Health Services: Bradford
Mr Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will discuss with Bradford and Airedale Primary Care Trust the staffing reductions that Trust is making in health improvement services. [76184]
Anne Milton: The Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for South Cambridgeshire (Mr Lansley), has no current plans to meet with Bradford and Airedale Teaching Primary Care Trust (PCT) to discuss health improvement staffing levels. National health service organisations, including Bradford and Airedale Teaching PCT, are independent employers in their own rights and responsible for decisions on staffing numbers.
Health: Finance
Mr Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what mechanism will be used to determine the overall budget for the new public health system in England; and what proportion of that budget will be allocated to local authorities to fulfil their new public health responsibilities. [76257]
Anne Milton: The first step in determining the overall budget for the new public health system in England has been the collection of recent expenditure on public health services which will become the responsibility of the new public health system. Further analysis will build on this to take account of pressures from recently introduced polices and the overall resources available to the Department.
It is not possible to say, until this analysis has been completed, what proportion of the total public health budget will be allocated to local authorities.
Shadow allocations to local authorities for 2012-13 will be published later this year.
HIV Infection: Christianity
Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Government are taking in response to the findings of a BBC investigation which found that at least three people died after they stopped taking medication on the advice of their Evangelical Christian pastors. [76162]
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Anne Milton: The Department is very concerned if people are not taking their HIV medication without the advice of their doctor. The Department recognises that faith organisations can make a positive contribution to raising awareness of HIV and tackling stigma. HIV treatment is highly effective but it requires patients to take their HIV medication as prescribed by their national health service specialist doctor.
The Department funds the African HIV Policy Network for a programme of HIV prevention, which includes a continuing programme of work with Christian and Muslim faith leaders.
Hospitals: Food
Martin Vickers: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what minimum nutritional level of food served to patients in NHS hospitals his Department has set; [76187]
(2) what assessment he has made of the nutritional content of food served (a) in hospitals, (b) in residential care homes and (c) through meals on wheels services. [76188]
Anne Milton: The Department does not assess the nutritional content of meals provided by the national health service, social care or meals on wheels. However, the registration system established under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 requires all providers of health and adult social care regulated activities to meet essential levels of safety and quality, and nutrition is a part of this.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is responsible for the inspection and regulation of services. If CQC finds services are not meeting regulatory requirements, we expect it to use its powers of enforcement to ensure compliance.
Good food is an essential part of hospital and social care, and health and adult social care providers are required by law to meet the nutritional needs of patients and service users. Provider organisations are responsible for compiling their own menus and making decisions about the food served to patients and service users. This includes planning and monitoring the nutritional content of menus.
A range of information sources are available to help hospitals (and other providers) devise healthy, nutritious, tasty menus, as follows:
‘Healthier and more sustainable catering: toolkit and supporting nutrition principles’ is available on the Department's website:
www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_125579
The Operating Framework for 2011-12 requires the NHS to consider the Government Buying Standards for Food (published June 2011).
Best practice guidance on the delivery of food in the NHS was produced by the Department and is now available at the Hospital Caterers Association website at:
www.hospitalcaterers.org/better-hospital-food/
Martin Vickers: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what average budget was allocated for providing food for each patient in a hospital in each year from 2001. [76249]
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Anne Milton: This information is not collected in the precise format requested. However, information is provided to the Department by the national health service giving average cost of feeding one patient per day as follows:
|
|
Average cost of providing food for one patient per day (£) |
These data were not collected before 2004-05. These costs relate to the average daily cost for the provision of all meals and beverages fed to one patient per day, across all NHS trusts in England. The cost should include all pay and non-pay costs, including provisions, ward issues, disposables, equipment and its maintenance.
The figure provided has been supplied by the NHS and has been collected through the Estates Returns Information Collection (ERIC) system. This is the annual return made by all trusts in England to the Department and has not been amended centrally. The accuracy and completeness of the information is the responsibility of the provider organisation. All ERIC data are publicly available and are published at:
www.hefs.ic.nhs.uk
Malnutrition: Costs
Martin Vickers: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what estimate he has made of the cost to the NHS of disease-related malnutrition in each year since 2001; [76185]
(2) what information his Department has provided to NHS patients on good nutrition; and if he will make a statement. [76186]
Anne Milton: The Department has not made any estimate of the cost to the national health service of disease-related malnutrition, as this information is not held centrally.
The Department does not provide advice on nutrition specifically to NHS patients. However, the Department provides an extensive range of information on nutrition through a range of approaches including NHS Choices and Change4Life.
Nurses
Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for the future role of clinical nurse specialists in the NHS. [76168]
Anne Milton:
The Government recognise the important contribution made by clinical nurse specialists and the value that patients place on having their specialist expertise and support. Under our proposals for reform, providers of national health service funded care will continue to be responsible for the skill mix of their workforce and for ensuring that staff, including specialist nurses, are trained and competent in their roles. Commissioners will have the freedom to commission pathways of care
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designed around the patient and delivered by a multi-professional workforce which includes clinical nurse specialists.
Obesity
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport on measures to address obesity in (a) adults and (b) children. [75948]
Anne Milton: Ministers have not had recent discussions with Ministers from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) on tackling obesity. However, the Minister of State, Department of Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for Chelmsford (Mr Burns), and I met with the Minister for Sport and the Olympics, my hon. Friend the Member for Faversham and Mid Kent (Hugh Robertson), at DCMS in March to discuss the Public Health Responsibility Deal which includes action to raise levels of physical activity. Fred Turok, (co-chair of the Responsibility Deal Physical Activity Network) and Jennie Price (chief executive of Sport England) were also present at this meeting.
A Minister from DCMS also attends the Cabinet Sub-Committee on Public Health.
Pancreatic Cancer: Health Services
Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for an audit of pancreatic cancer services. [76166]
Paul Burstow: There are currently no plans for an audit of pancreatic cancer services as part of the National Clinical Audit and Patient Outcomes Programme (NCAPOP).
The Government are committed to extending the number of national clinical audits across a much wider range of conditions and treatments, and to developing their role as a driver of quality improvement. Following a call for new topics for national clinical audit earlier this year, the National Clinical Audit Advisory Group has provided advice to the Department on new topics to be included as part of NCAPOP. The new topics will be announced shortly.
Pancreatic Cancer: Research
Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for future spending on pancreatic cancer research. [76167]
Paul Burstow: The Department is fully committed to clinical and applied research into treatment and cures for cancer. The Department's National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) welcomes high quality funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including pancreatic cancer. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the scientific quality of the proposals made. In all disease areas, the amount of NIHR funding depends on the volume and quality of scientific activity.
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The United Kingdom has the highest national per capita rate of cancer trial participation in the world. The NIHR Clinical Research Network (CRN) is currently hosting 18 trials and other well-designed studies in pancreatic cancer that are in set-up or recruiting patients. Details can be found on the UK CRN portfolio database at:
http://public.ukcrn.org.uk/search
In August 2011, the Government announced £800 million investment over five years in a series of NIHR biomedical research centres and units, including £61.5 million funding for the Royal Marsden/Institute of Cancer Research Biomedical Research Centre.
House of Commons Commission
Members: Heating
Mr Winnick: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, what guidance the House of Commons Commission provides in respect of the provision of heating for the offices of hon. Members during periods of moderate weather. [75656]
John Thurso: The Commission has set environmental targets which include a reduction in carbon emissions resulting from energy use. The heating for the offices of hon. Members is controlled locally and centrally (main central heating plant) to maintain reasonable temperatures. If the weather is likely to be warmer, the heating is turned off. This is usually from May to September but may be varied for exceptional weather. The heating may also occasionally be switched off for essential (often statutorily required) maintenance and repairs.
International Development
Afghanistan: Reconstruction
Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department spent in Afghanistan in 2010-11; and what proportion of such spending was for road projects. [75209]
Mr O'Brien: In 2010-11, the Department for International Development spent £104 million in Afghanistan. Of this, £3.7 million was specifically allocated to road projects.
Advertising
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department has spent on advertising job vacancies since May 2010. [75628]
Mr O'Brien: The Department for International Development (DFID) has spent £135,521.50 on advertising job vacancies between 1 April 2010 and 30 September 2011.
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This is broken down by financial year as follows:
| Financial year | £ |
| (1) April - September 12 | |
Fines
Dr Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many transport-related fines his Department has settled on behalf of its staff; and at what cost in each year since 2007. [74361]
Mr O'Brien: The Department for International Development's central records show two instances of transport-related fines being paid by the Department since 2007 at a total cost of £90. In 2007-08 the cost was £30 and in 2009-10 a payment of £60 was made.
Official Hospitality
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department spent on hospitality for events hosted by each Minister in his Department in each of the last 12 months. [73668]
Mr O'Brien: Management Board hospitality finances are available on the DFID website:
http://www.dfid.gov.uk/About-us/Our-organisation/Management-board/
and are published every quarter in the normal way.
Departmental Travel
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department has spent on first class travel by (a) air, (b) boat and (c) train since May 2010. [75518]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: There has been no spend on first class air or boat travel since June 2010. Spend on first class rail travel since June 2010 was £197.
Horn of Africa: Famine
Tristram Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department has spent on famine relief in the Horn of Africa since May 2010. [75351]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: The first famine of the 21(st) Century was declared by the United Nations (UN) in two regions of Somalia on 20 July 2011 and it has since spread to four additional areas.
Since the declaration of famine by the UN the UK has allocated £32.27 million towards aid agencies working in Somalia including in famine affected areas.
Across the Horn of Africa (Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia) since 1 April 2010 the UK has allocated £163.82 million to humanitarian organisations.
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Justice
Coroner Service
Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many submissions his Department received in response to the consultation on the Draft Charter for the Coroner Service. [76158]
Mr Djanogly: The Ministry of Justice received 135 responses to the consultation from a range of stakeholders including coroners, local authorities, voluntary organisations which support bereaved people, medical specialists, registrars and members of the public.
Prison Service
Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what length of contract will be awarded to the successful bidder for future public sector prisons which are put out to tender. [73657]
Mr Blunt: Current proposals are to seek contract lengths of 15.5 years with a break clause at 7.5 years.
Public Bodies Bill
Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many submissions his Department received in its consultation on the Public Bodies Bill. [76157]
Mr Djanogly: The Ministry of Justice consultation on reforms proposed in the Public Bodies Bill closed on 11 October. 2,742 responses have been received. The Department intends to publish its response to the consultation by the end of this year. This will contain a summary of the responses received.
Details of the consultation can be found on the Ministry of Justice website at:
http://www.justice.gov.uk/consultations/reform-public-bodies.htm
Northern Ireland
Procurement
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 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. [75158]
Mr Paterson: Since May 2010, my Department has not awarded any contracts directly to a third sector organisation.
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 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. [75159]
Mr Paterson:
My Department does not currently record and publish information about the size of suppliers as this does not fully reflect the number and size of
21 Oct 2011 : Column 1194W
businesses engaged in supplying goods and services. For example, many SMEs can be found within larger supply chains.
Since May 2010, my Department has awarded two contracts, one for catering and one for beverages. These contracts were valued at £100,000 and £15,000 respectively.
Departmental Travel
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much his Department has spent on first class travel by (a) air, (b) boat and (c) train since May 2010. [75516]
Mr Paterson: Since May 2010, my Department has spent the following amounts on first class travel:
|
|
£ |
Since November 2010, all travel by Ministers and officials in my Department is by standard class.
Prime Minister
Adam Werritty
Helen Goodman: To ask the Prime Minister (1) whether he was informed of any concerns in respect of Adam Werritty expressed by senior officials of the Ministry of Defence; and if so, on what date he was first informed of such concerns; [75893]
(2) whether he received from (a) Sir Bill Jeffrey and (b) Sir Jock Stirrup any communication regarding concerns about Adam Werritty. [75894]
The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the report by the Cabinet Secretary into the allegations against the former Secretary of State for Defence my right hon. Friend the Member for North Somerset (Dr Fox).
This is available on the Cabinet Office website:
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/allegations-against-rt-hon-dr-liam-fox-mp-report-cabinet-secretary
and copies are available in the Library of the House.
Ministerial Speeches
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Prime Minister whether (a) special advisers and (b) civil servants employed in his Office were given responsibility for checking the content of ministerial speeches delivered at the 2011 Conservative party conference. [76030]
The Prime Minister: Special advisers and civil servants carry out their duties in accordance with the Code of Conduct for Special Advisors and the Civil Service Code.
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Domestic Visits
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Prime Minister when he last (a) met a young unemployed person and (b) visited a Jobcentre Plus centre. [76032]
The Prime Minister: I have meetings and discussions with a wide range of organisations and individuals at a variety of locations around the country, including a number of welfare to work providers. I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 12 October 2011, Official Report, column 332.
Scotland
Family Intervention Programme
Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has had discussions with (a) the Prime Minister and (b) other Government Ministers on the formulation of the family intervention programme for families with multiple problems. [76161]
David Mundell: The programme referred to applies to England only.
Transport
Bus Services: Disability
Brandon Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate she has made of the proportion of buses which have flat level access for disabled passengers. [75643]
Norman Baker: The Department for Transport continues to work to improve physical accessibility to public transport. The Public Service Vehicles Accessibility Regulations 2000 (PSVAR) require all new buses and coaches used to provide local or scheduled services and designed to carry more than 22 passengers to be accessible to disabled passengers.
All existing buses and coaches used to provide local or scheduled services will then have to comply with PSVAR by end dates between 2015 and 2020, depending on vehicle type. At March 2011, 60% of all buses in Great Britain had been issued with a PSVAR accessibility certificate and a further 25% had low floor access but did not hold a PSVAR certificate.
Crossrail Line: Rolling Stock
Mr Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions (a) she and (b) her officials have had with Transport for London and the Mayor of London on the role of Transport for London in leading on Crossrail rolling stock procurement. [75184]
Mrs Villiers: Ministers and officials regularly discuss a variety of Crossrail matters, including rolling stock, with the Mayor of London and Transport for London officials.
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Departmental Ministerial Meetings
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many meetings she has had with representatives of (a) social enterprises, (b) charities, (c) large private sector businesses and (d) small and medium-sized private sector businesses since May 2010; and if she will make a statement. [75716]
Norman Baker: Details of all ministerial meetings with external stakeholders are published quarterly and are available on the DFT website at:
www.dft.gov.uk/publications/ministerial-transparency/#meetings
I regret that information is not held under the categories requested.
Procurement
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether any socio-economic considerations are included in her Department's public procurement tenders. [72399]
Norman Baker [holding answer 10 October 2011]:The Department may take into account socio-economic considerations during procurement if and where they are relevant to the requirement, where consideration is in accordance with the Public Contracts Regulations and the European Treaty Principles of Equality of Treatment, Transparency and Freedom of Movement and where they can be applied in a proportionate, non-discriminatory manner.
This issue has been raised frequently following the Thameslink procurement process. Under the previous Government, the Department did not include consideration of socio-economic factors in the evaluation criteria for the Thameslink Invitation to Tender. Once the Invitation to Tender had been issued, the Department could not then include new evaluation criteria as this would have been contrary to UK and EU procurement law.
As part of the growth review, we are examining whether the UK is applying the EU procurement rules to best effect and managing procurements to maintain competitive supply chains to meet its strategic needs, cost effectively, in the long-term.
Gold-plating
Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps her Department is taking to implement the Government's commitment to end gold-plating of EU rules. [75965]
Mike Penning [holding answer 20 October 2011]: The Government are determined to ensure that disproportionate regulation does not see UK businesses put at a competitive disadvantage compared with their European counterparts.
To this end the Department does not go beyond the minimum requirements of European Directives, unless there are exceptional circumstances to warrant it.
Kirkby-in-Ashfield Railway Station
Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many passenger (a) arrivals and (b) departures there were at Kirkby-in-Ashfield railway station in each of the last five years. [75433]
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Norman Baker: The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) produces estimates for the number of passengers using stations on the rail network in Great Britain each year based on ticket sales, The estimated number of entries and exits at Kirkby-in-Ashfield station in each of the last five years for which figures are available are shown in the following table:
| Estimated entries and exits at Kirkby-in-Ashfield railway station: 2005-06 to 2009-10 | ||
|
|
Entries | Exits |
Further information about these estimates can be found in the reports on the ORR website at the following link:
http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/server/show/nav.1529
Public Transport: Concessions
Brandon Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many concessionary travel pass holders are registered disabled; and how many such persons used their passes in the latest period for which figures are available. [75864]
Norman Baker: The Department is not responsible for issuing concessionary bus passes and so does not maintain records of how many passes are held by concessionaires who are registered disabled.
The Department has no information about how many eligible disabled people used their concessionary bus pass in the latest period for which data are available.
Railways: Overcrowding
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will consider the merits of reviewing passenger overcrowding on London to Bristol sections of passenger rail services between London and south Wales. [74026]
Mrs Villiers: The Secretary of State and the Office of Rail Regulation publish statistics on passenger crowding. The most recently published statistics include passenger rail services between London, Bristol and south Wales.
Prior to electrification, and subject to successful commercial negotiations with First Great Western, the Government expect additional carriages to be added to some high speed services on these routes, including to Bristol and south Wales.
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will consider the merits of introducing legislation to eradicate the incidence of passenger overcrowding and passenger standing on rail services. [74103]
Mrs Villiers: Capacity improvement is a key priority for this Government. Significant investment is being made in additional rolling stock and infrastructure works across the UK, including major schemes such as the Thameslink Project and Crossrail.
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Careful consideration is also being given to the results of consultation on a new high speed rail network.
The eradication of all overcrowding and all standing on the UK rail network would require a vast programme of additional infrastructure construction and rolling stock procurement, which is not affordable. Alternatively, it would require all passengers to reserve a seat before travelling, which would limit journey opportunities to an inappropriate extent.
Railways: Wales
Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Wales regarding the electrification of the Valleys and Cardiff local routes. [75549]
Mrs Villiers: The Department for Transport has regular discussions, at both official and ministerial level, with the Wales Office about a range of issues, including electrification of the Cardiff Valley lines. Following her appointment of 14 October 2011, the Secretary of State for Transport, my hon. Friend the Member for Putney (Justine Greening), intends to continue this dialogue.
Rolling Stock
Kwasi Kwarteng: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what future plans she has for the process of procurement of rolling stock. [71801]
Mrs Villiers: The Government's review of public procurement—part of the Government's growth review—is examining whether the UK is making best use of the application of EU procurement rules.
The review will also consider the degree to which the Government can set out requirements and evaluation criteria with a sharper focus on the UK's strategic interest and how the Government can support businesses and ensure that when they compete for work they are doing it on an equal footing with their overseas competitors.
The recent deferral of the issue of Invitation to Negotiate documentation for the Crossrail rolling stock and depot procurement will allow relevant conclusions from the Government's review of public procurement to be taken into account in the tender process.
We will be considering Sir Roy McNulty's recommendations on rolling stock but start from the position that the rail industry should be best placed to lead on rolling stock cascade proposals. The Government's role is primarily focused on ensuring that these represent value for money.
Speed Limits
Stuart Andrew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether her Department has plans to review national speed limits for roads other than motorways. [75427]
Mike Penning: I refer my hon. Friend to my answer of 12 October 2011 given to the hon. Member for Brighton, Pavilion (Caroline Lucas), Official Report, column 371W.
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Waterloo-Reading Railway Line
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans she has to improve the condition of the Waterloo to Reading line between Waterloo and Richmond. [69384]
Mrs Villiers: The condition of the track between Waterloo and Reading is a matter for Network Rail as owners and operators of the rail network.
As part of the High Level Output Specification (HLOS), Stagecoach South West Trains (SSWT) and the Department are currently in discussions to augment more capacity into Waterloo stations, providing more capacity for passengers including those between Waterloo and Richmond. These discussions are subject to value for money and affordability. Assuming that a commercial agreement can be reached between the parties, we hope to make an announcement later this year.
Treasury
Banking: Asset Purchase
Ed Balls: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with the Bank of England on the use of the Asset Purchase Facility to purchase commercial paper and corporate bonds. [76173]
Mr Gauke: In his letter to the Governor of the Bank of England on 6 October 2011, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, my right hon. Friend the Member for Tatton (Mr Osborne), confirmed that the Asset Purchase Facility (APF) “continues to include facilities for eligible private sector assets financed by the issuance of central bank reserves, Treasury Bills and the Debt Management Office's cash management operations that are authorised up to a maximum of £50 billion”. Private sector assets which are eligible for purchase by the APF were set out by the Chancellor's predecessor in his letter to the Governor of 3 March 2009. Eligible private sector assets include paper issued under the Credit Guarantee Scheme, corporate bonds, commercial paper, syndicated loans and asset backed securities.
Banks: Competition
Gordon Banks: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps are being taken to introduce more competition in the banking sector. [76256]
Mr Gauke: The Government are clear that more competition is needed in the UK banking sector. The Independent Commission on Banking released its final, report on 12 September 2011, including recommendations to improve competition. The Commission's report can be found at:
http://bankingcommission.independent.gov.uk/
The Government accept in principle the Commission's recommendations to improve competition, and will now consider the proposals in more detail.
The Government welcome the Commission's recommendations which build on proposals put forward by the Payments Council in July this year to make it easier for personal customers, small businesses and
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charities to switch their bank account. The Commission's recommendations set out key requirements for the industry to meet in this important area of work. The Government are clear that the new switching proposals need to be fully implemented by September 2013 and will monitor progress closely through quarterly interim reports.
In addition, preparations for disposals from the state-backed banks are continuing and the Financial Services Authority is continuing to improve the process for new bank authorisations.
Departmental Travel
Luciana Berger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department has spent on first class travel by (a) air, (b) boat and (c) train since May 2010. [75528]
Mr Gauke: Spending by Treasury Ministers and officials on first class travel between 1 May 2010 and 30 September 2011 was £905 by air and £95,532 by train. There was no first class travel by boat.
In May 2010 the Department’s travel policy was revised and first class travel is now prohibited unless in exceptional circumstances:
Where train journey is longer than three hours;
Where there are no standard class facilities to accommodate disabled or other special needs requirements under reasonable adjustment guidelines;
Where there are serious security concerns; and
Where the overall cost of the first class ticket is less than the overall cheapest ticket for standard class. Evidence (such as a screen shot from the booking page) must be retained for audit purposes.
Public Sector Finance
Ed Balls: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how illiquid assets purchased by the Government are assessed against his fiscal mandates; [76174]
(2) how illiquid assets purchased by the Government are included in the public finances; [76175]
(3) what definitions of liquid and illiquid assets his Department uses in relation to public finances. [76176]
Mr Gauke: The fiscal mandate and the supplementary target are assessed against aggregates from the Public Sector Finances. ONS has published an article which sets out the accounting principles for liquid and illiquid assets in the public Sector Finances in an article The Public Sector Balance Sheet which is available on their website at:
http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/elmr/economic-and-labour-market-review/no--7july-2009/the-public-sector-balance-sheet.pdf
Stamp Duty Land Tax
Mr Burley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his Department has considered the merits of extending the current stamp duty holiday for first-time buyers beyond March 2012. [75977]
Mr Gauke: The Chancellor announced at the Budget that the outcome of a review of the stamp duty land tax relief for first-time buyers will be announced in autumn 2011.
21 Oct 2011 : Column 1201W
VAT: Housing Improvement
Bill Esterson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of likely behavioural change by (a) consumers and (b) the building sector resulting from a reduction in value added tax on residential property renovation and refurbishment. [76169]
Mr Gauke: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 17 October 2011, Official Report, column 713W, that the figures quoted for the cost of reducing VAT to 5% on home improvements use the conventional assumption that there is no behavioural change as a result of the tax change. In practice, to the extent that the rate reduction from 20% to 5% was passed on to consumers, the price of home improvements would fall, demand for them would increase, and the cost of the reduction would be greater than the conventional figure given in the earlier answer, as the expenditure on reduced rate home improvements would likely be at that expense of expenditure on standard-rated goods and services.
No estimates have been made of the behavioural changes that would be associated with a rate change of this magnitude.
It is doubtful that there would be any significant change in compliance as a result of the rate change. Those that defraud the system typically do not limit the scope of their crime to VAT.
Wales
Agricultural Wages Board
Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what discussions she has had with ministerial colleagues on the body from which farmers and farm workers in Wales should seek guidance on terms and conditions of employment after the abolition of the Agricultural Wages Board; [75360]
(2) what meetings she has had with (a) representatives of the Welsh farming community and (b) the Farmers' Union of Wales on the Government's proposed abolition of the Agricultural Wages Board; [75401]
(3) what discussions she has had with ministerial colleagues on the potential effect of the abolition of (a) the Agricultural Wages Board and (b) the agricultural minimum wage on the pay levels of farm workers in Wales whose pay and conditions are set by the Agricultural Wages Board. [75402]
Mr David Jones: The Secretary of State for Wales, my right hon. Friend the Member for Chesham and Amersham (Mrs Gillan), and I have regular discussions with ministerial colleagues and with the farming unions regarding a range of issues that affect the farming community in Wales. Indeed, my right hon. Friend discussed this issue with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Meriden (Mrs Spelman), last week.
Assuming Royal Assent for the Public Bodies Bill, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will carry out a public consultation on the future of the Agricultural Wages Board for England and Wales. It is the intention to publish impact assessments on the effects of abolition as part of the consultation exercise.
21 Oct 2011 : Column 1202W
Departmental Allowances
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much members of her departmental management board have claimed in expenses since May 2010. [74940]
Mr David Jones: Since May 2010 members of the departmental management board have claimed a total of £1,670.52.
These costs include all expenses claimed by members of the board discharging their daily departmental duties in addition to claims made by the non-executive board member, primarily relating to reimbursement for travel expenses.
Membership and terms of reference for the board can be found on our website:
http://www.walesoffice.gov.uk/about/management-board/
Departmental Correspondence
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether she has received representations concerning (a) the big society bank, (b) the Work programme and (c) volunteering since June 2011; and if she will make a statement. [75072]
Mr David Jones: On 12 September I hosted a seminar on the big society, which included a question and answer session with the chief executive of big society capital and representatives of voluntary organisations, social enterprises, private businesses and public sector organisations. Written feedback was received from a number of individuals who attended the seminar.
Today I am attending a meeting of the Welsh Grand Committee where Welsh Members of Parliament will discuss the implications for Wales of the Work programme with the Minister for Employment, Department for Work and Pensions, my right hon. Friend the Member for Epsom and Ewell (Chris Grayling).
No other representations have been received.
Departmental Public Expenditure
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much her Department spent on new furnishings in the last year. [72942]
Mr David Jones: In the current financial year to date, the Wales Office has spent £1,020 on new furnishings to replace those that were damaged or worn.
Work and Pensions
Access to Work Programme
Mr Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to ensure that (a) employers and (b) disabled people are made aware of the Access to Work Scheme; and if he will make a statement. [76192]
Maria Miller:
Access to Work provides vital support to help disabled people get and keep employment. We want as many disabled people as possible to know this
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support is available. The recent Sayce review recommended changes that will increase the number of people who are able to benefit from Access to Work and raise awareness about its availability amongst disabled people and employers. A public consultation following the review has just closed and we will be considering ideas and reactions from that consultation and publishing a statement in due course.
During the Sayce consultation period two Access to Work events were held, one in Manchester for third sector organisations and Access to Work Users and a further meeting in London for employers of disabled people. The attendee list at both events was extensive and featured many recognisable names.
Also from 9 December 2010, disabled job seekers have been able to find out immediately if they are eligible for Access to Work support by completing a short online questionnaire at Directgov. If eligible, they are then able to print off a new Pre-Employment Eligibility Letter which will help build their confidence when applying for jobs and can be shown to prospective employers. This delivers the commitments in the coalition programme to reform Access to Work, so that disabled people can apply for jobs with funding already secured for any adaptations and equipment they will need.
Atos Healthcare: Manpower
Mr Watts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many disabled people are employed as health care professionals by Atos Healthcare to carry out work capability assessments. [73431]
Chris Grayling: Atos Healthcare hold the records of health care professionals who have declared a disability. This declaration is personal information that relates to a small group of individuals who are not employed by the Department. I am not therefore in a position to release the information requested.
Atos Healthcare: Complaints
Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many complaints about employment and support allowance medical assessments conducted by Atos Healthcare were recorded in (a) Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire constituency and (b) England in each year since 2008. [74575]
Chris Grayling: Atos Healthcare record complaints by Medical Services Centre (MSC). Therefore, data has been provided for Cardiff MSC (the MSC responsible for WCAs in the Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire constituency) and for the nine MSCs located in England (Birmingham, Bootle, Bristol, Croydon, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham and Wembley).
| Region | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | (1) 2011 |
| (1) To date. Note: Only two complaints were received in 2008 as Employment and support allowance assessments only, commenced in October 2008. Source: Atos Healthcare Medical Services Information Team. | ||||
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Departmental Billing
Dr Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 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. [74328]
Chris Grayling: Current Department for Work and Pensions IT systems do not allow us to determine how many external training courses staff have attended in the last 12 months or the cost breakdown against each course.
The following table outlines the cost to the public purse of external learning and development interventions, since October 2008:
| Period | External L&D expenditure (£) | Percentage reduction year on year |
Civil service reforms introduced from April 2011 have begun to change the landscape for how people in the Department for Work and Pensions access learning and development. As a result of these changes significant savings have already been made. By 2012 we will have embedded the cross-government approach to centralised procurement of generic skills training through civil service learning; this will provide even greater value for money for the taxpayer.
Departmental Furniture
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department spent on new furnishings in the last year. [72944]
Chris Grayling: The Department has spent the following on furniture:
|
|
£ million |
The Department signed a 20-year PFI contract with Telereal Trillium in 1998 for the provision of fully fitted and serviced accommodation for which the Department pays an all inclusive unitary charge.
The scope of the services provided by Telereal Trillium include the provision of all accommodation in over 1,000 buildings and services, which includes building maintenance, life cycle works, energy/utilities management and environment, internal reorganisation, porterage, security, health and safety, furniture and equipment, catering/security facilities and equipment, catering, waste management, internal and external cleaning, room booking service, and landscape maintenance.
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This contract does not cover business-driven change where specific types or brands of furniture are required because of a new business initiative. Therefore, in 2010-11, for example, when Jobcentre Plus initiated the Response to the Economic Downturn project, which converted primarily back of the house space to temporary front of the house space in order to support more jobseekers, the Department had to pay for furniture not included within the contract price.
Departmental ICT
Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many bids he received for the tender to create the software to support the universal credit system; [72952]
(2) to whom his Department granted the contract to create the software to support the universal credit system; and on what basis the decision was made. [72953]
Chris Grayling: The Department is currently replacing a number of its commercial contracts to develop and maintain the applications for all the core and critical business systems as these arrangements will soon reach their natural end. These applications are used to deliver services to the public, including on-line benefit applications and job searches, as well as back-office functions. Some of these contracts will be involved in the delivery of universal credit (UC).
In response to the invitation to participate in a dialogue (ITPD) issued on 29 January 2010 the Department received 34 bids from 10 suppliers. On 21 May 2010, six short-listed bidders were selected. Following the completion of the dialogue phase of the procurement the Department issued the invitation to submit a final tender (ITFT) on 16 March 2011. The Department received six bids from three suppliers.
Contracts have been awarded to IBM and Capgemini and DWP has extended its current contract with HP. The evaluation criteria included financial and non-financial indicators such as cost, quality and value for money.
Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what estimate he has made of the cost of creating the software to support the universal credit system; [72954]
(2) what estimate he has made of the annual cost of maintaining the software to support the universal credit system. [72955]
Chris Grayling: The Treasury has allocated £2 billion investment funding to the Department of Work and Pensions for universal credit over the current spending review period. Plans on the allocation of funding are currently under review as part of work to produce an Outline Business case for next stage approval.
Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how the new software for universal credit is expected to interact with (a) the PAYE system and (b) other existing HM Revenue and Customs systems. [72957]
Chris Grayling:
Universal credit will interact with the HMRC PAYE system for the provision of real-time earnings data. DWP will notify HMRC of universal credit claimants and HMRC will provide earnings data
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to the DWP on a daily basis. This process will ensure claimants who are part of the PAYE system will no longer have to submit earnings information clerically, and will ensure that the right universal credit payments are made.
The universal credit IT system will also interact with the HMRC national insurance systems to ensure DWP contributory benefits and national insurance contributions are paid correctly.
Security
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department is taking to improve cyber-security in relation to his Department's estate; and if he will make a statement. [75180]
Chris Grayling: The Department routinely assesses current and future threats to its ICT systems and supporting infrastructures, and applies appropriate and proportionate security measures to counter such threats, in line with the prevailing guidance from the central security authorities, and industry best practice.
These measures aim to protect the Department's valuable assets and information. Aside from that, it has been the policy of successive Governments not to make public the details of specific improvements in security arrangements, as to do so would not be in the national interest.
Employment Schemes
Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what data will be made publicly available on outcomes achieved by each of the Work programme providers; and whether such outcome data will be available by (a) provider, (b) region, (c) hours worked per week by Work programme client and (d) employment destinations of Work programme client. [73334]
Chris Grayling: As a minimum, DWP currently expects to publish referral figures from spring 2012 and job outcome figures from autumn 2012. DWP expects to make these publicly available by various breakdowns including age; gender; ethnicity; disability; provider; local authority; parliamentary constituency; and contract package area. However, this is dependant on the availability and quality of data from the administrative systems.
DWP does not plan to publish hours worked per week or employment destination, as the job outcome and sustainment period definitions (in employment and off benefit) do not require them to be measured.
The exact details of what Work programme national statistics we will publish will be available once we have developed more detailed requirements and are confident that the data are of sufficient quality to publish.
An information note detailing the Work programme national statistics release strategy can be found at the following website:
http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=statistical_summaries
Included in the note is an invitation for feedback on the type of statistics users would like to see made available for the Work programme.
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As soon as we are confident we have reliable data we will pre-announce an exact release date via this website and on the UK Statistics Authority publication hub. Statistics will be published in the DWP quarterly statistical summary and via an internet based tabulation tool offering users bespoke breakdowns of the headline statistics.
Housing Benefit
Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the potential cost of delaying the introduction of the overall benefit cap for (a) 13 weeks, (b) 26 weeks and (c) 52 weeks for all households who become liable over the course of the period in (i) 2013-14 and (ii) 2014-15. [76280]
Chris Grayling: The following table shows the cost of delaying the introduction of the overall benefit cap for new claims by (a) 13 weeks, (b) 26 weeks and (c) 52 weeks.
|
|
13 weeks | 26 weeks | 52 weeks |
Figures are rounded to the nearest £5 million and are estimates. Analysis of those affected by the benefit cap has been modelled using survey data; as such there is a degree of uncertainty around the results
Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the potential cost of delaying the introduction of the overall benefit cap for (a) 13 weeks, (b) 26 weeks and (c) 52 weeks for all households who would otherwise become liable for the restriction but who were eligible for working tax credits in the previous 12 months. [76281]
Chris Grayling: Costings which take account of prior eligibility to working tax credit are not available. The following table shows the cost of delaying the introduction of the overall benefit cap for new claims who have not claimed a DWP benefit in the previous twelve months by (a) 13 weeks, (b) 26 weeks and (c) 52 weeks.
| Cost (£ million) | |||
|
|
13 weeks | 26 weeks | 52 weeks |
Figures are rounded to the nearest £5 million. Analysis of those affected by the benefit cap has been modelled using survey data; as such there is a degree of uncertainty around the results.
Housing Benefit: Disability Premium
Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of single person households which will be affected by the overall benefit cap are in receipt of a severe disability premium in their benefit award. [76279]
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Chris Grayling: Receipt of the severe disability premium is dependent on receipt of disability living allowance, constant attendance allowance or attendance allowance.
Since the benefit cap will not apply to households with someone in receipt of one of these three benefits, no single-person household with the severe disability premium will be affected by the benefit cap.
Jobseeker's Allowance
Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the administrative cost has been to his Department of transferring lone parents on to jobseeker's allowance or another benefit when their entitlement to income support ends according to the age of their youngest child under the previous stages of lone parent obligations in (a) November 2008, (b) October 2009 and (c) October 2010; and what the estimated cost will be to his Department of transferring lone parents on to jobseeker's allowance or another benefit when their youngest child is aged five or six from early 2012. [76282]
Chris Grayling: The lone parent obligations (LPO) policy, which changed the income support (IS) entitlement conditions so that certain lone parents can no longer claim is solely on the grounds of being a lone parent, was introduced in three stages:
for lone parents with a youngest child aged 12 or over from 24 November 2008;
for lone parents with a youngest child aged 10 or over from 26 October 2009; and
for lone parents with a youngest child aged seven or over from 25 October 2010.
Table 1 shows the total administrative costs of the first three stages of LPO combined. We have not monitored the operational administrative expenditure of each stage of LPO separately, therefore the costs are presented by financial year not by LPO delivery stages.
| Table 1: Actual operational expenditure of the first three stages of LPO | |
| £ million | |
The June 2010 Budget announced further extension of the LPO policy, to lone parents with a youngest child aged five or over. We estimated in the recent impact assessment, “Conditionality Measures in the 2011 Welfare Reform Bill”, that the change will help 20,000 to 25,000 extra lone parents into work in steady state. Table 2 shows the estimated administrative costs of the extension LPO from lone parents with a youngest child aged seven or over to those with a youngest child five or over. These figures are estimated expenditure and may be subject to changes.
| Table 2: Estimated operational expenditure of the LPO extension | |
| £ million | |
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The administrative costs presented in tables 1 and 2 include the costs of additional work focused interviews, benefit administrations and IT changes.
Social Security Benefits
Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether, for joint claimants of universal credit (a) personal independence payment and (b) contributory benefits will be paid to the partner who is the recipient of universal credit whether or not they are also the claimant of the personal independence payment or contributory benefit. [76283]
Chris Grayling: The Government recognise the important role that cash benefits such as disability living allowance play in supporting disabled people to overcome the inequalities they face and remain independent. That is why personal independence payment will remain outside universal credit, ensuring it is non-means-tested cash benefit to assist disabled people to meet extra costs associated with disability.
Personal independence payment will be a personal benefit paid to the disabled person or their appointee. In households where two or more claimants are entitled to personal independence payment, individuals will be able to claim the benefit in their own right.
Contributory jobseeker's allowance and employment and support allowance will normally be payable to the claimant of those benefits. We are considering, in cases where universal credit is greater than the contributory benefit, whether we would make a single payment through the universal credit which would include any contributory benefit entitlement.
Social Security Benefits: Ex-servicemen
Stephen McPartland: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to provide financial support to former armed forces personnel who are not in receipt of resettlement commutation. [73415]
Chris Grayling: Former armed forces personnel who are not in receipt of resettlement commutation may be entitled to social security benefits as long as they meet the relevant conditions of entitlement.
Jobcentre Plus has an Armed Forces Champion in every district to ensure that service families get the best help and support available from people who understand their unique circumstances.
Unemployment: Young People
Mr Frank Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the change in the level of youth unemployment in Motherwell and Wishaw constituency was in the last three months. [75749]
Mr Hurd: I have been asked to reply.
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
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As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what the change in the level of youth unemployment in Motherwell and Wishaw constituency was in the last three months. (075749)
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles unemployment statistics for local areas from the Annual Population Survey (APS) following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions. However, estimates of unemployment for the requested age band and geography are not available.
As an alternative we have provided the change in number of people aged 18 to 24 years who were claiming Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) in Motherwell and Wishaw in the last three months. The change between June 2011 and September 2011 was an increase of 15.
National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and JSA count are available on the Nomis website at:
http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
Universal Credit
Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the answer of 11 May 2011, Official Report, column 1247W, on universal credit, whether the earnings disregard rule applying to such an individual on a contributory benefit living as a couple, once universal credit is in place, would be the level applicable to a (a) single person, (b) couple and (c) lone parent (i) with and (ii) without children; whether any earnings of such an individual's partner would be offset against the earnings disregard for the contributory benefit; and whether the earnings rule for claimants of carer's allowance will be affected in the same way as for claimants of contributory benefits on the introduction of universal credit. [76284]
Chris Grayling: Entitlement to contributory benefits is assessed on an individual basis. It is intended that this will continue when universal credit is introduced. The Government intend to bring the earnings rules for contributory benefits into line with universal credit, but it is not envisaged that the earnings of the partner would be offset against contributory benefit entitlement.
The carer's allowance earnings rule is not changing as a result of the introduction of universal credit. Current rules will remain in that the earnings limit in carer’s allowance means that all entitlement to that benefit is lost if earnings exceed £100 a week net of certain expenses, tax and national insurance contributions. This rule applies to the individual carer's earnings and not to the earnings of a partner.
Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the answer of 11 May 2011, Official Report, column 1247W, on universal credit, at what level of earnings a claimant of contributory employment and support allowance (ESA) would be (a) worse off and (b) better off under the earnings rules once they are aligned with the universal credit earnings rules as compared to the current ESA earnings disregard of £95 per week; and, if there are any losses for claimants, whether he proposes these will be covered under the transitional protections arrangements for the introduction of universal credit. [76285]
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Chris Grayling: The earnings disregard for a household with a disabled person will vary from a minimum of £2,080 per year up to a maximum of £7,000 per year. The impact of the new earnings disregard will depend on the individual circumstances of the claimant and on final decisions made about the universal credit taper rate.
The Government are currently considering what transitional arrangements will apply once universal credit is introduced.
The Department published a policy briefing note relating to earnings disregards and tapers in universal credit on 10 October 2011. This is available at:
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/ucpbn-14-disregards-tapers.pdf
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Work Capability Assessment
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what procedures his Department requires Atos Healthcare to follow when advising claimants of a review of their benefit case; what timescales his Department has set for each part of the process; and what records his Department holds in relation to such procedures. [73226]
Chris Grayling: Atos Healthcare does not advise claimants of a review of their benefits case. This is the role of my Department.