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Written Answers to Questions
Friday 21 October 2011
Attorney-General
Serious Fraud Office
Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Attorney-General (1) how much was spent by his Department on meeting home to work travel costs for the Chief Executive of the Serious Fraud Office in 2010-11; [74582]
(2) how much the Serious Fraud Office spent on meeting the travel to work costs of each of its employees in receipt of such costs in the latest period for which figures are available; [74585]
(3) how many staff in the Serious Fraud Office have the costs of travelling from home to work met by their employer. [74586]
The Solicitor-General: The travel costs for the chief executive for 2010-11 was £12,600. This was a benefit in kind payment. These payments arise from her home being out of London.
For the last financial year in which accounts were submitted on behalf of the SFO, the amount spent on meeting the travel to work costs for those staff with an approved entitlement for reimbursement was £57,880.50 (this includes the chief executive).
During the period for which the above figure is provided, nine staff are entitled to have the cost of travel from home to work met by the SFO.
Telephone Hacking: Metropolitan Police
Mr Meacher: To ask the Attorney-General whether he has made representations to the Metropolitan police concerning their decision to invoke the Official Secrets Act in respect of the Guardian's journalistic sources in the Milly Dowler telephone hacking case. [76286]
Business, Innovation and Skills
Chief Scientific Adviser
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the resource budget allocation was for the office of his Department's chief scientific adviser in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [72442]
Mr Willetts: The chief scientific adviser's office was established in May 2008. The resource budget allocations for the following three years were:
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£ |
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The low figure for 2009/10 was caused by maternity leave for a Grade 7, a senior executive officer joining later in year with an existing budget provision, and an executive officer on loan from another Government Department. These were one-off factors that did not carry over into the following financial year. Forecasts for the same period were as follows:
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£ |
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what his policy is on requiring his Department's (a) agencies and non-departmental public bodies and (b) contractors to have a written code of practice or protocol relating to the provision, conduct and quality assurance of scientific evidence and advice. [72445]
Mr Willetts: The information is as follows:
(a) This Department is committed to handling science and engineering advice in accordance with the Government chief scientific adviser's guidelines on the use of science and engineering advice in policy making. In addition the Government Office for Science have issued guidelines on Scientific Analysis in Policy Making which sets out the way in which all Government Departments should obtain and use scientific analysis and advice in policy making.
(b) This Department does not require contractors to have a written code of practice or protocol for such services. The Department would seek to procure such services via a competitive process. As part of that process bidders' proposals, including their ability to provide, conduct and quality assure their work would be fully evaluated to ensure the successful bid is fit for purpose.
Higher Education: Admissions
Damian Hinds: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many and what proportion of young people in each local authority area began a course at (a) a university, (b) a Russell Group university and (c) Oxford or Cambridge University in the latest year for which figures are available. [73128]
Mr Willetts: The latest information on the numbers of young (aged under 21 on entry) undergraduate entrants from each local authority area in England who began a course at a UK higher education institution, a Russell Group university and Oxford or Cambridge university are shown in the table which will be placed in the Libraries of the House. Figures for the 2010/11 academic year will become available from January 2012. Equivalent figures for entrants studying higher education courses in further education colleges are not available.
The Department does not collect data on the number of residents in a particular local authority area who are not in higher education, which would be necessary to calculate a proportion. It is, therefore, not possible to calculate the proportion of young people in each local authority area who began a higher education course.
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Higher Education: Disadvantaged
Damian Hinds: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many and what proportion of young people in each percentile of lower layer super output areas according to income deprivation affecting children indices began a course at (a) a university, (b) a Russell Group university and (c) Oxford or Cambridge University in the latest year for which figures are available. [73127]
Mr Willetts: The information requested is not held centrally.
The following publications on participation in higher education may be helpful.
The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) “Performance Indicators in Higher Education” include the proportion of entrants who are from state schools, lower socio-economic classes or low participation neighbourhoods.
http://www.hesa.ac.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2072<emid=141
The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) report “Trends in young participation in higher education: core results for England”, January 2010 tracks proportions of young people from different backgrounds entering Higher Education:
http://www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/hefce/2010/10_03/
The BIS publication “Widening Participation in Higher Education: Analysis of progression rates for young people in England by free school meal receipt and school type”, August 2011, includes estimated information on young people by free school meal status progressing to higher education at national and local authority level:
http://www.bis.gov.uk/analysis/statistics/higher-education/official-statistics-releases/widening-participation-in-higher-education/analysis-of-progression-rates-for-young-people-in-england-by-free-school-meal-receipt
National Centre for Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research
Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what projects have been carried out by the National Centre for Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research on behalf of the Government since May 2010. [74270]
Mr Willetts: The National Centre for Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs) does not undertake individual projects on behalf of the Government.
The NC3Rs is an independent organisation which works with the scientific community to discover and promote new ways to replace, reduce and refine the use of animals. The centre was recently tasked to lead in the delivery of the Government's pledge to work to reduce animal use in scientific research. The NC3Rs strategy and work plan is approved by its independent board.
I recently attended the launch of the NC3Rs CRACK IT initiative, the aim of which is to develop new technologies for industry with 3Rs benefits by connecting and funding scientists from academia and industry. More information can be found on the CRACK IT website:
www.crackit.org.uk
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The event also publicised a review of the NC3Rs research portfolio “Research Review 2011” describing some of the science it has funded to find new ways of replacing and reducing the use of animals in scientific procedures and improving animal welfare. The report and a list of all projects funded by the NC3Rs can be accessed on their website:
http://www.nc3rs.org.uk
Awards granted in 2011 can be viewed at:
http://www.nc3rs.org.uk/news.asp?id=1558
Skills and Jobs Retention Group
Stephen Gilbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills who the members are of the Skills and Jobs Retention Group; how many times it has met since it was established; what its budget is; and how many people it has assisted in finding new employment. [76163]
Mr Prisk: The Skills and Jobs Retention Group has met formally 10 times. In addition, there has been regular discussion between group members, other individuals, business and organisations to progress work.
The group itself has no budget although it worked closely with SEMTA to ensure that they secured £450,000 funding from the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES) Employer Investment Fund for the system design and implementation of the new national web-based exchange—the Talent Retention Solution (TRS).
This allowed the TRS to be launched in July. This is a solution designed by business for business. No assessment has yet been made of precisely how many people have been assisted by the TRS so far. However, good progress is being made with more than 150 companies registered on the website and, based on our discussions with them, we expect significant vacancies to come onto the system in the months ahead.
The membership of the group is as follows:
| Member |
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Senior Vice President and Head of Centre of Excellence—Airbus |
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Director of Advanced Manufacturing and Services—Department for Business Innovation and Skills |
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Students: Finance
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what information his Department holds on the number of students who interrupted their studies due to illness in each of the last five years, but returned to study in the following academic year. [73686]
Mr Willetts: Information on students interrupting their studies due to illness and returning the following academic year is not held centrally.
Cabinet Office
Childbirth
Mr Evennett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many children were born at (a) Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Woolwich, (b) Darent Valley Hospital, Dartford and (c) Princess Royal Hospital, Farnborough in each of the last five years. [76354]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated October 2011:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many children were born at (a) Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Woolwich, (b) Darent Valley Hospital, Dartford and (c) Princess Royal Hospital, Farnborough in each of the last five years (76354).
Figures for live births by hospital have been compiled from birth registration data. Information on place of birth is provided by the informant at registration rather than by the hospitals themselves.
| Live births occurring in selected hospitals, 2006 to 2010 | |||||
| Communal establishment | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
Communities and Local Government
Housing Revenue Accounts
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assumption on the proportion of council housing stock which will be sold in future years he plans to use to calculate the adjustment of housing revenue account debt settlements to reflect changes in future income following changes to discounts on right-to-buy sales. [75878]
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Andrew Stunell [holding answer 20 October 2011]: We will ensure that the changes to right-to-buy policy work alongside the devolved system of council housing finance. We will set out our proposals for doing this in due course.
Housing: Older People
Rory Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he is taking to enable older people living in rural areas to remain in their own homes as they grow older. [75661]
Andrew Stunell: Our programme for Government included a commitment to support older people to live independently at home. To support that commitment Government have protected funding for Disabled Facilities Grant which delivers adaptations that enable disabled people to live comfortably and independently in their homes. By the end of the spending review period the national Disabled Facilities Grant budget will increase from £169 million in 2010-11 to £185 million in 2014-15.
We are investing £1.5 million in the FirstStop information and advice service which aims to help older people make informed decisions about their housing, care and support options and to help them maintain independent living in later life. The Government have also provided £51 million funding for Handypersons schemes over the spending review period to deliver small home repairs and adaptations.
Housing: Prices
Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the average price of houses in (a) Ashfield constituency, (b) Nottinghamshire and (c) England in the latest period for which figures are available. [75403]
Andrew Stunell: Information at constituency level could be provided only a disproportionate cost. The Ashfield constituency is made up of specific settlements from the districts of Ashfield and Broxtowe.
Estimates of the simple average house prices (based on Land Registry data), for 2011, quarter 2, are provided in the following table:
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£ |
House prices by local authority are published on the DCLG website in Statistics Live Table 581:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/xls/table-581.xls
Local Government Finance: North Yorkshire
Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the effect that reductions in central Government funding to local authorities will have on unemployment in the boroughs of (a) Middlesbrough and (b) Redcar and Cleveland. [75202]
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Robert Neill: No estimate has been made of the effect that reductions in central Government funding to local authorities will have on unemployment in the boroughs of (a)Middlesbrough and (b) Redcar and Cleveland.
The coalition Government's deficit reduction plan is necessary to secure economic stability and put Britain's public services and welfare system on a sustainable long-term footing. Under the last Administration, the UK's economy became unbalanced, and relied on unsustainable public spending and rising levels of public debt.
For economic growth and job creation to be sustainable, we need a broad-based economy supporting private sector jobs, exports, investment and enterprise. In this context, it is my assessment that the savings we are making to central Government spending will reduce long-term unemployment.
Culture, Media and Sport
Bookmakers
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the protection afforded by offshore bookmakers to their customers in the UK. [76254]
John Penrose: In 2009, this Department reviewed remote gambling regulation in Britain, and found it was not working as well as had been intended. Following a public consultation on 14 July 2011, I announced to Parliament proposals for reforming our regulation. This will mean consistent protection for British consumers as all overseas operators will be subject to the same regulatory standards and requirements as British-based operators, for example in relation to problem gambling, preventing underage play and reporting suspicious betting patterns.
Creative Partnership Active
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport (1) what the name is of each Creative Partnership active in each region in 2011-12; [75782]
(2) how many Creative Partnership projects he expects to arise from Government funding of the Creativity, Culture and Education charity in (a) 2011-12, (b) 2012-13, (c) 2013-14 and (d) 2014-15; and how many pupils he expects to participate in such projects in each such year. [75962]
Mr Vaizey: The names of the current area delivery organisations can be found online at:
http://www.creative-partnerships.com/in-your-area/
Arts Council England will cease funding Creativity, Culture and Education, who deliver Creative Partnerships, at the end of this financial year and will instead support a new network of bridge organisations from 2012-13.
In 2011-12 Creativity, Culture and Education will report to Arts Council England on the number of schools involved in Creative Partnerships, but not how many individual projects or students.
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Cultural Heritage
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what museums, galleries and places of heritage he has visited in each region in the last 12 months. [75784]
Mr Vaizey: Since October 2010, the Secretary of State has visited the following museums, galleries and places of heritage:
| Date | Venue | Region |
Departmental Allowances
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much members of his departmental management board have claimed in expenses since May 2010. [74954]
John Penrose: The total amount that members of this Department's management board, excluding Ministers, have claimed in relation to expenses incurred while carrying out their departmental duties since May 2010 up to the end of September 2011 is £2,822.16.
Creative Industries
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many meetings he has had with the Secretary of State for Education to discuss accessibility for all age groups to the creative industries; and whether any action plan from such meetings was produced. [75744]
Mr Vaizey: The Secretary of State for Education and the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport have not had any meetings to discuss accessibility for all age groups to the creative industries. Discussions between our two Departments have primarily focused on the independent review of cultural education that we jointly commissioned Darren Henley to produce by the end of the year. It will consider how we ensure that every child has access to a wide variety of high quality cultural experiences.
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Film
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what support his Department is giving to the 55th London Film Festival. [75835]
Mr Vaizey: The British Film Institute is contributing £1.7 million to the 55th London Film Festival running 12 to 27 October 2011. This is part of the grant in aid funding from the Department this year.
Government Art Collection
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much his Department has spent on the (a) framing and (b) hanging of art from the Government Art Collection since May 2010. [75352]
Mr Vaizey: Since May 2010 the Government Art Collection has spent £203,806 on framing and £13,136 on hanging works of art. Works of art are displayed in major British Government buildings, including Ministers' offices, embassies and ambassadors' residences, to promote British art and contribute to cultural diplomacy.
Government Procurement Card
Chris Kelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much was withdrawn on each occasion one of his Department's officials used a Government Procurement Card at an automated teller machine from 2006-07 to 2009-10; and what the date of each such withdrawal was. [76085]
John Penrose: The following table details the amounts withdrawn by officials using a Government Procurement Card at automated teller machines from 2006-07 to 2009-10.
| Date | Amount (£) |
Horse Racing: Bookmakers
Mr Sutcliffe:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the likelihood that agreements between bookmakers and racecourses concerning on-course
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bookmaking arrangements from 1 September 2012 will be reached with every racecourse and racecourse group in 2011; and if he will make a statement. [76027]
John Penrose: My officials are in close and regular contact with the Federation of Racecourse Bookmakers Ltd (FRB) and the Racecourse Association (RCA) over the discussions on racecourse pitch tenures. I receive regular updates on the discussions between the two groups and, while progress is slow, it is being made. We understand that the contracts for Northern Racing and Arena Leisure are either agreed or very close to agreement and that some of the independent courses have begun discussions. All parties are working towards all contracts being agreed by the end of this year and I will be keeping a close watch on progress.
Museums and Galleries
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many museums he has visited in the last 12 months on official business. [75845]
Mr Vaizey: In the last 12 months, the Secretary of State has visited eight museums on official business.
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much was available from EU funds for museums in the UK in the latest period for which figures are available. [75846]
Mr Vaizey: This Department does not hold information about the level of EU funding allocated to its sponsored museums or to other museums in the UK. Any funding allocated by the EU is a matter for the individual museums and the EU funding agencies.
Ofcom: Press Complaints Commission
Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether (a) Ofcom and (b) the Press Complaints Commission are defined as public authorities for the purposes of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. [75856]
Mr Vaizey: Ofcom is defined as a public authority for the purposes of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, but the Press Complaints Commission is not.
Public Libraries
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport (1) what plans he has to encourage local authorities to (a) improve library services and (b) offer (i) seven-day opening, (ii) outreach programmes and (iii) other library services; [75960]
(2) what plans he has for (a) continued provision of and (b) improvements to library services in the digital age. [75961]
Mr Vaizey:
Arts Council England has responsibility for library development in the digital age. With the Local Government Group they will deliver a second
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libraries development programme to identify and support a number of authorities to implement the ideas and best practice that came from the Future Libraries programme.
Television: Violence
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport (1) what recent discussions he has had on the effects of television violence on schoolchildren; and whether he has taken steps in respect of this issue; [75933]
(2) if he will estimate the number of (a) fictional murders and (b) fictional acts of violence a British child will view on television in the course of their childhood; and if he will assess the potential effect of such viewing on their psychological, emotional, educational and social development; and what recent representations he has received on this issue; [75936]
(3) if his Department will (a) develop and (b) implement guidelines on the maximum number of hours of television viewing recommended for children. [75943]
Mr Vaizey: The Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), has had no recent discussions.
Parliament has charged the independent broadcasting regulator, Ofcom, with maintaining standards to protect children from harmful material. It sets out the rules and guidance with which broadcasters must comply. Ofcom's broadcasting code therefore contains specific requirements to protect people under 18, including strict rules on the portrayal of violence in television programmes.
Ofcom's rules are required to be robust and based on the best evidence and it regularly conducts research in this area. If there was new evidence which clearly showed existing levels of TV violence as a major problem in the UK then Ofcom would need to consider this fully and act accordingly.
Within this framework, it is the broadcasters' job to make judgments about what individual programmes should contain and the time at which they are broadcast.
The Government have no plans to introduce guidelines on the maximum number of hours of television viewing recommended for children.
Defence
Adam Werritty
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what advice his Department's Permanent Secretary has provided to him on his links with Mr Adam Werritty. [75481]
Mr Philip Hammond [holding answer 18 October 2011]: Since my arrival, the Department's permanent secretary has discussed the Ministerial Code with me. I do not have any links with Mr Adam Werritty.
Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has had discussions with the former Chief of the Defence Staff, Sir Jock Stirrup on Mr Adam Werritty since his appointment. [75500]
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Mr Philip Hammond [holding answer 18 October 2011]: I have had no discussions with Sir Jock Stirrup regarding Mr Adam Werritty since my appointment.
Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what vehicle is capable of firing the Exactor missile; [75244]
(2) whether his Department has acquired M133 armoured personnel carriers under urgent operational requirements for operations in Afghanistan. [75246]
Peter Luff: The UK has a range of systems deployed in Afghanistan to support coalition forces and protect civilians. However, I am withholding further details on individual capabilities as their disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.
Armed Forces: Uniforms
Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence by what date his Department estimates that all armed forces personnel, including cadets and reservists, will have been issued with the multi-terrain pattern uniform. [75967]
Peter Luff [holding answer 20 October 2011]: On current plans, all armed forces personnel who require combat clothing, including reservists, are to be issued with the new multi-terrain pattern uniform by the end of 2013.
The issue to cadets of the multi-terrain pattern uniform is a decision for each of the services. Army cadets have been included within the last tranche of the Army roll-out programme and it is intended to issue Royal Marine cadets with the new uniforms as soon as is practicable after the naval core roll-out programme is complete. At this time there are no plans to issue the new uniform to Air cadets.
Defence Business Services National Security Vetting
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 11 October 2011, Official Report, columns 17-18WS, on Defence Vetting Agency: removal of agency status, what consultation his Department carried out prior to the decision to remove agency status from the Defence Vetting Agency. [75259]
Mr Robathan: Formal consultation with the trade unions on the creation of the Defence Business Services (DBS) organisation commenced in March 2011. This consultation referred to the intent to consider the inclusion of the Defence Vetting Agency (DVA) within the DBS; with the consequent removal of its agency status.
The Ministry of Defence Civil Service Unions (MCSU) were informed on 1 September 2011 of the proposal to move the DVA into the DBS organisation during the autumn of 2011.
The MCSU acknowledged in a letter dated 14 September 2011 that they were content to accept the proposal. Consultation with the local trade unions is being taken forward through the DBS non-industrial trade unions.
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On 22 September 2011, I informed the Minister for the Cabinet Office and the Chief Secretary to the Treasury the decision to remove agency status from the DVA, on its transfer into the DBS organisation.
Defence Equipment
Mr Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions in 2010-11 were consignments in response to requests for military kit despatched by special courier. [75761]
Peter Luff: An enabling arrangement is in place with City Spirit for the delivery of urgently required equipment such as aircraft components and medical stores anywhere in north-west Europe. In 2010-11, 13,995 deliveries were tasked under this arrangement. These predominantly related to ongoing operations.
Consultants
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what procedures his Department uses when engaging external consultants. [73099]
Peter Luff: Ministry of Defence guidance mandates that all external consultancy requirements be articulated in the form of a business case, with financial approval provided at the appropriate level. This business case must consider all potential options, including internal resources, and make clear the rationale for recommending the external option to provide the service required.
The requirement is categorised by the top level budget holder into one of eleven categories so that the expenditure is appropriated correctly. The requirement is then procured by way of a competitive tendering exercise if practicable, either through an existing corporate framework agreement or on a bespoke basis by advertising for expressions of interest prior to an invitation to tender being issued, in the Defence Contracts Bulletin if above £10,000 in value, and in the Official Journal of the European Union if above £101,000 in value, under the restricted procedure. In the event of a competitive tendering exercise being impracticable, the requirement is advertised on a single tender procurement basis in advance of the contract being placed, in the Defence Contracts Bulletin, if above £40,000 in value, and in the Official Journal of the European Union if above £101,000 in value, by way of a voluntary transparency notice, under the negotiated
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procedure. Unless a corporate framework agreement has been used, contract awards are again advertised in these two publications as appropriate.
All invitation to tender and contract award documents above £10,000 in value are placed on the transparency website unless a framework agreement pre-dating January 2011 has been used.
It is worth noting also that since July 2010, the Cabinet Office has imposed a pan-Government freeze on external consultancy expenditure to the effect that all intended expenditure below £20,000 has to be approved at Director (1 star) level and above £20,000 with less than nine months duration approved at ministerial level. All consultancy requirements valued above £20,000 and within an intended duration longer than nine months have to be approved by the Efficiency Reform Group.
Prior to any engagement or contract being placed, Departments have to ensure that the requirement is necessary and that no internal resource is available to undertake the work. All external consultancy contracts are reviewed on this basis every three months with the maximum term permitted being nine months whereupon Efficiency Reform Group approval is required.
In addition, any proposal from an external consultant quoting average man day rates above a certain threshold requires approval from Efficiency Reform Group.
Departmental Public Expenditure
Mr Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has spent on museums and exhibitions (a) overall and (b) in each constituent part of the UK in each year since 2005. [74724]
Mr Robathan: Funding for museums, provided through grants in aid, are provided in the following table in each of the last five years for which figures are currently available. A grant in aid is typically used to fund part or all of the administration costs of the recipient body.
Since 2008 the Ministry of Defence (MOD) has not collected estimates of regional expenditure on equipment, non-equipment, or personnel costs as they do not directly support policy making or operations. However, all of the museums listed are based in England.
In addition, the MOD provides some £4 million each year to support to the regimental museums, across the UK.
| £ | ||||||
| Grant-in-Aid | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 |
| (1) Funded through the National Museum of the Royal Navy. | ||||||
Ex-servicemen: Mental Health Services
Mr Burley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health on provision of facilities for retired service personnel diagnosed with mental health disorders. [75089]
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Mr Robathan: All members of the Government place great importance on mental health issues, and Defence Ministers have had several discussions on the subject with colleagues in the Health Departments and others across Government, as well as with the community and voluntary sector.
We are also working together on the implementation of my hon. Friend the Member for South West Wiltshire (Dr Murrison)’s “Fighting Fit” report on mental health services for both serving and ex-serving personnel.
On 12 October 2011 the Minister of State, Department of Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for Chelmsford (Mr Burns), and I met Dr Clifford Stanley, the US Department of Defense Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, as part of the US/UK Service Personnel and Veterans Task Force, which aims to deliver the best possible support for serving members of the armed forces and veterans.
NATO
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what views were expressed by NATO defence ministers on the conclusions of the NATO defence capabilities review at their meeting on 5 and 6 October 2011; if he will place in the Library information on the conclusions of that review; and if he will make a statement. [74843]
Mr Gerald Howarth: At their meeting on 5 October 2011, NATO Defence Ministers endorsed the NATO Defence Planning Capability Report 2010-11 which acknowledged that NATO relies on a few nations, particularly the United States, for provision of costly and advanced capabilities. The report included recommendations to focus on addressing identified capability shortfalls and deficiencies; emphasise multinational procurement cooperation in the delivering of capabilities where appropriate and to work to improve NATO's standardisation process. These recommendations will feed into the current NATO Defence planning cycle.
The report is classified NATO Restricted, including the report's conclusions, and therefore it is not possible to place it in the Library of the House, nor in the public domain.
Nuclear Weapons: Testing
Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what the purpose was of the 1993 Memorandum of Agreement between the UK and Australia in relation to Maralinga; [75279]
(2) for what reasons his Department provided £20 million to the Australian Government in 1993 in respect of atomic tests in that country. [75563]
Mr Robathan: The purpose of the 1993 agreement between the UK and Australia was to agree a £20 million ex gratia payment to the Australians towards the cost of rehabilitating the test sites in Australia.
Education
Adoption Allowances
Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of local authorities include a child's disability living allowance in the calculation of the means test for adoption allowance. [75762]
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Tim Loughton: The Department does not collect the data requested.
Local authorities must assess the needs of adopted children and their families for adoption support services, including financial support. In determining the amount of financial support to be paid to an adoptive parent, the local authority must take account of any other grant, benefit, allowance or resource which is available to the adoptive parent in respect of his needs as a result of the adoption of the child.
Departmental Allowances
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much members of his departmental management board have claimed in expenses since May 2010. [74952]
Tim Loughton: Information on the department's board is available on the Transparency pages of the Department's website:
http://www.education.gov.uk/aboutdfe/departmentalinformation/transparency/b0067381/senior-civil-servant-expenses-and-hospitality
Similar information for Ministers is also published on the same site:
http://www.education.gov.uk/aboutdfe/departmentalinformation/transparency/a0065263/ministers-quarterly-returns
Consultants
Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many unpaid advisers his Department retains; what their names are; and which (a) bodies, (b) committees and (c) strategy groups of his Department each (i) is a member of, (ii) advises and (iii) works alongside. [73375]
Tim Loughton: The information for the Department is set out as follows:
| Name | Activity |
|
Sally Coates (Principal, Burlington Danes Academy, Hammersmith) |
|
|
Joan Deslandes (Headteacher of Kingsford Community School, Newham, London) |
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Departmental Re-location
Mr Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 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. [74903]
Tim Loughton: The Department has not relocated any civil servants in the last 12 months.
Departmental Manpower
Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many (a) special advisers, (b) speechwriters and (c) press officers are in paid employment at his Department; what their names are; and how much his Department has spent on (i) special advisers, (ii) speechwriters and (iii) press officers in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [72314]
Tim Loughton: There are two special advisers, three speechwriters and 15 press officers currently employed by the Department for Education. It is not the Department's policy to name individual civil servants, however, the names of the special advisers are on record as Dominic Cummings and Henry de Zoete.
In the financial year 2010/11 the Department spent £771,039 on employing press officers and £219,534 on employing speechwriters. Details of pay bands for special advisers were published in a written ministerial statement by the Prime Minister on 19 July 2011, Official Report, columns 110-13WS, and can be viewed at
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/special-adviser-data-releases
Since publication Dominic Cummings is now in pay band 2 with a salary of £69,266 per annum.
Departmental Pay
Mr Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will estimate the total monetary value of London weightings and London living allowances for staff in his Department. [74904]
Tim Loughton: In the Department, the 1,336 London- based staff employed at grade 6 level and below are paid on average £3,700 more per head than staff employed elsewhere. The 114 senior civil servants employed in the Department do not receive any London weighting or allowances.
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Procurement
Gordon Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the cost of employing civil servants to undertake procurement for his Department in (a) 2008-09, (b) 2009-10 and (c) 2010-11; and what estimate he has made of the cost of (i) employing civil servants and (ii) engaging consultants to undertake procurement for his Department in 2011-12. [73195]
Tim Loughton: The costs for employing civil servants in the Commercial Group for the Department for Education to undertake procurement in 2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-11 and the estimated costs for 2011-12 are shown in the following table.
To date we have had no contracts and no spend with consultants working specifically on procurement in the Department. We do not anticipate any spend in this financial year.
| Costs for employing civil servants to undertake procurement | |
|
|
£ million |
| (1) Estimated | |
Sick Leave
Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 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. [75012]
Tim Loughton: There were 15,086 days of absence and an average of 6.0 working days lost (AWDL) in the 12-month reporting period, ending 31 March 2011. Sickness absence data for the Department for Education is available on its website:
http://www.education.gov.uk/aboutdfe/departmentalinformation/transparency/a00448/sickness-absence
Training
Dr Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 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. [74340]
Tim Loughton: Information about how many external training courses were attended by the Department's staff and the associated cost is not held centrally. Funding for the majority of learning and development opportunities is held and managed by individual business areas. Consequently this information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Free Schools: Academies
Andrew Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what guidance he plans to provide to local authorities to ensure they do not restrict the formation of free schools and academies. [69451]
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Mr Gibb: In discharging his duty under the Academies Act 2010, the Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), will decide whether to establish a free school or an academy. As part of that decision making process, local authorities have a key strategic role to play as a champion for children and families. We have already seen good examples of local authorities supporting parents and communities who want to set up free schools and who promote academies in order to improve standards.
As part of the local authorities' role in supporting the establishment of new schools, the Education Bill currently before Parliament proposes that where a local authority considers there is a need for a new school; it must first seek proposals to establish an academy or free school. The current guidance issued to local authorities, schools and decision makers is extant and when, subject to parliamentary approval, the Bill is enacted we will review and revise the guidance as appropriate.
The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, the right hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr Pickles), has recently set out how local authority planning departments should deal with proposals for state-funded schools, including free schools. In particular that they should make full use of their planning powers to support free school applications.
Schools: Dogs
Mr MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what his policy is on headteachers and teachers bringing dogs into school premises. [75035]
Mr Gibb: The Department for Education has no central policy on head teachers and teachers bringing dogs into school premises. In any circumstances where dogs are brought into the premises, we would expect schools to take common sense steps to ensure that the health and safety of those in the school is adequately protected. For instance ensuring that dogs are controlled and any fouling is cleared by the owners or handlers.
Schools: Vocational Guidance
Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the number of instances in which non-compliance by local authorities with the duty to provide careers guidance has not resulted in legal action. [73927]
Tim Loughton [holding answer 13 October 2011]: Local authorities do not have a statutory duty to provide careers guidance. They have a duty, under section 68 of the Education and Skills Act 2008, to make available services which encourage, enable or assist effective participation of young people in education or training. Local authorities may choose to fulfil this duty through the provision of careers guidance services.
The Department for Education does not hold information on whether or not non-compliance with this duty has resulted in legal action. Any legal action would be brought against local authorities. No estimate can be given, therefore, of the number of instances in which non-compliance has or has not resulted in legal action.
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Secondary Education: Admissions
Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment (a) his Department and (b) the Young People's Learning Agency has made of the (i) enrolment and (ii) retention of 16-year-olds in full-time education in the 2011-12 academic year. [74695]
Tim Loughton: Information on 16-year-olds in full-time education for the 2011/12 academic year is not yet available.
Special Educational Needs
Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether he has plans to include the number of children with need status in the core data set of the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment. [75333]
Paul Burstow: I have been asked to reply.
Health and wellbeing boards will be a forum for the national health service, local authorities and communities to exercise shared leadership in arriving at a joint understanding of local needs, including the needs of local children, and a shared strategy to address those needs. The director of children's services will be a statutory member of the health and wellbeing board—as part of effective joint working, we would expect directors of children services to share data such as the number of children with children in need status, and other relevant information with the board, to ensure that the needs of local children are fully taken into account
Statutory guidance issued by the Department for Education, “Working together to safeguard children”, states that Joint Strategic Needs Assessments should include the needs of children with children in need status, which will in turn inform the joint health and wellbeing strategy which drives local commissioning.
The Joint Strategic Needs Assessment core dataset brings together a list of indicators which health and wellbeing boards may wish to draw on when performing assessments. The Government are developing statutory guidance and wider resources to support boards in performing Joint Strategic Needs Assessments and developing joint health and wellbeing strategies. As part of this work, we will explore with health and wellbeing board early implementers and other partners what further resources they would find supportive, such as a refreshed core data set.
Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will implement the recommendation of the report by Professor Munro to introduce a duty on local authorities to provide an early offer of help to families. [75335]
Tim Loughton: Early help in the child protection system is a top priority for the Government. The Government response to Professor Munro's review of child protection endorsed her conclusions that the early identification of neglect and abuse and the offering of help to address needs early are in the best interests of the child and young person.
The earlier help is given, the more likely it is to have a positive impact on outcomes for children, and young people. The system at present is too reactive and we need to shift the balance towards identifying need and
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providing help early. Professionals working in universal services—health, education, police and early years—have a vital role in identifying the early signs of abuse and neglect and working together to make an early help offer to children, young people and families.
In the Government response we agreed to consider whether placing a statutory duty on local authorities and their partners was the most appropriate route to secure an increase in the range and number of preventative services on offer to children and families. Discussions are under way with local government and the wider sector, including health professionals, and are taking account of health reforms, to consider the best route to creating local systems where there is shared accountability and effective co-ordination of early help services. An announcement will be made in due course.
Teachers: Pensions
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what requests for information on teacher pensions from teaching unions his Department has (a) accepted and (b) rejected since May 2010. [75486]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 18 October 2011]: Wherever possible the Department aims to meet all reasonable requests for information from teacher unions and other stakeholders. Since May 2010, no requests from the teaching unions for data have been rejected and there are no outstanding data requests that have not been actioned. For example, within the last few weeks the Department has provided extensive data and information to the teacher unions to support ongoing discussions about possible changes to the Teachers' Pension Scheme, in the context of Lord Hutton's report on the reform of public service pension schemes.
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will place in the Library copies of all statistical information his Department holds on the future funding of teacher pensions. [75487]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 18 October 2011]: The following documents are currently held in the House Libraries and contain information relevant to the funding of the Teachers' Pension Scheme.
Teachers' Pension Scheme (England and Wales) Resource Accounts are published annually, with those for 2010-11 being published on 4 July 2011. The accounts contain current membership data relating to the Teachers' Pension Scheme.
The Government Actuary conducts a formal actuarial review of the Teachers' Pension Scheme every four years and his report contains assumptions on future membership and liabilities. The last valuation of the Teachers' Pension Scheme relates to the period 1 April 2001 to 31 March 2004 and was published in November 2006. The valuation covering the period up to March 2008 has been deferred pending the outcome of the current negotiations on scheme reforms.
The Office for Budget Responsibility set out its forecasts for expenditure and receipts to public sector pension schemes for the period up to 2015-16 in its Economic and Fiscal Outlook document. This was presented to
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Parliament by the then Economic Secretary to the Treasury, the hon. Member for Putney (Justine Greening), in March 2011.
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what representations he has received from teaching unions on proposed changes to teacher pensions. [75488]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 18 October]: The Government have agreed that the recommendations from the Independent Public Service Pensions Commission (IPSPC), chaired by Lord Hutton of Furness, will form the basis for consultation on public sector pension reforms. The proposals are under discussion with teaching unions and employers. The Secretary of State for Education, the right hon. Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), and I meet regularly with the General Secretaries of all of the teaching unions at which pension reform is a regular item on the agenda.
Teachers: Vetting
Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the number of teachers who have not been convicted of any offence but are unable to work as a result of unsubstantiated allegations disclosed in enhanced Criminal Records Bureau checks. [74520]
Tim Loughton: Numbers on checks for teaching are not collected, but we are making it easier to remove irrelevant information from disclosures. Individuals will be able to correct mistakes before showing a disclosure to an employer. Checks will only show non-conviction information that police believe is relevant to a job, and ought to be disclosed, not what might be relevant as is currently the case. Individuals, who can already seek to remove disputed information, will be able to appeal, if the police refuse.
For posts such as teaching, with these new protections, employers should judge such information alongside comments by the applicant, employment references, and specific duties of a post.
Third Sector
Mr McCann: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the name is of each charity and voluntary organisation Ministers in his Department have visited since May 2010. [67547]
Tim Loughton [holding answer 19 July 2011]: As at 10 October, the charities and voluntary organisations visited by Ministers from the Department for Education are listed in the following table.
|
|
Name of Charity and voluntary organisation visited |
|
Minister of State for Children and Families (Sarah Teather MP) |
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Youth Services
Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of variations in the extent to which local authorities have made reductions in services for young people; and if he will take steps in respect of local authorities that have significantly reduced their youth service provision. [75350]
Tim Loughton:
According to the figures provided by local authorities the average planned reduction in gross spend on services for young people for 2011-12 is 25%, compared with plans for 2010-11. Figures for individual local authorities should be treated with caution because there is some evidence that local authorities have interpreted and used categories of planned expenditure in different ways. For example, 28 authorities did not include any
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expenditure plans for youth work and discrepancies are apparent for other youth areas such as substance misuse.
The Government believe that the assessment of local priorities and decisions on levels of spend on services for young people are best left to local people. The Department has no current plans to intervene in respect of any local authority's services for young people. Nevertheless the Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), has a broad power to issue directions to local authorities if they are failing to perform any of their functions to an adequate standard under Section 497A of the Education Act 1996 (as applied to children's social care by the Children Act 2004). The Department will act to secure improvement where there is evidence of significant, long-standing failure, or where there is evidence that a local authority has been unable to do so.
Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what role he expects local authorities to play in the delivery of youth work and a youth service. [75429]
Tim Loughton [holding answer 18 October 2011]: This Government expect local authorities to act as strategic commissioners of services to young people. They should commission effective services which promote the personal and social development of young people who most need additional support, including services based on youth work approaches. Local authorities may provide an in-house youth service themselves, but are not obliged to do so.
Energy and Climate Change
Energy: Prices
Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what plans he has to support households to meet their energy bills. [75577]
Charles Hendry [holding answer 20 October 2011]: The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, my right hon. Friend the Member for Eastleigh (Chris Huhne) chaired a consumer summit on 17 October to launch the ‘check, switch, insulate to save’ campaign and a package of measures to help consumers this winter. We are working with consumer groups, energy suppliers and the regulator Ofgem to ensure consumers can save money on their energy bills by checking on their energy deal, switching their supplier if appropriate and insulating their homes. This includes an agreement that suppliers will put a prompt on energy bills informing customers how to get the lowest tariff and will write to about 8 million customers to tell them what they could save by switching to direct debit. The extended carbon emissions reduction target (CERT) includes a number of changes that will encourage energy suppliers to provide insulation to off-the-gas-grid homes.
Officials have also been working closely with the Department for Work and Pensions developing the data matching elements of the Warm Home Discount scheme to ensure that up to 600,000 of the poorest pensioners in Great Britain receive an automatic rebate of £120 on their electricity bills this winter.
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Energy: Tariffs
Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent discussions he has had with energy suppliers on the provision to consumers of information on how to access the cheapest tariff. [75651]
Charles Hendry: Ministers within the Department meet regularly with energy suppliers to discuss a range of market issues, most recently at the Consumer Energy summit held on 17 October.
We have negotiated a voluntary agreement with suppliers to provide consumers with a prompt on bills to cheaper deals this winter, and an additional communication to their customers who pay by cash or cheque to let them know how much they could save by moving to the cheapest direct debit tariff. There is also a commitment from suppliers to assess the impact of the prompt on bills and improve it in the light of this evidence.
Fuels
Mr Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much (a) petrol and (b) diesel fuel has been released from Government supplies in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [75503]
Charles Hendry [holding answer 19 October 2011]: The Government do not own emergency stocks of petroleum products, such as petrol or diesel fuel, that could be released in an oil supply disruption. However, as a member state of the EU and the International Energy Agency (IEA), the UK meets its international obligations to hold oil stocks by directing companies under the Energy Act 1976 to hold minimum levels of oil stocks as part of their commercial stocks. IEA member countries made available oil stocks in June 2011 in response to short-term supply disruptions as a result of violence in Libya and Yemen; the UK made available some 3 million barrels.
Nuclear Installations
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what discussions he has had with (a) HM Chief Inspector of Nuclear Installations and (b) UK nuclear plant operators on the merits of pre-staging remote-controlled equipment within nuclear plants in circumstances where radiation levels prevent human access. [75029]
Charles Hendry: None. This is a matter for site operators in liaison with the Office for Nuclear Regulation.
Renewable Energy
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he is taking to support community-owned renewable energy schemes. [73951]
Gregory Barker: As a coalition, we pledged to encourage community ownership of renewable energy schemes. In pursuit of this objective my Department has:
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Developed Community Energy Online, a web portal to provide communities with a single point of contact to help communities benefit from the financial incentives in place for all who own renewable energy schemes;
Held a summit on community energy in July in Birmingham attended by over 70 people. This summit identified a number of barriers which my Department is now seeking to address together with other Government Departments or through communities and local authorities; and
Taken forward the Plan LoCaL project, a tool to support local communities developing renewable energy schemes working through the planning process. Plan LoCaL has held five dissemination events around the country to local authority staff and community representatives.
Work to address other barriers continues and closely involves the key stakeholders.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Afghanistan: Females
Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his counterpart in the Afghan Government concerning the representation of women in reconciliation talks on that country's future. [75813]
Alistair Burt: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 18 October 2011, Official Report, column 893W.
Afghanistan: Human Rights
Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will press for any political agreement on the future of Afghanistan to include verifiable benchmarks for all parties' conformity with their human rights obligations under international human rights law and domestic law. [75829]
Alistair Burt: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 17 October 2011, Official Report, column 610W.
Algeria: Christianity
Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has had recent discussions with the Algerian Government on the forced closure of Christian churches in that country; and if he will make a statement. [76062]
Alistair Burt: The Government raise the issue of human rights, including freedom of religion and belief, with the Government of Algeria through a variety of mechanisms, including the EU-Algeria Association Agreement, which came into force in September 2005.
We continue to monitor religious freedom in the middle east and north African region closely and will raise this issue as part of our discussions with the Algerian Government. I myself will be meeting a delegation of Christians later this month.
Advertising
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department has spent on advertising job vacancies since May 2010. [75631]
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Mr Bellingham: Since May last year, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has spent £159,739.58 on advertising job vacancies. This figure covers recruitment for UK-based members of staff only. It excludes recruitment undertaken by overseas posts advertising for local staff positions as the figures for this are not held centrally.
All of the positions advertised during this period were approved for external recruitment as either business critical or a front-line service, in accordance with the terms of the Government-wide recruitment freeze.
Egypt: Christianity
Mr Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will raise the treatment of Christians in Egypt with the Egyptian Government as a matter of urgency. [75385]
Alistair Burt: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), called the Egyptian Foreign Minister on 12 October to discuss the situation in Egypt, including his concerns about the unrest in Cairo that took place on 9 October. They discussed the action that the Egyptian Government were taking to address the violence.
The Secretary of State also issued a statement, on 10 October 2011, expressing his deep concern over this unrest and the loss of life in Cairo. He urged all Egyptians to refrain from violence, support the Egyptian Prime Minister's call for calm and for all sides to engage in dialogue. He said that the freedom of religious belief needs to be protected and that the ability to worship in peace is a vital component of a democratic society.
Mr Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will raise the treatment of Christians in Egypt with the Egyptian government as a matter of urgency. [75538]
Alistair Burt: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), called the Egyptian Foreign Minister on 12 October 2011 to discuss the situation in Egypt, including his concerns about the unrest in Cairo that took place on 9 October. They discussed the action that the Egyptian Government were taking to address the violence.
The Secretary of State also issued a statement, on 10 October, expressing his deep concern over this unrest and the loss of life in Cairo. He urged all Egyptians to refrain from violence, support the Egyptian Prime Minister's call for calm and for all sides to engage in dialogue. He said that the freedom of religious belief needs to be protected and that the ability to worship in peace is a vital component of a democratic society.
India: Commonwealth Games
Mr Sutcliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to his Indian counterpart on the delay in payments to British companies for work undertaken in relation to the 2010 Commonwealth Games. [76026]
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Mr Jeremy Browne: We are in close contact with the British companies who are yet to receive payment for services provided during the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi. We have raised our concerns with the Indian Government at ministerial and official levels. I raised the issue with Indian Minister of State for External Affairs, Preneet Kaur, during my visit to India in June 2011.
India: Prisoners
Mr Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether any staff of the British Embassy in India have visited Professor Devinderpal Singh Bhullar in prison. [76165]
Mr Bellingham: Staff in our High Commission in India have not visited Mr Bhullar in prison.
Iraq: Trade Unions
Mr Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the position of trade unions in Iraq; and if he will make a statement. [75722]
Alistair Burt: The UK continues to promote the importance of an active civil society in Iraq, of which trade unions play an important part. New draft labour laws are currently under review in Iraq, including those on freedom of association and collective bargaining. British embassy officials in Baghdad have in the past urged the Government of Iraq to recognise the important role played by trade unions. We will continue to do this where appropriate.
Middle East: Pipelines
Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British nationals (a) were working on the Arish-Ashkelon pipeline immediately before the recent bombings and (b) now work on the Arish-Ashkelon pipeline. [75792]
Alistair Burt: We have not been made aware of any British nationals who have either worked on the Arish-Ashkelon pipeline before the recent bombings, or currently.
Uganda
Mr Burley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the (a) incidence of child sacrifice and (b) level of corruption in Uganda; and what representations his Department has made to the Government of Uganda on such matters. [75797]
Mr Bellingham: I am appalled by the ongoing practice of child sacrifice, and other forms of ritual murder in Uganda and around the world, as highlighted by the Jubilee Campaign.
According to official figures from the Ugandan Government, there were 14 cases of ritual murder last year, including nine children. In response. 43 suspects were arrested, of which 32 were charged with murder,
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attempted murder or other offences. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development (DFID) continue to monitor the effectiveness of the Government of Uganda's measures to combat this appalling practice. This includes, as well as the normal criminal investigation and prosecution processes, the establishment of a ministerial task force, the setting up of child and family protection units in the police force, and by the end of this year the establishment of a national plan of action on child sacrifice.
Furthermore, the DFID office in Uganda has supported child protection work in Uganda through UN Children's Fund, who focus on child sacrifice as part of their broader work. We are also engaged with local non- government organisation who are working to raise awareness of this problem and who are campaigning for tighter regulation of so-called “traditional healers” in the country.
We remain concerned about corruption and regularly engage the Government of Uganda on this issue. In September, the Secretary of State for International Development, my right hon. Friend the Member for Sutton Coldfield (Mr Mitchell), wrote to the Finance Minister making clear that our continued support to Uganda will depend on a shared commitment to the underlying partnership principles of our development relationship. These include promoting good governance and transparency, fighting corruption; and respecting human rights and other international obligations.
We have expressed particular concern regarding the unaccounted funds identified in reports by Uganda's auditor general into expenditure on hosting the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in 2007. Action taken by us thus far included cuts to UK budget support in 2009 and 2010. DFID have also provided technical assistance to the Director of Public Prosecutions and Inspector General of Government to support them in enhancing their investigative and prosecution capacity. This month, three serving Cabinet ministers have stepped down pending court proceedings over corruption charges linked to Uganda's hosting of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in 2007. They join the former vice president who is also facing charges. We are also aware of recent corruption allegations raised by Ugandan parliamentarians around oil contracts and will continue to monitor these developments closely.
Ukraine: Stray Dogs
Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Government of Ukraine on the treatment and disposal of stray dogs in that country; and if he will make a statement. [76070]
Mr Lidington: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), has had no recent discussions with the Government of Ukraine on the treatment and disposal of stray dogs in Ukraine. Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials will make their Ukrainian counterparts aware of some public concern in the UK about the way in which stray dogs are being removed from the streets.
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Health
Blood: Donors
Sir Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will require the Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs to conclude the review of its recommendations on the use of fresh frozen plasma using evidence from Imperial College; [76250]
(2) if he will publish the impact assessment on the Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs' recommendations of July 2009 on replacing UK-derived fresh frozen plasma with imported plasma for all recipients; [76251]
(3) when he will decide on implementation of the recommendations of the Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs of July 2009 that the use of UK-derived fresh frozen plasma (FFP) should be ceased and replaced by imported FFP for all recipients. [76252]
Anne Milton: In early 2012, the Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs (SaBTO) plans to consider new information and analysis which has become available since it formulated its initial recommendations on fresh frozen plasma in 2009. The evidence to be considered by SaBTO includes that from the Advisory Committee on Dangerous Pathogens which takes account of evidence from Imperial College and other research groups. In the light of that evidence, SaBTO will consider whether the conclusions they reached in 2009 should be reviewed, and whether they wish to make recommendations on this matter to United Kingdom Health Ministers. Dependent on SaBTO's conclusions an impact assessment may be completed for Ministers’ consideration and published in due course.
Blood: Testing
Mr Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will sponsor research to develop an analytical technique for testing for the presence of Bt proteins in blood to verify whether they can pass from the digestive tract of people and animals into the blood supply. [75824]
Anne Milton: Bt proteins are active components of some pesticide products and are also found in a number of insect-resistant genetically-modified crops. In both cases the safety of residual Bt proteins in food is evaluated as part of the relevant authorisation systems. Bt proteins are of low toxicity to mammals and the safety assessment is not based on assumptions about whether or not they are absorbed into the blood supply. Nevertheless, the available data from in vitro tests show that Bt proteins are rapidly broken down by digestive enzymes in the same way as most other proteins in the diet. There are no current plans to sponsor such research.
Cats: Litter
Mr Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will carry out an assessment of the potential risks of cat fouling to public health. [76057]
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Anne Milton: The Health Protection Agency and Public Health Wales are proposing to assess the potential public health impact of Toxoplasma gondii in cat faeces. Causes of cases of toxoplasmosis that are identified through the enhanced national surveillance scheme (set up in 2008) will be investigated through a case control study for a year. Results of the study will be published in due course.
The public health impact of other potential risks from cat fouling is assessed by the Health Protection Agency as being very low. Human toxocariosis, caused by Toxocara roundworms in cats and dogs, is rare with only a few cases reported each year in the United Kingdom (12 in 2010).
Care Leavers
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what support his Department provides for care leavers after they turn 18 years. [74736]
Tim Loughton: I have asked to reply.
Local authorities have clearly defined duties and responsibilities for their care leavers. The Care Leavers (England) Regulations 2010 and guidance “Planning Transition for Adulthood for Care Leavers” requires local authorities to provide young people who turn 18 with appropriate leaving care support. This includes a regularly reviewed pathway plan and the allocation of a personal adviser who will provide advice and support on a range of matters including accommodation up until the young person reaches the age of 21, or beyond if the young person is still in education.
The revised regulations and guidance on support for care leavers are intended to bolster the quality of support, and bring consistency so that all young people receive the same opportunities to succeed as their peers.
Key entitlements for care leavers include:
the £2000 Higher Education Bursary for all eligible care leavers;
a new 16-19 Bursary scheme which will begin from the start of the 2011/12 academic year. Looked after young people and care leavers are guaranteed a £1,200 bursary if they continue in full-time education;
the provision of a personal adviser. Since April 2011 care leavers up to age 25 who return to education or training have been able to also benefit from the support of a personal adviser while they are on their agreed course; and
provision of vacation accommodation if the young person is in higher education.
Departmental Travel
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department has spent on first class travel by (a) air, (b) boat and (c) train since May 2010. [75521]
Anne Milton: The Department's travel and expenses policy complies with the principles set out in the Civil Service Management Code and is in line with the recent Treasury-led review of departmental expenses policies and last year's Government efficiency announcements.
21 Oct 2011 : Column 1187W
The Department is committed to reducing our first class travel and we have already made good progress in achieving this. There has been a significant fall in first class travel from May 2010 against costs for 2009-10 as follows:
| £ | |||
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April 2009 to March 2010 | May 2010 to April 2011 | May 2011 to September 2011 |
First class air travel is not allowed and all flights are expected to be economy class unless there is a business need to travel business class. All rail travel must be standard class unless there is a clear business need to travel first class.