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Written Answers to Questions
Tuesday 18 October 2011
House of Commons Commission
Westminster Clock Tower
Mr Knight: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, what recent assessment has been made of the structural soundness and stability of the Palace of Westminster clock tower. [74723]
John Thurso: A report by expert advisers concluded in 2009 that the tower was structurally stable. That report can be found at:
http://www.parliament.uk/business/news/2011/october1/big-ben-tilt/
There are regular inspections of the tower, the most recent, of May 2011, confirming that the tower remains in a sound and stable condition.
Treasury
Business: Credit
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to introduce credit easing for small businesses. [73956]
Mr Hoban: HM Treasury is currently considering a range of options for credit easing as announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 3 October 2011. The Chancellor of the Exchequer will provide more details regarding credit easing at the autumn statement on 29 November.
Coastal Communities Fund
Guto Bebb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to make a further announcement on arrangements for the coastal communities fund; and if he will make a statement. [73765]
Danny Alexander: The Government are working with the Big fund and the devolved Administrations to agree how the Coastal Communities fund will be delivered and an announcement will be made in due course.
Coastal Communities Fund: Wales
Guto Bebb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with the (a) Welsh Government and (b) Big Lottery Fund on the use of the coastal communities fund in Wales. [73764]
Danny Alexander: The Government have announced that the Coastal Communities fund will operate across the United Kingdom, including Wales. The Government will work with the Welsh Government and the Big fund in taking this forward.
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Debts: Iceland
Mr Sheerman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) when he last met representatives of the Icelandic Government to discuss debts owed to the Government; [75378]
(2) when he last met representatives of the Icelandic Government to discuss debts owed to UK local authorities; [75379]
(3) when he last met representatives of the Icelandic Government to discuss reform of the financial regulatory system in that country. [75380]
Mr Hoban: Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations, overseas governments and ministries as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.
Departmental Disclosure of Information
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 10 October 2011, Official Report, column 126W, on departmental disclosure of information, if he will place in the Library the guidance setting out the timetables and processes for obtaining the necessary approvals or collective agreement ahead of party conferences. [74657]
Danny Alexander: The timetables and processes for approving conference announcements were set out in correspondence to Cabinet. Such correspondence is not routinely made public. The guidance was consistent with longstanding procedures set out in Managing Public Money and Cabinet Committee Guidance. This includes that any proposals with financial implications must be cleared by the Treasury.
Departmental Theft
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what items worth more than £100 were stolen from his Department in 2010-11. [73639]
Miss Chloe Smith: The following items, worth more than £100, were stolen from the Treasury during the 12 months ending December 2010:
| Number | |
All the laptop computers involved in these thefts were encrypted devices which are not accessible without a security token and two different passwords. The BlackBerry was also password protected.
No tokens or passwords were left with these items, and accordingly there was no data loss in any of the cases. Steps were also taken to ensure that they provided no means of access to any of the Treasury's IT systems.
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Derelict Land: Regeneration
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what consideration he has given to providing an additional fiscal incentive for brownfield redevelopment. [73005]
Danny Alexander: The Government have no plans to create an additional fiscal incentive for brownfield development.
The Government are giving responsibility to local authorities and communities to choose which developable land should be used to meet their needs for growth. We expect that local authorities will want a very significant proportion of development to still take place on previously developed land.
Devolution
Guto Bebb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what Barnett consequentials were paid to the devolved administrations as a result of the decision to freeze council tax in April 2011; and how much will be paid in such consequentials in April 2012. [73868]
Danny Alexander: The 2010 spending review settlement for local government included £0.7 billion to enable English local authorities to freeze their council tax in 2011-12. The devolved Administrations received Barnett consequentials of the change to the local government settlement.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer announced support for local authorities (LAs) in England who wish to freeze their council tax in 2012-13 at his conference speech. There will be a one off payment to those LAs in 2011-12 who agree to freeze their council tax in 2012-13. The total cost of this is estimated to be £805 million.
Within this the devolved Administrations will receive Barnett consequentials of £67.5 million for Scotland; £38.9 million for Wales and £22.6 million for Northern Ireland.
European Fighter Aircraft
Graham Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions (a) he and (b) his officials have had with their counterparts in the Ministry of Defence on tranche 3B of Eurofighter. [73792]
Danny Alexander: The Chancellor of the Exchequer, my right hon. Friend the Member for Tatton (Mr Osborne), has had no specific discussions on tranche 3B with his counterpart in the MOD. Treasury officials discussed the potential size of tranche 3 numerous times with the MOD prior to contract signature in 2009.
Financial Markets: EU Law
Stephen Phillips: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment his Department has made of the potential effects on the City of London of EU regulation of over-the-counter derivative trading. [75061]
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Mr Hoban: The Government fully support the efforts to reduce systemic risk in over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives trading through the full implementation of G20 commitments.
As the legislative process in the EU progresses, the Treasury keeps in regular contact with market participants and end users to understand the potential effects of regulation. The Government are committed to ensuring that the OTC market in London is both safe and efficient.
Financial Services
Harriett Baldwin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with the Financial Services Authority on recent trends in its use of powers under section 166 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 to nominate skilled person assessments of financial services firms. [75443]
Mr Hoban: Treasury Ministers and officials meet senior members of the Financial Services Authority on a regular basis to discuss a wide range of economic and financial issues. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of such meetings.
Financial Services: Regulation
Stephen Phillips: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent progress he has made on the international implementation of the Basel III agreement. [75267]
Mr Hoban: At the September 2011 Washington summit, Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors of the G-20 reiterated the commitment made by the G-20 leaders at the 2010 Seoul summit to fully implement Basel III along the agreed timelines. In the EU, Basel III will be implemented through legislation on prudential requirements for credit institutions and investment firms, which the Commission adopted proposals for on 20 July 2011.
Gold and Foreign Exchange Reserves
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with the Governor of the Bank of England on the UK's gold reserves. [74481]
Mr Hoban: In its role as HM Treasury's agent for the Official Reserves, the Bank of England routinely provides advice to HM Treasury on management of the reserves, including gold.
HM Revenue and Customs
Alison Seabeck: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to ensure that the (a) IT and (b) other arrangements for HM Revenue and Customs real time service will be operational and fully tested before the proposed start date of the universal credit in 2013. [74631]
Mr Gauke: HMRC is on track to deliver the IT required for the introduction of Real Time Information (RTI). The internet test service for payroll software developers was launched on 26 September 2011, in line with plans.
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RTI will be piloted from April 2012 with volunteer payroll software providers and employers. This means that a full year of testing will have taken place before employers and pension providers will be required to start submitting RTI in April 2013. HMRC expects all employers and pension providers to be using RTI by October 2013 in time for the introduction of universal credit.
Housing Revenue Accounts: Hampshire
George Hollingbery: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will estimate the amount that would be saved by Portsmouth city council as a result of the lowering of interest rates for the Housing Revenue Account Buy Out if the units in the Wecock Farm area of Meon Valley constituency were financed entirely from the Public Works Loan Board (a) annually and (b) over a 40-year period; [73407]
(2) if he will estimate the amount that would be saved by Southampton city council as a result of the lowering of interest rates for the Housing Revenue Account Buy Out if the sum required was financed entirely from the Public Works Loan Board (a) annually and (b) over a 40-year period. [73408]
(3) if he will estimate the amount that would be saved by Fareham borough council as a result of the lowering of interest rates for the Housing Revenue Account Buy Out if the sum required was financed entirely from the Public Works Loan Board (a) annually and (b) over a 40-year period; [73409]
(4) if he will estimate the amount that would be saved by Winchester city council as a result of the lowering of interest rates for the Housing Revenue Account Buy Out if the sum required was financed entirely from the Public Works Loan Board (a) annually and (b) over a 40-year period; [73410]
(5) if he will estimate the amount that would be saved by New Forest district council as a result of the lowering of interest rates for the Housing Revenue Account Buy Out if the sum required was financed entirely from the Public Works Loan Board (a) annually and (b) over a 40-year period. [73411]
Andrew Stunell: I have been asked to reply.
The Government are reducing the cost of borrowing from the Public Works Loan Board to finance the self-financing settlement payments related to the reform of council housing finance. The cost of borrowing for this purpose will be reduced by an average of 87 basis points compared to the interest currently charged for other borrowing.
The following table shows the potential savings from this interest rate reduction. It is based on the indicative settlement payments published by the Department in February 2011 and assumes that the whole amount would be borrowed from the Public Works Loan Board. Settlement payments are calculated on a whole authority basis, so it is not possible to attribute savings to particular areas within a local authority. These savings would accrue every year of a long-term loan, in nominal cash terms.
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| £ million | |||
| Local authority | Indicative settlement payment | Annual interest saving | Cash saving s over 40 years (if taken as 40- year loan) |
Local Government: Pensions
Mr Anderson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will instruct his Department not to play a role in negotiations on changes to the Local Government Pension Scheme. [R] [72089]
Danny Alexander: HM Treasury has overall responsibility for public service pension policy and public expenditure.
The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government has responsibility for the rules of the Local Government Pension scheme.
On 20 July the Secretary of State invited discussions between the Local Government Group and local government trade unions with a view to establishing a package of measures to secure short term savings. The Government began consultation on 7 September on consequent proposals. The Government will consult on wider reforms based on recommendations of the Independent Public Service Pensions Commission, in due course.
Money: Counterfeit Manufacturing
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he plans to take to reduce the number of counterfeit coins in circulation. [74484]
Miss Chloe Smith: The Royal Mint and the Treasury are working with banks, the Post Office, cash handling and sorting businesses, the police and the vending industry to remove counterfeit £1 coins from circulation before they reach the pockets of members of the public. Coin handling businesses, such as banks and the Post Office, handle over 3 billion £1 coins every year. They use high-speed, automated systems to process customer deposits and prepare coins for reissue. These automated systems are capable of detecting and withdrawing a significant number of counterfeit coins. All counterfeit coins detected from coin processing are sent to the Royal Mint for disposal.
The Royal Mint holds briefing to educate the public and the coin handling industry on how to identify counterfeits, and has issued educational leaflets and posters.
The Royal Mint is also working with other validator and coin sorting manufacturers to help improve the counterfeit detection rate.
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the value was of counterfeit bank notes seized in each year since 1997. [74490]
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Miss Chloe Smith: The face value of counterfeit Bank of England notes removed from circulation since 1997 is set out in the following table:
| £ million | |
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the value of counterfeit bank notes in circulation. [74491]
Miss Chloe Smith: In 2010, 300,000 counterfeit Bank of England notes with a face value of £5.9 million were taken out of circulation.
Details of the number of counterfeit Bank of England notes taken out of circulation are published on the Bank's website at:
http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/banknotes/about/counterfeits.htm
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to reduce the number of counterfeit bank notes in circulation. [74493]
Miss Chloe Smith: Issuance of banknotes in England and Wales is a key role of the Bank of England. As part of this objective, the bank has an anti-counterfeiting strategy to reduce the number of counterfeit Bank of England notes. The bank's approach to the monitoring and reduction of counterfeits is outlined on its website at:
http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/banknotes/about/counterfeits.htm
National Insurance Contributions: Durham
Pat Glass: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many businesses in (a) Durham and (b) North West Durham constituency have participated in the national insurance contributions holiday scheme. [74616]
Mr Gauke: Information for applications from Durham is not available as data are not provided on the city or county level.
A breakdown of successful applications for the NICs holiday by constituency will be published in the NICs Holiday Factsheet in the House of Commons Library in the autumn.
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NDFA Fixed Income Plan
James Wharton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has considered providing compensation to holders of the NDFA Fixed Income Plan June 08 following the entry into administration of Lehman Brothers. [75475]
Mr Hoban: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave on 10 October 2011, Official Report, column 130W.
Public Expenditure
Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will increase departmental capital expenditure limits for the purposes of increasing job creation, economic productivity and potential economic growth. [73428]
Danny Alexander: As a result of the spending review, capital spending will be £2.3bilion higher than planned under the March 2010 budget.
To make sure these plans are fulfilled, I am working closely with cabinet colleagues to ensure that spending is not stockpiled and that capital budgets are delivered on time. This has already released £500 million for the Growing Places initiative.
Public Sector: Pensions
Emma Reynolds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the revenue from the planned increase in public sector employee pension contributions will be paid directly into the appropriate pension fund. [73091]
Danny Alexander: At the spending review the UK Government announced an increase in member contribution rates for all public service pension schemes, except the armed forces. This is based on the clear rationale set out in the Independent Public Service Pensions Commission's interim report, for making savings by increasing employee contribution rates. This will save a total of £2.8 billion a year from 2014-15, equivalent to an increase in contribution rates of 3.2 percentage points, phased in over three years from April 2012.
In unfunded public service schemes, the largest of which is the NHS Pension scheme, there is no pot from which member and employer contributions are invested. Instead, due benefits are paid from the contributions of current members with any surplus paid for by the Exchequer.
In funded public service schemes, the largest of which is the Local Government Pension scheme, member and employer contributions are paid into a fund. This is invested, and benefits are paid from it when due. For funded schemes, increased member contributions resulting from the spending review measures will be paid directly into the appropriate pension fund.
Taxation: Business
Priti Patel:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his position is in respect of the discussions due to take place at the Code of Conduct Group (Business
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Taxation) meeting in Brussels on 20 October 2011 relating to
(a)
item 1 on UK-Gibraltar and
(b)
item 2 on Guernsey; and if he will make a statement. [74562]
Mr Gauke: The Code of Conduct Group (Business Taxation) will meet on 20 October 2011. The agenda for the meeting includes Gibraltar's Income Tax Act 2010, and developments concerning the reform of Guernsey's corporate tax regime.
Under the terms of the Code of Conduct for Business Taxation, the UK is committed, within its constitutional arrangements, to ensuring that the principles of the code are applied in its dependent and overseas territories, including both Gibraltar and Guernsey.
Luciana Berger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the total tax revenue raised from businesses in the low carbon sector in the last financial year. [74604]
Mr Gauke: When tax receipts are collected by HMRC, businesses are not required to define whether or not they are low carbon. Accordingly, the information requested is not available.
Luciana Berger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the average tax take from a small business in each of its first five years of trading in the latest period for which figures are available. [74606]
Mr Gauke: The information requested is not available.
VAT
Steve Rotheram: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with (a) the Prime Minister, (b) the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills and (c) the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on the rate of value added tax. [74752]
Mr Gauke: The Chancellor of the Exchequer takes decisions on fiscal policy, including tax rates, in the Budget. Like his predecessors, the Chancellor informs these decisions through discussions with the Prime Minister and other colleagues.
Energy and Climate Change
Carbon Dioxide: Feed-in Tariffs
Glyn Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the range of emission abatement costs in pounds per tonne of carbon dioxide under the feed-in tariff scheme for wind power. [73023]
Gregory Barker: The cost per tonne of CO2 of wind power supported under the Feed-in Tariffs (FITs) scheme is estimated to be around £270 (real discounted 2008 prices).
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This estimate is based the FITs model for the 2010 final impact assessment, updated for energy demand and fossil fuel prices in March 2011. These estimates will be updated for the FITs comprehensive review.
Climate Change
Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps the Government is taking to ensure that the UK meets its emissions targets under the Climate Change Act 2008. [74761]
Gregory Barker [holding answer 17 October 2011]: The Prime Minister pledged to make this the greenest Government ever and announced earlier this year that carbon emissions from Government HQs and offices have been cut by nearly 14% in just one year. Following this, he committed the Government to go further by reducing emissions by 25% by 2015. We are also supporting greater energy efficiency across the economy by introducing the Green Deal, revolutionising the way heat is generated and used through the Renewable Heat Incentive, and rolling-out smart meters and a smart grid to build on this progress. Moreover, on 12 July 2011 the Government published ‘Planning our electric future: a White Paper for secure, affordable and low-carbon electricity'. The White Paper sets out key reforms to the electricity market to attract investment, reduce the impact on consumer bills, and create a secure mix of low-carbon electricity sources including renewables, new nuclear and carbon capture and storage.
Emissions projections, published on 13 October 2011, show that the UK is on track, on central forecasts, to meet our first three carbon budgets and our 2020 target to reduce emissions by at least 34% against the 1990 baseline. Emissions have already been reduced by over 26%, taking into account the effects of emissions trading.
We have also set in legislation the level of the fourth carbon budget for the period 2023-27 which equates to more than a 50% reduction in emissions. This autumn, the Government will be publishing a comprehensive strategy which will set out how the fourth carbon budget might be met, pathways to our 2050 target and a set of milestones which will set out shorter-term actions the Government commits to undertake to keep us on track to deliver our ambitious climate change goals.
Combined Heat and Power
Martin Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the contribution of the Minister of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change, the hon. Member for Bexhill and Battle (Gregory Barker) to the Public Bill Committee on the Energy Bill [Lords] of 21 June 2011, Written Evidence, columns 444-6, what steps he plans to take to progress passive flue gas and micro combined heat and power technologies; and if he will make a statement. [75286]
Gregory Barker: Following the discussion of these technologies at Committee Stage of the Energy Bill, the department has progressed the agenda in line with the commitment given at the end of that debate. My officials met the hon. Member for Southampton Test (Dr Whitehead), shortly afterwards and have also held talks with industry bodies.
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In August the Micropower Council organised an event on micro-CHP involving senior DECC officials and the leading players from across the industry, and as a result of that meeting, the industry will shortly be presenting Government with proposals for progressing this technology. Micro-CHP already receives support from the feed-in tariff.
Passive flue gas heat recovery systems are included as an eligible technology under the green deal. The secondary legislation implementing that policy is now being drawn up.
Departmental Contracts
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what contracts of a monetary value of (a) between £100,000 and £500,000, (b) between £500,000 and £1 million, (c) between £1 million and £5 million, (d) between £5 million and £10 million, (e) between £10 million and £50 million, (f) between £50 million and £100 million, (g) between £100 million and £500 million, (h) between £500 million and £1 billion, (i) between £1 billion and £5 billion and (j) over £5 billion his Department has entered into with private suppliers in each year since its inception. [74214]
Gregory Barker: Details of contracts entered into are set out by value and by financial year in the following lists. The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) was established in October 2008. Information for 2008-09 could be provided only at disproportionate cost from the procurement records of the Departments from which DECC was established (i.e. the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs).
Financial support lead for carbon capture and storage (CCS) demonstration 1
CCS project management support
CCS demonstration project commercial support manager
Provision of technical lead for CCS demonstration 1 competition internal team
CCS demonstration provision of geological advice
None
Measurement and interpretation of atmospheric gases
Information computer technology
Oil and gas maximising recovery programme—three projects
CCS demonstration 1 project technical support
Financial advice for CCS demonstration 1
Legal advice for CCS demonstration 1 competition
Expert support on CC&S delivery of demos 2-4
Legal support, advice and claims handling in respect of claims for liabilities resulting from the former British Coal Corporation
Provision of front end engineering and design (FEED) studies for demonstration 1 competition (1)
Provision of FEED studies for demonstration 1 competition (2)
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Assessment of options to improve GB gas security of supply
Avoiding dangerous climate change (AVOID) programme
Bioenergy grants management
Demand side response (DSR) and smart grid cost/benefit analysis
Electricity market reform—instrument design
Electricity market reform—legal advice
Electronic radar tool to support micro/small wind
Expert support on assessing carbon capture and storage and innovative renewable new entrants reserve (NER) applications
Financial support levels for renewables electricity in the UK
Geological advice for the carbon capture and storage demonstration
Renewables obligation banding review 2010-13—modelling the impact of different support scenarios
Technical support on assessing carbon capture and storage new entrants reserve applications
UK green house gas inventory improvement programme
UK national contact point service for framework programme 7 and intelligent energy Europe 2 programmes
Smart metering programme
None
None
None
None
Share point team sites development and implementation
None
None
None
None
None
None
Official Hospitality
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department spent on hospitality for events hosted by each Minister in his Department in each of the last 12 months. [73675]
Gregory Barker: Hospitality expenditure incurred by the Department of Energy and Climate Change and attributable to its Ministers was £5,000 in the 12 month period ending September 2011 as summarised in the following table.
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Hospitality represents expenditure on food and drink provided at meetings and events for the benefit of guests outside of the Department. All expenditure was incurred in accordance with the Department's policy on hospitality which requires that:
all expenditure must be fully and properly authorised and accounted for;
there must be a clear and justifiable reason for expenditure on hospitality i.e. where there is direct Government interest in promoting the Department);
the nature of the hospitality should not be excessive to the purpose for which it is given;
the number of members of the Department present should be reasonable in relation to the nature of the occasion; and
personal benefit to the participating staff must be incidental and, where relevant, abated by adjustment of any claims for subsistence.
| October 2010 - September 2011 | £ |
Procurement
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many contracts his Department has awarded directly to (a) small, (b) medium-sized and (c) large businesses in each month since May 2010; what the value was of such contracts; and if he will make a statement. [75131]
Gregory Barker: The Department of Energy and Climate Change does not currently record the size of the companies to whom it has awarded contracts and it would incur disproportionate cost to establish this information. However, out of the 40 contracts advertised, 19 contracts with an estimated value of under £100,000 were suitable for small business to apply for.
Electric Cables: Design
Mr Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department has spent on the competition to design new electricity pylons; and for what purposes. [74721]
Charles Hendry:
The Department has spent £45,000 on the competition to design new electricity pylons. This includes the Royal Institute of British Architects competition management fees, a prize fund of £10,000 (shared between the winners and the shortlist) and design, installations production and management costs around the V&A exhibition, which formed part of this
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year's London Design Festival. The competition has been highly successful in generating interest and debate within the design industry and the wider public in the visual acceptability of future energy infrastructure:
www.ribapylondesign.com
Green Deal Scheme
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will publish a response to the Green Deal Call for Evidence published on behalf of his Department in March 2011. [74603]
Gregory Barker: Alongside the public consultation on the Green Deal and the Energy Company Obligation, to be published later this year, DECC will report on how the Green Deal Call for Evidence has fed into policy development. We do not intend to produce a detailed report of all the submissions as this would breach commercial confidences.
Mixed Oxide Fuel: Sellafield
Mr Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will estimate the building and commissioning costs in current prices of the mixed-oxide fuel plant at Sellafield. [75275]
Charles Hendry: Capital costs of £498 million and commissioning costs of £139.4 million were incurred on the Sellafield MOX Plant over the period from 1994 to 2001 prior to plutonium being introduced into the plant and it becoming fully active. A very high level estimate performed by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority of the current cost equivalent of these sums is £0.9 billion which has been arrived at by using the retail prices index to escalate costs.
Mr Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what targets the Mox plant at Sellafield was set for the production of mixed-oxide fuel in each year of its operation; and how many tonnes of Mox were produced in each year. [75276]
Charles Hendry: The original target was for the Sellafield MOX Plant (SMP) to produce 120 tonnes of Heavy Metal (tHM) of mixed oxide fuel a year. This was revised in 2000-01 to 72 tHM per annum. The annual throughput target was later downgraded again, first to 38 tHM to 40 tHM in 2003 and then to 8 tHM to 15 tHM in 2008. The actual production rates of completed assemblies (in tHM) for SMP year by year are as follows:
|
|
tHM |
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Nuclear Installations
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to the report by HM Chief Inspector of Nuclear Installations, September 2011, paragraph 475, when he expects to receive the final report of the Sellafield Ltd review of cooling, ventilation, inerting and containment systems and the availability and reliability of these systems under accident conditions. [75030]
Charles Hendry: Monitoring of the systems at Sellafield, and the activities of Sellafield Ltd, is carried out by the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR). Sellafield Ltd is committed to produce stress test reports relating to the Calder Hall Reactors and the final report on these will be submitted to the ONR by 31 October 2011; in line with European requirements. A final report covering the other nuclear facilities on the Sellafield site will be submitted to the ONR by the end of December 2011. Together these reports constitute the Sellafield Ltd review, referred to in the chief inspector's report. The chief inspector will keep DECC up to date with progress.
Third Sector: Correspondence
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many letters he has received on funding for civil society organisations within his Department's area of responsibility in each month since 1 June 2010; and if he will make a statement. [73994]
Gregory Barker: The Department received one request under the Freedom of Information Act regarding funding for civil sector organisations in August 2010, one in November 2010, and three in February 2011.
In addition the Department received two non-FOI queries regarding funding for civil sector organisations in December 2010, one in January 2011, and two in February 2011.
The Department has not received any requests under the Freedom of Information Act regarding funding for civil sector organisations since April 2011.
The Department received one non-FOI query regarding funding for civil sector organisations in April 2011, one in June 2011, one in August 2011, one in September 2011 and one so far in October 2011.
Queries regarding grants to civil society organisations under the Low Carbon Communities Challenge and Low Carbon Buildings Programme are excluded as to identify them would incur disproportionate costs.
Wind Power: Feed-in Tariffs
Glyn Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the total net cost of feed-in tariffs for wind power taking into account monetised benefits of these subsidies up to 2030. [73025]
Gregory Barker: The total net resource cost of wind power incentivised through the Feed-in Tariffs (FITs) is estimated at around £900 million, cumulative to 2030 (real 2008 prices, discounted).
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This estimate is based on the FITs model for the 2010 final impact assessment, updated for energy demand and fossil fuel prices in March 2011. These estimates will be updated for the FITs comprehensive review.
Northern Ireland
Business Tax Rates
Mr Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions he has had with (a) HM Treasury and (b) the Northern Ireland Executive on the effect on the Northern Ireland economy of business tax rates in the Republic of Ireland. [74553]
Mr Paterson: I have had extensive discussions with colleagues in HM Treasury and the Northern Ireland Executive on options for Rebalancing the Northern Ireland Economy in relation to the recent Government consultation of that title. These discussions have included consideration of the impact on the economy of differential corporation tax rates in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The Government response to the consultation will be published in due course.
Home Department
Alcoholic Drinks: Antisocial Behaviour
Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the total cost to the public purse of policing alcohol-related antisocial behaviour in (a) 2009 and (b) 2010; and what she estimates such costs will be in (i) 2011, (ii) 2012 and (iii) 2013. [73549]
Nick Herbert [holding answer 12 October 2011]:The policing of antisocial behaviour, including alcohol-related antisocial behaviour, is an operational matter for local police forces. The Government do not collect data centrally on these costs nor have they made projections on future costs.
Alcoholic Drinks: Sales
Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of total alcohol sales in (a) 2011, (b) 2012, (c) 2013, (d) 2014 and (e) 2015. [73550]
James Brokenshire [holding answer 12 October 2011]:The Home Office does not undertake modelling to project future alcohol sales. The Office for Budget Responsibility forecasts alcohol revenues, using a forecast of UK duty paid clearances and projected duty rates. The Budget 2011 receipts forecast can be found here:
http://budgetresponsibitity.independent.gov.uk/pubs/economic_and_fiscal_
The revenue forecasts will be updated in the OBR's Economic and Fiscal Outlook on 29 November, alongside the autumn statement.
Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986
Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when a decision will be reached on the inclusion of legislation from the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 into the framework of European Directive 2010/63/EU. [74134]
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Lynne Featherstone: European Directive 2010/63/EU must be transposed into UK legislation by 10 November 2012 and must be implemented from 1 January 2013.
The public consultation on options for transposition of the directive closed on 5 September 2011. Decisions on options will be taken after responses have been carefully considered.
Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which of the measures in force under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 will be retained after the introduction into UK legislation of the provisions of European Directive 2010/63/EU. [74135]
Lynne Featherstone: Article 2 to directive 2010/63/EU on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes allows member states to retain stricter national provisions in force on 9 November 2010 provided such measures are not used to inhibit the free market by prohibiting or impeding the supply or use of animals from another member state applying the minimum standards set out in the directive, or the placing on the market of products developed with the use of such animals. The public consultation on the transposition of European directive 2010/63/EU which closed on 5 September 2011 invited views on the use of article 2 in transposing the directive into UK legislation. Responses to the consultation will be carefully considered before decisions are taken on how to proceed with regard to this issue.
Asylum
Mr Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many legacy asylum cases had not been resolved on the most recent date for which figures are available. [70531]
Damian Green: The agency completed its review of all cases in the legacy cohort at the end of March 2011. A total of 500,500 cases were reviewed as part of the programme and the majority (455,000) have been fully concluded.
The UK Border Agency established the Case Assurance and Audit Unit (CAAU) to actively manage those 23,000 cases which had been reviewed but had barriers to conclusion. All these cases have been decided and communicated to the applicants.
The CAAU has now fully concluded 1,500 of those cases. It has also issued around 3,000 grants which are subject to information from the applicant in order to complete a final security check.
The UK Border Agency is actively managing around 18,000 cases which have been considered to the furthest possible point but barriers to their removal remain.
These barriers include ongoing litigation, impending prosecution, incomplete legal or criminal proceedings, non-compliance or that people are from difficult to remove countries. These cases are being actively considered and will be concluded when those barriers have been lifted.
Note:
All figures rounded to the nearest 500.
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Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what proportion of asylum cases received a decision within six months in (a) 2009, (b) 2010 and (c) in the period from 1 January to 1 September 2011; [72080]
(2) what the average processing time was between an individual claiming asylum and receiving a decision on their application (a) as of 1 September 2011 and (b) in each of the last five years. [72081]
Damian Green: The proportion of asylum cases that received an initial decision within six months in 2009 was 82%, in 2010 was 94% and from January—February 2011 was 93%. As of 1 September 2011, information was not yet complete for the March 2011 cohort or beyond, as the six month time period stipulated had not yet elapsed.
The average processing time between an individual claiming asylum and receiving an initial decision on their application over the last five years is as follows:
| Year (1) | Average decision time (Days) (2) |
| (1) Year based on application date. (2) All figures quoted are internal management information only and are subject to change. This information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols. Excludes legacy cases. Averages based on cases where decisions had already been taken as of 1 September 2011. (3) Covers the period 1 January 2011 to 1 September 2011. | |
On 25 August the UK Border Agency published information on the percentage of asylum applications decided and concluded within published standards. This information can be found on the UK Border Agency website at:
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/aboutus/further-key-data/
These statistics show that in the financial year 2010-11, 59% of decisions were taken within 30 days of application.
Asylum: Peterborough
Mr Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many legacy cases of individuals normally resident in the Peterborough City Council area have been granted indefinite leave to remain in each quarter since 5 May 2010; and if she will make a statement. [75185]
Damian Green: The UK Border Agency has provided the requested information in the following table. We have sourced this information through the utilisation of postcodes from the Peterborough area.
|
|
Period | Grants of ILR |
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| Source: Local management information provided by UK Border Agency, North West Region Planning and MI Team. It is not a National Statistic. As such it should be treated as provisional and therefore subject to change. Postcodes used to obtain this information were PE1 to PE38. | ||
Debt Collection
Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will issue guidance to police forces and police authorities on the application of the provisions of the Fraud Act 2006 to (a) bailiff operations and (b) local authority officials who employ private bailiff companies. [73963]
James Brokenshire: I have no plans to issue guidance to police forces and police authorities on the application of the provisions of the Fraud Act 2006 to (a) bailiff operations and (b) local authority officials who employ private bailiff companies.
Decisions on whether and how to investigate a crime rest solely with the police. Such operational issues are the ultimate responsibility of the chief officer of the force concerned.
Departmental Billing
Dr Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of invoices from suppliers her Department paid within 10 days of receipt in July and August 2010. [74379]
Damian Green: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 13 September 2010, Official Report, columns 873-74W.
Departmental Re-location
Mr Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many civil servants in her Department have been (a) relocated and (b) agreed to relocation in the last 12 months; and to which areas of the UK. [74915]
Damian Green: Information about how many civil servants have been relocated in the past year could be provided only by the detailed analysis of individual case records at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Pay
Mr Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will estimate the total monetary value of London weightings and London living allowances for staff in her Department. [74916]
Damian Green: In the last financial year, the total amount paid out to staff in the Home Office as London weighting/living allowances was approximately £22 million.
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Procurement
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what contracts of a monetary value of (a) between £100,000 and £500,000, (b) between £500,000 and £1 million, (c) between £1 million and £5 million, (d) between £5 million and £10 million, (e) between £10 million and £50 million, (f) between £50 million and £100 million, (g) between £100 million and £500 million, (h) between £500 million and £1 billion, (i) between £1 billion and £5 billion and (j) over £5 billion her Department has entered into with private suppliers in each year since 1990. [74203]
Damian Green: Details of contracts entered in to by the Home Department and its executive agencies prior to 2008 are not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Details of contracts with private suppliers entered into by the Department including its executive agencies since 2008 will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
Cyber-Security
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department is taking to improve cyber-security in relation to her Department's estate; and if she will make a statement. [75148]
James Brokenshire: The Home Office takes cyber-security very seriously. Our IT suppliers are contracted to meet rigorous security requirements and cyber-security is an integral part of every Home Office IT system.
The Home Office operates an appropriate, proportionate and effective regime for cyber-security across its estate and has the necessary skilled resource in place. The Department does not comment on the specific measures it takes relating to cyber-security.
Sick Leave
Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for how many days on average her Department's staff in each pay grade were absent from work as a result of ill health in 2010-11. [75018]
Damian Green: The following table includes the average working days lost to sickness absence for each pay grade in the Home Department in the financial year 2010-11. Figures include Home Office headquarters as well as the Department's executive agencies—United Kingdom Border Agency, Identity and Passport Service and Criminal Records Bureau.
| Average working days lost by grade 2010-11 | |
| Grade | Average working days lost (days) (1) |
18 Oct 2011 : Column 815W
| (1) Figures given are based on paid civil servants only and include current employees and those who left the Home Office during the period, in line with Cabinet Office reporting guidelines. Figures include Home Office headquarters, the United Kingdom Border Agency, Identity and Passport Service and Criminal Records Bureau. Note: Prior to February 2011 responses to requests for information relating to the “Home Department” included information for headquarters staff only—executive agencies were excluded from reported figures. Since February 2011 the Department has streamlined its reporting practices and departmental figures now include both headquarters and all executive agencies. This means that it is not possible to make a direct comparison between information provided in this response and any responses made before February 2011. Source: Permanent Secretaries Management Group Cabinet Office return, Quarter 1 2011 Extract date: 1 April 2011 (figures based on period from 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2011). | |
Detention Centres: Children
Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many times children detained at immigration centres have been held separately from their parents for (a) less than 12 hours, (b) between 12 and 24 hours and (c) more than 24 hours in the last 12 months. [75093]
Damian Green: We now only hold families with children as a matter of last resort to facilitate their removal from the UK where they refuse to leave voluntarily and then on the advice of the independent Family Returns Panel. Most families are held at Cedar's pre-departure accommodation, but in exceptional circumstances the panel may advise they are held at Tinsley House Immigration Removal Centre, for example where there are particular safeguarding concerns. Length of stay is restricted to 72 hours, or with a Minister's authority up to one week.
There have been no instances of children having been held separately from their parents at either facility in the last 12 months, nor at Yarl's Wood Immigration Removal Centre which we closed to families with children in December 2010.
Forgery
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many people have been (a) arrested and (b) charged in connection with the counterfeiting of bank notes and coins in each year since 1997; [74488]
(2) how many people have been arrested on suspicion of passport forgery in each year since 1997. [74591]
Damian Green: The information requested on arrests is not available.
The arrests collection held by the Home Office covers arrests for recorded crime (notifiable offences) only, broken down at a main offence group level, covering categories such as violence against the person and fraud and forgery.
Further breakdowns of offences within these offence groups are not reported to the Home Office.
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Immigration
Mrs Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many legacy cases were awaiting a decision in the latest period for which figures are available. [69442]
Damian Green: The agency completed its review of all cases in the legacy cohort at the end of March 2011. A total of 500,500 cases were reviewed as part of the programme and the majority (455,000) have been fully concluded.
The UK Border Agency established the Case Assurance and Audit Unit (CAAU) to actively manage those 23,000 cases which had been reviewed but had barriers to conclusion. All these cases have been decided and communicated to the applicants.
The CAAU has now fully concluded 1,500 of those cases. It has also issued around 3,000 grants which are subject to information from the applicant in order to complete a final security check.
The UK Border Agency is actively managing around 18,000 cases which have been considered to the furthest possible point but barriers to the person’s removal remain.
These barriers include ongoing litigation, impending prosecution, incomplete legal or criminal proceedings, non-compliance or that people are from difficult to remove countries. These cases are being actively considered and will be concluded when those barriers have been lifted.
Note:
All figures rounded to the nearest 500.
Immigration Controls
Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment she has made of progress implementing the plan for creating a border policing command; and if she will make a statement. [73344]
Nick Herbert: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 29 June 2011, Official Report, column 863W.
Overseas Workers
Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations she has received from business organisations regarding the immigration cap since 1 June 2011. [70853]
Damian Green: Business organisations were consulted fully on the development of the Government's plans for limits on migration under tiers 1 and 2 of the Points Based System, which were implemented in April 2011, as well as being involved in the more recent consultation on settlement and tier 5. The UK Border Agency maintains an active dialogue with business organisations on issues arising from the implementation of limits on migration and other issues through, for example, its Employer Taskforce, on which business organisations, including the Confederation of British Industry, the British Hospitality Association and the Recruitment and Employment Confederation, are represented.
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Passports
Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the effects on passport processing times of the reduction in size of the interview office network. [74515]
Damian Green: The reduction in the size of the interview office network has meant that capacity is now appropriate to the level of demand. This will have no impact on processing times.
Prescriptions
David Mowat: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 14 September 2011, Official Report, column 1180, on prescriptions, when she expects to lay before the House the statutory instrument relating to the prescribing powers of non-medical prescribers. [73731]
James Brokenshire: This Government are committed to enabling the NHS to deliver services more flexibly and efficiently. The necessary work is currently being finalised for the consideration of the Minister for Crime Prevention and Antisocial Behaviour Reduction, my noble Friend, Lord Henley, with a view to laying the statutory instrument by the end of October 2011. The statutory instrument will incorporate other amendments to the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 (as amended) to facilitate the non-medical prescribing and mixing of medicines in palliative care and in other areas of clinical practice as they relate to controlled drugs.
Metals: Thefts
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on legislation governing the sale of scrap metal; [73144]
(2) what recent discussions she has had with the police on metal theft; [73145]
(3) what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on metal theft from local authorities. [73146]
James Brokenshire: Home Office Ministers have had a number of discussions with Ministers from other Departments to consider a range of options to tackle metal theft, including whether any legislative changes are needed to the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 1964.
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations she has received on metal theft from (a) individuals, (b) businesses, (c) local authorities and (d) the police. [73147]
James Brokenshire: The Home Office regularly receives representations on metal theft from a broad range of interested parties.
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the number of metal thefts from (a) individuals, (b) businesses and (c) local authorities in each of the last 12 months; and if she will make a statement. [73148]
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James Brokenshire: Metal theft is not recorded separately in police recorded crime data and so there is no robust measure for the total number of metal theft offences in the last year. However, initial estimates based on data collected by British Transport Police, local police forces and centrally collected police recorded crime data indicate that there may have been between 80,000 and 100,000 metal theft offences in England and Wales in 2010-11. This estimate cannot be broken down by month or type of victim.
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the adequacy of legislation governing the sale of scrap metal. [73152]
James Brokenshire: The Government are considering a range of options to tackle metal theft, including whether legislative changes are needed to the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 1964.
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the likely effect on the level of metal theft of prohibiting cash payments for scrap metal. [73153]
James Brokenshire: The Government are considering a range of options to tackle metal theft including whether legislative changes are needed to the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 1964. One option is to prohibit cash payments within the scrap metal industry.
European Directive
Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to publish the outcome of the consultation on the transposition into UK law of European Directive 2010/63/EU. [74136]
Lynne Featherstone: We are now analysing the responses to the public consultation on the options for transposition of European Directive 2010/63/EU on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes and will publish a summary report by the end of 2011.
Asylum: English Language
Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will assess the effects of reductions in ESOL funding for asylum seekers on their prospects for employment and integration into society. [72078]
Mr Hayes: I have been asked to reply.
The eligibility for asylum seekers to access funding for skills training is described in paragraphs 32 and 33 of the Skills Funding Agency 2011/12 Learner Eligibility and Contribution Rules (Version 2.1, August 2011). This can be found at:
http://readingroom.lsc.gov.uk/SFA/LearnerEligibilityand ContributionRules_2011_12_12Aug2011__June_revision_V2.1.pdf
From the 2011-12 academic year, where English language skills have been identified as a barrier to entering employment, full Government funding is provided for English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) qualifications delivered to unemployed people in receipt of Jobseekers' Allowance or in the Employment and
18 Oct 2011 : Column 819W
Support Allowance (Work-Related Activity) Group. Further education colleges and training organisations also have local discretion to provide fully subsidised courses for people on a wider range of benefits where the training is to help them enter employment. Learners are expected to share the costs of publicly funded ESOL courses with Government where full fee remission is not applicable. The Government will no longer fund ESOL courses delivered in the workplace. This is to ensure publicly-funded training provision is focused on people whose lack of English is preventing them from finding work.
This Department and the Department for Communities and Local Government are working in partnership to develop new forms of support for individuals who need language skills to assist with integration and community cohesion. I will announce further details in due course.
The potential impact on adult learners participating in ESOL courses of the changes to eligibility criteria for fee remission set out in the Government's ‘Skills for Sustainable Growth' strategy (November 2010) are described in an equality impact assessment, published by this Department on 18 July 2011. This can be found at:
http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/biscore/further-education-skills/docs/e/11-1045-english-for-speakers-of-other-languages-equality-impact.pdf
Wales
Departmental Billing
Dr Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proportion of invoices from suppliers her Department paid within 10 days of receipt in July and August 2010. [74391]
Mr David Jones: The Wales Office paid 99% of invoices within 10-days of receipt in July 2010; and 100% within 10-days of receipt in August 2010.
Departmental Buildings
Dr Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what (a) building and (b) refurbishment projects her Department plans in (i) the current and (ii) the next financial year; and what the cost will be of each such project. [74390]
Mr David Jones: The Wales Office has a plan of proposed work, developed in line with the most recent independent building survey, that aims to bring Gwydyr House, a grade II* listed building, up to a standard that complies with the relevant legislation and health and safety regulations.
Each project is separately evaluated at the appropriate time to ensure value for money. Thus, the plans listed as follows are not yet firmly costed and it is possible that not all will proceed within the timescale envisaged. Current planned projects for the financial years requested are listed in the following tables.
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Consultants
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what procedures her Department uses when engaging external consultants. [73112]
Mr David Jones: The Wales Office has not appointed any external consultants; if we were to appoint any we would follow Cabinet Office guidance.
Fines
Dr Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many transport-related fines her Department has settled on behalf of its staff; and at what cost in each year since 2007. [74393]
Procurement
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what contracts of a monetary value of (a) between £100,000 and £500,000, (b) between £500,000 and £1 million and (c) over £1 million her Department and its predecessor have entered into with private suppliers in each year since 1990. [74216]
Training
Dr Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many external training courses staff of her Department attended in the last 12 months; and what the cost to the public purse was of each course. [74392]
Mr David Jones: In the financial year 2010-11, Wales Office staff attended 12 external courses and weekly Welsh lessons provided by an external provider. A breakdown of courses is listed as follows:
| Course | Cost (£) |
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In addition to the courses listed above, an annual payment of £4,639 was paid to the National School of Government for a core training programme including e-learning sessions.
Third Sector
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many letters she has received on funding for civil society organisations within her Department's area of responsibility in each month since 1 June 2010; and if she will make a statement. [73991]
Mr David Jones: The Wales Office has no responsibility for funding civil sector organisations.
Cabinet Office
Government Departments: Procurement
Steve Rotheram: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) what recent progress his Department has made in its efforts to assist small and medium-sized enterprises in competing for Government contracts; [74731]
(2) whether his Department has made recent progress in encouraging small and medium-sized enterprises to compete for Government contracts. [74732]
Mr Hurd: The Government have made progress in encouraging small and medium enterprises to compete for Government contracts. We have published a progress report on ‘Making Government business more accessible to SMEs’ on the Cabinet Office website at:
www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/government-business-smes
The Cabinet Office aims to be an exemplar in terms of the measures put in place for all Departments. We have eliminated the use of pre-qualification questionnaires for procurements under the EU threshold of approximately £100,000; and all new contracts awarded since January 2011 are either on or being prepared to be put on Contracts Finder, the one stop shop that enables suppliers to find procurement opportunities, tender documents and contracts online, free of charge.
Steve Rotheram: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what progress has been made on creating common policies and practices for small and medium-sized enterprises involved in government procurement. [74734]
Mr Hurd: The Government are taking forward a series of measures to make it easier for SMEs to compete on a level playing field for Government contracts. These can be found on the Cabinet Office website:
www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/news/government-opens-contracts-small-business
SMEs can register on the Dynamic Marketplace and provide quick quotes for low value Government contracts (below £100,000), enabling them to bid and compete at minimal cost alongside larger suppliers.
We have introduced a shortened, simplified and standard set of core questions to be used when pre-qualification is required; this is mandated to all central Government Departments, and Baroness Eaton, Chair of the Local Government Group, has announced the intention of Local Government to adopt it.
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Contracts Finder provides a one stop shop to enable suppliers to find procurement opportunities, tender documents and contracts online, free of charge.
Public Sector
Mr Thomas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) what steps his Department has taken to encourage the development of public service mutuals in its area of responsibility; and if he will make a statement; [74839]
(2) what steps he is taking to put in place a right to provide for public sector workers to take over the running of services; and if he will make a statement. [74773]
Mr Hurd: The Cabinet Office is taking forward the Government's commitments to give public sector workers new rights to spin out to form new enterprises and continue to deliver public services, including through new mutuals and cooperatives. These rights will not be uniform across organisations.
The transformation of My Civil Service Pension is currently under way. On 5 July 2011 we created the company and we are currently in the process of identifying a private sector partner for My Civil Service Pension. As this process is under way at the moment it would be inappropriate to make any further statement at this time.
The Mutuals Support Programme is a fund of more than £10 million, administered by the Cabinet Office. It will be dedicated to supporting some of the most promising and innovative mutuals so that they reach the point of investment readiness. This will be supported by the Mutuals Information Service that will give help and guidance to potential and existing mutuals. These will be launched later in the autumn.
Deputy Prime Minister
Constituencies
Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the cumulative impact of five-yearly boundary redistributions on individual voter registration in different parts of the country. [75341]
Mr Harper: I am not aware of any evidence that the frequency of constituency redistributions has any impact on the means or outcomes of various systems of electoral registration. However, changes in the register arising from the movement of people over time do increase inequalities in the weight of a vote between constituencies. Holding reviews more frequently will reduce inequalities arising as a result of population movement, and will help ensure votes have more equal weight than at present.
Electoral Register
Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate he has made of the potential effects of individual voter registration on the number of people registered to vote in each social category. [75464]
18 Oct 2011 : Column 823W
Mr Harper: The Government are funding research to understand the current state of the electoral register including any variation by demographic group which will help us to better understand the way in which the move to individual registration will have an impact. Further research will be conducted with currently under-registered groups in order to ensure that as many people as possible are registered to vote, and to assist the transition to Individual Electoral Registration.
The Government will do everything it can to maintain the completeness of the electoral register. This includes phasing in the move to Individual Registration over two years so that people on the register who do not apply under the new system do not lose their vote at the 2015 general election. Every eligible elector will be asked in 2014 to register under the new system: this will include personal invites to people on the register, enquiries to households where no one is registered or people have moved, reminder letters and face to face doorstep canvassers. There will also be a publicity campaign run by the Electoral Commission and we are testing data matching to identify people missing from the register and looking at how we can increase the choices people have over how to register—including greater use of online registration.
Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the timetable is for proposed changes to electoral registration in respect of the (a) 2015 general election and (b) boundary review. [75465]
Mr Harper: The White Paper published on 30 June 2011 outlined the Government plans to implement Individual Electoral Registration.
The first Individual Electoral Registration canvass will take place in 2014, which will include a personal invite to electors on the register to apply under the new system, a household canvass of those properties where no one is registered or where there is evidence that an elector has moved, along with reminders and door-to-door canvassing for those who do not return their forms. Most existing electors on the register who do not register under the new system in 2014 will be carried forward for one year enabling them to vote in the 2015 general election.
After the general election there will be a further annual canvass, which will target any ‘carried forward' electors and reminders and doorstep canvassing for those who have not returned their forms. Only after the conclusion of these canvasses will those individuals who have not registered under the new system be removed from the electoral register.
The boundary review which is due to report in October 2018 will be conducted by reference to the electoral register due to be published by 1 December 2015.
Electoral Register: Rhyl
Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make an assessment of the improvement in registration rates in the West Ward of Rhyl. [75466]
Mr Harper:
There are no plans to carry out such an assessment. However, as part of the move to Individual Electoral Registration, the Government are reviewing existing research data and funding further research into the completeness and accuracy of the electoral register,
18 Oct 2011 : Column 824W
including the characteristics of those groups most likely to be missing from it in order to ensure that as many people as possible are registered to vote, and to assist the transition to Individual Electoral Registration.
Health
HIV
16. Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures he is taking to tackle HIV nationally. [74863]
Anne Milton: The United Kingdom has a relatively low prevalence of HIV. Men who have sex with men and people from Black African communities remain the groups most at risk of HIV. The Department invests nearly £3 million in national HIV prevention programmes for these groups which complement local HIV prevention by the national health service and others.
IVF
17. Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations he has received on the availability of IVF treatment through the NHS. [74864]
Anne Milton: I am meeting the right hon. Member for Bristol South (Dawn Primarolo) together with the National Infertility Awareness Campaign tomorrow to discuss national health service infertility services.
I have also recently received an update report from Infertility Network UK about their Primary Care Trusts Liaison Project that the Department sponsors, which I am currently considering.
Cancer Genomes
18. Stephen Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what support his Department is giving to projects to sequence cancer genomes. [74865]
Mr Lansley: The United Kingdom is among the world leaders in genomics research. The Department and National Institute for Health Research work with Cancer Research UK to fund Experimental Cancer Medicine Centres and support the Cancer Stratified Medicine Programme to improve genetic tests for cancer.
As part of the Cancer Outcomes Strategy, the Department will develop a commissioning and funding structure to enable the efficient delivery of high quality molecular diagnostic testing through centres of excellence.
Health and Wellbeing Boards
19. Dr Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to ensure that Health and Wellbeing Boards will be accountable to local communities. [74866]
Paul Burstow: Health and Wellbeing Boards would be accountable to local people through elected councillors. Engagement with local communities would be critical to the boards' work and they would have a duty to involve local people in preparing joint strategic needs assessments and joint health and well-being strategies.
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Obesity
20. Caroline Nokes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to tackle obesity. [74867]
23. Neil Parish: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to tackle obesity. [74870]
Anne Milton: The Government have published ‘A call to action on obesity in England’. This sets out how obesity will be tackled in the new public health and national health service systems, and the role of key partners.
The Government are working with key partners to help and support people to make healthier choices.
Pancreatic Cancer
21. Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the survival rate for pancreatic cancer in the UK compared with other developed nations; and if he will make a statement. [74868]
Paul Burstow: Research shows that if England's pancreatic cancer survival rates matched the best in Europe we would save 75 additional lives each year. Our cancer outcomes strategy sets out a range of actions to improve survival rates for all cancers, including pancreatic cancer.
Mental Health
22. Dr Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the therapeutic value of acute in-patient beds as a component of NHS mental health care; and if he will make a statement. [74869]
Paul Burstow: Improving acute mental health services is a priority in our mental health strategy. National health service patient and staff groups are working to ensure that in-patients receive high quality, safe care in an appropriate environment with a particular focus on recovery and integrating people back into their everyday lives.
Health Inequalities
24. Mr Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to reduce health inequalities; and if he will make a statement. [74871]
Anne Milton: The Health and Social Care Bill proposes the first ever legal duty on the Secretary of State for Health to have regard to the need to reduce health inequalities, covering national health service and public health functions. We are also addressing the health needs of the most vulnerable people through the Inclusion Health programme.
Abortion: Counselling
Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to bring forward draft regulations on abortion counselling; which organisations he plans to consult on such regulations; and if he will make a statement. [R] [72222]
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Anne Milton: Details of proposals on independent abortion counselling are currently being developed and will be subject to a wide public consultation.
Carers
Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 21 June 2011, Official Report, column 251W, on carers, what the outcomes were of the Standing Commission on Carers' visit to Cambridgeshire in July; and whether he has considered the merits of establishing a National Carers' Partnership Board to facilitate discussion with and highlight the needs of carers. [74665]
Paul Burstow: The Standing Commission on Carers on its visit to Cambridgeshire noted the good joint working between the council, the local national health service and voluntary organisations, who have developed some highly innovative initiatives that both identify and provide services for carers. The Cambridgeshire Partnership Board is a good example of local partnership working.
We have no plans to establish a National Carers Partnership Board. The Carers Strategy Cross Government Board and the Standing Commission on Carers fulfil these functions. We already have good partnership working across government and with delivery partners to take forward the carers strategy.
Cataracts: Health Services
Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients have been refused cataract treatment since the changes to eligibility criteria. [75489]
Mr Simon Burns: The Department does not set eligibility criteria for cataract surgery. Primary care trusts (PCTs) are responsible for commissioning services, taking into account the available evidence and the needs of the local population. PCTs are required to make decisions on the funding of drugs and treatments rationally, and following proper consideration of the evidence. If a PCT decides to prioritise funding for alternative drugs or treatments, it should be able to explain its decision and rationale. We have been clear that this should not lead to any blanket bans on procedures, and local processes should ensure eligibility criteria for procedures can take account of individuals' healthcare circumstances.
Cystic Fibrosis: Health Services
Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effect of NHS efficiency savings on services for people with cystic fibrosis. [75109]
Paul Burstow: The national health service has been asked to make efficiency savings with the purpose of redirecting the money back into meeting the additional demands for frontline care the NHS will face. We are clear that this does not mean reducing quality of care or the outcomes the NHS achieves; but doing things better including working together more closely with social care.
One of the potential areas identified for the NHS to achieve this is for patients with long term conditions. A national workstream has been set up to support them to
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achieve this, and it is centred on a generic model of care based on key principles of risk-profiling, neighbourhood care teams and self care/shared decision making. Teams based within local health economies participating in this workstream are applying these principles in line with local need.
By embedding these key principles in local health economies across the country this workstream aims to support the NHS to significantly reduce the number of unscheduled admissions and length of stay for people with LTCs. This will represent improved care and generate efficiency savings.