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Written Answers to Questions
Tuesday 25 October 2011
Northern Ireland
Departmental Allowances
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much members of his departmental management board have claimed in expenses since May 2010. [74943]
Mr Paterson: The Department publishes senior staff business expenses on a quarterly basis on its website within the publication section. This includes reimbursable expenses as well as those paid directly by the Department on behalf of the Director General and the non-executive director. The website address is:
www.nio.gov.uk
The following table summarises for all other members of the departmental management board reimbursable expenses since May 2010. For reasons of security it is departmental policy not to disclose the names of deputy directors.
| Name of board member | Amount (£) |
For the sake of completeness we have included in the following table those who are no longer in the Department but were members of the departmental management board for part of this period:
| Name of board member | Amount (£) |
Ministerial Voluntary Work
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what volunteering (a) he and (b) other Ministers in his Department have undertaken as part of the One Day Challenge; what the nature of the work undertaken was; on what dates it took place; and what the names were of the organisations assisted. [76232]
Mr Paterson:
As my contribution to the One Day Challenge my wife and I competed in the Mongol Derby from 6 to 16 August 2011. Our participation in this 1,000 km+ multi-horse race across the Mongolian steppe has to date raised over £68,000 for the Royal Irish Regiment Benevolent Fund, the Midlands Centre for Spinal Injuries at the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt
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Orthopaedic and District Hospital NHS Trust Charity and Mercy Corps Mongolia. The hon. Member is invited to make a donation, if he so wishes, at:
http://www.charitygiving.co.uk/patersonsmongolderby
The Minister of State, my right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire), has yet to complete his One Day Challenge but hopes to do so before the end of the year. At a conference on the big society in Belfast on 14 October 2011 at which he was the keynote speaker, he referred to the One Day Challenge and asked for those present to come forward with suggestions for a suitable project with which the Northern Ireland Office could become involved.
Scotland
Ministerial Voluntary Work
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what volunteering (a) he and (b) other Ministers in his Department have undertaken as part of the One Day Challenge; what the nature of the work undertaken was; on what dates it took place; and what the names were of the organisations assisted. [76230]
David Mundell: All Government Ministers have pledged to undertake a ‘one day challenge’ with a charity or community group of their choosing. This is a clear and public commitment by Ministers to give their time to help others. The pledge aims to inspire others to consider how they might be able to support their communities to benefit themselves, as well as their chosen organisations.
National Insurance Contributions
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will estimate the number of jobs created in each (a) Scottish local authority area and (b) parliamentary constituency in Scotland as a result of the partial exemption in national insurance contributions for new employees. [76089]
David Mundell: A breakdown of the number of jobs that have been supported by the NICs holiday, by region and constituency, will be published in the NICs Holiday Factsheet in the House of Commons Library in the autumn. A breakdown by local authority is currently not available.
Communities and Local Government
Allotments
Mr Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans he has to encourage local authorities to provide more land for allotments. [76117]
Andrew Stunell:
The Government are working with voluntary and community sector organisations, including the Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens, Allotment Regeneration Initiative and the National Society of Allotment and Leisure Gardeners to promote the importance of allotments and to encourage local authorities to make allotment land available. The Federation of City Farms have been investigating the potential for a community land advisory service to assist in the transfer of ownership and/or control of land from
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public or private landowners to community groups through purchase/sale or leasing. A business case is under development.
In addition, there are a number of other measures that we are taking forward, including measures in the Localism Bill, that will enable local people who are interested in food growing and cultivation to play a bigger role in planning, designing, managing and maintaining community green spaces for this purpose.
‘The Community Right to Reclaim Land’ will help communities to find space for food growing by making information about land owned by public bodies more easily available and help to ensure that under-used or unused land owned by public bodies and some other organisations is brought back into beneficial use.
Under proposals for the ‘National Planning Policy Framework’ local communities can protect the environmental and cultural landscapes they value. They will be able, through their local and neighbourhood plans, to identify, for special protection, green areas of particular significance to them. This local significance could be because of the green area’s beauty, historic importance, recreational value (including land used for allotments where it is not already protected by allotment legislation), tranquillity or richness of its wildlife. By designating land as local green space, local communities will be able to rule out new development other than in very special circumstances. Full public consultation on the draft framework was launched on 25 July and closed on 17 October.
We are also looking at whether meanwhile leases for land could be used to provide community groups with a temporary space to grow. Locality, formerly the Development Trusts Associations, has developed model leases at:
http://www.meanwhile.org.uk/useful-info/view/legal
that can be used by landowners and communities to make use of land on a temporary basis (e.g. land set aside for a specific purpose but where the land is not currently being utilised to that effect).
Alongside the “How to” guide that my Department published at the end of August, providing advice for communities interested in creating or cultivating community orchards at:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/news/newsroom/1973439
we will be developing a similar guide for individuals and communities interested in finding and developing space for food growing.
Guidance on managing existing plots better, for example, reducing plot sizes and taking action in cases where plots are not being cultivated, is available to local authorities via “A Place to Grow” available on the LGA website at:
www.lga.gov.uk/lga/publications/publication-display.do?id=9027596
Mr Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the average length of time was for an application to rent an allotment in the latest period for which figures are available. [76118]
Andrew Stunell: Records of allotment provision or the average time someone has to spend on a waiting list are not held at a national level. This is a matter for individual local authorities.
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Research produced by the university of Derby in 2006, based on a partial survey of local authorities, reported that in the period 1996 to 2006, the number of allotment plots fell by 50,630. The report, commissioned but unpublished by the previous Government, was posted up on the DCLG website on 6 May at:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/corporate/pdf/1897047.pdf
Recent indications are however that the tide is turning. The number of allotment disposal cases has reduced significantly from 57 in 2005 to 15 last year. In addition, the National Society of Allotment and Leisure report that in certain areas of the country significant progress has been made in providing more land to meet demand for allotments, for instance, 52 new allotments sites have been created in the south west within the last year alone. Increasingly, councils are providing extra plots through bringing into use extra plots on existing sites, by extending existing sites or splitting plots in half as they become vacant to help meet demand. These practices are very much in keeping with the recommendations set out in the DCLG/Local Government Association guidance to local authorities in “A Place to Grow”, which can be found at:
www.lga.gov.uk/lga/publications/publication-display.do?id=9027596
Surveys undertaken by West Kirby Transition Town in conjunction with the National Society of Allotment and Leisure Gardeners show waiting lists for allotments have grown considerably. The latest survey results published on 6 May 2011 estimated that around 87,000 people are on waiting lists for just over 152,000 statutory plots managed by principal local authorities (not including those run by parish or town councils or allotment associations). This equates to 57 people waiting for every 100 plots. In 1996 there was an average of four people waiting for every 100 plots.
New neighbourhood planning provisions being introduced in the Localism Bill will provide communities with a means to boost the number of sites with powers to protect existing allotments and identify new plots. In addition, requirements for councils to provide allotments will be safeguarded as part of a wider review into reducing statutory burdens on local authorities.
The above information was covered in a news release issued by the Department on 7 May, available at:
www.communities.gov.uk/news/corporate/1897155
Mr Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many allotments there are in England; and how many acres were used for allotments in (a) 1981, (b) 1990, (c) 2000 and (d) 2010. [76119]
Andrew Stunell: Information on the number of allotments in England and the amount of land used for allotments is not held by central Government.
The National Society of Allotment and Leisure Gardeners estimate that there are approximately 300,000 allotments in England.
Arm's Length Management Organisations
Mr Betts:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will publish the revised guidance issued to local authorities on the
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process to follow when it is proposed to bring housing management under direct council control and abolish an arm's length management organisation. [76785]
Andrew Stunell: The Department will issue guidance for councils considering the future of their arm’s length management organisations and housing management services as part of the Housing Strategy which will be published in due course.
Mr Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether his Department has any plans to require arm's length management organisations to become housing associations. [76786]
Andrew Stunell: The Department will set out its thinking on any stock transfer to housing associations in the Housing Strategy which will be published in due course. We will listen to views across the housing sector to ensure that social housing is well managed and resourced and remains relevant in a changing world.
Council Tax
Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will estimate the average saving to a household in each council tax band of the council tax freeze in 2012-13. [73743]
Robert Neill [holding answer 12 October 2011]: The average saving to a household in each council tax band should authorities choose to freeze their council tax in 2012-13 would be as follows:
| Band | £ |
This assumes there would have been an average increase by each authority of 5%.
The average savings from the freeze are a simple reflection of the council tax bands, with higher banded homes paying more council tax.
I would note under the last Government, from 1997 to 2010, council tax bills more than doubled—across all council tax bands. This hit pensioners and others on fixed incomes the hardest. Correspondingly, the coalition Government's grant scheme to help local authorities to freeze council tax this year and next will provide significant help to those council taxpayers on low and fixed incomes.
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) with reference to his recent announcement on the effects of freezing council tax, if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's financial assessment on which he based his assumption of a five per cent. increase in council tax if no support were made available; [75318]
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(2) if he will place in the Library a copy of the financial assessment on which he based his calculation that support to local authorities to help freeze council tax would save an average Band D council taxpayer £72. [75319]
Robert Neill: The figure of a saving of up to £72 is compared to an assumed rise of 5% in average council tax bills. This has been calculated based on an average Band D council tax figure for 2011-12 of £1,439, as published in the Council Tax Levels statistical release which can be found on the Department's website at:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/statistics/pdf/1870215.pdf
A rise of 5% reflects the typical council tax level capping threshold adopted by the last Administration in recent years (2005-06: 5.5%; 2006-07: 5.0%; 2008-09: 5.0%; 2009-10: 5.0%; 2010-11: 4.5%).
The average annual rise in council tax under the last Administration was 5.9%.
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will estimate the likely council tax increase in each local authority if no support to freeze council tax was made available. [75320]
Robert Neill: Levels of council tax are a matter for individual local authorities to decide.
I would note that under the last administration council tax rose by an average of 5.9% a year, with rises in one year as high as 12.9%.
In addition to working with councils to freeze council tax for two years, this Government are giving local taxpayers new powers to veto excessive council tax rises.
Council Tax Benefits
Mr Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the total cost to the public purse was of meeting the cost of council tax benefit in each year from 2007-08 to 2011-12 to date; what estimate he has made of the cost of its successor benefit in each year from 2012-13 to 2014-15; and if he will make a statement. [75398]
Steve Webb: I have been asked to reply.
The following table provides the total amount of council tax benefit paid out to beneficiaries up to 2010-11, and then forecast expenditure to 2012-13.
| Council tax benefit | |
|
|
Total expenditure (£ million) |
| Source: Local authority subsidy returns, 2007-08 to 2010-11, Budget 2011 expenditure forecasts 2011-12 to 2012-13, available at: http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/all_tables_budget_2011_2.xls http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/h_tables_budget2011.xls | |
There are no firm cost estimates of the successor benefits to council tax benefit. However, on the basis of existing policy, with an assumed 10% reduction in
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expenditure at the time of localisation in 2013-14, the OBR’s March 2011 economic and fiscal outlook forecasts spending to be as follows:
| Council tax benefit successor (after localisation) | |
|
|
Total expenditure (£ million) |
| Source: Budget 2011 expenditure forecasts. | |
Figures ‘include’ both benefit spending reimbursed by DWP and the spending financed by local authorities, but ‘excludes’ reimbursement to local authorities in respect of their administration of council tax benefit, as this information is unavailable.
Departmental Speaking Engagements
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government at how many events organised by (a) charities, (b) civil society groups, (c) businesses and (d) lobbying organisations (i) Ministers and (ii) senior officials in his Department have spoken in each month since May 2010; and if he will make a statement. [76791]
Robert Neill: Details of keynote ministerial speeches are available on the Department's website at:
www.communities.gov.uk/newsroom/articlesandspeeches/
A comprehensive list of all speaking engagements undertaken by Ministers and senior officials since May 2010 is not held centrally and to assemble the information would entail disproportionate cost.
Derelict Land
Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he is taking to encourage the development of brownfield sites. [76148]
Robert Neill: On 5 October 2011, my Department outlined plans to release formerly-used land and property with enough capacity to build up to 100,000 new homes by 2015. To get development moving, we will be looking to extend the use of build now, pay later models—meaning developers do not have to find the money upfront for the land but can pay as the development gets underway, or homes are sold. This will help tackle cash flow problems which can act as a barrier to house building.
In September 2011, we announced £100 million of funding to bring empty homes that blight neighbourhoods back into use. This complements the new homes bonus which also rewards the reuse of long-term empty homes.
In May 2011, we announced a £30 million contribution towards locally-led schemes to improve the former housing market renewal pathfinder areas. In many locations, the Whitehall programme created blighted areas and abandoned streets.
In February 2011, we outlined plans for a new community right to reclaim land which will help communities to improve their local area by making information about land owned by public bodies more easily available. It will also help to ensure that underused or unused land owned by public bodies and some other organisations is brought back into beneficial use.
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In June 2010, we amended Whitehall planning guidance to take residential gardens out of the definition of brownfield land. This allows councils to focus development on genuine brownfield land and protect the character of residential neighbourhoods.
In July 2011 j we published a draft new National Planning Policy Framework. The draft asks local authorities to prioritise land of least environmental or amenity value for development. The term “of least environmental or amenity value” rather than “brownfield” was used because in some cases, previously developed land can be rich in wildlife and much valued by local communities. The consultation has closed and we are carefully considering all of the submissions that have been made and will then publish the revised text.
My department is also supporting the Olympic legacy, driving renewal and regeneration in East London, replacing over 740 acres of polluted, low-grade industrial land and premises with new sports and community facilities, parks, homes, shops and transport infrastructure.
Enterprise Zones
Mr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what measures are in place to assist the economies of local authority areas not selected as enterprise zones. [74183]
Greg Clark: DCLG officials are working closely with those local enterprise partnerships that have asked for support in driving forward local growth following an unsuccessful bid for an enterprise zone.
There are many mechanisms that local enterprise partnerships can draw upon to promote economic development. For example, local authorities can already simplify the approach to planning through local development orders and put in place super fast broadband, working with Broadband Delivery UK. Subject to the passage of the Localism Bill, authorities will be able to grant local business rate discounts from April 2012. And the Government are currently consulting on the local retention of business rates, as well as proposals for tax increment finance, both of which have the potential to provide funding to develop infrastructure.
The coalition Government have a number of policies and schemes in place to help promote local economic growth and regeneration, including the Growing Places Fund, the Regional Growth Fund, the European Regional Development Fund, the Work programme and the Olympics legacy. A more detailed list is outlined in ‘The Plan for Growth’ (March 2011).
Enterprise Zones: Lee-on-the-Solent
Caroline Dinenage: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether existing sector-appropriate tenants of the Daedalus Enterprise Zone site will receive the same benefits from the zone as new businesses that choose to set up there. [76204]
Greg Clark [holding answer 24 October 2011: All businesses in an Enterprise Zone will be eligible for a 100% business rate discount, worth up to £275,000 over a five-year period, provided they are operating from the Enterprise Zone during the course of this Parliament. These discounts will be provided up to levels permitted by state aid requirements.
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Housing
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) what the average proportion of social housing is in each decile of wards ranked by the index of multiple deprivation; [75932]
(2) what the average proportion of households that owned their homes was in each decile of wards ranked by the index of multiple deprivation. [76036]
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Andrew Stunell: The table shows housing stock by tenure for deciles of local authorities ranked by their average rating by the index of multiple deprivation.
The table is at local authority level and in terms of housing stock not households as it is based on the most recently available data. It is not possible at local authority level to divide ‘privately owned’ dwellings into ‘owner occupied’ and ‘private rented’.
| Number of dwellings | Percentage of total housing stock | |||||
| Decile (1) of districts | Social housing stock (2) | Private housing stock (3) | Total housing stock | Social housing stock (2) | Private housing stock | Total housing stock |
| (1) One is the least deprived 10% of local authority districts, 10 is the most deprived 10%. Local authorities are given an average score based on the multiple deprivation measures weighted by population for 'census areas' within their boundaries. (2) Figures for social housing stock include both self-contained dwellings and bedspaces from the housing association tenure. (3) Includes 'own occupied' and 'private rented'. Sources: 1. “DCLG live table 100”: http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/housingresearch/housingstatistics/housingstatisticsby/stockincludingvacants/livetables/ 2. “Indices of Deprivation 2010, Local Authority District Summaries, deciles based on the 'Average of LSOA ranks'”: http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/statistics/xls/1871689.xls | ||||||
Housing: Planning
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he expects to reach a decision on Planning Appeal APP/A1530/H/11/2140255, Middleborough, Colchester; and if he will make a statement on the time taken in considering and determining that appeal. [75800]
Robert Neill: I assume that my hon. Friend is referring to Advertisement Appeal APP/A1530/H/11/2149255 which relates to a Discontinuance Notice Advertisement Appeal in Colchester. The appeal was submitted on 14 March 2011, had a Site Visit on 18 October 2011, and a decision was issued shortly thereafter on 21 October.
Advertisement Appeals do not have any statutorily defined decision time scale. Wherever possible, the Planning Inspectorate follows the same time scale as it does for Planning Appeals. It aims to issue 80% of Written Representations decisions within 16 weeks of receipt and 80% of Hearing decisions within 22 weeks. In this case the time taken to reach the site visit stage was longer than anticipated as there was no appropriately qualified inspector with immediate availability to start the case.
As at the end of August this year, 67% of decisions on Written Representations advertisement appeal decisions have been issued within 16 weeks of the start of the process, and 98% of those following the Hearing procedure have been issued within 22 weeks. Cases take longer than target times for reasons that include the complexity of the issues involved, where important circumstances relevant to the appeal change during the time the appeal is with the Inspectorate and the need to ensure that the case is dealt with by an inspector at an appropriate level of qualification and cost.
Local Government: Trade Unions
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will issue guidance to local authorities on the use of (a) facilities, (b) resources and (c) staffing time for trade union duties and activities. [69094]
Robert Neill: Over the last year, the issue of taxpayer-funded trade union officials has attracted significant parliamentary and public scrutiny.
The TUC have estimated that there are 200,000 union representatives in workplaces across the United Kingdom. Information on the amounts spent on paid time off or the provision of facilities for trade union officials in the public sector is not widely recorded or transparent.
Notwithstanding, I note the Taxpayers' Alliance published a survey of public authorities' employment of trade union officials in September 2010;
http://www.taxpayersalliance.com/campaign/2010/09/new-tpa-research-taxpayers-fund-trade-unions-to-the-tune-of-85-million-a-year.html
and the Sunday Telegraph published its own survey in October 2011:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/8815280/Taxpayers-pick-up-68m-bill-for-thousands-of-union-reps.html
Estimates have suggested that so-called “facility time” is more prevalent in the civil service than the rest of the public sector and the private sector, with civil service
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departments spending, on average, 0.2% of annual pay bill on facility time, compared to 0.14% in the wider public sector and 0.04% in the private sector.
Statute does not specify how much time employees should be granted to work on trade union duties beyond ‘that which is reasonable’. It is clear that the public sector gives more than the level considered reasonable by other employers.
Such facility time agreements are not legally enforceable, and can be amended or terminated on notice.
Employment decisions are a matter for local determination by councils. Yet at a time when all local authorities need to make sensible savings to protect front line services, councillors should review the merits of union officials funded by the taxpayer and the provision of the office facilities to trade unions. We would actively encourage local authorities to reduce the amount of facility time to the norm of private sector levels. A number of councils are already undertaking such reviews.
In due course, the Cabinet Office will be producing a policy paper on how facility time can be reformed and reduced in the civil service. Further to this, the Department for Communities and Local Government will provide assistance and guidance to local councils to help inform their own reviews.
The new Transparency Code for local government will also help ensure that cash payments to trade unions and the titles of staff posts in local government are open to greater public scrutiny.
Planning Permission
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the National Ecosystem Assessment of the value of local ecosystem services would be taken into account as a material consideration in a planning application under the guidance of the National Planning Policy Framework. [76419]
Greg Clark: Case law has determined that, to be material, a consideration must relate to the development and use of land, and to the particular development for which planning permission is being sought These are the tests which decision makers will apply in determining whether the National Ecosystem Assessment or any other issue is material to a particular application.
Social Mobility
Eric Ollerenshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what step his Department is taking to improve social mobility; and if he will make a statement. [76605]
Andrew Stunell: As the social mobility strategy sets out, fairness is a fundamental value of the coalition Government. The strategy aims to ensure everyone has a fair opportunity to fulfil their potential, regardless of the circumstances of their birth.
The Government's social mobility strategy aims to tackle unfairness at every stage of life with specific measures to improve social mobility from the foundation years to school and adulthood. The strategy takes a long-term view and recognizes that this is not just a task for Government. Our whole society has a part to play.
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My Department has a particular contribution to the social mobility strategy in setting out how housing can play a crucial role in improving social mobility through improving affordability for those wishing to realize their aspirations of home ownership and making the rented sector more flexible through providing more tenure choice and increasing incentives and opportunities for social renters to move to look for work.
The forthcoming housing strategy will set out how our housing reforms can further support the goals set out above.
Treasury
Business: Bonds
Mr Blunkett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment his Department has made of the potential for growth in the market for bonds issued by small and medium-sized enterprises. [76746]
Mr Hoban: The Government believe that there is the potential for greater use of bond issuance by small and mid-sized companies in the UK. The CBI and other organisations have also suggested that bond markets could be accessed more by this group. The Government are continuing to work with stakeholders to assess the potential to encourage and develop the growth of this market.
Business: Debts
Mr Blunkett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment his Department has made of the cost to the public purse of underwriting debt or equity issued by small and medium-sized enterprises. [76662]
Mr Hoban: HM Treasury is currently considering a range of options for credit easing as announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, my right hon. Friend the Member for Tatton (Mr Osborne), on 3 October 2011. The Chancellor will provide more details regarding credit easing at the autumn statement on 29 November.
Child Tax Credit
Nicola Blackwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of main carers claiming child tax credit in respect of couples out of work were (a) men and (b) women at the latest period for which information is available. [76263]
Mr Gauke: The information requested is not available.
Card Surcharges
Mr Spellar: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to respond to the report by the Office of Fair Trading on card surcharges. [76053]
Mr Hoban: The Government are considering the Office of Fair Trading's recommendations and will respond in due course.
Equitable Life Assurance Society: Compensation
Annette Brooke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many Equitable Life compensation payments had been made by 30 September 2011; what assessment he has made of performance against the original timetable for payments; and if he will make a statement. [76729]
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Mr Hoban: The scheme began making payments as planned on 30 June and hundreds of payments have been paid to date. Payment volumes will continue to be ramped up over the coming months as the scheme's complex payment processes are refined further.
The Government set out at the spending review in October last year that £500 million was available to make payments to policyholders in 2011-12, £300 million in 2012-13 and £200 million in 2013-14. We are making good progress towards delivering these payments to policyholders.
European Fighter Aircraft
Graham Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) whether his Department undertook an impact assessment on the likely effects on (a) employment and (b) the economy of a slow-down in orders for tranche 3A of Eurofighter; and when any such assessment was made; [76093]
(2) whether (a) he and (b) officials in his Department have discussed a slow-down in orders for tranche 3A of Eurofighter with representatives of (i) BAE Systems and (ii) staff employed by BAE Systems; [76094]
(3) whether (a) he and (b) his officials held discussions with (i) the Secretary of State for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and (ii) officials from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on the likely effect of changes in orders for tranche 3A of the Eurofighter on levels of employment; and when any such discussions took place; [76095]
(4) what discussions (a) he and (b) his officials have had with their counterparts from partner core nations on the likely effects of a slow-down in tranche 3A of Eurofighter on (i) employment and (ii) the economy. [76097]
Danny Alexander: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave him on 19 October 2011, Official Report, column 965W, and to the answer the Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology, the hon. Member for Mid Worcestershire (Peter Luff), gave him on 17 October 2011, Official Report, columns 600-01W.
Financial Services: Regulation
Christopher Pincher: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what further proposals he plans to bring forward to protect consumers from mis-selling by independent financial advisers; and whether he intends to provide guidance to the Financial Services Compensation Scheme administrator on the timely resolution of claims. [76346]
Mr Hoban: The Financial Services Authority's (FSA) Retail Distribution Review (RDR) aims to address structural problems in the retail investment market which can lead to mis-selling. The RDR will come into effect at the end of 2012.
More generally, the Government's Financial Services Bill will provide the framework for more focused and proactive regulation of firms' conduct under the new Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
The FSA sets down the rules under which the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) operates. The day-to-day operations of the FSCS are independent from Government control and influence.
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Fiscal Policy
Owen Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what fiscal measures are being reviewed by the Office for Tax Simplification. [76430]
Mr Gauke: The OTS is currently carrying out reviews into small business taxation, pensioner taxation and employee share schemes. It will publish reports into each of these areas by Budget 2012.
Income Tax: Women
Amber Rudd: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many and what proportion of those taken out of tax as a result of the increase in the personal allowance were women in 2011-12; and what estimate he has made of the figures for 2012-13. [76193]
Mr Gauke [holding answer 21 October 2011]: Personal allowances for those aged under 65 have increased by £1,000 in 2011-12 to £7,475. As a result, the Government estimates that in 2011-12 830,000 taxpayers will be removed from income tax, of which 490,000 (59%) are female.
Personal allowances for those aged under 65 will increase by a further £630 in 2012-13 to £8,105. As a result, the Government estimates that in 2012-13 260,000 taxpayers will be removed from income tax, of which 146,000 (56%) are female.
These estimates are Budget 2011 estimates based on the 2007-08 Survey of Personal Incomes, projected using economic assumptions consistent with the Office for Budget Responsibility's March 2011 economic and fiscal outlook.
Income Tax: Tax Rates and Bands
Owen Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many staff in HM Revenue and Customs have been assigned to conduct the review into revenue generated by the 50p tax rate; [76468]
(2) whether the Office for Budget Responsibility will have a role in (a) conducting, (b) advising and (c) reviewing the outcomes of the review into revenue generated by the 50p tax rate; [76466]
(3) which sections in his Department will be responsible for conducting the review into revenue generated by the 50p tax rate; [76465]
(4) whether he has consulted with (a) the Office of Budget Responsibility and (b) others on the methodology for reviewing the revenue generated by the 50p tax rate; [76462]
(5) what progress he has made in measuring the revenues to the Exchequer generated by the 50p tax rate. [76461]
Mr Gauke: The Chancellor of the Exchequer, my right hon. Friend the Member for Tatton (Mr Osborne), has asked HM Revenue and Customs to assess the revenue from the 50% rate of income tax. As I outlined in debate on the 2011 Finance Bill, HMRC will consider all available evidence around the impact of the 50% rate including data from the 2010-11 self assessment returns which will become available next year.
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Independent Commission on Banking
Gordon Banks: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has set a timetable for the implementation of the recommendations of the report of the Independent Commission on Banking after the Government has published its response. [76673]
Mr Hoban: The Government are currently considering options for implementation. This will be discussed in the Government response to the Independent Banking Commission, due by the end of the year.
Gordon Banks: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he plans to accept the recommendation of the Independent Commission on Banking to establish a challenger bank; and when any such bank would be established. [76675]
Mr Hoban: The Government have welcomed the Independent Commission on Banking’s recommendations. The Government will respond by the end of the year.
Individual Savings Accounts
Damian Hinds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress he has made on plans to introduce social Individual Savings Accounts. [76353]
Mr Hoban: ISAs offer a clear and simple option for saving in a tax-advantaged way for over 23 million people in the UK. They have the benefit of being simple, transparent, competitive and flexible.
A number of providers choose to offer green ISAs, ethical ISAs and ISAs orientated towards supporting other social benefits. The Government's ISA regulations are designed to allow providers to develop these types of ISA products, where there is demand.
National Insurance Contributions: Small Businesses
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he plans to extend national insurance contribution holiday to all small businesses. [76587]
Mr Gauke: The policy is designed to support new businesses in parts of the country that are most reliant on the public sector assisting them in their first year, reducing the costs of hiring staff and improving the likelihood of business survival.
The Government have considered the case for extending the NICs Holiday to all existing small businesses but believes the best use of public funds at this time is to keep the NICs Holiday as a targeted scheme for those areas in most need of employment support.
Office for Tax Simplification: Manpower
Owen Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff are employed by the Office for Tax Simplification. [76586]
Mr Gauke: The OTS has 12 staff:
Four full-time civil servants
Eight part-time secondees
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Personal Savings: Interest Rates
Mr Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent estimate he has made of the annual revenue yield from interest on money in bank and building society deposits. [76643]
Mr Hoban: Estimated income tax liabilities on savings income is shown in table 2.6 “Income tax liabilities, by income source and tax band, 2007-08 to 2011-12”, available on the HMRC website at the following address:
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/income_tax/table2-6.xls
Revenue and Customs: Recruitment
Owen Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer from which departments in HM Revenue and Customs staff have been recruited to the new affluent team. [76463]
Mr Gauke: 100 people were redeployed from teams working in HMRC's Individuals and Public Bodies Group. The other 100 have been recruited by competition across HMRC and come from many different parts of the department and have a wide range of relevant skills.
Owen Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether new jobs created to tackle tax avoidance and evasion were advertised externally; and what the cost was of such advertising. [76464]
Mr Gauke: New jobs created by HM Revenue and Customs to tackle tax avoidance and evasion have not been advertised outside of the civil service.
Taxation: Business
Owen Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when HM Revenue and Customs' online service for filing company tax returns was last updated. [76460]
Mr Gauke: The HM Revenue and Customs online service for filing company tax returns was updated on 11 October 2011. The update included the reductions in the corporation tax rates announced in Budget 2011.
Taxation: Financial Services
Frank Dobson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his Department has estimated the revenue which would be raised for the Exchequer by a tax on international financial transactions levied at (a) 0.005 per cent., (b) 0.05 per cent., (c) 0.5 per cent. and (d) five per cent. [76475]
Mr Hoban: The EU Commission published proposals for a EU financial transactions tax on 28 September. As part of the associated impact assessment, it set out revenue estimates for various types of financial transaction tax. However, in respect of budgetary impacts, the EU Commission also notes the following.
“Estimating revenue for taxes that would be newly introduced and that—at least to a certain extent—have the goal to change market behaviour and structure is not feasible without a high degree of uncertainty. This comprises also the effects on other taxes like corporation tax, capital gains taxes which revenue could decrease when introducing additional taxes.”
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The full impact assessment and associated documents are available from the EU Commission at:
http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/taxation/other_taxes/financial_sector/index_en.htm
The Government believes that any financial transaction tax would have to apply globally to avoid transactions relocating to those countries not applying the tax.
Taxation: Multinational Companies
Owen Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals in respect of controlled foreign companies; and if so when. [76567]
Mr Gauke: New controlled foreign companies (CFC) rules will be introduced in Finance Bill 2012.
VAT: Inflation
Owen Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the contribution of the increased rate of value added tax to inflation. [76413]
Mr Gauke: The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) is responsible for producing independent economic and fiscal forecasts. The OBR will publish updated forecasts on 29 November 2011. The Office for National Statistics estimates that the impact of the VAT rise on consumer prices index inflation in January 2011 was 0.76 percentage points.
Transport
Airlines: Passengers
Mr Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps her Department is taking to encourage the Civil Aviation Authority to take action against airlines which mistreat their customers and passengers. [76115]
Mrs Villiers: The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is the UK's National Enforcement Body for European aviation consumer law and has enforcement powers backed by criminal penalties. The use of these powers is a matter for the CAA.
Crossrail Line: Rolling Stock
Mr Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether she plans to hold a separate financing competition for Crossrail rolling stock. [75282]
Mrs Villiers: The procurement of the Crossrail rolling stock and depot facilities is being undertaken by Crossrail Ltd on behalf of the project's two sponsors, Transport for London and the Department for Transport.
The OJEU advertisement for the procurement was issued in December 2010. The invitation to negotiate documentation, which will set out in more detail the scope of services to be provided by bidders, is currently being developed by Crossrail Ltd. Arrangements in relation to financing will be confirmed in more detail once the invitation to negotiate is published.
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Consultants
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what procedures her Department uses when engaging external consultants. [73111]
Norman Baker: All procurement of external consultants undertaken by the Department complies with the Government's procurement policies and procedures.
Regardless of definition or value, all requirements for external consultancy are subject to review and approval by the Department's Departmental Approvals Committee (DAC) before any procurement action can commence.
Departmental Re-location
Mr Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many civil servants in her Department have been (a) relocated and (b) agreed to relocation in the last 12 months; and to which areas of the UK. [74899]
Norman Baker: There have been no relocations of DfT central staff during the last 12 months. 18 staff are planned to be relocated from Woking to Farnborough during the next 12 months.
Information on the number of DfT executive agency staff relocated, and agreed for relocation, in the last 12 months is not centrally recorded and this information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
The DfT (including executive agencies) will consider opportunities for relocation as they arise, for example, through departmental reorganisation and reviews of estates requirements.
Great Western Railway Line
Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether her Department will invite (a) formal submissions from regional organisations as part of a consultation and (b) comments on the draft specification for the Great Western rail franchise; and whether her Department has set a date by which such submissions must be received. [76723]
Mrs Villiers: As part of the Great Western refranchising process, the Government intend to issue a consultation document. This will include the opportunity for individuals and organisations to provide feedback on the draft franchise specification. Currently we expect the consultation exercise to commence by January 2012 and conclude by April 2012.
Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on what date her Department plans to issue the specification and invitation to tender for the next Great Western rail franchise. [76724]
Mrs Villiers: We currently expect to issue the specification and invitation to tender for the next Great Western franchise in May 2012.
Public Sector Mutuals
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what steps she is taking to put in place a right to provide for public sector workers to take over the running of services; and if she will make a statement; [74785]
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(2) what steps her Department has taken to encourage the development of public service mutuals in its area of responsibility; and if she will make a statement. [74815]
Norman Baker: The Department for Transport is committed to putting in place a framework for assessing applications for employee co-operatives.
This will be developed in line with guidance from Cabinet Office and will cover all aspects of the establishment of employee-led mutuals.
Railways: Accidents
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress the Rail Accident Investigation Branch has made in its investigation into the incident on 18 July 2011 involving a tamper train on the Northampton Loop being hit by loose metal panels from containers from a freight train. [76487]
Mrs Villiers: The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) is investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident on 18 July 2011 involving a tamper train on the Northampton Loop being hit by loose metal panels from containers from a freight train. The details of the incident were as described as follows:
At 17:55 hrs, the driver of a tamper travelling on the Down Northampton line, reported that his cab had been struck by an object from freight train 4L68, the 12:15 hrs container service from Birch Coppice (near Tamworth) to Felixstowe, as it passed on the adjacent line. The tamper driver had observed a metal panel flapping from the side of the approaching container train. He released the safety device in his cab as he moved to protect himself and the tamper came to a stand. The side window of the cab had been smashed but he escaped injury. He then called the signaller to request that all trains be stopped on the adjacent line. When he re-continued his journey, the tamper driver reported finding another similar panel beside the track closer to Rugby.
The two metal panels were later recovered from the trackside and were found to be from two containers that were on 4L68. The containers were fitted with power generation equipment. The panels, approximately 2.5m high x 1m wide, had been screwed to the container sides; each had covered a louvred-aperture. The RAIB has examined the containers and found evidence of loose and missing screws on other panels that had been fitted.
The RAIB has examined the panels that became detached and the containers to which they were originally attached. Through interviews, industry records, CCTV images and analysis the RAIB has determined the sequence of events leading up to the incident. It has identified that the panels became detached due to failure of their fastening arrangements to the container.
The RAIB has identified the controls that are in place to manage and approve design and modifications to freight containers. The RAIB is currently considering their effectiveness and the industry's compliance with them. Similarly, it is investigating the railway specific arrangements that are in place to prevent unsafe containers entering railway service.
Upon conclusion of the investigation, the RAIB will, if appropriate, make recommendations to limit the likelihood and/or reduce the consequence of future similar incidents on the railway.
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether her Department is conducting work on the crashworthiness of tables on Class 156 units following injuries to passengers at a crash on the Sudbury branch on 17 August 2010. [76488]
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Mrs Villiers: The role of the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) is to conduct independent investigations into accident and incidents on the railways of the UK for the purpose of improving safety. The RAIB undertook an investigation into the accident on 17 August 2010 at Sewage Works Lane and published its report on 11 August 2011 (RAIB report 14/2011, available at:
www.raib.gov.uk
The RAIB made six recommendations including recommendation number six:
Owners of class 156 units should assess whether or not there is a case for improving the crashworthiness performance of the tables on Class 156 units and implement any measures found to be reasonably practicable. When undertaking this assessment, the owners should seek the co-operation of operators of Class 156 units.
The owners of Class 156 units are rolling stock leasing companies (known as ROSCOs); in this case the Porterbrook Leasing Company and Angel Trains.
The Railways (Accident Investigation and Reporting) Regulations 2005 places a duty on the safety authority, the Office of Rail Regulation, to ensure that recommendations are considered and where appropriate acted upon. The RAIB has no role or statutory powers to follow up on the implementation of recommendations, other than if it becomes relevant as part of a subsequent investigation.
Railways: Overcrowding
Mrs Riordan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate she has made of the number of people who are required to stand on train services between Leeds and Halifax because of a lack of capacity between (a) 7 am and 10 am and (b) 4 pm and 7 pm. [76421]
Mrs Villiers: The Department has undertaken no analysis of the number of people required to stand on train services between Leeds and Halifax. Under the terms of their franchise agreement with the Department, operators (in this case Northern Rail) are required to align their resources in a way which best matches demand.
As part of the Government's High Level Output Specification (HLOS) intervention, 60 additional carriages are to be in operation on the Northern network by mid December.
Road Works
Mr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps her Department proposes to take to prevent utility companies from passing lane rental charges on to consumers. [72669]
Norman Baker: The Department's proposals for lane rental initially would involve a very small number of pioneer schemes that are carefully targeted, with charges only being applied on the busiest streets at the busiest times. These would be used to gather evidence. This targeting maximises the opportunity for utility companies to reduce or avoid their exposure to charges by working in less disruptive ways. In addition, approval for a scheme would only be granted by the Secretary of State for Transport, the hon. Member for Putney (Justine Greening), where any costs were justified by the benefits from reduced traffic congestion. The impacts of any pioneer schemes, including any effects on utility bills, will be carefully considered before decisions are taken on whether lane rental could usefully play a wider role.
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Ryanair: Disabled People
Mr Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans she has to discuss the treatment of people with a disability by Ryanair with the Civil Aviation Authority. [76114]
Mrs Villiers: The rights of disabled air travellers are set out in European legislation which has been accepted throughout the European Union. Ryanair is an Irish registered airline and any questions in relation to its fulfilment of its obligations to disabled air travellers under European law is a matter for the Irish Civil Aviation Authority.
EC Regulation 1107/2006 gives disabled air travellers and persons of reduced mobility access to air travel and assistance when they fly to and from Europe. It imposes legal obligations on airport managing bodies, air carriers, and their agents or tour operators. In the United Kingdom it is enforced by the UK's aviation regulator, the Civil Aviation Authority.
Thameslink: Rolling Stock
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the cost to the public purse was for each category of cost of the procurement process for the Thameslink rolling stock contract. [R] [68714]
Mrs Villiers: In accordance with the invitation to tender, the Department for Transport is not responsible for costs or expenses of any bidder. Therefore the costs to the public purse of the whole procurement process to June 2011 (including design) is £19.2 million which was spent on external advisers. Of this total, £13.9 million was incurred under the previous Government. These figures are in addition to internal staff costs.
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will place in the Library a copy of the rail consultants Interfleet's report on Thameslink train formations from January 2010. [76491]
Mrs Villiers: The Interfleet report is the subject of a public interest test for a freedom of information request that the Department is currently processing.
Work and Pensions
Departmental Allowances
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much members of his departmental management board have claimed in expenses since May 2010. [74939]
Chris Grayling: The Department publishes details of the business expenses incurred by its most senior staff, including members of its management board, on its website. The data relating to the period 1 May to 31 December 2010 can be accessed via:
www.dwp.gov.uk/publications/corporate-publications/scs-expenses.shtml
Details of the business expenses incurred between 1 January and 30 June 2011 will be released in due course.
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Departmental Billing
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what contracts of a monetary value of (a) between £100,000 and £500,000, (b) between £500,000 and £1 million, (c) between £1 million and £5 million, (d) between £5 million and £10 million, (e) between £10 million and £50 million, (f) between £50 million and £100 million, (g) between £100 million and £500 million, (h) between £500 million and £1 billion, (i) between £1 billion and £5 billion and (j) over £5 billion his Department and its predecessors have entered into with private suppliers in each year since 1990. [74211]
Chris Grayling: The information is as follows:
| Contract value range | Number of contracts |
| Notes: 1. These figures include DWP and its NDPB's. 2. This Contracts Database was created in 2010, there was no central repository of contact data before that time. | |
Fines
Dr Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many transport-related fines his Department has settled on behalf of its staff; and at what cost in each year since 2007. [74329]
Chris Grayling: The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has paid the following amounts to settle transport related fines incurred by DWP staff since 2007:
|
|
Number | Amount (£) |
The figures above represent fines incurred by DWP staff driving DWP official fleet vehicles and hire vehicles on departmental business. This information should be viewed in the context of a Department employing over 100,000 staff.
The contractors who provide the private user scheme (PUS), official vehicles (OV) and hire cars are the registered keepers of any vehicles leased or hired by the Department. The contractors pay the fines directly and then invoice the driver; only in exceptional circumstances are the department charged by the contractor when they have difficulty in retrieving the fine.
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This Government introduced a policy to recover fines more rapidly. Consequently, DWP has a process to recover fines in place that was introduced on 16 May 2011 and is at present recovering fines back to 1 April 2010.
Departmental Re-location
Mr Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many civil servants in his Department have been (a) relocated and (b) agreed to relocation in the last 12 months; and to which areas of the UK. [74909]
Chris Grayling: A number of staff in the Department relocate each year for a variety of reasons, which could include for example taking up new opportunities in the Department or other Government Departments or for personal reasons. As a Department we do not keep records on these types of moves.
In terms of moves at public expense, the Department has only had one such move of home relocation in the last 12 months. This move was from Northamptonshire to London.
Departmental Speaking Engagements
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions at how many events organised by (a) charities, (b) civil society groups, (c) businesses and (d) lobbying organisations (i) Ministers and (ii) senior officials in his Department have spoken in each month since May 2010; and if he will make a statement. [76789]
Chris Grayling: The following table details recorded information relating to speeches given by this Department's Ministers since May 2010 to the organisations mentioned. We are unable to provide a breakdown by organisation type as the vast majority of the organisations that Ministers have spoken to fit into two or more of the categories mentioned.
There are approximately 200 senior officials in this Department but no central record is held of speeches made by them to outside organisations, we are therefore unable to collate this information.
|
|
Number |
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Employment and Support Allowance
Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have (a) applied and (b) had an application refused for employment and support allowance in each month since the work capability assessment started; and how many of those whose applications were refused had it granted on appeal in each of those months. [76268]
Chris Grayling: The Department regularly publishes official statistics on the employment and support allowance (ESA) work capability assessment at the national level. The latest report, published in July 2011, covers new claimants to ESA for October 2008 to November 2010 (the latest data available) and can be found at:
http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/workingage/index.php?page=esa_wca
Table 1 in the above publication shows that since the introduction of ESA in October 2008 to November 2010 (the latest data available), there were 1,342,100 new ESA claims and, of these, 517,900 (39%) were assessed to be fit for work at initial assessment. These figures are published by month of claim start and by region in table 1.
Table 3 in the above publication presents data on ESA claims up to the end of May 2010 (the latest month where we have sufficient volumes of appeals heard to include in this publication) where the person claiming has been found fit for work, they subsequently appeal the Department’s decision and the appeal has been heard by the Tribunals Service by the end of April 2011 (the latest data we have from the Tribunals Service).
This shows that for ESA claims starting between October 2008 and May 2010, there were 146,200 appeals heard on fit for work decisions at initial assessment. Of these appeals, 56,500 (39%) concluded in favour of the appellant. These figures are published by month of claim start in table 3.
Employment and Support Allowance: Mining and Steel Industries
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in receipt of employment and support allowance were formerly employed in the mining or steel industries in the latest period for which figures are available. [75922]
Chris Grayling: The information requested is not available.
Information on occupation may be collected for some benefit claimants as part of the claims process, in particular, those in employment at the time of claim, but is not carried through to the datasets available for analysis. Information on employment history is not collected.
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Information on the number of claimants on employment and support allowance is available on the Department’s tabulation tool which can be accessed from the following link:
http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=tabtool
Employment: Young People
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many young people were not in education, employment or training in each region in each of the last 18 months. [75942]
Mr Hayes: I have been asked to reply.
Tables showing the number of people aged(1) 16 to 24 not in education, employment or training (NEET) by region for the latest six quarters available will be placed in the Libraries of the House. These estimates are from the quarterly Labour Force Survey and refer to England only. Information for the devolved Administrations is available from the respective Governments.
(1) Age used is the respondents' academic age, which is their age at the preceding 31 August.
Please note that these estimates are subject to sampling variability and should be viewed in conjunction with their Confidence Intervals(2) (CIs), which give an indication of how accurate an estimate is. For example, the confidence interval for England of +/- 48,000 in the second quarter of 2011 means that the true NEET total could lie up to 48,000 above or below the point estimate (between 931,000 and 1,027,000).
(2) Confidence intervals quoted are 95% confidence intervals.
These statistics are published by the Department for Education alongside the NEET Statistics - Quarterly Brief at the following link:
http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/STR/d001019/index.shtml
General Medical Council
Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether his Department has made a submission to the General Medical Council's consultation on good medical practice; and if he will place a copy of any such submission in the Library. [76613]
Chris Grayling: The Department did make a recent submission to the General Medical Council's consultation on good medical practice. This has been placed in the Library.
Rented Housing: Cambridge
Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will meet councillors and officers of Cambridge city council to discuss the Government's assessment of the efficacy of the Cambridge broad rental market area. [76622]
Steve Webb: Broad rental market areas are an essential feature in calculating rates of housing benefit for tenants in the private rented sector. All English broad rental market areas were reviewed by the Valuation Office Agency rent officers over a two-year period ending in March 2011 and there are no further plans to assess the effect or efficacy of the boundaries.
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The hon. Member for Cambridge has raised the city council's concerns about the efficacy of the Cambridge broad rental market area previously. He met with the Minister for Welfare Reform, my noble Friend Lord Freud, in October last year to discuss them and further met with my officials in May this year. My Department understands the issues with the Cambridge broad rental market area but on the whole we are satisfied that these current arrangements are working well and have no plans to review broad rental market area boundaries in the near future.
I would of course, be happy to meet the hon. Member if any new issues have arisen since his earlier meetings.
Social Security Benefits: Uprating
Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he plans to uprate pensions and benefits in line with the September 2011 consumer prices index inflation rate. [76770]
Steve Webb: Next year's proposed benefit rates will be announced to Parliament by ministerial statement later in the autumn. As announced in the June 2010 Budget, the consumer prices index (CPI) is the Government's preferred prices measure for benefit and pension uprating and is consistent with the Bank of England's inflation target.
Universal Credit
Nicola Blackwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the cost of administering universal credit (a) monthly and (b) fortnightly; and if he will estimate the cost to the public purse of offering benefit recipients the choice of how regularly they receive payments. [74283]
Chris Grayling: Universal credit will be introduced in October 2013, and individuals will be migrated to universal credit over the subsequent four years. Costs and benefits over this transition period will depend upon the precise nature of the migration strategy.
In the longer term, reduced administrative complexity may save more than £0.5 billion a year in administrative costs alone. However at this early stage, it is not possible to offer precise figures about specific parts of the process.
Electoral Commission Committee
Electoral Registration
Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission, which local authorities have undertaken recent additional research into registration; and what research each authority has undertaken. [75892]
Mr Streeter: The Electoral Commission informs me that it does not collate additional research carried out by local authorities and is not aware of any such research into electoral registration carried out by local authorities in the past year.
The most recent research it has seen was carried out by Lanarkshire Valuation Joint Board in 2009.
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Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission, how many and what proportion of eligible people were registered to vote in each year since 1990. [75898]
Mr Streeter: There is no regularly available data on the total eligible population in the UK. Estimates of non-registration can only be obtained through research into the electoral register.
The most recent national estimate of the proportion of the eligible electorate registered to vote used the 2001 census data. It found that 91% to 92% of those who were eligible in England and Wales were on the register.
The number of entries on the UK parliamentary register on 1 December in each year since 1990 is as follows:
|
|
UK parliamentary register entries |
Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission, how many people were on the electoral register in each general election year since 1983. [75899]
Mr Streeter: The Electoral Commission informs me that the total electorate on polling day at each UK parliamentary general election since 1983 was as follows:
| UK parliamentary general election | |
|
|
UK parliamentary register entries |
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Home Department
Animal Experiments: EU Law
Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the potential effects of the EU directive on animal experimentation. [76710]
Lynne Featherstone: European directive 2010/63/EU on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes is to be implemented in United Kingdom legislation on 1 January 2013. A detailed assessment of the impact of its provisions is under way following the public consultation on options for transposition which closed on 5 September 2011.
We are now analysing the responses to the public consultation on the options for transposition and will publish a summary report by the end of 2011.
Bolivia: Drugs
Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions the Government has had with the EU Horizontal Drugs Group on the potential re-accession of Bolivia to the 1961 UN Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs. [74318]
James Brokenshire [holding answer 13 October 2011]: Bolivia withdrew from the UN Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs 1961 on 1 July 2011. The Bolivian Government has announced that it will re-apply to the Convention in January 2012, with a reserve on the articles relating to the prohibition of coca leaf. The international community will then have 12 months to consider the reserve.
The issue was discussed at a meeting of the EU Horizontal Drugs Group on 4 October. The Government are at the early stages of discussing this issue with their EU and other partners, including the Bolivian Government, to inform their consideration.
Civil Disorder
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people arrested for offences committed in the public disorder in August were identified through (a) DNA evidence, (b) CCTV evidence and (c) other means. [76223]
James Brokenshire: The information requested is not collected centrally by the Home Office and could be collated only at disproportionate cost.
Cybercrime
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff in her Department were employed in (a) preventing and (b) investigating cybercrime in (i) 2009-10 and (ii) 2010-11; how many such staff will be employed in (A) 2011-12, (B) 2012-13 and (C) 2013-14; and if she will make a statement. [75963]
James Brokenshire [holding answer 20 October 2011]: Prevention and investigation of cybercrime are operational matters for the police and law enforcement agencies. As a result, no staff in the Home Office are involved in these activities.
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Departmental Buildings
Dr Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what (a) building and (b) refurbishment projects her Department plans in the (i) current and (ii) next financial year; and what the cost will be of each such project. [74378]
Damian Green:
Planned major building and refurbishment projects, over the value of £250,000, in the years 2011-12 and 2012-13 are set out in the following
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table. The majority of these are required for estate consolidation or to improve the capacity and facilities on the immigration detention estate. Consolidating the Home Office estate will move staff into fewer buildings, releasing savings of over £12 million per annum. The detention estate changes support the UK Border Agency's strategic objectives of securing the border and controlling migration and also help meet the coalition agreement to end the detention of children. Providing details of all building and maintenance works costing less than £250,000 would incur disproportionate cost.
Ministerial Voluntary Work
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what volunteering (a) she and (b) other Ministers in her Department have undertaken as part of the One Day Challenge; what the nature of the work undertaken was; on what dates it took place; and what the names were of the organisations assisted. [76236]
Damian Green: Home Office Ministers are actively involved with charities on a private basis as detailed in the list of Ministers' interests published by the Cabinet Office, as well as our involvement in other local voluntary activities in our constituencies.
Deportation: Offenders
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many foreign national offenders subject to multi-agency public protection arrangements have been able to remain in the UK on human rights grounds. [75539]
Damian Green: To establish how many foreign national offenders subject to multi-agency public protection arrangements are living in the UK, have been allowed to remain on human rights grounds and the type of offence committed in the UK would require cross referencing a large volume of electronic records, which would incur a disproportionate cost.
857 foreign nationals convicted of an offence subject to multi-agency public protection arrangements have been deported from the UK between October 2010 and September 2011.
138 foreign nationals convicted of an offence subject to multi-agency public protection arrangements who have successfully appealed against deportation between October 2010 and September 2011.
Detention Centres: Suicide
Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures are in place to support those who are held in detention centres who are considered to be at risk of suicide. [76654]
Damian Green: Each immigration removal centre has a comprehensive self-harm reduction strategy in place to support detainees who are deemed to be at risk of suicide or self-harm. The procedures, Assessment Care in Detention and Teamwork (ACDT), provide a holistic approach to suicide and self-harm prevention within the broader context of decency, safety, and the concept of a healthy centre. It also brings existing policy in line with similar changes implemented by the Ministry of Justice.
The ACDT process starts as soon as an individual has been identified as being at risk. It involves an initial risk assessment and assessment interview conducted by specially trained individuals. A specific care map tailored to the issues faced by the individual is produced to ensure provision of multi-disciplinary support, including input from both health care professionals and staff at the centre. The ACDT document is reviewed at regular intervals to ensure the correct support is provided while the individual is thought to be at risk.
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Domestic Violence
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions she has had with ministerial colleagues on the maintenance of local partnerships which tackle domestic violence following the transfer of funding to police and crime commissioners. [75879]
Lynne Featherstone [holding answer 20 October 2011]: The Government have made clear the priority they attach to local services tackling domestic violence.
The Home Office is providing dedicated funding for specialist services to tackle violence against women and girls with over £28 million of ring-fenced funding allocated to local services until 2015. This funding will continue to be held centrally, although we would expect police and crime commissioners to also work closely with local domestic violence services, in order to improve the police response to these crimes.
Entry Clearances: EU Nationals
Mr Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she plans to make any changes to the restrictions applying to A2 nationals working in the UK; and if she will make a statement. [76773]
Damian Green: The Government have asked the Migration Advisory Committee to report on the labour market case for continuing the existing restrictions applying to A2 nationals. We will consider the committee’s report carefully before deciding whether to make any changes, and will announce our decisions before the end of the year.
Entry Clearances: Overseas Students
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many student visas were granted to Zimbabwean nationals in each of the last 10 years. [76781]
Damian Green: The number of visas issued to Zimbabwean students is set out in the following table:
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These data are based on management information. It is provisional and subject to change. Statistical data are not held prior to 2004. The figures are for main student visa applicants only and do not include student visitors.