2012-13 | 2013-14 | 2014-15 |
Other Resource DEL includes depreciation and the costs of writing down or writing off the value of capital equipment no longer required. In 2010-11, the portion of this cost attributable to decisions made in the strategic defence and security review was treated as annually managed expenditure. Its treatment in 2011-12 and future years has yet to be decided.
Because Resource DEL includes deprecation, which is the capital cost of equipment spread over time, it cannot be added to Capital DEL to give a total figure.
All figures are planning assumptions and are rounded to the nearest £5 million. They do not include any future efficiency that may result from future planning rounds or the programming of the Transforming Defence programme.
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what non-front line costs his Department incurred in 2010-11 in respect of (a) Resource DEL, (b) Capital DEL and (c) AME. [71608]
Dr Fox [holding answer 13 September 2011]: Non-front line costs are not routinely calculated separately. The Ministry of Defence is committed to saving at least £4.3 billion in activities that have been identified as non-front line over the spending review period. Progress against this target will be reported in the Department's business plan.
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department expects to save through reductions in commodity spend in respect of (a) Resource DEL, (b) Capital DEL and (c) AME in each year of the comprehensive spending review period. [71692]
Dr Fox [holding answer 13 September 2011]:The Ministry of Defence expects to save approximately £80 million over thespending review period as a result of additional reductions in commodityspend. Details of when these savings will be realised are still being developed.
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much (a) has been saved and (b) is projected to be saved in each financial year of the comprehensive spending review period from reductions in spend on media and communications from (i) Resource DEL, (ii) Capital DEL, (iii) AME and (iv) in total. [71609]
Dr Fox [holding answer 13 September 2011]: Savings over the next four years are expected to be as follows:
15 Sep 2011 : Column 1295W
| £ million | ||||
|
|
2011-12 | 2012-13 | 2013-14 | 2014-15 |
These figures do not include savings related to advertising and marketing in support of service recruiting.
Other Resource DEL includes depreciation and the costs of writing down or writing off the value of capital equipment no longer required. In 2010-11, the portion of this cost attributable to decisions made in the strategic defence and security review was treated as annually managed expenditure. Its treatment in 2011-12 and future years has yet to be decided.
Because Resource DEL includes depreciation, which is the capital cost of equipment spread over time, it cannot be added to Capital DEL to give a total figure.
All figures are planning assumptions and are rounded to the nearest £5 million.
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department expects to save through estate rationalisation through (a) sales and (b) reduced operational costs in respect of (i) Resource DEL, (ii) Capital DEL and (iii) AME in each year of the comprehensive spending review period. [71694]
Dr Fox [holding answer 13 September 2011]:As announced as part of the Strategic Defence and Security Review, theMinistry of Defence expects to save up to £350 million per year through therationalisation of the Defence estate and associated running cost savingsincluding a revised approach to the way we manage and deliver infrastructureservices across the estate. Sales of assets should generate in excess of £500million over the comprehensive spending review period.
Detailed plans are being developed and finalised as part of the current and future planning rounds. Further details or a profile are not available at this time.
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what savings to the public purse he expects to achieve from the Submarine Enterprise Performance Programme in respect of (a) Resource DEL, (b) Capital DEL and (c) AME during the comprehensive spending review period. [71768]
Peter Luff: The strategic defence and security review stated that the Submarine Enterprise Performance Programme was expected to deliver savings of at least £900 million over the next 10 years. These savings, which are subject to further work, are expected to start to accrue towards the end of the comprehensive spending review period, and are all expected to be in respect of Capital DEL.
Official Overseas Visits
Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's policy on overseas travel for departmental (a) Ministers and (b) parliamentary private secretaries. [71442]
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Dr Fox [holding answer 12 September 2011]:Official ministerial overseas travel is undertaken only where there is a clear defence requirement. Such travel is undertaken in accordance with the rules of the Ministerial Code, which is available from the following website:
www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/content/ministerial-conduct-and-guidance
Gibraltar
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) whether he plans to deploy more troops to Gibraltar; [70874]
(2) how much his Department spent on the defence of Gibraltar in each of the last 10 years. [70883]
Peter Luff: The strategic defence and security review confirmed our commitment to the defence of Gibraltar and to the continued maintenance of a permanent joint operating base there, and the Ministry of Defence will maintain in Gibraltar the facilities, forces and readiness levels required. This will involve reducing our land and estate holdings, transferring services to the Government of Gibraltar as agreed under the 2007 global agreement, and reducing the number of UK-based armed forces and civilian personnel deployed there.
The costs directly attributable to the provision of a Forward Mounting Base in Gibraltar are shown in the following table for the years 2006-07 to the most recent financial year and have been rounded to the nearest £ million. Figures before 2006-07 are not comparable due to changes in the Department's accounting rules.
|
|
£ million |
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what recent reports he has received of territorial infringements in Gibraltarian waters; and if he will make a statement; [70879]
(2) how many territorial infringements in relation to Gibraltar were recorded by his Department in each of the last 10 years. [70882]
Peter Luff: The Minister for the Armed Forces, my hon. Friend the Member for North Devon (Nick Harvey), last visited British Forces Gibraltar in February this year, and the Secretary of State for Defence, my right hon. Friend the Member for North Somerset (Dr Fox), did so in July. They were both briefed on incursions into British Gibraltar territorial waters, and how these are dealt with by Ministry of Defence and Government of Gibraltar assets, and diplomatically, as appropriate. Records of incursions have only been maintained since May 2009. Many of the incursions that occur are legal crossings constituting “innocent passage” as defined by the UN convention on the law of the sea. The number of serious illegal incursions is as follows:
15 Sep 2011 : Column 1297W
| Reporting period | Serious incursions |
The most recent of these serious incidents occurred on 3 May 2011.
Government Procurement Card
John Glen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 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 Defence Travel using the Government Procurement Card in (i) 2008-09 and (ii) 2009-10. [71218]
Peter Luff [holding answer 13 September 2011]: We do not plan to publish the details requested for each Government Procurement Card (GPC) transaction relating to Defence travel.
However, while we currently release details of expenditure on all GPC transactions over £25,000, as part of the Government's efforts to make the procurement process more transparent, we will shortly publish all GPC transactions for the current financial year of £500 and above. The level of detail will be restricted to protect the safety of some members of staff and some of our suppliers.
We intend to publish the details of transactions of £500 and above for the period April 2011 to June 2011 by the end of September 2011. We will publish data for the period July 2011 to September 2011 in October 2011, with data provided monthly in arrears thereafter.
India: Arms Trade
Mr Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department is taking to increase defence exports to India; and if he will make a statement. [71209]
Mr Gerald Howarth [holding answer 9 September 2011]: We continue to support Defence exports in India through an active Defence diplomacy initiative, working closely with the UK Trade and Investment Defence and Security Organisation. Exports help to build and enhance relations with allies, to support UK defence industry, and to reduce the cost of equipment for Britain's Armed Forces through extended production runs.
Defence Ministers travelling overseas will responsibly promote the best that Britain has to offer. Earlier this year I travelled to India where I had discussions on export opportunities. Defence Ministers have held further discussions on export opportunities such as Typhoon, Hawk and Global Combat Ship during the Defence and Security Equipment International exhibition (DSEi) taking place 13-16 September 2011, at which meetings were held with the Indian delegations.
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Israel: Unmanned Air Vehicles
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has spent on leasing drones from Israel in each of the last five years; what the total operating time of such drones was in each such year; and if he will make a statement. [71580]
Peter Luff [holding answer 13 September 2011]:The Hermes 450 Unmanned Air System (UAS) is operated by the British Army under a service provision contract awarded to Thales UK in 2007. The UAS assets are provided to Thales UK by Elbit Systems, a company based in Israel. Since 2007, Hermes 450 has flown the following number of hours on operations:
|
|
Hours flown |
This activity has been undertaken at a cost of just over £125 million. I am withholding a breakdown of this cost as its disclosure would prejudice commercial interests.
Libya: Armed Conflict
Caroline Dinenage: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of sorties flown by NATO forces in respect of Operation Ellamy were flown by each participating state. [71185]
Peter Luff: From the start of current operations in Libya up till 1 September 2011, NATO coalition aircraft have flown around 8,000 strike sorties of which the UK has flown around 1,500.
The UK does not comment on the operational details of allied nations' operations, which are a matter for the Governments concerned.
Military Aircraft
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with the United States Department of Defense regarding the exchange of one initial operational test and evaluation F-35B aircraft for an initial operational test and evaluation F-35C aircraft. [70847]
Peter Luff: The UK is committed to procuring three F-35B aircraft to conduct joint operational test and evaluation activity with the US armed forces. Since the decision taken, during last year's strategic defence and security review, to change to the carrier variant, the UK has agreed in principle with the US to exchange one of these aircraft for a USMC F-35C aircraft. However, the decision to implement the aircraft exchange remains subject to approval by HM Treasury and the Senate Armed Services Committee.
15 Sep 2011 : Column 1299W
Military Bases: Kirknewton
Mike Crockart: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his policy is on (a) the Military Civil Integration project, (b) the proposed construction of barracks at Kirknewton, West Lothian and (c) regional engagement. [70274]
Peter Luff: Comprehensive planning work is now under way to draw up plans for the timing and sequencing of the Army moves. This work will also decide the infrastructure requirements, including at Kirknewton, needed to complete the re-basing. This detailed planning work will involve the appropriate and necessary engagement with partners such as the Scottish Government, West Lothian council and other Government Departments and agencies, including the appropriate level of consultation which will be required as we work through all options.
While our plans will continue to be driven by the military requirement, we will aim, where possible, to base Army personnel close to a number of units to enable them to change post while providing greater family stability and to be close enough to urban areas to allow their families to have easier access to jobs, schools, housing and other facilities.
This work will be supported by the Military Civil Integration (MCI). The key objectives of this approach are:
To identify and manage the impact of changes to the size, nature and geographical location of armed forces communities.
To provide partner organisations with a clear understanding of the specific needs of the armed forces communities in their area in order to factor these needs into long-term planning, and to enable the appropriate provision of local authority services.
To establish a programme of work that delivers mutual benefit and promotes economic and social integration between the armed forces communities and the wider civilian community.
In pursuing this policy, we will clearly aim to engage closely at both regional and local level in Scotland, where the MCI is conducted through the Firm Base Forum and a Governance Model that has been developed with the Scottish Government and the local authorities.
Navy
Mark Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what process the Royal Navy uses to dispose of surplus (a) spare parts, (b) specialist and general tools and (c) other surplus equipment; [70337]
(2) what the marketing value was of disposed assets belonging to the Royal Navy in the last year for which figures are available. [70339]
Peter Luff: When major assets such as ships and aircraft become surplus to requirements, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) first looks at selling to other governments. This has the potential benefit of strengthening international relationships and generating income that can be reinvested in defence. It also enables other governments to contribute to international security and could also provide UK industry with opportunities to undertake some of the regeneration work. If such a sale is not feasible, then other options are considered, such as sale to private commercial enterprises or even recycling.
15 Sep 2011 : Column 1300W
When the MOD updates its equipment and stock, surplus and obsolete items (including spare parts) are sold through the MOD's own Disposal Services Authority (DSA), largely through a network of marketing agreements for the collection, storage, and specialist marketing and sale of surplus equipments, so as to achieve the best return for the taxpayer. Contractors are selected through open competition in compliance with European Union public procurement regulations.
The DSA marketing contractors will sell through target marketing to potential customers, direct negotiation or by competitive tender or auction including websites for purely commercially viable kit where this route to market will provide the optimum return. DSA are not made aware of the market value of equipment when it is declared as surplus but can set a minimum guaranteed price and a minimum selling price for major and unusual items when they are sold by the marketing contractors.
In the financial year 2010-11, the MOD achieved receipts of around £10 million from the sale of surplus naval equipment, including items such as capital ships, naval spares and scrap, small boats, clothing and vehicles.
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the Order of Battle is of the fleet. [71100]
Peter Luff: As at 7 September 2011, the Order of Battle for the fleet was as follows:
|
|
Number |
| (1) HMS Illustrious is now operating in the Landing Platform Helicopter role, as well as HMS Ocean. | |
15 Sep 2011 : Column 1301W
For the Royal Fleet Auxiliary:
|
|
Number |
RAF Leuchars
Mike Crockart: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the oral statement of 18 July 2011, Official Report, columns 643-45, what assessment he has made of the feasibility of basing at Leuchars the headquarters of the commanding officer of formation; what ceremonial roles that officer will still be required to carry out in Edinburgh; and what estimate he has made of the likely additional annual cost of the rebasing. [71399]
Peter Luff: Comprehensive planning work is now under way to draw up plans for the timing and sequencing of the Army moves.
This detailed planning work will involve, at the appropriate time, the necessary engagement with partners such as the Scottish Government, West Lothian council and other Government Departments and agencies, including the appropriate level of consultation which will be required as we work through all options. It is, therefore, too early to confirm our exact requirements for, or indeed the cost implications of, developing RAF Leuchars as a major Army base.
It is also too early to say what precise roles the commanding officer at Leuchars will undertake.
Sir Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether an operational runway is to be retained at Leuchars following the arrival of Army units and a formation headquarters. [71422]
Peter Luff: No decisions have yet been made regarding whether an operational runway will be retained at Leuchars following the arrival of Army units and a formation headquarters.
Sir Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the monetary value is of contracts awarded to local firms by RAF Leuchars in each of the last 10 years. [71423]
Mr Robathan: The information concerning the contracts awarded to local firms by RAF Leuchars prior to financial year (FY) 2010-11 is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
The monetary value of contracts awarded to local firms by RAF Leuchars in FY 2010-11 was around £152,000.
Sir Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he plans to meet the Residents Action Force Leuchars to discuss the closure of RAF Leuchars. [71630]
15 Sep 2011 : Column 1302W
Peter Luff: The Minister for the Armed Forces, my hon. Friend the Member for North Devon (Nick Harvey), met with representatives of the Residents' Action Force Leuchars earlier this year to discuss issues around the basing review. While the Ministry of Defence fully recognises the need to engage with members of the Leuchars community, it is considered too early in the planning phase process to conduct any meaningful discussions at this stage; the detail and implications of basing two major units and a formation headquarters at Leuchars is still being worked through.
We will be establishing a comprehensive plan for engagement with those likely to be affected by the basing review. We do very much appreciate that the changes we have decided to make are going to have very significant implications for many and it is our firm intent to engage with those affected as we determine how to implement our decisions. This will include the appropriate and necessary engagement with partners such as the Scottish Government, Fife council and other Government Departments and agencies, as well as local communities.
RAF Lossiemouth: European Fighter Aircraft
Sir Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for a new Air Defence training area for the operation of the Typhoon Force from RAF Lossiemouth. [71348]
Peter Luff: There are currently no plans for a new air defence training area for the operation of Typhoon aircraft from RAF Lossiemouth. The Typhoon Force will continue to utilise extant training areas throughout the United Kingdom.
Unmanned Air Vehicles
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects the Watchkeeper unmanned aerial vehicle to be fully operational; and if he will make a statement. [71581]
Peter Luff [holding answer 13 September 2011]: It is planned that Watchkeeper will achieve full operating capability by December 2013.
Warships
Oliver Colvile: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what arrangements his Department has made in respect of the protection of Royal Navy ships from running aground following the withdrawal of emergency towing vessels. [71954]
Peter Luff: In the event of an incident where a Royal Navy vessel requires recovery, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) is able to deploy military and commercial assets to recover that vessel. Royal Navy personnel are trained to deal with a range of scenarios, such as towing other vessels, and if required, the MOD is able to place short notice contracts with industry for towing vessels from anywhere in the UK or indeed the world.
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Education
Academies
Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many people employed by (a) his Department and (b) the Young People's Learning Agency are assigned to work on the Academy Programme; and what the cost to the public purse of the (i) salaries, (ii) national insurance contributions, (iii) pension contributions and (iv) allowances in respect of such staff was in the latest period for which figures are available. [68072]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 5 September 2011]: As at 30 June 2011 there were around 260 people (full time equivalents) in the Department for Education engaged directly in work on policy development and programme delivery related to Academy schools. In addition, there are around 117 staff (full time equivalents) in the Young People's Learning Agency (YPLA) involved in funding and supporting open Academies. There are other staff both in the Department and in the YPLA who make a contribution to policy development and programme delivery related to Academy schools as part of their wider role.
The latest period for which spending figures are available is the first quarter of this financial year, April to June 2011. The cost to the public purse for this period breaks down as follows.
| Breakdown of costs April to June 2011 | ||
| £ | ||
|
|
DFE | YPLA |
| (1) Salaries includes the cost of agency staff. | ||
Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education for what reason local education authorities are responsible for the costs of maintaining the records of schools converting to academies. [68791]
Mr Gibb: When a school converts to academy status most of the responsibility for maintaining records falls to the academy. Local authorities will be responsible for retaining some records in relation to the statutory functions that they retain and which do not transfer to the academy, such as provision relating to SEN statemented pupils and home to school transport arrangements. The funding that UKs receive takes account of retained statutory responsibilities.
Capital Grant Scheme
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) how many local authorities will receive funding from his Department's capital grant to be allocated in the autumn; and if he will make a statement; [70667]
(2) how his Department will determine which local authorities will receive funding from its capital grant scheme; and if he will make a statement; [70668]
15 Sep 2011 : Column 1304W
(3) if he will assess the effects of the timing of the autumn announcement of capital funding for local authorities from his Department for 2012-13 and 2013-14 on local authorities' ability to plan repair and rebuilding work in schools; and if he will make a statement. [70669]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 8 September 2011]: In July 2011 my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced £500 million of extra funding for local authorities which are facing the greatest pressure from a continuing rise in pupil numbers, but have insufficient school places available. Most of this funding comes from efficiency savings from remaining BSF projects—all of which are continuing as planned. This money will be allocated in this financial year to the local authorities with the greatest demographic pressures so they can provide enough places, especially at primary schools, in 2012. Details of those allocations will be provided in the autumn. Although this is 2011-12 money, it will be delivered to local authorities as unringfenced grant, where they have no time-limit on spend.
Local authorities can invest this funding in additional places in all categories of school, considering where the additional places will best benefit the children of their area.
The Secretary of State also announced the establishment of a new, privately-financed, programme of school building which will address between 100 and 300 of the schools in the worst condition. We expect to announce in December 2011 the projects which will be taken forward.
We are currently consulting on the recommendations made in Sebastian James's review of education capital and will make further announcements on local capital allocations when we have considered the responses. We would expect all local authorities to maintain asset management plans, enabling effective targeting and timing of investment in the schools across their estate.
Children: Day Care
Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many (a) childminder services, (b) full day childcare settings and (c) out-of-school childcare settings (i) opened and (ii) closed in England in each year since 2005-06. [70254]
Mr Gibb: This is a matter for Ofsted. The Chief Inspector, Miriam Rosen, has written to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply has been placed in the House Libraries.
Letter from Miriam Rosen, dated 8 September 2011:
Your recent Parliamentary Question has been passed to me, as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, for response.
Ofsted has regulated and inspected childcare providers since September 2001, taking over that function from local authorities. Prior to 1 September 2008 Ofsted registered providers by type of care including full day care and out of school care. The Childcare Act 2006 which came into effect on 1 September 2008 changed the way in which childcare was registered and categorised. From this date Ofsted has held two registers, the Early Years Register for providers caring for children from birth until 31 August after their fifth birthday, and the Childcare Register for older children or where compulsory registration is not required. The Childcare Act also removed the different types of childcare and combined ail types of care on non-domestic premises into one category ‘childcare on non-domestic premises’. This includes full day care settings
15 Sep 2011 : Column 1305W
and out of school care but also has other types of care within it such as sessional pre-schools. The figures below therefore use the new categories from September 2008.
The information you have requested is provided in Tables A and B below. Figures are provided by financial year.
You requested the number of providers who have opened in each year since 2005-06. We have provided the number of those who have registered with us in each of the years since this date. This does not necessarily mean that these have opened for the first time. Some are registrations where providers change their legal entity, for example from an individual to a limited company, but still continue to provide childcare from the same address; or involve providers who are already registered with us on one register and who choose at a later date to register on the other register.
15 Sep 2011 : Column 1306W
For ‘closed’ providers we have given the number of providers who resigned or had their registration with Ofsted cancelled in the year concerned. Some of these providers may have resigned from one register but continue to provide childcare in relation to the other register.
Please note that the same provider may appear in figures for both the full day care
and the out of school day care, up to and including the first part of the year 2008-09, This is because it was possible for the same provider to register to provide both day care types.
A copy of this reply has been sent to Sarah Teather, Minister of State for Children and Families, and will be placed in the library of both Houses.
| Table A: Number of providers registering in each financial year | |||||||
| Provision type (1) | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 1 April to 31 August 2008 | 1 September 2008 (2 ) to 31 March 2009 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 |
| (1) Providers were only categorised as full or out of school day care settings until the start of the Early Years Foundation Stage on 1 September 2008. After this date all providers who would have been categorised as day care were categorised as childcare on non-domestic premises. (2) Introduction of Early Years Foundation Stage. | |||||||
| Table B: Number of providers closing in each financial year | |||||||
| Provision type (1) | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 1 April to 31 August 2008 | 1 September 2008 (2) to 31 March 2009 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 |
| (1) Providers were only categorised as full or out of school day care settings until the start of the Early Years Foundation Stage on 1 September 2008, After this date all providers who would have been categorised as day care were categorised as childcare on non-domestic premises. (2) Introduction of Early Years Foundation Stage. | |||||||
Civil Servants
Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many civil servants his Department employed in each of its three most senior grades (a) on the most recent date for which figures are available and (b) in each of the last five years. [70587]
Tim Loughton: Over the period, headcount information for the whole of the Department and predecessor Department's senior civil service (SCS) is set out in the following table:
| Part (a) | Part (b) | |||||
| Grade band | Department for Education (DfE) | DfE | Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) | DCSF | DCSF | Department for Education and Skills |
| Data at: | 31 July 2011 | 31 March 2011 | 31 March 2010 | 31 March 2009 | 31 March 2008 | 31 March 2007 |
Computer Science
Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment his Department has made of the contribution of the teaching and learning of computer science to the digital, creative and high-technology industries. [71448]
Mr Gibb: We are currently reviewing the national curriculum and the position of ICT, which includes elements of computer science.
In July 2010 the Government commissioned the Livingstone Hope Review of the skills shortages faced by the digital, creative and technological industries. This review made several recommendations including
15 Sep 2011 : Column 1307W
the need for rigorous teaching of computer science in schools and universities, which we are now considering.