Private Finance Initiative
Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 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. [70920]
Mr Gibb
[holding answer 12 September 2011]: When carrying out an appraisal of a project or policy, the Green Book sets out that options should be adjusted for
15 Sep 2011 : Column 1308W
material differences in tax. Differences in tax receipts between PFI and conventionally funded projects are considered as part of HM Treasury's Value for Money model which is run for each PFI project at the appraisal stage. The output of the model is one source of information that is used to inform the overall value for money assessment of the project. For those projects in procurement in March 2011 the percentage by which the public sector comparator is uplifted to reflect the additional tax take that accrues to the Government from the private finance option is given in the table.
These figures are for outline business cases at the pre-market appraisal stage and therefore are not used to assess tax takes from specific PFI providers after contracts have been signed.
Redundancy
Mr Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much (a) his Department and (b) each non-departmental body for which he is responsible has spent on redundancies since May 2010. [66342]
Tim Loughton: Information on approved releases made by the Education Family (the Department and its arm’s length bodies) since May 2010 is set out in the following table:
Departmental Written Questions
Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of written questions tabled to him for answer on a named day did not receive a substantive answer on the day named for answer between (a) 27 May 2010 and 19 July 2011 and (b) 9 March 2011 and 19 July 2011. [71126]
Tim Loughton: The Government have committed to providing the Procedure Committee with information relating to written parliamentary question performance on a sessional basis and will provide full information to the Committee at the end of the Session. Statistics relating to Government Department's performance for the 2009-10 parliamentary Session were previously provided to the committee and are available on the Parliament website.
Between 27 May 2010 and 19 July 2011 the Department received 1,170 named day parliamentary questions, out of which 13% were answered on the specified named day. Between 9 March 2011 and 19 July 2011 the
15 Sep 2011 : Column 1309W
Department received 350 named day parliamentary questions, out of which 27% were answered on the specified named day.
The Department aims to answer named day questions on the date specified by the Member and ordinary questions within five sitting days. Where it is not possible to provide a full answer within the usual deadline, the Department believes it will usually be preferable to provide a full answer a few days late than to provide an incomplete answer.
Education Maintenance Allowance: City of York
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many young people in the City of York received education maintenance allowance in each year since 2004-05. [71467]
Mr Gibb: This is a matter for the Young People's Learning Agency (YPLA) who operate the education maintenance allowance for the Department for Education. Peter Lauener, the YPLA's chief executive, will write to the hon. Member for York Central with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in the House Libraries.
Education: Finance
Mr Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much his Department spent on (a) primary and (b) secondary school education in (i) South Tyneside, (ii) the North East and (iii) nationwide in 2010. [70491]
Mr Gibb: The available information on how much was spent is for 2009-10 and is shown as follows. The information for 2010-11 is currently being collected and will be available in January 2012.
| £ | ||
|
|
Primary | Secondary |
15 Sep 2011 : Column 1310W
| Note: The data are taken from the local authorities section 251 Outturn statement for 2009-10. | ||
Education: Young People
Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the local education authority net revenue expenditure per head of population aged between 14 and 19 was in cash terms for each London borough in (a) 2008-09, (b) 2009-10 and (c) 2010-11. [71682]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 13 September 2011]: The Department does not hold this information.
Family Intervention Programme
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many staff were employed in each Family Intervention Project in each year since the establishment of the projects. [72037]
Tim Loughton: The Department does not collect this information.
GCSE
Mr Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) how many pupils achieved at least five GCSEs grades A* to C in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) nationwide in each year since 1997; [70423]
(2) how many pupils achieved GCSEs grades A* to C including English and Maths in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) nationwide in each year since 1997. [70424]
Mr Gibb: The information for 1997 and 2005 to 2010 is provided in the following table. Figures for 1998 to 2004 could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
| Jarrow Constituency | South Tyneside | North East | England | |||||
|
|
Number of pupils achieving at least 5 GCSE grades A * to C | Number of pupils achieving at least 5 GCSE grades A* to C including English and mathematics | Number of pupils achieving at least 5 GCSE grades A * to C | Number of pupils achieving at least 5 GCSE grades A* to C including English and mathematics | Number of pupils achieving at least 5 GCSE grades A * to C | Number of pupils achieving at least 5 GCSE grades A* to C including English and mathematics | Number of pupils achieving at least 5 GCSE grades A * to C | Number of pupils achieving at least 5 GCSE grades A* to C including English and mathematics |
| Notes: 1. Figures in the table include GCSE and equivalents. 2. Jarrow constituency, South Tyneside and North East figures do not include pupils recently arrived from overseas. 3. Jarrow constituency, South Tyneside and North East figures cover all maintained schools. England figure includes all participating schools. 4. 2005-2010 figures based on pupils at the end of key stage 4 in the academic year. 1997 figures based on pupils aged 15 at the start of the academic year. 5. Figures are derived from final Secondary School Performance Tables data. | ||||||||
GCSE: Home Education
Mr Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps the Government is taking to ensure that home-educated children have access to GCSE examination centres. [71415]
15 Sep 2011 : Column 1311W
Mr Gibb: We recognise that it is not always easy for home-educated children to find suitable exam centres. While it is rightly a matter for an individual school or college as to whether to provide facilities for home-educated children to sit their exams, we encourage them to do so; and we provide training, advice and support to exam officers accordingly. We also welcome the work that awarding bodies do to promote such access.
Government Buying Standards
Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the reasons were for excluding his Department from the adoption of Government Buying Standards. [71787]
Tim Loughton: The Department fully complies with most of the Government Buying Standards, however, we will continue to apply our own nutritional standards to the Buying Standards for Food and Catering Services as they are equal to or better than those in the Government Standard.
Numeracy
Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what steps he plans to take to ensure that children finish education functionally numerate; and if he will make a statement; [70780]
(2) what steps he is taking to raise levels of basic numeracy and personal finance capability in education. [70781]
Mr Gibb: A sound understanding of mathematics enhances pupils' employment prospects and gives them skills that can be used in all aspects of life. Numeracy is the core foundation of mathematics.
Good quality teaching is fundamental to improving engagement and achievement in mathematics. We will strengthen the teaching of mathematics by recruiting more high quality graduates, improving initial teacher training to ensure that all newly qualified teachers have the skills to teach well, improving the skills of existing teachers through good quality continuing professional development for mathematics teachers. We will also support initiatives to increase the number of specialist mathematics and science teachers.
We are currently undertaking a review of the national curriculum in order to develop a curriculum that provides children with the essential knowledge needed when they leave school. Personal finance capability will be considered as part of that review. Young people also learn how to manage personal finance and understand a range financial products and services through the Personal Social Health and Economic (PSHE) education programmes of study at Key Stages 3 and 4.
It is our intention that all young people leave school or college with good English and maths skills, ideally the English and maths GCSE A*-C. In taking forward the recommendations in Alison Wolfs Review of Vocational Education we are investigating how English and maths should be part of an overall study programme for 16 to 18-year-olds who have not yet achieved GCSE A*-C in English and/or maths.
15 Sep 2011 : Column 1312W
Schools: Buildings
Mr Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much his Department spent on school buildings in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in (i) Jarrow constituency, (ii) South Tyneside, (iii) the North East and (iv) nationwide in each year since 1997. [70422]
Mr Gibb: Complete information for capital allocations at constituency level, and by phase of education, is not held centrally. This information is held at local level. Capital allocations held centrally are as follows:
| Capital allocations | |||
| £ million | |||
| Of which: | |||
|
|
England | North East | South Tyneside |
| Notes: 1. Capital allocations include capital grant, supported borrowing, and PFI credits. 2. PFI Credits are counted in the year of financial close, although the revenue support begins once the school asset comes into use. This, and the early use of supported borrowing allocations in Building Schools for the Future projects, accounts for the uneven run of figures in the table. 3. Local authorities in the North East are: Darlington, Durham, Gateshead, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, North Tyneside, Northumberland, Redcar and Cleveland, South Tyneside, Stockton-on-Tees, and Sunderland. | |||
Please see the following breakdown of capital spend year on year from 2001-02 onwards. We do not have figures for earlier years:
| £ million | |||
| Of which: | |||
|
|
Total | North East | South Tyneside |
Schools: City of York
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) how much his Department allocated to the City of York Council for school capital spending in (a) 1996-97 and (b) each year since; [71465]
15 Sep 2011 : Column 1313W
(2) what capital funding was allocated by his Department to schools in the City of York in each year since 2003. [71466]
Mr Gibb: The following table shows allocations of central capital support to York local authority and its schools since 1996-97.
|
|
£ million |
| (1 )Of which £15.4 million of PFI credits. (2) Provisional. | |
Schools: Coventry
Mr Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools will visit Richard Lee primary school in Coventry. [71207]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 9 September 2011]: The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools met the right hon. Member for Coventry North East in July 2011 to discuss the capital needs of Richard Lee primary school. Since then the Secretary of State for Education has announced further support for schools with the greatest need. A new, privately-financed programme of school building (the Priority School Building programme) will address between 100 and 300 of the schools in the worst condition.
Schools: Hampshire
Mr Brine: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the guaranteed level of funding per pupil was for (a) primary, (b) secondary and (c) special schools in Hampshire in the latest period for which figures are available; and what the guaranteed level of funding will be in 2011-12. [70078]
Mr Gibb: The Guaranteed Unit of Funding for Hampshire in 2011-12 is £4,647.63 per pupil. The Department for Education allocates this funding to Hampshire county council and it is for the authority to delegate this funding to the schools in their area through their local funding formula to meet the individual needs and pressures of their schools. It also pays for the free entitlement to early education for three and four-year-olds, and for services retained by the local authority, such as support for High Needs pupils.
15 Sep 2011 : Column 1314W
The level of funding of the pupil premium in 2011-12 is £430 per pupil for those pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, £430 per pupil for looked after children and £200 per pupil for service children. According to the figures recorded on the January 2011 School Census, Hampshire will receive £8.5 million for the pupil premium.
Schools: Newton Abbot
Anne Marie Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the average class size for (a) primary and (b) secondary schools was in Newton Abbot constituency in the latest period for which figures are available. [71265]
Mr Gibb: The requested information is shown in the following table.
| Average class size state-funded primary and secondary schools (1, 2, 3) : Classes as taught (4) | |
|
|
Newton Abbot p arliamentary c onstituency — January 2011 |
| (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) Includes primary academies (3) Includes city technology colleges and secondary academies (including all-through academies). (4) One teacher classes as taught during a single selected period in each school on the day of the census in January. Source: School Census | |
Schools: Swimming
Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to promote swimming in schools. [71628]
Mr Gibb: Swimming is a compulsory part of the National Curriculum for Physical Education in primary schools. The current requirement is that every pupil must be able to swim 25 metres, unaided and in a recognised stroke, and demonstrate an understanding of water safety, by the end of Key Stage 2. The remit for the review of the National Curriculum, which is now under way, makes clear that this requirement will remain.
Sixth Form Colleges
Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many students are entering sixth form in each school and college in London in 2011-12. [71247]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 9 September 2011]:Information on the number of students entering sixth form in 2011/12 is not yet available for either schools or colleges.
Data will be collected through the School Census, and the Individualised Learner Record, on the number of students participating in sixth forms in 2011/12. This will be available from January 2012.
15 Sep 2011 : Column 1315W
Social Workers
Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what proportion of children's social workers employed by each local authority on 1 April in each of the last five financial years were no longer employed by the end of that financial year; [71419]
(2) how many qualified children's social workers were employed by each local authority on 1 April in each of the last five years. [71420]
Tim Loughton: The Department does not currently collect this information from local authorities. Each local authority maintains its own data on the number of social workers and on turnover. Following the recommendation in the Munro review about the need for better data, both nationally and locally, there are plans to publish a new suite of nationally collected performance information by May 2012.
Teachers: City of York
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) how many full-time equivalent (a) teachers, (b) teaching assistants and (c) support staff there were in local authority schools in the City of York in each year since 1996; [71460]
(2) what the average pupil to teacher ratio was in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in York in each year since 1996. [71461]
Mr Gibb: York became a new local authority on 1 April 1997 and therefore the information requested is not available for 1996.
The information requested for full-time equivalent teachers, teaching assistants and support staff in 1997, 2001 to 2009 is published in tables 19, 25 and 26 of the Statistical First Release (SFR) “School Workforce in England (including Local Authority level figures) January 2009 (Revised)” published on 29 September 2009. The SFR is available at the following web link:
http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000874/Tables19to27v2.xls
The equivalent information requested for 1998 to 2000 is published in tables 18, 23 and 24 of the Statistical First Release (SFR) “School Workforce in England (including pupil:teacher ratios and pupil:adult ratios) January 2007 (Revised)” published on 27 September 2007. The SFR is available at the following web link:
http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000743/SFR29_2007_FinalTables18-25.xls
The information requested for full-time equivalent teachers, teaching assistants and support staff in 2010 is published in tables 19, 25 and 26 of the Statistical First Release (SFR) “School Workforce in England (including pupil:teacher ratios and pupil:adult ratios) January 2010” published on 26 May 2010. The SFR is available at the following web link:
http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000927/index.shtml
The following table provides the pupil:teacher ratios in local authority maintained primary and secondary schools in York local authority, in each January, 1997 to 2010 and November 2010.
15 Sep 2011 : Column 1316W
| Pupil:teacher ratios (PTRs) (1) in local authority maintained primary and secondary schools. Years: each January, 1997 to 2010 and November 2010. Coverage: York local authority | ||
| York | ||
|
|
Primary | Secondary |
| (1) The January 2010 PTRs are calculated by dividing the total FTE number of sole registered pupils on roll in schools by the total FTE number of qualified teachers regularly employed in schools. November 2010 figures are calculated using the FTE number of sole and dual registered pupils on roll. Source: School Census | ||
November 2010 data from the new School Workforce Census (SWF) also available in the “Publication's Underlying Data” are available in the first zipped archive from the Statistical First Release “School Workforce in England November 2010 (Provisional)”. The SFR is available at the following web link:
http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000997/index.shtml
November 2010 full-time equivalent (FTE) support staff numbers are not available because the actual hours that support staff worked were not collected and these figures are required to calculate the FTE. The November 2011 SWF will include this information.
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the gross average salary of a full-time teacher in local authority schools in the City of York was in (a) cash and (b) real terms in each year since 1996-97. [71463]
Mr Gibb: The following table provides the gross average salary of full-time regular qualified teachers in service in local authority maintained schools by cash terms and real terms for York local authority, in each March, 1997 to 2009 and November 2010.
| Average salary of full-time regular teachers (1) in service in local authority maintained schools in cash and real terms (2) , years: March 1997 to March 2009 (3) and November 2010; coverage: York local authority | ||
| £ | ||
| York local authority | ||
|
|
Cash terms | Real terms |
15 Sep 2011 : Column 1317W
| (1) Teachers of all grades including school leadership. (2) Real terms figures calculated at 2009-10 prices using 28 June 2011 GDP deflators. These are available from the following HM treasury web link together with further information about the methodology employed: http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/data_gdp_index.htm (3) Provisional. (4) Database of School Records. Excludes academies and city technology colleges. (5) Figures are not sufficiently reliable. (6) Source: School Workforce Census. Includes academies and city technology colleges. Note : Figures are rounded to the nearest £100. | ||
Teachers: Newton Abbot
Anne Marie Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many (a) primary and (b) secondary school teachers were employed in Newton Abbot constituency in the latest period for which figures are available. [71264]
Mr Gibb: There were 280 full-time equivalent regular teachers in local authority maintained primary schools and 330 in secondary schools in Newton Abbot constituency in November 2010. The source of data provision is the November 2010 School Workforce Census and figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.
Further school workforce statistics are available from the Statistical First Release 'School Workforce In England, November 2010' which is available at the following web link:
http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000997/index.shtml
Teachers: Sick Leave
John Stevenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many days there were of sickness absence by teaching staff in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in England on average per employee in (i) 2009 and (ii) 2010. [70585]
Mr Gibb: In the academic year 2009-10 an average of 3.7 days sickness absence was taken by each teacher employed in local authority maintained nursery and primary schools. The equivalent figure for secondary schools was 4.5 days. The overall figure for teachers in all schools was 4.2 days. Teachers included were those employed on a contract of at least 28 days during the period.
15 Sep 2011 : Column 1318W
The information provided is from the School Workforce Census that was collected for the first time in November 2010 and provides absence data in respect of the academic year 2009-10. The information is not available broken down by phase of education for the calendar years 2009 and 2010 or any earlier years.
Further information on teacher sickness absence including the historical comparisons that are available is published in table 18 of School Workforce in England, November 2010 (Provisional) Statistical First Release which is available at the following web link:
http://www.education.gov.uk/researchandstatistics/statistics/statistics-by-topic/a00196713/school-workforce-sfr
Teachers: Training
James Wharton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what algorithm the Training and Development Agency uses to allocate quotas for initial teacher training places to training institutions. [71079]
Mr Gibb: The allocations by the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) are based on the Initial Teacher Training (ITT) targets published by the Department for Education. For 2011/12, the 2010/11 baseline allocations were adjusted in response to the following factors: previous recruitment to ITT courses against targets over the past three years; the proportion of trainee teachers who have found employment as a teacher; and the ITT provider's Ofsted inspection reports and ratings.
Full details of the TDA's methodology will be published on the agency's website this month along with the finalised allocations for 2011/12.
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 11 May 2011, Official Report, column 1281-3W, on higher education: teachers, how many and what proportion of the mainstream initial teacher training places allocated to higher education institutions were (a) postgraduate courses and (b) undergraduate courses (i) at each higher education institution and (ii) in total in academic year (A) 2009-10, (B) 2010-11 and (C) 2011-12. [71444]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 12 September 2011 ]:The totals for all higher education institutions in England are shown in the following table:
| Allocated postgraduate and undergraduate i nitial teacher training places— Academic years: 2009/10, 2010/11, 2011/12: Coverage: England | |||
|
|
AY 2009/10 | AY 2010/11 | AY 2011/12 |
| Notes: 1. Correct as at 8 September 2011 (2011/12 allocations are subject to further change). 2. Allocated places exclude continuer places for multiple year courses. 3. Excludes postgraduate places allocated to school-centred initial teacher training providers, employment-based programmes and teach first places. 4. 2011/12 figures now reflect revisions as providers seek to align allocated numbers with recruitment activity. 2010/11 figures incorporate minor revisions. Source: TDA | |||
15 Sep 2011 : Column 1319W
A table showing the number of places allocated to each higher education institution by the Training and Development Agency for Schools in academic years 2009/10, 2010/11 and 2011/12 has been placed in the House Libraries.
Training and Development Agency: City of York
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much mainstream grant funding was allocated by the Training and Development Agency for Schools to (a) the University of York and (b) York St John University in (i) 1996-97 and (ii) the latest year for which figures are available. [71464]
Mr Gibb: The Training and Development Agency for Schools allocated mainstream grant funding as follows to:
(a) The University of York: (i) £453,332 in 1996-97 and (ii) £708,830 in 2011/12; and
(b) York St John University: (i) £2,120,686 in 1996-97 and (ii) £3,386,370 in 2011/12.
University Technical Colleges
Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the decision-making process is for the assessment of university technical college bids. [71446]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 12 September 2011]:Applications to establish a university technical college from September 2012 which were received by the application deadline of 1 June 2011 are being assessed by the Department against the published assessment criteria. These criteria relate to the educational vision and identity of the university technical college, the soundness of the educational plan, evidence of demand, organisational capability and capacity, the suitability of the proposed premises, and cost and financial viability. As part of the assessment process, a number of applicants were interviewed during August, and the decision on which UTC applications are approved to move to the next stage of development will be made around the end of September.
University Technical Colleges
Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he plans to announce his decision on the university technical college bids. [71447]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 12 September 2011]: The Department is still in the process of assessing the applications it has received to establish university technical colleges. An announcement will be made around the end of September about those that are approved to move to the next stage of development.
Written Questions: Government Responses
Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he plans to reply to questions 68227, on care placements, and 68230, on special guardianship, tabled by the hon. Member for Chesterfield on 18 July 2011 for answer on 5 September. [71417]
Tim Loughton: The relevant information is as follows:
PQ 68227 was answered on 12 September 2011, Official Report, column 984W.
15 Sep 2011 : Column 1320W
PQ 68230 was answered on 8 September 2011, Official Report, column 780W.
Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he plans to respond to questions 68881, on looked after children, and 68882, on adoption, tabled by the hon. Member for Chesterfield on 20 July 2011 for answer on 6 September. [71418]
Tim Loughton: The relevant information is as follows:
PQ 68881 was answered on 9 September 2011, Official Report, column 900W.
PQ 68882 was answered on 9 September 2011, Official Report, column 881W.
International Development
Ethiopia: Resettlement
Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what information his Department holds on the Government of Ethiopia's villagization policy. [70683]
Mr O'Brien: In February 2011, officials from DFID Ethiopia participated in a multi-agency assessment of villagisation (now officially known as the Commune programme) in the Gambella region of Ethiopia. The findings were captured in a report, which was shared with the Government of Ethiopia.
The Department for International Development (DFID) holds a draft copy of the Government of Ethiopia's Commune Development Programme Plan for the Developing Regional States. This was received upon its release in March 2011. A final version of the plan has not been released.
Food Supply
Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether he has had recent discussions with the Committee on World Food Security on the implementation of the recommendations of the report, The Future of Food and Farming. [71713]
Mr O'Brien: The Department for International Development (DFID) in partnership with the foresight team will be hosting a side event at 37th Session of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) in Rome on Wednesday, 19 October. The side event will focus on the implementation of the report, The Future of Food and Farming', with recommendations submitted to the CFS for consideration.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Armed Conflict
Mr Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of stocks of chemical weapons held in Libya before the start of the recent uprising against Colonel Gaddafi. [70636]
15 Sep 2011 : Column 1321W
Alistair Burt: Libya abandoned its weapons of mass destruction programme in 2003 and destroyed all its declared chemical weapons munitions (unfilled) by 1 March 2004. By the end of February 2011, Libya had also destroyed 54% of its chemical agent stocks and 39% of its precursor stocks.
We have regularly raised with the National Transitional Council the importance of ensuring that the site where the stocks are located remains secured and of resuming destruction. We are also in close touch with the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, which has responsibility for international verification of compliance with the Chemical Weapons Convention.
Bahrain: Health Professions
Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the recent trials of medical staff in Bahrain; and if he will make a statement. [71989]
Alistair Burt: I was pleased to hear on 7 September about the release on bail of the medical staff that were still being detained. I understand the final hearing will be on 29 September and hope that due process is being followed fully and transparently.
The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), has stressed the need for Bahrain to meet all its human rights obligations and our Ambassador in Bahrain raised the specific case of the medical personnel with the Bahraini Minister of Justice in May. Staff from our embassy in Bahrain, along with other international colleagues, have attended the key trials.
Burma: Human Rights
Meg Munn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had on the establishment of a human rights commission in Burma; and if he will make a statement. [71564]
Alistair Burt: In advance of the UN Human Rights Council's Universal Periodic Review of human rights in Burma in January, the UK asked the Burmese Government to explain whether the proposed National Human Rights Commission would operate with genuine independence and whether international monitors would be permitted to assess its operation, Burma's report to the Human Rights Council stated that an organisation will “emerge eventually” in accord with Paris Principles.
The Burmese authorities announced the establishment of a National Human Rights Commission on 5 September. Our embassy is seeking to meet with members of the Commission at the earliest opportunity. We are clear that any such organisation should be independent and operate firmly in line with Paris Principles.
Burma: Political Prisoners
Meg Munn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with ASEAN on political prisoners in Burma. [71563]
15 Sep 2011 : Column 1322W
Alistair Burt: The release of all political prisoners in Burma remains a long-standing expectation of the international community. Aung San Suu Kyi's meeting with the Burmese president on 19 August, and the proposal raised in Burma's Parliament on 26 August for a general amnesty, are encouraging developments. However, the international community is watching closely for tangible outcomes, including the release of all political prisoners.
We raise the need for to release political prisoners at every opportunity with the Burmese Government. It is an issue that we discuss in our systematic engagement with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) governments on how to promote genuine progress in Burma. Over recent weeks we have discussed Burma with the governments of the Philippines, Indonesia and Singapore as well as the ASEAN secretariat. We are working to secure the strongest possible resolution on Burma at the forthcoming UN General Assembly, reflecting our concerns, including the plight of political prisoners.
China
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of (a) the influence of the People's Republic of China in the Indian Ocean and (b) the effect of such influence on British interests. [72065]
Alistair Burt: Our assessment is that China is developing its economic and political relations with countries surrounding the Indian ocean, including through investments and infrastructure projects. The 2010 White Paper on ‘China's National Defence’ stated that the Chinese Navy had been developing its capabilities to conduct operations in distant waters.
It is important for UK interests that China uses its growing economic, political and military weight in a responsible manner, in line with international norms and global interests. For example, we welcome China's constructive support for multilateral anti-piracy efforts in the Gulf of Aden. We continue to step up our engagement with China through political, diplomatic and military channels on the full range of foreign and security policy issues. We expect, for example, to hold an official-level dialogue with China on South Asia issues soon.
Croatia: EU Enlargement
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what timetable he has set for the ratification by Parliament of Croatia's accession to the EU. [71734]
Mr Lidington: The ECOFIN Council of 12 July 2011 formally closed Croatia's EU accession negotiations. Negotiations on the drafting of the Accession treaty are expected to be concluded in time for signature before the end of 2011. The anticipated date of Croatia's accession is 1 July 2013, on which day the treaty shall enter into force providing that all 27 member states' and Croatia's instruments of ratification have been deposited before that date. .
The provisions of the EU Act 2011 will apply to the UK's domestic ratification procedures. This Act requires that the UK cannot ratify the treaty unless a statement
15 Sep 2011 : Column 1323W
has been made in accordance with Section 5 of the Act, the treaty has been approved by an Act of Parliament and the referendum condition or exemption condition is met. The required statement under Section 5 of the Act as to whether the treaty falls within Section 4 must be made within two months of the date when the Accession Treaty is agreed. We therefore expect it to be made within two months of signature of the Accession treaty, expected in December 2011. The Government will introduce a Bill to ratify the Accession treaty when parliamentary time allows.
Libya: Human Rights
David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to ensure that the human rights of ethnic minorities in Libya are protected during the period of transition to the new government. [71258]
Alistair Burt: The UK continues to raise with the National Transitional Council (NTC) the importance of protecting the rights of ethnic minorities in Libya, especially the Tuareg, Amazigh and Tebu. The UK missions in Tripoli and Benghazi have met representatives of minority communities on the NTC. The NTC has made clear its commitment to international humanitarian and human rights law. Article 6 of the NTC's Draft Constitutional Declaration states that 'all Libyans are equal before the law, enjoy equal civil and political rights and equal opportunities, have equal duties and public responsibilities, and are not discriminated against because of religion, faith, language, wealth, gender, ancestry, political views, social status or tribal, group or family affiliation'. Article 8 of the same document sets out that the Libyan state will guarantee equal opportunities to all citizens, including the provision of adequate living standards and right to work, education, healthcare and social security for every citizen. We welcome this emphasis and the NTC's commitment, and we will continue to raise the issue of minority rights. We will also explore the scope for provision of international support and expertise to the NTC in this area.
Iraq: Armed Conflict
Mr Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Turkish and Iranian governments on military action in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. [71814]
Alistair Burt [holding answer 14 September 2011]: It is for the Government of Iraq to decide whether to make representations to the Governments of Turkey and Iran over military actions against the PKK (Kurdistan Workers' Party) and PJAK (Free Life Party of Kurdistan) within Iraq's borders. We have consistently called for co-operation with the Governments of Iraq and the Kurdistan Region over the threat in the border areas, and have expressed our concern about indiscriminate Iranian shelling.
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Occupied Territories: Housing
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Government of Israel over (a) the expansion of illegal settlements on the west bank, (b) the demolition of Palestinian homes on the west bank and (c) the demolition of Palestinian homes in east Jerusalem; and if he will make a statement. [72062]
Alistair Burt: Our policy on settlements is clear. They are illegal under international law. We look to the Government of Israel to take all necessary steps to prevent settlement construction.
Most recently, the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, the hon. Member for North West Norfolk (Mr Bellingham), issued the following statement on UK policy on settlements on 16 August:
“I condemn the decision of the Israeli Government to build 277 housing units in the illegal West Bank settlement of Ariel, 16 kilometres inside the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Israel has again ignored the calls of the international community to refrain from actions which make a return to negotiations more difficult. These repeated actions, illegal under international law, undermine confidence and threaten a two state solution.”
The focus between the Israelis and the Palestinians should be on confidence-building steps with the aim of giving momentum to restarting negotiations. In this respect, house demolitions or the eviction of Palestinians from their homes are deeply unhelpful and cause unnecessary suffering to ordinary Palestinians. We are aware that there has been an increase in demolitions in recent months, we continue to monitor the situation closely and issue statements when necessary.
UK Membership of EU
Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent estimate he has made of the total annual cost of the UK's membership of the EU. [70998]
Justine Greening: I have been asked to reply.
The latest forecast of the UK's contributions to the EU budget is set out in Table 2.16 of the Office for Budget Responsibility's Economic and Fiscal Outlook of March 2011. This forecast will be updated in the autumn.
UN World Conference Against Racism
Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Government's planned approach is regarding the UN World Conference Against Racism in September 2011. [70312]
Mr Jeremy Browne: I will reply to the hon. Member shortly.
Substantive answer from Alistair Burt to Stephen Twigg:
The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), has today informed the House by written ministerial statement that the Government will not attend the high-level meeting to commemorate the
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10th anniversary of the 2001 World Conference Against Racism on 22 September at the United Nations in New York.
Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on the UN World Conference Against Racism in September 2011. [70313]
Alistair Burt [holding answer 8 September 2011]: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), has today informed the House by written ministerial statement that the Government will not attend the high-level meeting to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the 2001 World Conference Against Racism on 22 September at the United Nations in New York.
The Secretary of State has not spoken with his EU counterparts about the September meeting. Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials held regular discussions with their EU colleagues about the meeting and kept the Secretary of State fully updated on developments.
Transport
Lane Rental
14. Bob Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the likely effects on congestion of the implementation of lane rental proposals. [71842]
15. Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the likely effects on congestion of the implementation of lane rental proposals. [71843]
Norman Baker: Street works are a significant cause of delay and disruption, contributing to congestion that is estimated to cost over £4 billion a year. A consultation is under way on regulations to enable a small number of targeted pilot schemes to be brought forward, which would inform future assessments of whether lane rental could usefully play a wider role in managing congestion.
Rail Travel
16. Sheryll Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of recent trends in levels of rail travel. [71844]
Mrs Villiers: Annual statistics for the year ending March 2011 published by the Office of Rail Regulation show that passenger travel rose during the year to reach an overall, all time high of 33.6 billion passenger miles. The number of rail journeys has been rising steadily each year since privatisation with only one slight drop in the total during 2009. Since then the upward trend has resumed to reach a total of 1.4 billion journeys undertaken. Long-distance rail travel has nearly doubled since privatisation.
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Inland Waterways: Freight
17. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to increase the proportion of freight carried on inland waterways. [71845]
Mike Penning: We continue to support the shift of freight from road to inland waterways, primarily through the Department's Mode Shift Revenue Support scheme. This assists companies with the operating costs of transporting freight by inland waterway, where this is more expensive than road and where there are environmental benefits (eg: lower carbon emissions).
Smart Ticketing
18. Simon Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had with transport operators on the expansion of smart ticketing technologies. [71846]
Norman Baker: My officials and I meet regularly with transport operators to discuss the roll-out of smart ticketing technologies.
The Government are strongly committed to rolling out smart and integrated ticketing as there are huge potential benefits for passengers, local authorities and operators. That is why we have committed to delivering, with operators and public sector bodies, the infrastructure to enable most public transport journeys to be undertaken using smart ticketing by December 2014.
Bus Services: Young People
19. Mr Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effects of bus service reductions on young people; and if he will make a statement. [71847]
Norman Baker: I am aware that, as a result of local decisions, in some areas of the country bus services are being reduced.
Changes to services are a matter for bus operators and local transport authorities. While I am monitoring the overall impact, the Government do not and cannot make an assessment of every individual change.
I would encourage all local authorities to ensure young people's ability to access education and leisure activities is not compromised. Local education authorities have statutory duties regarding travel to school—students must not be prevented from attending education because there is no bus service or the fare is unaffordable.
Driving: Sleep Apnoea
Joseph Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will meet Ms Carol Upcraft to discuss her campaign to raise awareness about the contribution of sleep apnoea to road accidents. [70328]
Mike Penning: The Department is committed to raising awareness of obstructive sleep apnoea and driving. I would be happy to meet with the hon. Member and his constituent, Ms Carol Upcraft, to discuss her campaign.
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Joseph Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate his Department has made of the number of road accidents where sleep apnoea was attributed as a cause in the last three years. [70379]
Mike Penning: Information on the number of injuries resulting from reported road accidents caused by drivers with specific medical conditions is not collected.
The number of injury road accidents in Great Britain for which a police officer attended the scene and recorded the contributory factor 'Fatigue' was 1,812 in 2008, 1,806 in 2009 and 1,766 in 2010.
The contributory factor ‘Fatigue' is recorded in accidents in which the police officer's opinion at the time of reporting was that the driver/rider was unable to drive effectively or perceive hazards due to being too tired. This may or may not be due to a specific medical condition.
High Speed Trains: Scotland
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make an assessment of the potential (a) economic and (b) environmental benefits of including Scotland in the national high speed rail network. [71834]
Mr Philip Hammond: Our vision is for a truly national high speed rail network. The proposals on which we are currently consulting include through-running services to Scotland, delivering significant journey time savings.
If the Government makes the decision to progress the HS2 project, it will be delivered in phases. Phase 1, London to the West Midlands, phase 2 to Manchester and Leeds. I have indicated to the Scottish Government that once we have completed the legislative process for phase 2 it will be appropriate for us to engage with the Scottish Government on options future development of the network to Scotland.
Large Goods Vehicles: Sleep Apnoea
Joseph Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department is taking to raise awareness within the road haulage industry of the risks associated with undiagnosed sleep apnoea. [70327]
Mike Penning: The Department is committed to identifying opportunities to raise awareness of obstructive sleep apnoea. A number of initiatives are ongoing with commercial drivers including questioning them directly about it as part of their compulsory medicals for driver licensing purposes and sending our ‘Tiredness Can Kill’ leaflet to raise awareness of the condition with them and their employers.
Network Rail: Finance
Mr Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will discuss with Network Rail (a) the introduction of a fair payments policy and (b) the reduction of its current 60-day payment terms. [72025]
Mrs Villiers: This is an operational matter for Network Rail and not something in which the Government have the power to intervene.
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Railways: Manufacturing Industries
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessments his Department has made of the risks to the train building supply chain in the UK since January 2011; and what support his Department (a) has and (b) plans to provide to small and medium-sized enterprises in the train building industry in the East Midlands. [71163]
Mr Prisk: I have been asked to reply.
No such assessments have been carried out. However on 5 July the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, my right hon. Friend the Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), created an Economic Response Task Force to fully understand and mitigate the economic impact of job losses at Bombardier, its supply chain and the local communities.
The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Secretary of State for Transport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), have asked their officials to work together with the sector and key delivery partners, such as UK Trade and Investment, to support the train manufacturing sector and the wider rail supply chain in securing more sustainable UK jobs through clearly identified business opportunities such as the Intercity Express programme, Crossrail and High Speed 2.
Additionally the Department's Solution's for Business offers a range of publically funded products and services designed to help businesses to overcome key challenges and—through UK Trade and Investment—explore export opportunities.
Road Traffic
Kwasi Kwarteng: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent assessment he has made of the economic costs of congestion on the road network. [71799]
Mike Penning: The 2006 Eddington Study estimated that, using the Department for Transport's National Transport Model, the direct costs of congestion to business could rise by £10 billion to £12 billion from 2003 to 2025 (in 2002 prices). Adding in the value of the lost time experienced by other travellers raises this figure to £23 billion to £24 billion per annum. This report is available at:
http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/+/http://www.dft.gov.uk/about/strategy/transportstrategy/eddingtonstudy/researchannexes/
The following table provides estimates of the cost of congestion to business and other travellers in lost time in 2003 (in 2002 prices) in each English region.
| Estimated cost of congestion by English region, 2003, at 2002 prices | |
| Region | £ billion |
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These figures are based on the difference between the actual time taken to make a journey and the time that would be taken under theoretical ‘free-flow' conditions. They do not necessarily represent the net benefit that would result from removing congestion.
Mr Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport by how much his Department expects traffic numbers on the major road network to change between 2011 and (a) 2020, (b) 2030 and (c) 2040. [71975]
Mike Penning: The latest estimate of outturn traffic on all major roads for Great Britain in 2010 is 197.4 billion vehicle miles:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/statistics/tables/tra0102
The latest published forecasts from the Department for Transport's National Transport Model (NTM) can be found at:
http://www2.dft.gov.uk/pgr/economics/ntm/forecasts2009/index.html
Current forecasts from the NTM show traffic on all major roads in Great Britain increasing by 24% in the period 2010-25 and by 40% in the period 2010-35.
Roads: Accidents
Joseph Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information his Department holds on the causes of road accidents. [70326]
Mike Penning: It is not possible to identify the cause of reported personal injury road accidents from data collected through STATS19. However, Department for Transport collects statistics on contributory factors to accidents reported by the attending police officer.
Information on reported contributory factors to road accidents, for Great Britain in 2009, can be found in Table 4a of Article 4 (‘Contributory factors to reported road accidents’) in our annual report, ‘Reported Road Casualties Great Britain: 2009’. A copy has been placed in the Libraries of the House, and it can also be found using the following link:
http://www2.dft.gov.uk/pgr/statistics/datatablespublications/accidents/casualtiesgbar/rrcgb2009.html
The contributory factor article for reported accidents in Great Britain in 2010 will be published at the end of September 2011.
Please note that contributory factors are reported only for injury road accidents where a police officer attended the scene and reported at least one contributory factor. These factors are largely subjective, reflecting the attending officer's opinion at the time of reporting. It is recognised that subsequent inquires could lead to the reporting officer changing his/her opinion.
It is important to note that it may be difficult for a police officer, attending the scene after an accident has occurred, to identify certain factors that may have contributed to a cause of an accident.
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Thameslink: Rolling Stock
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish the financial model used to assess bids for the Thameslink Rolling Stock Project. [65191]
Mrs Villiers [holding answer 11 July 2011]: An unpopulated blank template of the financial model has been published on the DFT website.
Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what regulations govern the (a) Intercity Express Programme and (b) Thameslink Rolling Stock procurements. [71816]
Mrs Villiers: The Utilities Contracts Regulations 2006 govern both the Intercity Express Programme and Thameslink rolling stock procurements.
Cabinet Office
Sky TV
Luciana Berger: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much his Department has spent on subscriptions to Sky TV since May 2010. [67556]
Mr Maude: The Cabinet Office has spent £6,887 on subscriptions to Sky TV since May 2010.
The Emergency Planning College (EPC) in York has separate arrangements in place and pays for a commercial contract.
Additionally, the National School of Government's residential training site at Sunningdale Park, Ascot is operated by De Vere Venues under the terms of a PFI contract which includes televisions. The National School pays inclusive delegate rates for its use of the facilities and thus is unable to identify any charges in respect of the provision of these televisions.
Procurement
Joan Walley: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what guidance his Department provides to local authorities on the effect of procurement policy in relation to small and medium-sized enterprises on the creation of local jobs. [72108]
Mr Maude: Local authorities are responsible for their own procurement policies and decisions, but many choose to follow central Government policies and practices, which are published on the Cabinet Office website and disseminated to local authorities via procurement policy notes. Baroness Eaton, Chair of the Local Government Group, has signalled local government support for the measures the Government announced on 11 February to make it easier for SMEs to compete for public sector contracts.
Where SMEs are successful in bidding for contracts, they are often local companies providing local employment.
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Employment: Birmingham
Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate he has made of the number of lower skilled jobs at Levels One and Two available in Birmingham, Ladywood on 1 September in each year from 2006 to 2011. [71919]
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 estimate he has made of the number of lower skilled jobs at Levels One and Two available in Birmingham, Ladywood on 1 September in each year from 2006 to 2011. [071919]
Estimates of vacancies for the UK as a whole are obtained from the ONS Vacancy Survey, which is the most complete source of vacancy information. Local area estimates are obtained from vacancies notified to Jobcentre Plus, but Jobcentre Plus vacancies account for around half of the total number of vacancies as reported by the Vacancy Survey.
Table 1 shows the number of live unfilled Jobcentre Plus vacancies for Birmingham, Ladywood for skill levels 1 and 2. Data have been provided for the August period for 2006 to 2011 as the latest data available is for the period August 2011.
National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available are the NOMIS website at:
http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
| Table 1: The number of skill levels (1 ) 1 and 2 job vacancies in Birmingham, Ladywood parliamentary constituency | |||
| As at August each year | Skill level 1 | Skill level 2 | Total skill levels 1 and 2 |
| (1) Skills levels are defined based on Standard Occupation Classification (SOC) 2000. Source: Jobcentre Plus administrative system | |||
Ex-servicemen
Mr Llwyd: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether he has any plans to appoint a Minister within his Department with responsibility for the welfare of current and former military personnel. [71999]
Mr Maude: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Prime Minister on 15 July 2010, Official R eport, column 864W.
Government Procurement Card
John Glen: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the (a) transaction date, (b) transaction amount and (c) supplier was of each transaction undertaken by the Central Office of Information using the Government Procurement Card in (i) 2008-09 and (ii) 2009-10; and which of these transactions attracted level three or enhanced transaction entry. [70833]
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Mr Maude: I have asked the chief executive of the Central Office of Information to write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Emma Lochhead , dated 7 September 2011:
As Chief Executive of the Central Office of Information (COI), I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question 70833 regarding transactions made using the Government Procurement Card (GPC).
The Central Office of Information (COI) uses the Government Procurement Card as it is an efficient way of processing low value transactions.
The Government is committed to transparency and we believe the information regarding Government Procurement Cards for this financial year is the most relevant. Central Government Departments will be publishing any transactions over £500 on their websites, starting with 2011/2012 Quarter 1 (April-June) data at the end of September and then on a monthly basis.
The cost required to obtain, contextualise and report data for the last 3 years would exceed the cost limits of a Freedom of Information request or a Parliamentary question.
Mystery Shopper Complaints Scheme
Simon Wright: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office in respect of which contracts complaints have been submitted through the mystery shopper complaints scheme; which complaints (a) were investigated, (b) had no further action taken, (c) were passed on to the relevant procurement body, (d) had a review ordered, (e) resulted in a change to the terms of a contract and (f) resulted in a decision by the contracting authority to cancel the contract. [72251]
Mr Maude: The Government have published the issues and the resolution of the cases investigated by the mystery shopper service in the first three months of the scheme between February and May 2011. I refer the hon. Member to this report, which can be found at:
www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/mystery-shopper
Further reports will be issued in due course.
Non-departmental Public Bodies
Julian Sturdy: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many new non-departmental public bodies have been established since May 2010. [71570]
Mr Maude: Since May 2010, the Government have established and classified four new NDPBs which were not previously in existence in another form. In addition a small number of bodies are proposed in legislation which is currently subject to Parliamentary consideration.
SMEs
Tom Greatrex: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many small and medium-sized enterprises have participated in the SME Product Surgery scheme. [70068]
Mr Maude:
Three SME Product Surgeries have been held to date. Five SMEs participated in the first, held by the Department for Transport in Birmingham on 17 June; 32 SMEs participated in a Product Surgery on the 29 July organised by the Ministry of Justice; and nine were chosen from over 350 proposals submitted to the Innovation Launch Pad to take part in the Product
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Surgery, held in London on 19 July. At least six further Product Surgeries are being planned with Departments for later in the year.
The Cabinet Office is encouraging SMEs to register their interest in participating in future Product Surgeries by contacting the Cabinet Office service desk.
Sick Leave: Civil Service
John Stevenson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what information he holds on the number of days of sickness absence in the civil service on average per employee in (a) 2009 and (b) 2010. [70586]
Mr Maude: The average number of days of sickness absence in the civil service per person and staff year for (a) 2009 and (b) 2010 are given in the following table:
| Table 1: Average working days lost per person (1) and staff year (2) in the civil service, 2009 and 2010 | ||
|
|
Average working days lost per person | Average days working lost per staff year |
| (1) Average working days lost per person—the total number of working days lost across the year divided by the total number of employees during the year. (2) Average working days lost per staff year—the total number of working days lost across the year divided by the total number of potential staff years. Source: Quarterly Sickness Absence Data, Cabinet Office | ||
More information on sickness absence is available on the civil service statistics website at:
www.civilservice.gov.uk/about/who/statistics/sickness.aspx
Culture, Media and Sport
Manpower
Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport (1) how many full-time equivalent staff in each pay band in his Department are working on policy on Lord Leveson's inquiry into the media; [71959]
(2) how many full-time equivalent staff in each pay band in his Department were working for the Endowment Fund panel (a) on 1 December 2010 and (b) in the latest period for which figures are available; [71960]
(3) how many full-time equivalent staff in each pay band in his Department are working on policy on matters within the order of reference of the Joint Committee on Superinjunctions; [71961]
(4) how many full-time equivalent staff in each pay band in his Department (a) were working on 1 December 2010 and (b) are working on (i) digital switchover, (ii) heritage, (iii) libraries, (iv) the National Lottery, (v) horse racing, (vi) gambling, (vii) licensing, (viii) the London 2012 Olympic Games, (ix) sport, (x) tourism, (xi) implementation of the Digital Economy Act 2010, (xii) broadband, (xiii) the May Day Bank Holiday Review, (xiv) the live entertainment consultation, (xv) cultural education, (xvi) spectrum, (xvii) sporting governance and (xviii) intellectual property policy; [71968]
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(5) how many full-time equivalent staff in his Department in each pay band were working for the Creative Industries Council (a) on 1 December 2010 and (b) in the latest period for which figures are available; [71988]
(6) how many full-time equivalent staff in each pay band in his Department (a) were working on 1 December 2010 and (b) are working on the proposed Communications Bill; [71973]
(7) how many full-time equivalent staff in each pay band in his Department (a) were working on 1 December 2010 and (b) are working on policy on local television. [71974]
Mr Jeremy Hunt: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has operated a fully flexible resourcing system since April 2011. This model enables the Department to quickly adapt to changing priorities by targeting resources in order to meet our departmental objectives. The Department operated a more limited model of flexible resourcing from 2008 onwards in which some individuals were in a flexible pool but others were in standing teams dedicated to specific policy areas. As individuals are deployed flexibly across our entire remit, we do not have the data to provide complete FTE figures broken down to specific policies.
Football Governance
Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport when he plans to publish the Government's response to the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee's Seventh Report of the current session on Football Governance. [71972]
Mr Jeremy Hunt: I am grateful to the Select Committee for their report on Football Governance, which contains a strong set of recommendations and conclusions. The Department expects to publish the Government response shortly.
Government Procurement Card
John Glen: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will publish the (a) purchase date, (b) transaction amount, (c) supplier and (d) level 3 or enhanced transaction entry of each individual transaction undertaken by the Olympic Delivery Authority using the Government Procurement Card in (i) 2008-09 and (ii) 2009-10. [71700]
Hugh Robertson: The Department does not collate this information for the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA). Accordingly, I have asked the chief executive of the ODA to write directly to my hon. Friend with this information.
National Lottery
Cathy Jamieson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether he has any statutory powers of direction in respect of use of Big Lottery funds. [71546]
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John Penrose: The Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport has no such powers. The responsibility for the Big Lottery Fund now rests with my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General .
Olympic Games 2012: Tickets
Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what information his Department holds on the number of tickets sold for the London 2012 Olympic Games by parliamentary constituency. [72053]
Hugh Robertson: The London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG) is the private company operating independently of Government that is responsible for staging the London 2012 Games, including the ticketing arrangements. LOCOG has not broken down London 2012 ticket applications or sales by parliamentary constituency. Ticket applications were split approximately equally between London, the wider south-east and the rest of the UK.
Telephone Calls: Unsolicited Goods and Services
Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what representations he has received on nuisance and repeat sales calls to commercial numbers; whether he plans to take steps to prohibit such calls; and if he will make a statement. [71720]
Mr Vaizey: No representations have been received on this particular issue. Safeguards are already in place through the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003 (PECR), which provides protection to commercial numbers. Unsolicited marketing calls are not allowed to be made to a number that is registered with the Corporate Telephone Preference Service (CTPS) scheme. The CTPS scheme was introduced in 2004 and to date about 1.8 million numbers are registered with it. Further detailed information about the CTPS can be found using the link:
http://www.tpsonline.org.uk/ctps/what
Television
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what progress has been made on launching local television stations; and if he will make a statement. [R] [71635]
Mr Vaizey: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport recently announced 65 locations that have the opportunity to pioneer commercially viable local TV across the UK for the first time. They will be supported by a new framework, with the first licences awarded during the course of next year.