Extradition
Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to publish the response to Lord Justice Scott Baker's review of UK extradition arrangements. [76670]
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Damian Green: The independent review of the United Kingdom's extradition arrangements was published by way of a written ministerial statement on 18 October 2011, Official Report, columns 62-63WS. Given the thoroughness of the report, it is right that the Government consider the findings very carefully before announcing to Parliament what action we intend to take. An announcement will be made in due course.
Gang Injunctions
Meg Hillier: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many gang injunctions have been implemented since their inception. [74735]
James Brokenshire: The Home Office does not collect data on a mandatory basis on the use of gang injunctions by local authorities and the police and so we cannot give a definitive number, though we are aware of seven gang injunctions in London, two in Bristol and one in Manchester.
Immigrants: Detainees
Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many pregnant women were detained for immigration purposes in 2010-11; and how many of them were released in the late stages of pregnancy because their pregnancy meant that they were not able to fly. [76621]
Damian Green: If a pregnant woman chooses to inform the UK Border Agency of her condition, the detail would be held on her medical file which is confidential between patient and doctor. The UK Border Agency does not hold such information centrally.
The UK Border Agency’s published guidance makes clear that pregnant women should not normally be detained. The exceptions to this general position are where removal is imminent and medical advice does not suggest confinement before the due removal date or, for pregnant women of less than 24 weeks gestation, at Yarl’s Wood as part of a fast-track asylum process.
Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many women detained for immigration purposes were (a) deported and (b) released in 2010-11; and how long each such woman was detained for. [76664]
Damian Green: Published information on detention relates to those people held in detention, solely under Immigration Act powers in immigration removal centres and short-term holding facilities. This excludes those in police cells, Prison Service establishments, short-term holding rooms at ports and airports (for less than 24 hours), and those recorded as detained under both criminal and immigration powers and their dependants.
The following table shows the available information on number of women leaving detention by reason and length of detention for the 2010-11 financial year.
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| Women leaving detention by reason and length of detention, 2010-11 | ||||||
| Number | ||||||
|
|
Total detainees | Removed from the UK | Granted leave to enter/remain | Granted temporary admission/release | Bailed | Other |
| Notes: 1. Data from Q1 2010 onwards are provisional. 2. All people held are detained in the United Kingdom solely under Immigration Act powers and exclude those in police cells, Prison Service establishments, short-term holding rooms at ports and airports (for less than 24 hours), and those recorded as detained as detained under both criminal and immigration powers and their dependants. Figures include dependants. 3. Relates to most recent period of sole detention. The period of detention starts when a person first enters the UK Border Agency estate. If the person is then moved from a removal centre to a police cell or Prison Service establishment, this period of stay will be included if the detention is solely under Immigration Act powers. | ||||||
Independent Family Returns Panel: Public Appointments
Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made on the appointment of permanent members of the Independent Family Returns Panel. [76726]
Damian Green: The Independent Family Returns Panel is a key part of the fresh approach to managing family returns which the Government have put in place to end the detention of children for immigration purposes. Members of the Panel were appointed on an interim basis in March 2011 and a recruitment round is now under way to appoint permanent members through fair and open competition. The posts were advertised on 30 June. Interviews of the shortlisted candidates began on 19 September and are due to conclude on 10 November. We aim to announce the membership of the new Panel as soon as possible after that.
Licensing Laws
Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to commence section 112 of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011. [75105]
James Brokenshire [holding answer 17 October 2011]: Following the granting of Royal Assent on 15 September 2001 we will make an announcement on the commencement of section 112 and other sections of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act in due course.
Overseas Workers
Michael Connarty: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will make it her policy to maintain visa arrangements which permit overseas domestic workers to change employer. [76147]
Damian Green: The Government's recent consultation document “Employment—Related Settlement, Tier 5 and Overseas Domestic Workers” set out a number of proposals for reform of the overseas domestic worker provisions, which include making protections more appropriate, should the route be retained. We are currently considering the responses that have been received and will announce our decision in due course.
Primates
Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many non-human primates imported into the UK by air for research purposes were found to be ill or dead on arrival during 2011. [76260]
Lynne Featherstone: During 2011, from the reports we have received to date, no non-human primates imported into the UK for the purposes of scientific research were reported to be sick or dead on arrival.
Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many non-human primates of each species from each country have been imported into the UK for the purposes of scientific research in 2011. [76261]
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Lynne Featherstone: During 2011, from the reports received to date, the number non-human primates of each species from each country imported into the UK for the purposes of scientific research are as shown in the following table.
| Country | Cynomolgus macaque | Rhesus macaque |
Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many non-human primates of each species imported into the UK for the purposes of scientific research in 2011 were sourced as (a) Captive-born (or F1 generation) and (b) Captive-bred (F2+ generation). [76262]
Lynne Featherstone: Although the information currently submitted to the Home Office following the acquisition of each batch of non-human primates provides evidence that animals have been born in captivity, there is currently no requirement for the records to indicate whether animals are F1 or F2+. However, from the information available we estimate the respective totals to be as detailed in the following table:
|
|
F1 Captive-born | F2+ Captive-bred |
Proceeds of Crime Act 2002
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the monetary value was of assets (a) seized and (b) frozen under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 in each of the last three years. [74263]
James Brokenshire: The value of cash forfeiture orders and confiscation orders obtained is as follows:
| £ million | |||
|
|
Cash forfeitures orders | Confiscation orders | Total |
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The value of assets frozen is not held centrally. Restraint orders (also known as freezing orders) can be made against a defendant's property without the need to calculate the monetary worth of those assets.
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the expenditure incurred by police forces in connection with the recovery of assets under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 in each of the last five years. [74268]
James Brokenshire: This information is not held centrally by the Home Office.
Estate Maintenance
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the monetary value of the maintenance backlog (a) on her Department's estate and (b) for the non-departmental public bodies for which she is responsible in each of the last five years; and what estimate she has made of the time required to complete such maintenance. [74197]
Damian Green: Estimates of maintenance backlogs are not held. However a requirement for £35 million of anticipated repair work has been identified for future financial years for the Bramshill Police College and Hendon Data Centres which includes an element for backlog repairs. The future of both these sites is under review. The estate is generally maintained through a planned preventative maintenance programme within budgetary limits.
Right of Abode
Sheila Gilmore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many applications for right of residence in the UK her Department has rejected where the applicant is both an A2 national and defines their employment status as self-employed on the basis that her Department believes the applicant is not genuinely self-employed in each of the last three years; [76131]
(2) how many applications for right of residence in the UK her Department has (a) received, (b) approved and (c) rejected where the applicant is both an A2 national and defines their employment status as self-employed in each of the last three years. [76132]
Damian Green: The information requested is shown in the following table:
| Right of residence applications received from self employed A2 nationals in 2008, 2009, and 2010, and the status of these applications (1, 2, 3) | ||||||
| Status of application | ||||||
| Case type | Year | Total applications received | Approved | Refused | Outcome pending | Other (4) |
| (1) All figures quoted are internal management information only and are subject to change. This information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols. (2) Figures rounded to the nearest 5 (— = 0, * = 1 or 2). Figures may not sum to the totals shown because of independent rounding. (3) Applications refer to main applicants only, excluding dependants. (4) Other includes cases that w ere revoked, withdrawn, superseded, void, etc. | ||||||
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The UK Border Agency (UKBA) is unable to advise how many applications were rejected on the grounds that the applicant was not believed to be genuinely self-employed. This data is not held in a reportable format on the Case Information Database (CID).
Consequently, in order to provide this information we would need to undertake a manual case by case search of records, which would exceed the cost threshold.
Surveillance
Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse of training surveillance officers in the financial year 2011-12. [70567]
James Brokenshire: Training costs relating to surveillance officers are likely to vary significantly depending on the authority concerned, the nature of the post and the type of surveillance being undertaken. The costs are not held centrally, but by individual agencies or public authorities.
Justice
Civil Disorder
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people convicted of offences committed in the public disorder in August were identified through (a) DNA evidence, (b) CCTV evidence and (c) other means. [76222]
Mr Blunt: In order to allow timely reporting of statistics on offenders proceeded against at the magistrates courts for offences resulting from the 6 to 9 August period of public disorder a dataset has been compiled from manual returns from the courts. The available information does not include information on how offenders have been identified.
This detailed information will likely be held on individual case files which due to their size and complexity have not been reported to Justice Statistics Analytical Services at the Ministry of Justice.
Departmental Air Travel
Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department has spent on first-class air travel by Ministers in his Department since 1 May 2010. [76784]
Mr Djanogly: No Ministers in the Department have travelled first class by air since 1 May 2010.
Latchmere House Prison
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many staff are employed at HMP Latchmere house; how many prisoners it (a) holds and (b) has held since 1 September 2011; and what its running costs were in the latest period for which figures are available. [76783]
Mr Blunt:
HMP Latchmere house was announced for closure in July 2011 and decommissioned as a prison on 30 September 2011. There are currently 11 staff based at Latchmere house providing on-site security. There are currently no prisoners held at the site. There were
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59 prisoners held at the site on 26 August 2011, the closest published population figure to the requested date. The direct resource out-turn expenditure for Latchmere house for financial year 2010-11 was £4.4 million (figure is subject to rounding) and will shortly be published in an addendum to NOMS annual accounts for the period 2010-11.
Magistrates Courts: Domestic Violence Cases
Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the effect of the reorganisation and merger of magistrates courts on the capacity of such courts to hear domestic violence cases. [76400]
Mr Djanogly: By reforming the court estate, HMCTS has assessed that it will increase courtroom utilisation from 64% to about 75%. This leaves sufficient capacity in magistrates courts to manage the case load, including domestic violence cases.
Of the 93 magistrates courts designated for closure, HMCTS has identified that 22 operate within a specialist domestic violence court system (SDVC). Working with partner agencies, it has assessed the impact and issued guidance to ensure a smooth transition of domestic violence cases to the revised court estate, while maintaining the high level of support for victims.
Members: Correspondence
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he plans to reply to the letter from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton of 8 September 2011 regarding Mr David Evans. [76703]
Mr Hurd: I have been asked to reply.
The letter in question was transferred to the Cabinet Office on 24 October. I will respond to it shortly.
Prisoners: Ex-servicemen
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) whether and with what frequency meetings are held for former armed services personnel who are in prison; [76135]
(2) whether national funding will be made available for veteran support officers in the (a) Prison Service and (b) Probation Service; [76138]
(3) how many former armed services personnel are resident in approved premises in England and Wales; [76139]
(4) what the latest estimate is of the number of veterans who are (a) in prison, (b) on parole or licence and (c) on probation. [76224] [Official Report, 15 May 2012, Vol. 545, c. 6MC.]
Mr Blunt: Meetings for prisoners who are former armed service personnel take place in prisons where an identified need exists, usually as part of the Veterans in Custody Scheme which operates in approximately 120 prison establishments. The delivery or frequency of these meetings is not centrally mandated by the National Offender Management Service (NOMS).
The Veterans in Custody Scheme offers support to prisoners who are former armed service personnel and liaises with relevant service-based charities to ensure
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that this group of prisoners has access to the full range of services that are available. Certain Probation Trusts are implementing similar schemes, so that support and links to service-based charities are also available to offenders in the community.
NOMS has not provided additional funding to deliver this area of work as it is part of offender management which is already centrally funded.
Data on the number of former armed services personnel who are resident in Approved Premises in England and Wales is not centrally collated and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost by analysing information held on offender files or on local data systems, validating it, and then collating it in a common format in order to provide a response.
The Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Justice announced in a written ministerial statement on 6 January 2010, Official Report, column 7WS, the findings of an initial study by the Defence Analytical Services Agency (DASA) which estimated that, by analysing a database of prisoners aged 18 years and over on 6 November 2009, 3% of the prison population in England and Wales (2,207 prisoners) are ex-Regular service personnel.
In September 2010, DASA revised the estimate of ex-Regular service personnel to 3.5% of the prison population in England and Wales (2,280 prisoners) to take into account the incompleteness of their service leavers database, which did not previously include reliable data for those who had left the services prior to 1979 (Navy), 1973 (Army) and 1969 (RAF).
The initial report and the updated estimate are available via the following links:
http://www.dasa.mod.uk/index.php?pub=VETERANS-IN_PRISON_INIT1AL_REPORT
http://www.dasa.mod.uk/index.php?pub-VETERANS_IN_PRISON
In a third report, published in March 2011, DASA estimated, by analysing a database of offenders aged 18 years and over who were supervised by probation trusts on 30 September 2009, that there were 5,860 former members of the armed forces on probation in England and Wales. This equates to 3.4% of the probation caseload and is roughly in line with the percentage in prison—3.5%.
This report is available via the following link:
http://www.dasa.mod.uk/index.php?pub=VETERANS_ON_PROBATION
The estimate of 5,860 includes an upward adjustment of 499 former service personnel to take into account the incompleteness of DASA's service leavers database which did not capture reliable data for all those who left the services prior to 1979 (Naval Service), 1973 (Army) and 1969 (RAF). Therefore, only a total of 5,361 (or 3.1%) were actually matched to a supervision record.
Of the 5,361 veterans matched to a supervision records, 1,038 (19%) had a post-release licence and 4,331 (81%) had either a community order or a suspended sentence.
Note:
Please note that it is possible for an individual to have matched to more than one type of supervision record.
Reoffenders
Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps his Department is taking to reduce reoffending among first-time offenders. [75558]
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Mr Blunt: The Government have set out their radical plans to reduce reoffending in response to the “Breaking the Cycle” consultation, and pilot programmes are under way at a number of sites to develop the approach.
First-time offenders are an extremely disparate group: they may have been convicted of a wide range of offences, have a range of sentence types and lengths and could present anything from a low to a high risk of harm to others. There is a firmly evidenced principle that the allocation of resources is most effectively and efficiently based on the assessed risk and need of the offender.
NOMS is committed to evidence-based commissioning and the approach that will therefore be applied to the rehabilitation of all offenders, including those who have committed their first offence, will be underpinned by the principle that the allocation of resources should be based on the assessed risk and need that the offender presents.
International Development
Burma: Internally Displaced Persons
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the humanitarian needs of displaced people in Kachin State, Burma; and if he will make a statement. [76432]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: Department for International Development (DFID) staff have been closely monitoring the humanitarian situation in Kachin State following the outbreak of conflict earlier this year. We are in contact with a number of organisations working in the affected areas, both from inside Burma and from across the border in China. We understand that as many as 20,000 people have been displaced by recent fighting, many without access to basic needs such as food, clean water and medicine. I have agreed that funding through the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and a humanitarian non-governmental organisation already working in the area may be used to assist displaced people in Kachin State.
Departmental Pay
Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many civil servants in his Department received a pay rise other than by promotion in the last two years; and what the average increase was in each such year. [76591]
Mr O'Brien: The Department for International Development’s pay scales have been frozen since 2009.
The Department for International Development is contractually obligated to honour incremental progression for staff below the level of the senior civil service. In addition, all staff earning less than £21,000 p.a. received a base pay increase (in both years) of £250, in line with the coalition Government’s directive.
The following table details the number of staff who received an increase, either through incremental progression or as a result of the £250 base pay increase, and the overall average percentage increase in each of the last two years.
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|
|
Number of staff receiving an increase | Average value of increase (Percentage) |
Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many civil servants in his Department and the bodies for which he is responsible earned more than (a) £65,000, (b) £95,000, (c) £140,000 and (d) £175,000 in the last year for which figures are available. [76595]
Mr O'Brien: The following table details the number of civil servants employed by the Department for International Development (DFID) who in the last financial year (2010-11) earned salaries within the ranges specified.
| Salary range | Number of staff |
Procurement
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 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. [75151]
Mr O'Brien: The Department for International Development (DFID) is taking forward a number of actions to:
Improve our management information on small and medium enterprises (SMEs) through the introduction of an SME business tag on the new DFID portal.
Stream line competitive processes to reduce potential barriers to SMEs.
Open up channels of communication with SMEs to better understand how we can help create more business opportunities.
As DFID is mid-way through negotiations of key suppliers to the DFID portal that was launched in April 2011, we are not yet in a position to provide a detailed breakdown of all SME contracts for the period requested. However, early indications for the period July to September 2011 indicate that spend with SMEs represented at least 25% of the total spend on supplier contracts during this period.
Further information on the DFID action plan for SMEs is available at:
http://www.dfid.gov.uk/Work-with-us/Procurement/Actions-to-Assist-Small-and-Medium-Enterprises/
Developing Countries: Teachers
Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how his Department plans to contribute to increasing the proportion of teachers who are female (a) in rural areas and (b) overall in developing countries. [75685]
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Mr O'Brien: Girls and women are at the heart of the coalition Government's development agenda. In education, there is evidence that increasing the number of teachers who are female has a positive impact on the retention of girls in school. The recruitment and retention of female teachers is particularly an issue in rural areas. All DFID bilateral education programmes have a specific focus on girls' education as part of a wider programme of support for the education sector, including supporting female teachers in rural areas where appropriate.
In addition, DFID has recently announced a new Girls' Education Challenge, which will support programmes that help to get up to 1 million of the world's poorest girls into school. Funding will be allocated through a competitive process to support those projects best able to demonstrate how they will get more girls into education, which could include supporting programmes that recruit, train, and support female teachers in rural areas.
Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans his Department has to assist developing countries to achieve a fully-qualified teacher workforce through (a) bilateral and (b) multilateral mechanisms. [75686]
Mr O'Brien: DFID's bilateral programme focuses on the recruitment, training, and retention of an effective teaching workforce as part of the support for country education plans. DFID provides funding and technical support to partner countries to help ensure that teacher training is of high quality, and that classroom practice is effective. Internationally, DFID is a leading supporter of the Global Partnership for Education, a multilateral fund for education, which also focuses on the importance of an effective teaching workforce when assessing applications for funding. In addition, DFID is working in partnership with the World Bank to develop education system benchmarking tools which will help to identify barriers to teacher training and performance.
Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment his Department has made of the effect on the quality of education in developing countries of the use of unqualified teachers. [75687]
Mr O'Brien: Teachers are an integral part of ensuring the quality of education, but in many parts of the developing world it is difficult to recruit, train, and retain sufficient numbers of qualified teachers. More than 3 million more teachers are needed in sub-Saharan Africa alone. This can lead to the use of unqualified teachers.
DFID is monitoring the emerging evidence on the issue, which offers mixed results. In some cases, unqualified teachers have been shown to be effective in the classroom. DFID supports partner countries to develop education programmes, including improving teacher training and standards. In particular, DFID is focused on working with partnerships to achieve results and is investing in better methods of measuring learning outcomes and of benchmarking system performance.
Developing Countries: Waste Disposal
Mr Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans he has to deal with the negative effect on developing countries of the importation or dumping of electronic waste. [76120]
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Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK plans for dealing with the negative effects on developing countries of the importation or dumping of electronic waste, is to deal with the problem at the source and to prevent the exportation of hazardous e-waste from the UK so that it does not reach developing countries. Working electrical equipment can be exported for use overseas. However, under the waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) directive, it is always illegal to export hazardous e-waste from the UK for disposal to developing countries. The UK has a national intelligence team and a national environmental crime team. As part of their remit, these teams are tasked with preventing the illegal export of e-waste. They use an intelligence-led approach to target the most prolific, serious and organised illegal waste exporters. This has led to a 98% success rate of finding electrical waste when stopping targeted shipping containers.
Gambia: Education
Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions he has had with his international counterparts on future support to the Gambian Government to maintain and improve the education system. [76329]
Mr O'Brien: In January this year the Bilateral Aid Review confirmed the decision originally taken in 2008 to close the UK's bilateral aid programme in The Gambia. The UK continues to support The Gambia through our contributions to the multilateral development organisations. This includes the Education for All Fast Track Initiative, to which the UK is the second largest donor. The Gambia received $28 million in FTI funding for 2011-12.
Libya: Zoos
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 14 September 2011, Official Report, column 1173W, on Tripoli Zoo, whether he now has further information on the welfare of animals in the zoo. [76727]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: Following your earlier question, British officials visited Tripoli Zoo recently to assess the welfare of the animals. All the animals seemed in good condition apart from the stress inevitable after being so close to major conflict. They are well cared for by the dedicated staff who like so many Libyans have been working without salaries for the last few months.
Overseas Aid: Fraud
Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department has spent on external investigators to tackle aid fraud, based (a) in and (b) outside the UK, in each of the last three years. [76667]
Mr Duncan: Since January 2010, the Department for International Development's Counter Fraud Unit has spent £502,000 on externally-sourced investigations. In addition, DFID country offices and departments have also contracted separately for locally-managed external investigators.
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Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Bovine Tuberculosis
Nadhim Zahawi: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is on the introduction of compulsory, routine herd testing for tuberculosis in camelids (a) in endemic tuberculosis areas, (b) where they are kept in close proximity to cattle and (c) in general. [75359]
Mr Paice: There is no mandatory TB surveillance programme for camelids because they are not regarded as important reservoirs of TB infection for other species.
There are no validated, sufficiently accurate and practical diagnostic techniques to routinely screen live camelids for TB. Surveillance for TB infection in camelids in Great Britain relies primarily on notifications of suspected cases detected during post mortem examination by private veterinarians and Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA) regional laboratories. Owners and their private veterinarians are under legal obligation to notify such cases to AHVLA.
James Wharton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment her Department has made of the potential for bovine tuberculosis to be spread through the movement of camelids. [74628]
Mr Paice: Camelids in Great Britain are considered to be incidental, spillover hosts of bovine tuberculosis, generally acting as sentinels of the infection in the local badger populations and cattle herds. Our preliminary veterinary risk assessment indicates that they pose a risk of spreading bovine tuberculosis infection mainly to other camelids, for example through mating, movements, purchases and shows. The risk that camelids represent to other species is considered to be low, compared to that posed by transmission from cattle and from badgers.
Food: Origin Marking
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she has any plans to introduce compulsory country of origin labelling for food. [74882]
Mr Paice: Clearer origin labelling is a key commitment in the Government's Programme. We want to ensure that consumers have confidence in the origin claims that are being made.
The new EU Regulation on the Provision of Food Information to the consumer has recently been agreed and will improve origin labelling throughout the EU. Under the new rules we successfully negotiated mandatory origin information be required for fresh and frozen meat. Where claims are made concerning the origin of a food, further information on the origin of the main ingredients will have to be given if these are different to the claim. Information is also required where failure to provide origin information could materially mislead the consumer. This is a significant step forward in the provision of better labelling for consumers.
As part of the package of measures there will be consideration of whether compulsory origin information is needed for other foods (including milk and dairy products) through a report by the Commission within
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three years. Also the feasibility for mandatory rules on origin labelling of meat used as an ingredient (such as in bacon and sausages), will be considered by the Commission within two years.
There are sector specific mandatory origin labelling rules for fresh or frozen beef, veal, fish, shellfish, wine, honey, olive oil, eggs, certain fresh fruit and vegetables and poultry imported from outside the EU.
We continue to work with industry on ways to improve further transparency in the food chain and, in particular, we are working with the food service sector to improve origin information on food served in catering establishments.
GMOs: Crops
Mr Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she plans to hold a public consultation on the use of synthetic animal genes in GM crops. [75811]
Mr Paice: We have no plans to hold a consultation on this matter.
GMOs: Wheat
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment (a) her Department and (b) the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment made of the potential size of the (i) UK, (ii) European and (iii) world market for GM wheat before the application by Rothamsted to carry out a field trial of GM wheat was granted on 15 September 2011. [75959]
Mr Paice: The application from the Rothamsted Research institute was assessed in line with the relevant European Union legislation (Directive 2001/18/EC). The evaluation process focuses on the implications for human health and the environment, and does not have regard to the potential market for the GM organism in question.
Veterinary Laboratories: Closures
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the effect of the proposed closure of animal health and veterinary laboratories in England and Wales on the diagnostic capability of post-mortems arising from potential changes to the response time between samples being taken from post-mortems and those samples being processed. [75193]
Mr Paice: Currently, there are no plans to close any AHVLA laboratories in England and Wales. While some laboratory services will be migrated, all 16 regional labs will continue to carry out post-mortem surveillance activity.
The majority of samples currently submitted are received by post. Therefore, the proposed changes will not see a delay in test results. The changes will allow AHVLA to reintroduce weekend testing which will improve test turnaround time.
AHVLA’s capability to respond to disease outbreaks will be maintained as confirmatory tests for notifiable disease are carried out at Weybridge which is not part of the regional laboratory network.
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Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she has received representations from (a) the Farmers Union of Wales and (b) the National Farmers Union on the proposal to close animal health and veterinary laboratories in England and Wales. [75194]
Mr Paice: Concerns have been raised by some farmers, their representatives and other interested parties on plans to migrate some AHVLA laboratory services functions. Many of the representations received were based on the misunderstanding that AHVLA laboratories would close. There are currently no plans to close any AHVLA laboratories in England and Wales. All 16 regional labs will continue to carry out post-mortem surveillance. Changes to migrate some laboratory services will not prevent AHVLA’s ability to respond to disease outbreaks. Nor will they impact upon the notifiable disease surveillance work carried out by AHVLA, as confirmatory tests for notifiable diseases are carried out at Weybridge which is not part of the regional laboratory network.
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she has received (a) representations from the chief scientist of her Department and (b) any other representations on the possible biosecurity risks of the proposal to close animal health and veterinary laboratories in England and Wales. [75195]
Mr Paice: We have received no such representations as there are currently no plans to close any AHVLA laboratories in England and Wales. While some laboratory services will be migrated, all 16 regional labs will continue to carry out post-mortem surveillance activity.
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she has considered alternative proposals to the closure of animal health and veterinary laboratories in England and Wales. [75196]
Mr Paice: There are currently no plans to close any AHVLA laboratories in England and Wales. While some laboratory services will be migrated, all 16 regional labs will continue to carry out post-mortem surveillance activity.
In April 2011, the executive team of AHVLA initiated a review of the delivery of laboratory services across England and Wales. This work followed the earlier AHVLA Sustainable Surveillance Project which recommended that the post-mortem examination of carcasses, which makes up the most valuable aspect of surveillance work, be de-coupled from the provision of laboratory services functions, thus removing the requirement for co-location of the two work areas.
The review focused on identifying the most efficient delivery model for laboratory services. The model of separating these two areas has been well tested and successful at the university veterinary school surveillance centres at both Liverpool and London for some years and since October 2010 at the Newcastle area, where the majority of laboratory services have been carried out at the AHVLA Thirsk laboratory.
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she has undertaken an impact assessment on the proposal to close animal health and veterinary laboratories in England and Wales. [75198]
25 Oct 2011 : Column 163W
Mr Paice: There are currently no plans to close any AHVLA laboratories in England and Wales. Whilst some laboratory services will be migrated, all 16 regional labs will continue to carry out post-mortem surveillance activity.
An impact assessment was carried out as part of the review of laboratory services and was used to help make the decisions to rationalise the laboratory service.
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is on the proposal to close animal health and veterinary laboratories in England and Wales; and if she will make a statement. [75199]
Mr Paice: AHVLA needs to identify more than £3 million of additional savings in 2012-13 in order to live within its spending review settlement. In April 2011 the Executive Team of AHVLA initiated a review of the delivery of laboratory services across England and Wales. This work followed the earlier AHVLA sustainable surveillance project which recommended that the post-mortem examination of carcasses, which makes up the most valuable aspect of surveillance work, be de-coupled from the provision of laboratory services functions, removing the requirement for co-location of the two work areas. The review focused on identifying the most efficient delivery model for laboratory services.
The model of separating these two areas has been well tested and successful at the university veterinary school surveillance centres at both Liverpool and London for some years and since October 2010 at the Newcastle area, where the majority of laboratory services have been carried out at the AHVLA Thirsk laboratory.
The requirements for laboratory services will be maintained at the current levels for the foreseeable future. Any future plans for reorganisation will be based on the need to sustain the same levels of testing activity as carried out in 2010-11, with the exception of TSE rapid testing which is currently being outsourced. The review recognises there may be opportunities for further outsourcing and does not preclude further reductions in capacity if changes to demand enable such reductions.
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency consulted the Welsh Assembly Government on its proposal to close animal health and veterinary laboratories in England and Wales. [75237]
Mr Paice: Currently, there are no plans to close any AHVLA laboratories in England and Wales. Whilst some laboratory services will be migrated, all 16 regional labs will continue to carry out post-mortem surveillance activity.
The laboratory services work carried out at the lab sites at Carmarthen and Aberystwth will continue until March 2013. After this date the laboratories will continue to carry out postmortem surveillance activity.
The Welsh Government were advised of the plans to rationalise the work that each site carried out.
Huw Irranca-Davies:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency
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consult
(a)
workplace unions and
(b)
employees on its proposal to close animal health and veterinary laboratories in England and Wales. [75238]
Mr Paice: AHVLA has consulted with the unions and employees on the proposed organisational changes at several locations within England and Wales. These changes do not imply or rely on site closures.
All regional lab sites will continue to carry out post-mortem surveillance. Staff affected by the changes will be given opportunities to redeploy within AHVLA.
Veterinary Services: Drugs
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the status is of discounts to vets on the sale of veterinary pharmaceuticals; what assessment she has made of the effects of such discounts on the manufacturers of such products; what representations she has received on the transparency of such discounts; what plans she has to review such discounts; and if she will make a statement. [74610]
Mr Paice: The purchase of veterinary medicines by practising vets is a commercial matter between them and the suppliers of veterinary pharmaceuticals. The Government do not regulate the price of veterinary medicines.
Culture, Media and Sport
Creative Industries
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport (1) what the success rate is of new business start-ups in the creative industries after their first year of operations compared to other business start-ups; [76730]
(2) what (a) grants and (b) other funding schemes his Department provides for small and medium-sized enterprises in the creative industries. [76782]
Hugh Robertson: Responsibility for support to small to medium-sized enterprises across the economy and the monitoring of business performance lies with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS). My Department works closely with BIS via the creative industries council on these issues.
British Counties
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what support his Department gives to organisations recognising traditional British counties. [75950]
John Penrose: Neither the Department nor its arm's- length bodies provide funding for organisations recognising traditional British counties.
Cycling
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many velodromes he has visited on official business in the last 12 months. [75842]
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Hugh Robertson: The Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt) and I have visited the Manchester Velodrome and the Olympic Park Velodrome on official business in the last 12 months.
In my capacity as Minister for Sport and the Olympics, I have also visited the Herne Hill cycling track for its formal reopening in September and the Gravesend Cyclopark.
Digital Broadcasting
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many (a) letters and (b) emails his Department has received in respect of digital switchover in the last 12 months. [75852]
Mr Vaizey: The Department does not keep a central record of all emails received. It is therefore not possible to provide a breakdown of the number of emails received on this subject without incurring disproportionate costs.
However, I can confirm that the Department has received a total of 146 representations concerning digital switchover in the last 12 months.
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport (1) what estimate he has made of the number of businesses (a) prepared and (b) not prepared for digital switchover; [75944]
(2) what estimate he has made of the number of households (a) prepared and (b) not prepared for digital switchover. [75945]
Mr Vaizey: The Government do not collect these statistics. The matter is primarily one for Digital UK, the independent not-for-profit company leading the implementation of switchover. Digital UK's Tracker survey to September 2011 indicates 93% of UK households are now watching a digital TV service on their main television set. In the London TV region, the figure is 89%. Digital UK does not hold the information requested on the number of businesses prepared for digital switchover, but evidence to date suggests they are usually well prepared. Digital UK provides digital TV switchover information to chambers of commerce and other business organisations as part of its information campaign.
Football Association Premier League
Mr Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what representations he has received on proposals to end promotion and relegation for the Premier League. [76426]
Hugh Robertson: The Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), has not received any representations on this matter, which is solely an issue for the football authorities themselves.
Mass Media
Dr Julian Lewis:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent discussions his Department has had with representatives of (a) broadcasting and (b) other
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media on the possible discontinuation of the use of the terms BC and AD; what his policy is on the practice; and if he will make a statement. [75979]
Mr Vaizey: The Department has had no discussions about the use of the terms BC and AD with representatives of the broadcasters or other media. This is a matter for individual broadcasters, publishers and other media companies, which are editorially independent of Government.
Museums and Galleries
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps his Department has taken to advertise free museums. [75847]
Mr Vaizey: This Department has made no steps to advertise the sponsored museums that offer free admission. Marketing and advertising is an operational matter for each museum.
Olympic Games 2012
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many visits outside London he has made to promote Olympic legacy in the last 12 months. [75783]
Hugh Robertson: The Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), regularly visits the regions to promote Olympic legacy. This will be continued over the next few months as part of a series of regional visits he will be undertaking.
Swimming Pools
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many swimming pools he has visited on official business in the last 12 months. [75841]
Hugh Robertson: Since his appointment, the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), has visited the Aquatic Centre on the Olympic Park on a number of occasions, as well as swimming pools in Plymouth and Bath.
In my capacity as Minister for Sport and the Olympics, I have visited swimming pools in Harlow, Norwich, Ireland, Lincoln, Loughborough, Sheffield, Canterbury, Manchester, Aldershot, and the Aquatic Centre. I have seen British swimmers competing in the Commonwealth Games, visited the Amateur Swimming Association at their home in Loughborough, and met with their chief executive on many occasions.
I also launched the Big Splash, which is the BBC's mass participation campaign for swimming.
Women and Equalities
Age: Discrimination
Kate Green: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities whether her Department has issued guidance and communications in advance of the commencement of the Equality Act 2010 provision-sending harmful age discrimination; and if she will place any such guidance or communications in the Library. [76291]
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Lynne Featherstone: No guidance on this matter has been issued. Following the public consultation earlier this year, we are currently considering the responses. Details of the commencement of the provision banning age discrimination in services and public functions will be announced in the Government's published response to the consultation in due course. Draft guidance would be published in advance of a commencement of the ban.
Civil Partnerships
Mr Allen: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what meetings she (a) has held and (b) plans to hold with religious groups and religious representatives to discuss the proposals for civil marriage for gay and lesbian people. [76143]
Lynne Featherstone: The Government announced on 17 September the Government's intention to publish a formal consultation document on equal civil marriage in March 2012. From now until the publication of the consultation myself and officials in the Government Equalities Office will be meeting with a wide range of people with an interest in this issue, including lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender groups and religious and non-religious organisations, to help shape the formal consultation document.
These meetings are scheduled to take place over the coming weeks and are being held on a confidential basis.
Social Mobility
Eric Ollerenshaw: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what steps the Government Equalities Office is taking to improve social mobility; and if she will make a statement. [76607]
Lynne Featherstone: The Government launched the social mobility strategy ‘Opening Doors Breaking Barriers’ in April 2011. The social mobility strategy is alive to the need to develop tailored responses to remove the barriers faced by different people. The Government Equalities Office works closely with the Deputy Prime Minister to help deliver the strategy. Social mobility is also a central component of the Government's equality strategy, ‘Building a Fairer Britain’, that we launched in December last year. This is being implemented with the co-operation of a number of Departments under the supervision of the Inter Ministerial Group on Equalities, which is chaired by the Secretary of State for the Home Department and Minister for Women and Equalities, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May).
Attorney-General
Ministerial Voluntary Work
Paul Flynn: To ask the Attorney-General what volunteering (a) he and (b) other Ministers in the Law Officers' Departments 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. [76248]
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The Attorney-General: The Law Officers are committed to participating in the One Day Challenge. Details of related activities will be disclosed by the end of the year.
Law Officers: Cybercrime
Mr Thomas: To ask the Attorney-General how many staff in the Law Officers' Departments were employed in the prosecution of cases involving cyber crime in (a) 2009-10 and (b) 2010-11; how many he expects to be employed for such purposes in (i) 2011-12, (ii) 2012-13 and (iii) 2013-14; and if he will make a statement. [76477]
The Solicitor-General: Several distinct offences may involve the use of a computer or a network in the commission of or as a target of crime and while the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does not have any specific teams or individuals dealing such offences, it does have prosecutors with the skills and knowledge to conduct such prosecutions effectively when required.
The SFO operates a flexible resourcing policy in order to maximise the effectiveness of its resources across its caseload. This means it is not possible to give an accurate estimate of the number of staff who might have worked on prosecuting crimes involving the use of computers or computer networks.
The other Law Officers' Departments do not employ anyone directly involved in the prosecution of such crimes.
Education
English Baccalaureate: Religion
Pat Glass: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many representations he has received on the proposed exclusion of religious education from the English baccalaureate. [74528]
Mr Gibb: The Department has received 2,776 pieces of correspondence about the decision not to include religious education in the English baccalaureate since September 2010.
Schools: Vocational Guidance
Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent assessment he has made of the capacity of local authorities to fulfil their statutory duty to provide careers guidance services to pupils in schools and sixth form colleges. [73924]
Mr Hayes [holding answer 13 October 2011]: Local authorities have a continuing legal responsibility to encourage, enable and assist the participation of young people in education or training, under section 68 of the Education and Skills Act 2008. There is no statutory duty on local authorities to provide careers guidance but many do so as a means of supporting young people to participate. The Early Intervention Grant will support local authorities' transitional responsibilities for careers guidance until a new duty on schools to secure access to independent careers guidance comes into force from September 2012.
25 Oct 2011 : Column 169W
The Department for Education has not conducted any formal assessment of the capacity of local authorities to fulfil their statutory duties. It is for local authorities to decide how they should meet these responsibilities, taking into account the needs of their local communities. We know that in some areas they are already working with schools to establish sensible transition plans, while in others they are choosing to maintain a full careers service for longer. The Secretary of State for Education, the right hon. Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), has powers to intervene if a local authority is failing to meet its statutory duties. Any case for intervention will be based on clear evidence of outcomes demonstrating the extent to which young people in an area are participating in education or training, rather than specific inputs such as the way youth support services are organised.
Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the likely effect of the reduction in the early intervention grant on the capacity of schools to provide careers guidance services. [73926]
Mr Hayes [holding answer 13 October 2011]: The early intervention grant, which is worth £2.2 billion this year, rising to £2.3 billion next year, will help local authorities to support vulnerable young people to engage in education and training, intervening early with those who are at risk of disengagement. Ministers have been clear that in 2011-12 the early intervention grant will support transitional arrangements so that young people have access to impartial careers guidance in advance of the changes proposed in the Education Bill taking effect.
From September 2012, schools will be placed under a statutory duty to secure access to independent careers guidance for their pupils. It will be schools to determine how they use their resources, including for securing access to careers guidance.
Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Education with reference to the Fourth Report from the Education Committee, Participation by 16-19 year olds in education and training, HC 850, what assessment he has made of the need for face-to-face careers guidance for young people. [73973]
Mr Hayes [holding answer 13 October 2011]: Subject to the passage of the Education Bill, schools will be placed under a duty from September 2012 to secure independent, impartial careers guidance for their pupils. We should trust schools to make sensible decisions regarding the way in which pupils receive careers guidance, without establishing in primary legislation prescriptive standards or requirements.
Young people receive advice on their futures from many different sources but some will benefit from face-to-face support that raises their aspirations and guides them onto a successful career path. We will issue statutory guidance to highlight the need for schools to consider this and other essential issues in pursuance of the new duty.
Vocational Education
Mr Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent progress he has made in implementing each recommendation of the report on vocational education by Professor Alison Wolf. [75386]
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Mr Gibb: The Government response to the Wolf review of vocational education, published on 12 May 2011, accepted all 27 of the recommendations of the report in full.
We have already implemented the following recommendations:
clarified that schools and colleges are free to offer any vocational qualification offered by a regulated awarding organisation (recommendation 2);
announced that industry professionals and FE lecturers will be allowed to teach in schools (recommendation 18); and
reinstated some valued vocational qualifications for teaching from September 2011 (recommendation 23).
Following a public consultation, we will shortly be announcing plans for judging which qualifications should appear in 14-16 performance tables in the future (recommendations 1-3 and 26).
We are currently consulting on:
study programmes for 16 to 19-year-olds (recommendations 5, 6, 9 and 21). This consultation will end on 4 January 2012;
a new 16 to 19 funding formula (recommendations 11 and 12). This consultation will end on 4 January 2012;
proposed changes to allow qualified teachers from further education and from the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand to become permanent teachers in English schools (recommendation 17). This consultation will end on 16 December 2011; and
removing the statutory duty for schools to provide every young person at key stage 4 with a standard amount of ‘work-related learning’ (recommendation 21). This consultation will end on 4 January 2012.
All other implementation milestones are on track as set out in the Government response.
The Wolf report on vocational education and the Government response, including key implementation milestones, can be found at:
http://www.education.gov.uk/16to19/qualificationsandlearning/a0074953/review-of-vocational-education-the-wolf-report
Defence
Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations
Dr Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Afghan interpreters have assisted UK armed forces in Afghanistan since 2001; what plans are in place to ensure their safety after the withdrawal of UK armed forces in 2014; what discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues on requests by Afghan interpreters to relocate to the UK; how many such requests have been made in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement. [75505]
Nick Harvey [holding answer 20 October 2011]: Afghan interpreters working for the UK armed forces in Afghanistan make an invaluable contribution to the UK's efforts to help support the spread of security, stability and development in the country.
The Ministry of Defence's labour support unit, which looks after the welfare of our Afghan employed staff, estimates that since their records began in March 2006 the Department has employed around 2,000 to 2,400 interpreters. Information on this subject before the establishment of the labour support unit was not routinely
25 Oct 2011 : Column 171W
retained and the information required to provide a more detailed figure for the subsequent period is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
We take our responsibility for all those we employ very seriously and have put in place measures to reduce the risks that they face, and we continually keep our policy under review. Where staff face a serious threat our options include providing protected accommodation, giving safety advice to them and their families, granting extended leave or transferring staff to different jobs. In serious cases we may help staff relocate, either within Afghanistan, to a third country or, in exceptional cases, to the UK. We have received one such request by an Afghan interpreter assisting UK forces in the past 12 months.
Armed Forces: Officers
Dr Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Royal Navy officers of the rank of (a) captain and (b) commodore currently hold (i) sea-going and (ii) shore-based posts; what changes in the numbers of each of these categories he anticipates in the next two years; and if he will make a statement. [75982]
Nick Harvey: Currently there are: 64 Royal Navy commodores and four acting commodores, two hold specific deployable sea appointments; seven hold operational, NATO and Defence diplomacy appointments, the remainder are categorised as shore-based. There are 233 Royal Navy captains and 12 acting captains, 14 of whom hold specific sea-going appointments, 45 hold operational, NATO, Defence diplomacy, and Defence intelligence appointments, the remainder are categorised as shore-based.
As part of Defence reform, the future structure of the Royal Navy is currently under review. The details are still to be determined.
Armoured Fighting Vehicles
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects the Rheinmetall Landsysteme Fuchs Reconnaissance vehicle to be removed from service; what estimate he has made of the saving to the public purse of such a removal; and what vehicle he expects to replace them. [75248]
Peter Luff: The Fuchs vehicle was withdrawn from service in August this year. This will achieve a total saving to the public purse of approximately £235 million over the next 10 years. A decision on the future of the vehicles has yet to be taken.
The removal of Fuchs is possible due to the transfer of specialist Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) responsibilities from the Joint CBRN Regiment, which is being disbanded, to the Defence CBRN Wing. The reductions in manpower and other expenditure associated with this will save the Department approximately £129 million. In addition the Department will save around £13 million in support costs and around £93 million on mid-life vehicle upgrades and replacement vehicles.
We will continue to have a robust and effective specialist CBRN capability. The changes do not affect homeland CBRN protection.
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Defence Business Services National Security Vetting
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 11 October 2011, Official Report, columns 17-18WS, on Defence Vetting Agency: removal of agency status, what assessment he has made of the effect that the entry of the Defence Vetting Agency into the Defence Business Service organisation will have on delivery of the vetting functions for the (a) armed forces and (b) intelligence agencies. [75257]
Mr Robathan: The Defence Vetting Agency's (DVA) move into the Defence Business Services (DBS) organisation, and its re-naming as DBS National Security Vetting will have no impact on the delivery of the vetting functions for the armed forces and intelligences agencies.
DBS will remain part of the Ministry of Defence (MOD). The change in operating status for DBS National Security Vetting will enable the MOD to bring together the delivery of corporate services under one organisation and maximise efficiency whilst ensuring the delivery of vetting service is maintained for the MOD, its industry contractors and other Government Departments.
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 11 October 2011, Official Report, columns 17-18WS, on Defence Vetting Agency: removal of agency status, what arrangements are in place to ensure that the removal of agency status from the Defence Vetting Agency will not affect (a) security or (b) service delivery in vetting applicants for the (i) armed forces and (ii) intelligence agencies. [75258]
Mr Robathan: The Defence Vetting Agency (DVA)'s loss of agency status, necessitated by its move into the Defence Business Services (DBS) organisation, will not affect security or service delivery in vetting applicants for the armed forces and intelligence agencies.
The Ministry of Defence (MOD)'s corporate services board chaired by the 2(nd) Permanent Secretary will monitor the delivery and standard of the MOD'S vetting functions as part of its oversight of the new DBS organisation. The DVA, under its new title DBS National Security Vetting, will maintain its relationship with the Cabinet Office on national security vetting policy issues, and with repayment customers through joint business agreements.
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 11 October 2011, Official Report, columns 17-18WS, on Defence Vetting Agency: removal of agency status, if he will produce and publish a report on the work carried out by the Defence Vetting Agency between the date of the last annual report of the agency and 1 October 2011. [75260]
Mr Robathan:
An annual report and accounts will not be published on the work carried out by the Defence Vetting Agency (DVA) between 1 April 2011 and 1 October 2011. There will be no requirement from the National Audit Office to prepare a statement of annual report
25 Oct 2011 : Column 173W
and accounts for financial year 2011-12 as Executive agency status was removed before the completion of a full financial year.
Departmental Re-location
Mr Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many civil servants in his Department have been (a) relocated and (b) agreed for relocation in the last 12 months; and to which areas of the UK. [74913]
Mr Robathan: Some employees have to change jobs for legal reasons, for example to meet a Disability Discrimination Act requirement, or to meet urgent departmental needs. The new job may be outside of reasonable daily travel of the civil servant's home or involve additional travel costs. Where this is the case, the Department may decide to assist with those relocation costs, either with a move of home at public expense, or more often, limited help with the extra travel costs in the initial period. As part of a reorganisation or restructure within a business area it may also be necessary to relocate work and the posts associated with that work. This may mean an employee is moved into a specific job, or a group of staff may be moved with their jobs to another location. Additionally many employees change posts but do not attract any relocation allowances.
The number of staff within the 12 month period (1 October 2010 to 30 September 2011) who have moved jobs and been offered assistance with relocation expenses, either a move of home at public expense or more commonly limited assistance with travel expenses are detailed in the following table and set out by new post area.
| New relocation area | Number of staff |
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A large number of employees are issued with change of job notices but many are not eligible for relocation assistance because the moves are in close proximity to their existing job and/or home or because relocation allowances were not offered. However, some employees who have been designated to move with their job to a new location receive advance notice of their job move. The number of staff within the 12 month period (1 October 2010 to 30 September 2011) who have had notice that they and their job is moving to a new area because of reorganisation or restructuring is detailed in the following table; and set out by new post area. However, many of the following may have already submitted relocation claims in the period and so will be included in the numbers given in the first table. These could not be separated without incurring disproportionate cost
| New relocation area | Number of staff |
Procurement
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what contracts of a monetary value of (a) between £100,000 and £500,000, (b) between £500,000 and £1 million, (c) between £1 million and £5 million, (d) between £5 million and £10 million, (e) between £10 million and £50 million, (f) between £50 million and £100 million, (g) between £100 million and £500 million, (h) between £500 million and £1 billion, (i) between £1 billion and £5 billion and (j) over £5 billion his Department has entered into with private suppliers in each year since 1990. [74204]
Peter Luff: The following table shows the total number of new Ministry of Defence contracts in each financial year from 2001-02, by contact value at the time the contract was placed.
| Total number of new contracts in financial year by contract value at set up stage | ||||||||||
|
|
2001-02 | 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 |
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As a consequence of system changes, the Ministry of Defence could provide equivalent information for earlier years only at disproportionate cost.
Sick Leave
Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for how many days on average his Department's staff in each pay grade were absent from work as a result of ill health in 2010-11. [75011]
Mr Robathan: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) takes a robust approach to managing civilian sickness absence. Occupational health and well-being advice and support is available to all employees and line managers. A review of absence policies has ensured that they remain relevant.
Sickness absence rates by average working days lost (AWDL) per full-time equivalent (FTE) employee in the MOD for the 12 months ending 30 June 2011 (the latest information available) is shown in the following table.
The table includes non-industrial and industrial staff and the staff of the four MOD trading funds but excludes staff in the Royal Fleet Auxiliary and locally engaged civilians for whom sickness absence data is not readily available.
| FTE rates (1, 2) | ||
| Grade (Equivalent) (3) | AWDL 1 July 2010-30 June 2011 | Average FTE strength |
| (1) Data presented reflects the current Cabinet Office definition, setting a maximum absence of 225 days per person, and excludes data for weekends, annual leave and bank holidays. Excludes staff who have been classed as on zero pay. (2) Average working days lost per FTE are calculated by dividing the total working days lost for each period by a weighted average of the 1st of the month strengths for the period, with the strengths at the 1 January at the start and end of the period receiving a weighting of 0.5, and the strengths at the 1st of the other months in the period a weighting of. 1. (3) Equivalent civil service grades have been used to amalgamate the various MOD non-industrial, industrial and trading fund grades. | ||
Depleted Uranium
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether officials in his Department have had recent discussions with their counterparts in (a) the US and (b) other countries engaged in armed conflict on policy on the use of depleted uranium weapons during armed conflicts; and if he will make a statement. [74966]
Nick Harvey [holding answer 18 October 2011]: There have been no such recent policy discussions. I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 19 May 2011, Official Report, columns 339-340W, to the hon. Member for Brighton, Pavilion (Caroline Lucas).
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Frigates: Design
Dr Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent progress has been made in determining the design of the next generation of frigates for the Royal Navy; and if he will make a statement. [75981]
Peter Luff: The design of the Type 26 Global Combat Ship programme is progressing as scheduled and will be determined as part of its assessment phase, which is expected to complete by early 2014.
Military Bases: Edinburgh
Mike Crockart: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 18 October 2011, Official Report, column 879, on military bases, what time scale his Department has set for the phased disposal of the three Defence Estate sites in Edinburgh. [76408]
Mr Robathan: No time scale has as yet been established for the proposed phased disposal of the Edinburgh sites, but sales are currently envisaged to take place over a number of years.
Ministry of Defence Police
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment criteria he plans to use to determine the future size of the Ministry of Defence Police; and if he will make a statement. [75799]
Mr Robathan: Following the comprehensive spending review and the strategic defence and security review, consideration has been given to a range of options that will determine the Department's future requirement for the services and capabilities provided by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) Police to focus these resources on those areas where civil policing powers can best mitigate the crime and security risks faced by the MOD.
These options are currently the subject of formal consultation with the relevant staff associations and trade unions, and as such it would be inappropriate to go into specific detail at this stage.
Public Service Mutuals
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to put in place a right to provide for public sector workers to take over the running of services; and if he will make a statement. [74777]
Mr Robathan: All Ministry of Defence civil servants, other than those undertaking activities which can only be carried out from within Government or by Crown servants, have a right to apply to take over the running of the service they provide.
Any applications are assessed against a number of criteria, not least of which is that the proposal must deliver value for money. The Department has provided support to three employee proposals so far. One is not being taken further and the others remain ongoing.
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Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department has taken to encourage the development of public service mutuals in its area of responsibility; and if he will make a statement. [74831]
Mr Robathan: All Ministry of Defence civil servants, other than those undertaking activities which can only be carried out from within Government or by Crown servants, have a right to apply to take over the running of the service they provide.
Any applications are assessed against a number of criteria, not least of which is that the proposal must deliver value for money. The Department has provided support to three employee proposals so far. One is not being taken further and the others remain ongoing.
The number of opportunities is likely to be limited due to the complex support chains and security considerations.
RFA Largs Bay
Dr Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the overall cost to his Department was of the construction and equipping of RFA Largs Bay, up to the date when she joined the fleet. [75983]
Peter Luff: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the right hon. Member for East Renfrewshire (Mr Murphy) on 17 March 2011, Official Report, column 506W.
Terrorism: Chemical and Biological Warfare
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which military locations in the UK have been considered as potential sites for accommodating the victims of a chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear attack. [69758]
Nick Harvey: In the event of a chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear (CBRN) incident within the UK, the local authority is responsible for the provision of emergency shelter. Local authorities through local resilience forums routinely consider the use of Defence real estate and accommodation in circumstances where other provision is overloaded. This includes providing for the victims of a CBRN attack. However information on which sites have been considered for such use is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Palestine
16. Mr Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on the admission of Palestine to the United Nations. [76308]
Alistair Burt:
President Abbas submitted the Palestinian application for full membership of the UN on 23 September. No vote is imminent in the Security Council, while the membership committee considers its recommendation. So far we have not been presented with a detailed proposal on which to take a position. Whether the committee returns the issue to the Security Council, or whether president Abbas decides to turn to the General
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Assembly, the UK will use its vote in a way which increases the likelihood of a return to meaningful negotiations.