Northern Ireland
Public Sector Jobs
12. Mr Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on the reduction in public sector jobs in Northern Ireland. [74415]
Mr Paterson:
I last discussed economic matters with the First Minister and Acting Deputy First Minister yesterday. We all agree that Northern Ireland is overly
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dependent on public spending. The Government are committed to rebalancing the Northern Ireland economy by creating the conditions that will encourage the private sector to provide jobs for the future.
Corporation Tax
13. Dr Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on the devolution of powers in relation to corporation tax. [74416]
Mr Paterson: I discussed corporation tax, among other matters, with the First and Acting Deputy First Ministers yesterday. They will nominate Ministers to a Working Group chaired by my hon. Friend the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury which will clarify the key outstanding issues that need to be resolved in advance of decisions on whether to proceed. We expect the group to meet first in early November.
Construction Industry
14. Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the effects of reductions in public sector expenditure on the construction industry in Northern Ireland. [74417]
Mr Swire: We all recognise the importance of the construction industry to Northern Ireland and that is why the Executive has transferred £256 million to capital investment to promote infrastructure investment which will directly help the sector.
Bill of Rights
Ms Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress he has made on introducing a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland. [75187]
Mr Swire: The Government remains committed to resolving this issue but in a way that secures consensus. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland recently wrote to party leaders raising as a possibility work being taken forward by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Advertising
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much his Department has spent on advertising job vacancies since May 2010. [75626]
Mr Paterson: Since May 2010, my Department has advertised all vacancies on the civil service jobs website; no money was spent on external advertising.
Departmental Buildings
Dr Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what (a) building and (b) refurbishment projects his Department plans in (i) the current and (ii) the next financial year; and what the cost will be of each such project. [74362]
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Mr Paterson: The answer is as follows:
(a) My Department has undertaken one building project in this financial year in order to modify space in the department's London office. The estimated cost is £13,466 plus VAT. At this stage, there are no plans to undertake any building projects in the next financial year.
(b) The total amount spent on refurbishment for this financial year to date is £28,052. This expenditure relates to the maintenance of Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland for which the department is responsible. There are no current plans to undertake any refurbishment projects in the next financial year.
Official Hospitality
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much his Department spent on hospitality for events hosted by each Minister in his Department in each of the last 12 months. [73662]
Mr Paterson: Spending on hospitality for the last 12 months is set out in the following table:
| £ | ||
|
|
Secretary of State | Minister of State |
| (1) Figures for March 2011 and June 2011 included functions hosted by the Secretary of State for the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee and to promote the big society. | ||
Procurement
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many contracts his Department has advertised on the Contracts Finder website in each month since May 2010; what the value was of such contracts; what proportion were awarded to (a) third sector organisations and (b) small businesses; and if he will make a statement. [75161]
Mr Paterson: Since May 2010, my Department has not advertised any contracts on the Contracts Finder website.
Security
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps his Department is taking to improve cyber security in relation to his Department's estate; and if he will make a statement. [75160]
Mr Paterson:
Government takes cyber security very seriously and it has been categorised as a tier one threat to UK national security. £650 million is being invested over the next four years in a National Cyber Security
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Programme, working across Departments, with the private sector, international partners and citizens to improve the UK's cyber security capability.
The Northern Ireland Office routinely assesses the prevailing threats to its ICT systems and applies appropriate and proportionate measures in accordance with the Government standards set out in the Cabinet Office's Security Policy Framework (SPF); these standards are aligned with industry best practice approaches.
It is not in the interest of national security to make public details of particular improvements in relation to individual Departments as it may expose vulnerabilities to those who may seek to exploit them.
Jack Dromey: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether any (a) Ministers, (b) officials and (c) special advisers in his Department use private e-mail accounts for the conduct of Government business. [73205]
Mr Paterson: The Ministerial Code, the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers, and the Civil Service Code set out how Ministers, officials and special advisers should conduct Government business.
Northern Ireland Parades Commission
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) when he last met the Northern Ireland Parades Commission; [73072]
(2) what (a) written correspondence and (b) other representations his Department has received from the Northern Ireland Parades Commission on reviewing the powers, responsibilities and work of the Commission in each of the last three years. [73073]
Mr Paterson: I last met with the Northern Ireland Parades Commission on 17 October. The Parades Commission wrote to me in June to inform me they were conducting a review of the processes and framework of the Commission's work under the current legislation. This is the only correspondence of this nature I have received from the Parades Commission during my tenure as Secretary of State.
Northern Ireland: Politics and Government
Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent assessment he has made of the political situation in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement. [74408]
Mr Paterson: The recent elections in Northern Ireland demonstrated that there is strong support amongst the people there for the institutions, and the politics is stable. These are advances of tremendous importance. But stability alone is not enough. It is now time to move beyond the politics of the peace process and to work towards building a more prosperous Northern Ireland in which everyone has a genuinely shared future.
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Defence
Adam Werritty
Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department has issued a security pass to Mr Adam Werritty. [75499]
Mr Philip Hammond [holding answer 18 October 2011]: Mr Werritty has not been issued with a Ministry of Defence Main Building security pass. On the occasions of his visits to the building he was signed in on a visitor's pass in accordance with extant procedures.
Afghanistan
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many visits he has made to Afghanistan in the last 12 months. [74640]
Mr Philip Hammond: I have not visited Afghanistan but look forward to doing so.
Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations
Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the conditions faced by service personnel on active service in Afghanistan. [73594]
Mr Philip Hammond [holding answer 12 October 2011]: We regularly assess conditions for our service personnel in Afghanistan to ensure that we continue to do all that we can to assist them in what remains a dangerous, demanding and often austere operating environment.
To mitigate these harsh conditions we have in place a robust support and allowance package that is kept under regular review. This package includes a range of services such as shops, operational fitness equipment, and entertainment facilities. It also provides telephone and internet facilities and pastoral care by deployed chaplains. The services that individuals will be readily able to access will, however, understandably vary depending on their location.
Communication facilities, in particular, have been significantly improved in the last year. Iridium satellite phones, text link, e-mail and wi-fi internet access are now being provided at even some of the most austere locations. Moreover, in addition to the digital television that is provided in the main operating bases, British Forces Broadcasting Service has introduced an internet television facility to allow individuals a much broader range of options for what they can watch and when.
Air Force: Military Bases
Sir Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 5 September 2011, Official Report, column 76W, on Air Force: military bases, on what dates he discussed the RAF basing review with the Scottish Government; and if he will place in the Library the (a) agenda and (b) minutes of each discussion. [74972]
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Nick Harvey [holding answer 17 October 2011]: The First Minister of Scotland (Alex Salmond MSP), and the previous Secretary of State for Defence, the right hon. Member for North Somerset (Dr Fox), held two face to face meetings, on 11 January and 26 May 2011. These meetings took place when they were both in London and Glasgow respectively, and were not minuted.
As part of their regular liaison they also had a number of telephone conversations during the period in which the review of basing took place. They will have discussed a range of issues, including basing.
Armed Forces: Recruitment
Dr Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many persons were selected for each of the armed forces from each nation and region of the UK in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [74159]
Mr Robathan: The requested information is not held centrally. However, details of the number of entrants from recruitment centres around the UK have been placed in the Library of the House. This will give an indication of the geographical spread of recruitment but does not provide a comprehensive picture of where these individuals may reside as they may not always apply to join the services through their nearest career office or may choose other means by which to apply.
Royal Navy and Royal Marine officers are primarily recruited via regional officer careers liaison centres, each of which covers a large area of the UK. Army officers are recruited through regional army careers advisers (ACA) based at an armed forces careers office in the area.
Consultancy Firms: Security
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what security restrictions have been placed on employees of consultancy firms based outside the UK engaged by his Department who are (a) non-UK citizens and (b) UK citizens. [73093]
Peter Luff: Appropriate security controls are applied to all Ministry of Defence contractors, including consultancy firms, engaged on classified Defence contracts. These are based on the level of protectively marked material to which a contractor requires access and forms part of the contractual arrangement with the Department. Where individual access to UK classified information is required, appropriate security vetting checks are conducted in respect of both UK and non-UK nationals residing outside the UK.
Departmental Billing
Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the average cost to his Department was of processing the payment of an invoice in the latest period for which figures are available; and what proportion of invoices settled in that period his Department paid (a) electronically and (b) by cheque. [74991]
Mr Robathan: Information regarding the average cost to pay an invoice and the number of individual invoices paid electronically or by cheque is not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
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Information is available for the proportion of total payments made by value between electronic and cheque. For the first six months of financial year 2011-12 this was 99.3% and 0.7% respectively.
Departmental Buildings
Dr Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what (a) building and (b) refurbishment projects his Department plans in (i) 2011-12 and (ii) 2012-13; and what the cost of each such project will be. [74322]
Mr Robathan: A table showing the current Ministry of Defence programme of approved building and refurbishment projects and the total cost of these projects has been placed in the Library of the House. Data relating to spend in individual financial years and information relating to some office refurbishments are not held centrally or consistently and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
In 2011-12 some 700 upgrades are being carried out on service family accommodation at a cost of some £44 million. In financial year 2012-13 some 800 upgrades are planned at a cost of some £46 million.
In addition as part of a £1.4 billion investment programme, since 2003 some 40,000 new or improved single living accommodation bed spaces have been delivered. A further 20,000 are planned by 2013, subject to future funding decisions. The programme is being delivered through various initiatives across the Department. Again exact expenditure by year could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Legal Opinion: Costs
Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the average hourly rate paid was to external (a) solicitors and (b) barristers engaged by his Department in 2010-11; what guidance his Department uses in commissioning external legal advice; and if he will publish (i) the names of each external (A) solicitor and (B) barrister engaged by his Department in 2010-11 and (ii) the sums paid in each case. [72565]
Mr Robathan: The information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
However, in commissioning external legal services in England and Wales, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) follows the guidance provided by the Attorney-General's Office. Where possible, we choose counsel from a set of panels filled by competition by the Attorney-General's Office. These four panels reflect levels of experience and location. Those counsel who undertake to join the panels are paid fees according to set hourly rates appropriate to their panel. The rates are set out in the following table:
| Panel | Hourly rate (£) |
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Details of those counsel who are currently on the panels are available from the website of the Treasury Solicitor's Department:
www.tsol.gov.uk/attorney_generals_panel_of_counsel.htm
The MOD is required to seek the Attorney-General’s nomination in any case in which we wish to choose counsel who are not on the panel, for example, to use leading counsel. The panel system is also supplemented by the retention of two senior counsel known as ‘First Treasury Counsel’ to advise on, and represent the Department in, particularly complex and sensitive matters. Hourly rates of £220 have been agreed with the two current First Treasury Counsel, James Eadie QC and Jonathan Swift QC.
Similar arrangements exist in Scotland overseen by the Office of the Advocate-General. As with the Attorney-General in England and Wales, the Advocate-General maintains a panel of standing junior counsel in Scotland. The Advocate-General likewise approves nomination for the instruction of senior counsel.
When assistance from external firms of solicitors is required in England and Wales, the MOD also choose from panels of competitively selected firms, with which Government have negotiated fee rates. The MOD also instructs a panel of external law firms to provide commercial legal services in support of private finance initiatives and major Defence projects. Since January 2010, this panel consists of the following private firms: Denton Wilde Sapte, Shepherd and Wedderburn, Mills and Reeve, Pinsent Masons, Wragge and Co., Simmons and Simmons and Field Fisher Waterhouse. The MOD has in place framework agreements with each of these firms with rates which were agreed during the competitive selection process. Expenditure on the panel for 2010-11 is currently being collated.
In Scotland, the MOD acquires legal services for a period of four years by means of a competitive tendering exercise that is open to all law firms able to provide advice on Scots Law. From 1 September 2011, Morton Fraser LLP retained this contract following the competitive tender being found to provide best value to the MOD. I am withholding details of current rates charged, as their disclosure would prejudice commercial interests. I am however able to disclose that the fees paid in the last year of the former contract were £799,454, a lower figure than that incurred in each of the preceding two years.
Finally, in keeping with the Government's Transparency Agenda, since 2010 the MOD has subject to the accepted Freedom of Information and Data Protection exemptions, published details of payments of over £25,000 on a monthly basis at the following internet address:
http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/CorporatePublications/FinancialReports/ModSpend/ModSpendOver25000DataFiles.htm
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Departmental Manpower
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) full-time and (b) part-time staff his Department employed in each year since 1997. [74594]
Mr Robathan: The following table shows the breakdown of full-time and part-time employees in the Ministry of Defence and the numbers of locally engaged civilians and Royal Fleet Auxiliary personnel from 1997 to 2011, as at 1 April each year.
| As at April each year | Full-time | Part-time | Total | locally engaged civilians | Royal Fleet Auxiliary | Total headcount |
| Notes: 1. All numbers rounded to the nearest 10, numbers ending in five have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent systematic bias. 2. Full-time and part-time data split are not available for locally engaged civilians and Royal Fleet Auxiliary personnel, but they are deemed to be full-time for reporting purposes. 3. Headcount data have been used to ensure there is no statistical bias in presentation of full-time and part-time split in relation to full time equivalent value of part-time personnel. 4. April 2011 locally engaged civilian figures are ‘estimates’ due to non- availability of data. | ||||||
Departmental Press: Subscriptions
Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on newspapers, periodicals and trade profession magazines in 2010-11. [74997]
Mr Robathan: The Ministry of Defence has a contract with a supplier to provide newspapers and copy rate magazines at a discounted rate to units within the London area. Expenditure under this contract in 2010-11 was recorded as £58,810.36.
MOD units outside London may purchase newspapers under local arrangements. Information on expenditure under these local arrangements is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
A contract is also in place with a supplier to provide periodicals, journals and magazines on subscription. Expenditure under this contract in 2010-11 was recorded as £671,755.93.
Information on expenditure outside of this contract is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
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Education Maintenance Allowance
Michael Connarty: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he plans to announce the results of his Department's review of continuity of education allowance. [73999]
Nick Harvey: I refer the hon. Member to the statement I made on 13 October 2011, Official Report, columns 36-38WS.
Falkland Islands
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has any plans to visit the Falkland Islands to mark the 30th Anniversary of the Falklands conflict. [74475]
Mr Philip Hammond: I expect to take part in celebrations to mark the 30th Anniversary of the Falkland Islands conflict in London in 2012, but have no current plans to visit the islands.
Guided Weapons
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Exactor missiles have been used in (a) Afghanistan and (b) Iraq in the last three years. [75245]
Nick Harvey: The UK has deployed a range of systems in Iraq and Afghanistan to support coalition forces and to protect civilians. However, it would not be appropriate to make specific comment on individual capabilities as such disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.
Libya: Armed Conflict
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) sorties and (b) hours have been flown by UK (i) Typhoon, (ii) Tornado GR4, (iii) E-3D, (iv) VC10, (v) BAe 146, (vi) HS125, (vii) C-130 Hercules, (viii) Chinook HC2, (ix) C-17, (x) Tristar, (xi) Apache AH1, (xii) Sea King ASAC.7, (xiii) Lynx HMA.8, (xiv) Merlin HMA.1 and (xv) Sea King HC.4 aircraft during Operation Ellamy to date. [74110]
Nick Harvey: From the beginning of current operations in Libya up to 6 October 2011, UK aircraft have flown a total of around 2,900 combat and combat support sorties lasting a total of around 17,350 hours. Of these totals, the UK has flown around 2,000 strike sorties, including Fast Jet and Attack Helicopter, lasting a total of around 10,580 hours.
Combat operations include: Tornado GR4; Typhoon FGR4; and Apache AH 1.
Combat support operations include: Sentinel R1; Nimrod R1; Sentry AEW 1; VC10K3; VC10C1K; Tristar K; Maritime Helicopters (Lynx and Sea King ASAC.7); C130; and C-17.
The hours included for C130 and C-17 are for flights that landed in Libya only. Further flights in support of Operation Ellamy have been flown to and from Italy
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and Cyprus. However, the information on the hours and sortie numbers of these flights is not held in the format requested.
I am withholding information regarding sorties or hours flown for individual aircraft type as their disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.
Libya: Politics and Government
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what military aid, training or equipment has been offered to the Transitional National Council of Libya; and if he will make a statement. [74315]
Mr Philip Hammond [holding answer 13 October 2011]: The UK has not provided any military training to the National Transitional Council (NTC) of Libya. However, a military mentoring team in Libya has enabled the NTC to better protect civilians and civilian areas by providing the NTC with mentoring on information handling, internal organisation and processes, logistics, communications and planning.
The UK has also provided £1.5 million to fund civilian experts assisting in a weapons disposal programme. As part of this commitment, we have provided a small team of UK military specialists to work alongside the Libyans and United States in preventing the proliferation of surface-to-air missiles.
To support the NTCs security efforts, the UK has provided communications equipment, body armour and police uniforms for use by police in Benghazi.
As the previous Secretary of State for Defence, my right hon. Friend the Member for North Somerset (Dr Fox), announced during his visit to Tripoli, the UK has gifted items including binoculars, GPS systems, and lifejackets with a value of approximately £65,000 to help the Libyans recommence naval security operations. All equipment provided is fully in line with United Nations Security Council resolutions 1970 and 1973 including the arms embargo.
On 15 September 2011, the Prime Minister announced an additional £600,000 funding for the Mines Advisory Group to protect civilians from unexploded devices in Libya. This brings the UK's contribution to the clearance of explosive remnants of war in Libya to £780,000.
Military Bases
Mike Crockart: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the proportion of service families in Edinburgh who have chosen not to live in service family accommodation. [73359]
Mr Robathan: No estimate has been made of the proportion of service families in Edinburgh who have chosen not to live in service families accommodation (SFA). All eligible personnel who apply for SFA are offered accommodation within a reasonable distance of their duty station. Where personnel do not apply, personal preference will only be one of the relevant factors. Others may include eligibility or family commitments.
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Nimrod Aircraft
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what compensation has been paid to companies for the early cancellation of the (a) Nimrod MRA4 design, development and production contract, (b) Nimrod MRA4 simulator and training systems, (c) Nimrod MRA4 support solution, (d) Nimrod MR2 simulator service, (e) Harrier HPAC support contract, (f) Harrier engine support contract and (h) Harrier TIEC communications upgrade. [74115]
Peter Luff: Negotiations with BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce on contracts relating to the Nimrod MRA4 and Harrier programmes were concluded in the summer of 2011. However, I am withholding further details as their disclosure would prejudice commercial interests.
RAF Leuchars
Sir Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department has undertaken a sustainability assessment in relation to the transformation of RAF Leuchars into an Army base. [75189]
Nick Harvey: A high-level sustainability appraisal was undertaken in April 2011, which considered what the effects would be of changing RAF Leuchars to Army use, as well as of closing the site.
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More detailed sustainability and other environmental studies will be carried out, as part of the ongoing re-basing process.
Territorial Army
Natascha Engel: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many and what proportion of (a) full-time and (b) regular army reserve officers in each category died in (a) Afghanistan and (b) Iraq in each of the last five years. [73141]
Mr Philip Hammond: Since 1 April 2007, 26 UK full-time Army officers, which covers regular officers, Gurkha officers, and full-time reserve service officers, have died as a result of operations in Afghanistan or Iraq. Of these, 23 were as a result of operations in Afghanistan and three were as a result of operations in Iraq.
There have been no deaths of either regular Army reserve officers or Territorial Army officers deployed to Afghanistan or Iraq during the same period.
The following tables provide a breakdown of the number of full-time regular Army officer deaths by operation and financial year, and shows this as the proportion of those deployed and as a proportion of those on strength.
| Table 1: Full-time regular Army officer deaths as a result of operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, 1 April 2007 to 9 October 2011 by financial year, numbers, and percentage | |||||||
| All | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | |||||
| Category | N umber | N umber | Deployed (%) | Strength (%) | N umber | Deployed (%) | Strength (%) |
| 2009-10 | 2010-11 | 2011-12 (1) | |||||
| Category | N umber | Deployed (%) | Strength (%) | N umber | Deployed (%) | Strength (%) | N umber |
| (1) 201-12 Deployment data and strength data is not yet available. (2) Includes those who were killed in action or died of wounds as well as deaths due to accidents, natural causes, assaults, and coroner confirmed suicide or open verdicts. | |||||||
Unmanned Air Vehicle
Mr Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what potential savings in the costs of (a) training for and (b) operating the MQ-9B Reaper unmanned air vehicle and similar systems were identified by the Daedalus trial programme; [72962]
(2) for what reasons he has not implemented as standard practice the training model used in the Daedalus trial programme for piloting of unmanned air vehicles. [72963]
Peter Luff: There is currently no requirement to train non-pilot officers to operate unmanned air systems as the RAF has a sufficient number of trained pilots available to meet planned requirements.
There were no savings identified by the Daedalus trial.
Virtual Build
Mr Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on potential savings in the cost of equipment development through the use of virtual build. [72960]
Peter Luff: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is keen to encourage the use of efficient modern processes in the cost-effective development and manufacturing of military equipment among its suppliers and their supply chains. Exposure to the global market and competition ensures that industry remains well placed to take advantage of all such techniques, and the MOD undertakes direct research into industrial techniques when this is necessary to remain an intelligent customer.
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International Development
Departmental Pay
Mr Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will estimate the total monetary value of London weightings and London living allowances for staff in his Department. [74896]
Mr O'Brien: The Department for International Development (DFID) does not pay a separate London weighting or London living allowance. It does have in place two sets of salary scales for staff in grades below the senior civil service:
(1) National pay scale for staff based at its East Kilbride office;
(2) London pay scale for staff based at its central London office.
I have deposited in the Library a document where the appropriate pay scales can be found within.
Training
Dr Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many external training courses staff of his Department attended in the last 12 months; and what the cost to the public purse was of each course. [74360]
Mr O'Brien: DFID operates a decentralised Learning and Development system and does not hold central records of small scale spend. DFID does however publish all expenditure over £500, which can be found on our website:
http://www.dfid.gov.uk/About-us/How-we-measure-progress/DFID-spend/
Producing any other type of report would incur disproportionate costs.
Environment: Poverty
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what timetable he has set for the development of his Department's strategic document setting out the inter-relationship between environmental management, climate change and poverty alleviation. [73011]
Mr O'Brien: DFID will develop its strategic document setting out the inter-relationship between environment, climate change and poverty alleviation over the next six months and finalise it in May 2012. The document will be made publically available.
Scotland
Advertising
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department has spent on advertising job vacancies since May 2010. [75625]
David Mundell: The Scotland Office has incurred no expenditure on advertising job vacancies within the Department since May 2010.
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Departmental Correspondence
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has received representations concerning (a) the big society bank, (b) the Work programme and (c) volunteering since June 2011; and if he will make a statement. [75071]
David Mundell: Since June 2011, the Secretary of State for Scotland, the right hon. Member for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk (Michael Moore), and I have received various representations from individuals and organisations about the big society bank, the Work programme and volunteering. In addition to responding to such representations, we are providing proactive opportunities for stakeholders across Scotland to discuss these matters with us through a series of seminars on unemployment and roundtable meetings on the big society.
Departmental Re-location
Mr Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many civil servants in his Department have been (a) relocated and (b) agreed to relocation in the last 12 months; and to which areas of the UK. [74893]
David Mundell: The Scotland Office has not relocated or agreed to the relocation of any civil servants, in the last 12 months.
As staff are mainly on secondment from other Government bodies, any formal civil service relocation matters would be for the principal employers of our staff to consider.
Departmental Pay
Mr Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will estimate the total monetary value of London weightings and London living allowances for staff in his Department. [74894]
David Mundell: The Scotland Office has a number of staff based in London, all of whom are on secondment from other Government bodies. The majority are employees of the Ministry of Justice who have London rates of base pay and as such do not receive separately identifiable London weightings and London living allowances.
The remaining staff based in London are seconded from the Scottish Government and receive a London Pay Supplement, in addition to their normal salaries. From 1 April to 30 September 2011, a total of £1,310 was paid in London Pay Supplements.
Procurement
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many contracts his Department has awarded directly to third sector organisations in each month since May 2010; what the value was of such contracts; and if he will make a statement. [75162]
David Mundell:
Other than minor or bespoke purchases, the Scotland Office does not undertake direct procurement or tendering projects. It utilises existing service contracts between suppliers and the Scottish Government or the
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Ministry of Justice. Since May 2010 no direct contracts have been awarded to third sector organisations by the Scotland Office.
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland 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. [75163]
David Mundell: Other than minor or bespoke purchases, the Scotland Office does not undertake direct procurement or tendering projects. It utilises existing service contracts between suppliers and the Scottish Government or the Ministry of Justice. Since May 2010 only one contract has been issued directly by the Scotland Office. This was issued to the Royal Mail for its role in providing candidates’ free mailing in the Scottish parliamentary elections, the value of which was just over £6.4 million.
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many contracts his Department has advertised on the Contracts Finder website in each month since May 2010; what the value was of such contracts; what proportion were awarded to (a) third sector organisations and (b) small businesses; and if he will make a statement. [75165]
David Mundell: Other than minor or bespoke purchases, the Scotland Office does not undertake direct procurement or tendering projects. It utilises existing service contracts between suppliers and the Scottish Government or the Ministry of Justice. Since May 2010 only one contract has been issued directly by the Scotland Office, and this was issued to the Royal Mail during the Scottish parliamentary elections. The requirements of that contract, which were subject to article 61 of the Scottish Parliament (Elections etc.) Order 2010, meant that it was not appropriate to advertise on the Contracts Finder website.
Cyber-Security
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps his Department is taking to improve cyber-security in relation to his Department's estate; and if he will make a statement. [75164]
David Mundell: The Scotland Office uses an information technology system (SCOTS) operated by the Scottish Government, which are responsible for the procurement, administration, support, maintenance and security of the system. Under this arrangement, the Scotland Office is compliant with the security policies contained in the Government Security Policy Framework including those for information security and assurance.
Departmental Travel
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department has spent on first class travel by (a) air, (b) boat and (c) train since May 2010. [75534]
David Mundell:
The Scotland Office does not separately record information and expenditure on first class travel. It is Scotland Office policy not to use first class travel for officials. All ministerial travel is undertaken by the
19 Oct 2011 : Column 998W
most efficient and cost effective way, in accordance with the Ministerial Code, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.
Culture, Media and Sport
Broadband: Cleveland
Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what plans he has to provide funding to improve broadband internet connections in rural East Cleveland. [75236]
Mr Vaizey: The allocation of funding for East Cleveland was included within the £770,000 Tees Valley funding allocation announced in August.
Broadcasting
Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport with reference to paragraph 3(2) of Cm 8170 on broadcasting, what enabling measures would be needed to implement the matters set out in the framework agreement between his Department and the BBC; and whether any enabling measures other than the Public Bodies Bill will be needed to implement section 6 of the Framework Agreement. [75502]
Mr Vaizey: The definitive list of enabling measures necessary to implement the matters set out in the amended agreement cannot be determined at this stage.
I envisage that the enabling measures necessary for the reform of S4C include the Public Bodies Bill; an order under the Public Bodies Act, once passed; and that agreement to the governance and operational arrangements will be secured following the current discussions between S4C, the BBC and the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), on the partnership model.
Departmental Re-location
Mr Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many civil servants in his Department have been (a) relocated and (b) agreed for relocation in the last 12 months; and to which areas of the United Kingdom. [74958]
John Penrose: No civil servants in the Department have been relocated, and none have agreed to be relocated in the last 12 months.
Departmental Pay
Mr Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will estimate the total monetary value of London weightings and London living allowances for staff in his Department. [74959]
John Penrose: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport does not pay London weighting and London living allowance in addition to basic salaries. London weighting was consolidated into basic pay on 1 August 2004.
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Procurement
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport 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 and its predecessors have entered into with private suppliers in each year since 1990. [74207]
John Penrose: This information is not collated in the manner requested. Providing it would exceed the disproportionate cost limit.
However, we do hold information about contracts entered into by the Department with private suppliers between 2007 and 2011, which is set out in the following table. The values listed cover the entirety of the contracts, which vary in length between three and five years.
|
|
Contract title | Supplier(s) | Value |
|
Cultural Contact Point (jointly funded with the European Commission) |
|||
| (1) This amount is an estimate, as the contract has a fixed and variable pricing structure. | |||
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Departmental Travel
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much his Department has spent on first class travel by (a) air, (b) boat and (c) train since May 2010. [75523]
John Penrose: This Department spent £2,020 on first class train travel between May 2010 and September 2011. There was no expenditure on first class travel by air or boat in that period.
All travel by Ministers and staff is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code and the Civil Service Management Code.
Jack Dromey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether any (a) Ministers, (b) officials and (c) special advisers in his Department use private e-mail accounts for the conduct of government business. [73218]
John Penrose: The Ministerial Code, the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers, and the Civil Service Code set out how Ministers, officials and special advisers should conduct government business.
Olympic Games 2012: Facilities
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what assessment has he made of the likely effects of the decision to retain the Olympic Stadium in public ownership on the prospects for success of London's bid to host the 2017 World Athletics Championships. [74677]
Hugh Robertson: The Government have guaranteed to the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) that the Olympic Stadium will retain its running track for the 2017 World Athletics Championships. The decision to keep the stadium in public ownership reinforces the Government's commitment to a legacy of top-level athletics in the stadium from 2014, further strengthening our bid.
Olympic Games 2012: Scotland
Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the benefits to Scotland of the London 2012 Olympic Games; and if he will make a statement. [75214] [Official Report, 2 November 2011, Vol. 534, c. 1-4MC.]
Hugh Robertson [holding answer 17 October 2011]:The Government and the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) established the nations and regions group (NRG) to ensure UK-wide engagement and to maximise the legacy from London 2012. This group works directly with representatives from each of the nations and English regions to realise the sporting, economic, and cultural benefits of the 2012 games.
As part of the funding of the London 2012 activity in the nations and regions the Department is contributing towards the costs of the Scottish Government employing the Inspire programmer in Scotland from 2010-11 to 2012-13.
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Scotland stands to gain from the wide range of opportunities created by the 2012 games, through businesses winning games-related work, increased tourism and cultural celebrations. Some examples of how Scotland will benefit from the games are given as follows.
Over 19,800 schools and colleges across the UK have registered for LOCOG's London 2012 education programme, Get Set, including 1,251 in Scotland. That represents 44.7% of the total number of schools and colleges in the nation. 95 schools in the Fife area have registered for Get Set including Glenrothes High School.
Over 1,700 cultural or sporting projects across the UK have been awarded the Inspire mark. In Scotland 36 projects have been awarded Inspire marks. In June 2011, the Festival of Sport was launched in Scotland, Fife council participated in this Inspire marked project. The aim of the festival was using the inspiration of the games to profile physical activity and increase the membership of sports clubs.
The Legacy Trust have awarded £4.7 million for ‘The Scottish Project', a diverse range of cultural, sporting and educational activities, bringing together thousands of volunteers, artists and the public to leave a lasting legacy from London 2012 and Glasgow 2014.
In addition, 25 contracts have been awarded by the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) to businesses in the nation. These include KN Environmental Services Ltd from Perth who provided materials for the Aquatics Centre, Millstream Associates Ltd from Aberdeen who provided procurement services and Mason Land Surveys Ltd from Dunfermline who provided engineering services. The hon. Member can find a list of contractors on the ODA suppliers map at the link as follows:
http://www.london2012.com/get-involved/business-network/oda-suppliers/map.php
So far 4,072 companies in the nation have registered on Competefor (the website where London 2012 contract opportunities are advertised), and 48 contracts have been awarded to Competefor suppliers. Not all the information on ‘supply chain' level contracts is in the public domain. There may be other companies that have secured ‘supply chain’ contracts in the nation.
Locations across the UK, particularly those that are hosting international teams in pre-games training camps (PGTCs), have additional opportunities to realise the economic benefits of the games. Two agreements have been signed with teams to hold PGTCs in Scotland, with the National Olympic Committees of Zambia and Namibia. In addition, Hampden Park will host rounds of the football competition.
The Department is currently working with Glasgow 2014 Ltd on the post-games relocation of shooting range assets to Scotland. Furthermore, there is the potential for relocation of other facilities as part of the LOCOG post-games games equipment and assets transfers.
Work and Pensions
Council Tax Benefits
Mr Raynsford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was paid to each local authority to meet the cost of council tax benefit in each of the last five years. [73381]
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Steve Webb: The available information on payments in respect of council tax benefit paid to claimants has been placed in the Library. Information on payments in respect of local authority costs of administration is not separately available for council tax benefit.
Departmental Billing
Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average cost to his Department was of processing the payment of an invoice in the latest period for which figures are available; and what proportion of invoices settled in that period his Department paid (a) electronically and (b) by cheque. [74987]
Chris Grayling: The full cost, for the year ended 30 September 2011, of processing the payment of an invoice electronically is £0.45, and manually £3.32.
98.46% of invoices were settled electronically and 1.54% were paid by cheque.
Estate Maintenance
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the monetary value of the maintenance backlog on his Department's estate in each of the last five years; and what estimate he has made of the time required to complete such maintenance. [74258]
Chris Grayling: In 1998, the Department let a 20-year Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contract with Telereal Trillium for the provision of fully fitted and serviced accommodation, for which the Department pays an all-inclusive unitary charge. This unitary charge includes a risk price element for all aspects of building maintenance, repair, routine decoration and refurbishment, known as Life Cycle Works.
Detailed plans are produced by Telereal Trillium annually and reviewed by DWP to ensure that all proposed work is delivered to the Department's satisfaction. This ongoing programme of validation has ensured that DWP has no backlog of maintenance relating to its estate.
Departmental Lost Property
Mr Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many members of staff of his Department who lost laptop computers were issued with a final written warning in each of the last five years. [74464]
Chris Grayling: I refer the right hon. Member to the written answer I gave him on 12 October 2011, Official Report, columns 424-25.
The centrally held records cannot be broken down further to identify the action taken where employees lost laptops for the periods in question. To attempt to do so would involve disproportionate cost.
Mr Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many final written warnings were issued to staff of his Department who lost laptops, mobile telephones and Blackberry mobile devices between 1 May 2010 and 31 July 2011. [74465]
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Chris Grayling: I refer the right hon. Member to the written answer given to him on 12 October 2011, Official Report, columns 424-25.
The centrally held records cannot be broken down further to identify the action taken where employees lost laptops, mobile telephones and Blackberry mobile devices for the periods in question. To attempt to do so would involve disproportionate cost.
Departmental Pay
Mr Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the total monetary value of London weightings and London living allowances for staff in his Department. [74910]
Chris Grayling: DWP does not have London weightings or London living allowances. For senior civil servants (SCS) there are no pay differentials for staff working in London. For staff below SCS there are separate pay scales for staff working in inner London and outer London and the pay scales are between £1,250 and £5,280 higher than national pay scales.
We estimate that the additional cost is £45.317 million for the 14,025 staff working in London.
Sick Leave
Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for how many days on average his Department's staff in each pay grade were absent from work as a result of ill health in 2010-11. [75022]
Chris Grayling: The Department for Work and Pensions is committed to reducing sickness absence and has made significant improvements in recent years. We have cut absence rates from a peak of 11.1 average days lost in March 2007 to 8.1 average days lost in March 2011. Currently the Department is operating at 7.8 average working days lost.
The following table shows a breakdown of average working days lost (AWDL) in each pay grade for 2010-11.
| Grade | AWDL |
Jack Dromey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether any (a) Ministers, (b) officials and (c) special advisers in his Department use private e-mail accounts for the conduct of government business. [73199]
Chris Grayling: The Ministerial Code, the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers, and the Civil Service Code set out how Ministers, officials and special advisers should conduct government business.
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Jobseeker’s Allowance: Education
Dr Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what support his Department provides to individuals in receipt of jobseeker’s allowance who enrol on short college courses. [74185]
Chris Grayling: The Government recognises the importance that education and skills can play in helping people find work. Jobseekers may undertake up to two weeks of full-time training in any 12-month period, with the agreement of their Jobcentre Plus adviser, without jeopardising their benefit entitlements. Jobseekers who have been on jobseeker's allowance for more than six months are able to access training for up to 30 hours per week for up to eight weeks, subject to the agreement of their adviser, and still remain on jobseeker's allowance. Jobseekers can also undertake part-time education or training at any point in their claim and continue to receive jobseeker's allowance as long as they continue to meet the basic conditions of entitlement.
For other types of training, the Department can pay training allowances instead of jobseeker's allowance. But this, like help to cover travel costs for accessing training, or paying for replacement adult or child care to enable a claimant to undertake training, is met from the Flexible Support Fund and is discretionary.
The Department for Work and Pensions works with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, the Scottish Government and the Welsh Government to ensure that publicly-funded skills and training support available to benefit recipients complements the employment support provided by Jobcentre Plus.
Social Security Benefits: Appeals
Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average time was between submission of an appeal against a decision on the award of (a) employment and support allowance and (b) disability living allowance and the appeal hearing in the latest period for which figures are available. [73327]
Chris Grayling: In the current year, April 2011 to September 2011, the average actual clearance time (AACT) for an employment and support allowance (ESA) appeal was 35.2 days. For the same period the average actual clearance time (AACT) for a disability living allowance (DLA) appeal was 31.9 days.
The start date for measuring the clearance time is the date that a duly made appeal is received within the Department of Work and Pensions. The end date is when the appeal submission is issued to Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS).
In addition, the table shows the average time taken from receipt of an appeal at HMCTS to the date of the first appeal hearing for employment and support allowance and disability living allowance appeals.
The information covers 1 April to 31 August 2011, the latest period for which figures are available.
19 Oct 2011 : Column 1005W
|
|
Average time in weeks from receipt at HMCTS to first hearing |
Waiting times for a hearing result from an unexpectedly high level of appeals. In response, HMCTS has significantly increased its capacity and, nationally, published management information showing that 28% more social security and child support appeals were cleared between 1 April and 31 August 2011 when compared with the same period in 2010 (and 72% when compared with this period in 2009). In August 2011 clearances were 27% higher than August 2010, and 84% higher than August 2009. The number of disposals in August 2011 exceeded receipts for the eighth consecutive month. Further capacity increases are in hand.
The source of the data is the Management Information System Programme (MISP). MISP is the departmental performance management, data capture and reporting tool. This type of internal management information does not form part of the official statistics outputs that are released by the Department in accordance with the UK Statistics Authority's Code of Practice.
Sources:
1. HMCTS Social Security and Child Support monthly returns
2. Department for Work and Pensions - Management Information Statistics
Work Capability Assessment: Wales
Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in (a) Wales and (b) Wrexham (i) applied for incapacity benefit, (ii) were requested to attend a personal capability assessment, (iii) had their incapacity benefit refused following an assessment and (iv) had their incapacity benefit reinstated following a review or appeal in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [74624]
Chris Grayling: Since October 2008, new claims to incapacity benefits have been made to employment and support allowance so the only flows to old-style incapacity benefits—incapacity benefit (IB) and severe disablement allowance (SDA)—have been from linked claims. Information on flows to incapacity benefits and other benefits can be found on the Department's Tabulation Tool at the following link:
http://83.244.183.180/flows/flows_on/tabtool.html
For example, the following link shows flows onto old-style incapacity benefits for people of working age by region/country. This shows the number of flows in the year to February 2011 was 1,820 in Wales:
http://83.244.183.180/flows/flows_on/ibsda/cdquarter/ccgor/ccclient/a_carate_r_cdquarter_c_ccgor_p_ccclient_working_ age.html
The number of flows onto old-style incapacity benefits in Wrexham local authority area is around 60. This is calculated from further breakdowns available using the tabulation tool.
Information tracking people claiming old-style incapacity benefits and what happened to them at the personal capability assessment (PCA) is only held from October 2008 onwards. At this stage most assessments related to existing longer term incapacity benefit claims and not
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new incapacity benefit claims, (i.e. repeat PCAs and not the initial PCA). Therefore, information relating to both initial and repeat PCAs combined has been presented.
Table 1 shows information on the number and outcomes of PCAs carried out between March 2010 and February 2011 (the latest data available). Note that the information in Table 1 cannot be directly compared to data on new claims to IB as the data contain information on repeat PCAs which make up the vast majority of PCAs carried out in this time period.
| Table 1: Personal capability assessments outcomes, March 2010 to February 2011 | ||||
|
|
PCA exempt | Disallowed at PCA | Pass PCA | Total |
| Notes: 1. The information in the table is from benefit claims data held by the Department for Work and Pensions and functional assessment data sourced from Atos Healthcare. 2. Figures are rounded to the nearest 100 claims and totals may not sum due to rounding. | ||||
Table 2 shows information on appeals that have been heard relating to PCAs carried out between March 2010 and February 2011 (as in Table 1). The Department only holds information on appeals once they have been heard by the Tribunal Service. Due to the time it takes for appeals to be submitted to the Tribunals Service and heard, it is likely there are more appeals that have not yet been heard, so the number of appeals is likely to change as more up to date information becomes available.
| Table 2: Appeals heard for PCAs completed between March 2010 and February 2011 by decision made by the Tribunal Service | |||
|
|
Decision in favour of appellant | Decision upheld | Total |
| Notes: 1. The data presented above come from benefit claims data held by the Department for Work and Pensions, functional assessment data from Atos Healthcare and appeals data from the Tribunals Service. 2. Figures are rounded to the nearest 100 claims and totals may not sum due to rounding. | |||
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Balkans: Politics and Government
Stephen Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to help increase stability in Kosovo and the Western Balkans. [75062]
Mr Lidington: We believe that EU accession, and the accession process itself, is the best guarantee for bringing about long-term stability in the Western Balkans. As I said in response to the EU enlargement progress reports, we remain clear that the future of the Western Balkans lies in the EU once the full range of criteria have been met.
In addition to our support for the EU accession process, the UK also pursues a range of activity in the region aimed at increasing stability. The Western Balkans has been allocated £5.52 million this financial year as
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part of the Conflict Prevention Fund. Project work is also funded through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's (FCO) Diplomatic Values and Influence Fund—Reuniting Europe. Some examples of the steps the FCO has taken to help increase stability in the Western Balkans include:
In Albania project work supports the Supreme Court, Bar Chamber and Parliament. For example, the parliamentary project is working to tackle the political stalemate through supporting dialogue in Parliament.
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the UK provides secondees to the EU Police Mission and the Ministry of Public Security. The UK strongly supports the role of the EU-led Peacekeeping Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, EUFOR Althea, contributing troops, and has seconded a UK national to support the work of the EU Special Representative Peter Sorensen. The UK also commits programme funding to post-conflict reconciliation and Srebrenica-related projects.
In Kosovo, the UK currently provides over 30 secondees to the EU Rule of Law Mission (EULEX), including the Deputy Head of Mission, judges, police officers and the Head of Customs. The UK is also funding conflict-related projects, such as on post-war property issues. Kosovo's progress as an independent state is crucial for the region's stability and to this end the UK remains actively engaged in lobbying for further recognitions. I have met the leaders of the Kosovan and Serbian delegations to the EU-facilitated dialogue, as the UK strongly supports the dialogue as a means for stabilising relations between Pristina and Belgrade.
In Macedonia, the FCO supported the Ohrid Framework Agreement academic conference in June. This reinforced the importance of closer inter-ethnic relations as a way of further securing stability in the country.
In Montenegro, the UK is providing project support to assist with the implementation of the reforms required for EU and NATO membership. This will enable Montenegro to be a stable country inclusive of ail its communities and making progress towards its Euro-Atlantic ambitions.
In Serbia, the UK is spending £500,000 in this financial year supporting conflict prevention activity, including activities strengthening civil society links between Serbia and Kosovo, improving access for ethnic minorities to state institutions, and increasing the range of Serbian actors involved in reconciliation activity.
British Nationals Abroad: Rape
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information his Department holds on (a) how many and (b) what proportion of cases of a British citizen being raped abroad have (i) reached trial and (ii) resulted in a conviction in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement. [75204]
Mr Bellingham: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has an electronic database used to record our individual consular case handling. However, the database does not capture the specific statistics requested.
We take any report of rape or sexual assault seriously and will offer support as soon as possible and in private. The support we offer to British nationals who are victims of rape or sexual assault overseas is set out in our public guide ‘Support for British Nationals Abroad: A Guide’.
Colombia: Armed Conflict
Mr Bain:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations his Department has made to the government of Colombia
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on bringing to justice perpetrators of sexual violence against women and children during the armed conflict in that country. [73385]
Mr Jeremy Browne: The Government condemns all forms of violence against women and children.
We regularly call on the Colombian authorities to investigate human rights abuses fully and to take the necessary steps to protect those at risk including women and children.
Commonwealth
Mr Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to promote the Commonwealth. [74930]
Mr Bellingham: The Prime Minister will be leading a high-level ministerial team to the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting (CHOGM) in Perth this month, which includes the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), and the Minister for the Commonwealth, my right hon. and noble Friend, Lord Howell of Guildford. This is a public demonstration of our commitment to the Commonwealth and to strengthening it as a focus for democracy, development and prosperity. We take every opportunity to raise the Commonwealth in public fora, and to promote and support the network's activities in the political, parliamentary, civil society, educational and professional spheres. The Prime Minister, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, the Secretary of State for International Development, my right hon. Friend the Member for Sutton Coldfield (Mr Mitchell), the Minister for the Commonwealth, and I have all spoken publicly and had articles published about the importance we attach to this unique organisation. During the last year, Ministers have visited more than 20 Commonwealth countries. We regularly meet our Commonwealth counterparts. As the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs said earlier this year, we want to put the Commonwealth
“back at the very heart of British foreign policy”.
Departmental Allowances
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much members of his departmental management board have claimed in expenses since May 2010. [74948]
Mr Lidington: To ensure transparency the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) management board publishes, at regular intervals, records of their expenses on the FCO website. A record of expenses for the period April 2010 and March 2011 can be found on
http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/publications-and-documents/publications1/annual-reports/senior-staff-expenses/
Data for the period April 2011 to 30 September 2011 will be published by the end of October.
Departmental ICT
Dr Whiteford:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the original estimate was for the cost to the public purse of his
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Department's Prism IT enterprise resource planning system in current prices; what the final cost was at the time of completion in current prices; and whether additional costs have been incurred since completion. [73917]
Mr Lidington: Prism has given greater access to over 10,000 Foreign and Commonwealth Office staff globally in more than 200 locations to HR and financial management tools and has simplified processes and enabled efficiencies. The value of the contract in current prices was £55.68 million when it was signed in January 2002. The original contract was extended by two years up to January 2012 to deliver additional new requirements that had not been originally planned. Final costs are not available until the end of the contract, as there is still on-going support and maintenance and some additional development
Departmental Re-location
Mr Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many civil servants in his Department have been (a) relocated and (b) agreed to relocation in the last 12 months; and to which areas of the UK. [74919]
Mr Bellingham: Aside from its posts overseas the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has staff working in London, Milton Keynes and Hanslope Park (north of Milton Keynes). Staff are able to bid for jobs in any of these locations but we do not compel staff to move to a different work location in the UK. Many choose to change the location of their work without relocating their home. During the last 12 months no civil servants have been relocated within the UK at public expense.
Departmental Pay
Mr Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will estimate the total monetary value of London weightings and London living allowances for staff in his Department. [74920]
Mr Bellingham: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) pays a location allowance in London which is not directly linked to cost of living. It is funded from savings made in overseas allowances and leave. It is not reckonable for pension purposes. The FCO paid a total of £6,969,616 in 2010-11.
Falkland Islands: Anniversaries
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his Argentinian counterpart on the 30th anniversary of the Falklands conflict. [74494]
Mr Lidington: The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, my hon. Friend the Member for Taunton Deane (Mr Browne), has not had any discussions with his Argentine counterpart about the 30th anniversary of the Falklands conflict. However, planning is under way across Whitehall and on the Falkland Islands for next year's 30th anniversary commemoration events. There are no plans for a joint Anglo-Argentine commemorative event.
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Forced Marriage Unit: Finance
Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the operational budget was for the Forced Marriage Unit in (a) 2009-10 and (b) 2010-11. [75372]
Mr Bellingham: The operational budget for the Forced Marriage Unit was:
| £ | ||
Forced Marriage Unit: Manpower
Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many staff the Forced Marriage Unit employed in (a) 2008-09, (b) 2009-10 and (c) 2010-11. [75371]
Mr Bellingham: The Forced Marriage Unit employed seven members of staff in:
(a) 2008-09
(b) 2009-10
(c) 2010-11
Israel: Politics and Government
Mr Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has recently raised the issue of illegal settlement building with his Israeli counterpart. [73296]
Mr Hague: We raise the issue of settlements, which we view as illegal under international law, with the Israelis on a regular basis.
Following the announcement by the Israeli Government of the creation of a new settlement at Givat Hamatos, I issued the following statement:
“I am dismayed by the Israeli announcement on 14 October of a new settlement at Givat Hamatos. This provocative step, which further encloses East Jerusalem, is particularly disappointing given the international condemnation of the expansion of the Mordot Gilo settlement just a few weeks ago. Settlements are not only illegal under international law, but also undermine the possibility of a two state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and those working for a sustainable peace. I call again for these announcements to be revoked. Together with our EU and other partners we will make very clear to the Israeli government the strength of our concern.”
I raised the issue of settlements with the Israeli Foreign Minister when I met him at the UN General Assembly on 23 September. The British ambassador to Tel Aviv raised the issue of the Mordot Gilo settlement and UK concerns with both Israeli National Security Adviser Amidror and chief negotiator Molho on 2 October. The Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for North East Bedfordshire (Alistair Burt), raised this issue with the Israeli ambassador to London on 3 October.
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Libya: Armed Conflict
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of UK citizens who travelled to Libya to participate in the military action undertaken by the National Transitional Council; and if he will make a statement. [74746]
Alistair Burt: We are unable to provide an estimate of British nationals, or dual British/Libyan nationals, who travelled to Libya to participate in military action. Since the initial evacuation of British nationals in February, we have had no consular presence in Libya. British nationals are not obliged to inform the Government of their travel plans.
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of UK citizens wounded in military actions in Libya. [74747]
Alistair Burt: We are aware of one British national who was killed and one who has been injured in Libya since March 2011. However, it has not been possible to make a reliable estimate of the number of British nationals wounded in military action.
Middle East: Overseas Aid
Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what contribution has been made by (a) the Government and (b) the EU to the funding of the Middle East Quartet in each of the last five years. [75367]
Alistair Burt: The Government have been seconding three members of staff to work in the Office of the Quartet Representative since 2007. Two members of staff are funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and one by the Department for International Development (DFID). In 2007-08 DFID provided £400,000 for running costs. Since then the Government have not provided any further financial contributions to the Middle East Quartet, other than the staff mentioned above. We are not aware of any EU funding to the Quartet.
Moldova: Armed Conflict
Stephen Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to encourage a political solution to the conflict in Transnistria. [75064]
Mr Lidington: The UK supports international efforts to find a sustainable settlement on Transnistria and welcomes the agreement reached on 22 September to resume official negotiations in the 5+2 format, in which the EU holds observer status.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Ministers and senior officials regularly discuss the Transnistrian issue with their EU and other counterparts. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) and I discussed it with the Moldovan Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs and European
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Integration Minister, Iurie Leanca, in London on 7 September. The Foreign Secretary also raised it with Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, in Moscow on 12 September.
The UK, drawing on its own experience of conflict resolution in Northern Ireland, is active in conflict prevention and confidence building work on the ground. The British embassy Chisinau's flagship Transnistrian Dialogues programme helps to bring together groups from both sides of the Nistru to discuss shared problems and identify solutions. The embassy is engaged in a number of other initiatives, including on the important subject of guarantees that could underpin the process leading to a settlement and an eventual settlement itself. An FCO-funded Political-Military Adviser is seconded to the OSCE Mission to Moldova.
Roads: Accidents
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the incidence of road traffic accidents abroad involving British nationals; and if he will place a copy of any such research in the Library. [75085]
Mr Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has not commissioned any research on the incidence of road traffic accidents abroad. The FCO's Travel Advice and our ‘Know Before You Go' publicity campaigns occasionally refer to statistics on road traffic accidents abroad. These statistics are obtained from the Department for Transport and independent automobile associations.
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) how many deaths of British citizens occurred as a result of road accidents in (a) 2007, (b) 2008, (c) 2009, (d) 2010 and (e) 2011 to date by country; [75087]
(2) what information his Department holds on the age profile of road traffic deaths of British citizens abroad by country in each of the last five years. [75232]
Mr Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has an electronic database used to record our individual consular case handling. However, the database does not capture the specific statistics requested.
Syria: Politics and Government
Mr Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with which foreign counterparts he has had recent discussions on the situation in Syria. [73275]
Mr Hague: I have had recent discussions about the situation in Syria with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, with Foreign Ministers from the Arab league, Turkey, South Africa, Brazil, Nigeria, Russia, Italy, Jordan and the United States and with my EU colleagues at the Foreign Affairs Council on 10 October. Most recently, I discussed Syria with Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Jabr Al-Thani of Qatar and President Aziz of Mauritania.
In my discussions, I made clear the UK's condemnation of the violence against civilians who are expressing their views in peaceful protests, and the need for the Syrian
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authorities to show restraint and to respond to the legitimate demands of people with immediate and genuine reform, not brutal repression.
We have also led work to secure UN action. The UN Security Council Presidential Statement issued on 3 August condemned the violence in Syria. On 4 October, the Security Council voted on a draft UK, French, German and Portuguese resolution on Syria, condemning the Syrian regime's use of force, calling for an end to violence, and threatening sanctions. Nine of the fifteen members of the UNSC voted in favour of this Resolution, but Russia and China regrettably chose to block it. It is a mistake on their part to side with a brutal regime rather than with the people of Syria.
Tourism
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British citizens travelled abroad (a) as tourists and (b) on business by country in each of the last five years. [75240]
Mr Lidington: While the Foreign and Commonwealth Office does have a facility for British nationals to register their overseas travel plans, registration is entirely voluntary. We are therefore unable to provide the statistics and profile of travellers requested.