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Written Answers to Questions
Wednesday 26 October 2011
Home Department
Deportation: Offenders
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 13 October 2011, Official Report, column 502W, on deportation: offenders, what the (a) nationality and (b) offence committed is of foreign nationals subject to multi-agency public protection arrangements whose location is unknown. [75562]
Damian Green: The two foreign national prisoners subject to multi-agency public protection arrangements whom the UK Border Agency is considering for deportation where their location is unknown are a Polish national convicted of robbery and a national of Yemen convicted of false imprisonment.
Entry Clearances: Domestic Service
Jack Dromey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether domestic workers who entered the UK on visit visas are covered by UK employment legislation. [75673]
Damian Green: In general, overseas domestic workers are entitled to the same key employment rights as all other workers in the UK.
Members: Correspondence
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Minister for Immigration plans to reply to the letter from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton of 13 September 2011 regarding Mr Lawson Odere. [76705]
Damian Green: A reply to the right hon. Member’s letter was sent on 25 October 2011.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Arms Trade: Exports
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which (a) Ministers and (b) officials from his Department attended the recent Defence and Security Equipment International exhibition. [76650]
Alistair Burt:
My noble Friend, Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint, attended the Defence and Security Equipment International exhibition in his capacity as Minister for Trade and Investment. No other Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Ministers attended
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the exhibition. A number of FCO officials whose work is relevant to the defence and security industry were also in attendance.
Burma: Deaths
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken to press the Burmese authorities to provide an explanation for the deaths of Saw Kaw Lar and Saw San Pe on 21 and 22 August 2011. [76431]
Mr Jeremy Browne: Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials have consulted local contacts and media archives in Rangoon but have been unable to find any information about the death of any individuals by the name of Saw Kaw Lar or Saw San Pe on 21 and 22 August 2011. I would welcome further information to enable our embassy in Burma to follow up on these cases.
Burma: Human Rights
Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will press for any UN General Assembly resolution on Burma to include a recommendation to establish a Commission of Inquiry to investigate allegations of human rights violations in that country. [76732]
Mr Jeremy Browne: It is essential that mechanisms be found that deliver a credible response to allegations of human rights abuses in Burma, both past and present. The Government have therefore made clear its support for the UN Special Rapporteur's recommendation for the UN to consider establishing a Commission of Inquiry into human rights abuses in Burma as a means to achieving this goal.
Over recent months there have been some indications that the regime in Burma is willing to embark upon meaningful and inclusive political reform, including through investigation of human rights abuses. With this in mind, we are working in close coordination with international partners to ensure the widest possible support in the UN General Assembly for a strong resolution on the human rights situation in Burma, which reflects our concerns and urges the Burmese authorities to address accountability for human rights abuses.
Colombia: Human Rights
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he plans to raise human rights with the President of Colombia during his visit to the UK. [76760]
Mr Jeremy Browne: Human rights remain an integral part of our relationship with Colombia and we regularly raise human rights with senior members of the Colombian Government.
Our discussions with President Santos during his visit will cover a range of issues, including human rights, as well as trade, prosperity, international co-operation, climate change, science and innovation and counter-narcotics.
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Colombia: Peace Negotiations
Michael Connarty: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will offer support to the Government of Colombia to help achieve a peace process in that country. [76099]
Mr Jeremy Browne: We support all efforts to reach peace in Colombia. We already work in a number of areas to help build conditions for peace, for example by supporting the new Land and Victims Law and by helping Colombia tackle drug trafficking. Any direct support for a formal peace process would have to be initiated by a formal request from the Colombian Government.
European Union: Powers
Mr Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which powers have been repatriated from the EU since May 2010; and what powers he expects to repatriate by 2015. [76412]
Mr Lidington: Competence and power are transferred or repatriated through treaty change. Through the EU Act 2011 this coalition Government have ensured that neither they nor future governments can agree to a proposal for treaty change that transfers competence or power from the UK to the EU without the consent of the British people in a referendum and we have made a firm political commitment to rule out any transfers of competence or power from the UK to the EU during the life of this Parliament. We are policing the existing limits of competence and, as set out in the coalition agreement, we will examine the balance of the EU's existing competences.
Libya: Human Rights
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to support the National Transitional Council of Libya to meet its international obligations in respect of human rights; and if he will make a statement. [76644]
Alistair Burt: During his recent visit to Libya, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), raised concerns about human rights abuses committed by Free Libya Forces, including the recent reporting by Amnesty International on the treatment of detainees, and made clear that the UK expected the National Transitional Council (NTC) to turn its commitment to respect human rights into urgent action. He was assured by the Chairman of the NTC that they were taking action to meet Libya's international obligations in respect of human rights and had already begun investigations into these reports.
The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs announced UK support for the NTC on policing and in support of their building of a vibrant civil society. He made it clear that the UK stood ready to respond to additional requests from the Libya authorities. The UK is funding a project to provide training for lawyers and justice officials in order to improve understanding and adherence to international human rights standards. We will continue to work closely with
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the NTC as well as our EU and UN counterparts to determine what further specific bilateral support the UK can provide.
Northern Ireland
Third Sector
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many letters he has received on funding for civil society organisations within his Department's area of responsibility in each month since 1 June 2010; and if he will make a statement. [73989]
Mr Paterson: I have received a total of nine letters requesting funding since 1 June 2010. One was received in January this year; one in April; five in September and two this month.
Education
Children's Centres
Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much funding his Department plans to allocate to children's centres in Ashfield constituency in each of the next four years. [73026]
Sarah Teather: From April 2011, funding for Children's Centres is included within the Early Intervention Grant (EIG). Nottinghamshire's EIG allocation for 2011-12 and the indicative allocation for 2012-13 are shown in the following table. Funding beyond March 2013 is subject to future spending reviews.
The EIG is an un-ring-fenced and un-hypothecated funding stream that gives local authorities flexibility to target resources strategically and to intervene early to improve outcomes for children, young people and families. It is up to local authorities to judge how best to use this funding in consultation with local communities, taking account of local need, their statutory duties and evidence of what is most effective.
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Ministerial Voluntary Work
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 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. [76242]
Sarah Teather: The Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), and Department for Education Ministers participate in a range of volunteering activities.
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Public Sector Mutuals
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 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. [74774]
Sarah Teather: The Open Public Services White Paper, published in July 2011, states that we are giving public sector workers who want to form mutuals or co-operatives to deliver public services a right to provide. This will enable public sector workers who want to form new employee-owned mutual companies to take over the running of services. We are working closely with Cabinet Office to help facilitate this in children's services where the conditions are right, and have already made some initial good progress. As part of the Cabinet Office's mutuals pathfinder programme, a small number of local authorities are currently working with their employees in children's services to explore new models of delivery. A grant with 4Children is exploring a range of children's centre delivery models to encourage increased commissioning out of children's centres services by local authorities. This will include exploring opportunities for public sector workers to take over the running of services.
We are also testing employee-owned delivery arrangements through our social work practices (SWPs) pilots. The SWP pilots, announced in December 2008, have seen the creation of independent, social worker-led organisations to deliver services for children and young people in care, including social workers moving out of public sector employment to form their own employee-owned social enterprise. These initiatives will help us to understand, by learning from the front line, what type of support and structures will best enable the development of employee-led mutuals on an ongoing basis.
Schools: Vocational Guidance
Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what mechanism his Department uses to assess the quality of careers guidance in schools. [73925]
Mr Hayes [holding answer 13 October 2011]: We must retain a focus on outcomes that show the extent to which young people are achieving and progressing to higher levels of education or training, or into employment, rather than on specific inputs such as the amount or type of careers guidance. The data on progression provided by the destinations measure we plan to publish will provide clear and comparable information on the success of schools in helping their pupils to progress onto a positive post-16 destination.
Ofsted inspections will consider the extent to which pupils have a well-informed understanding of the options and challenges facing them as they move through school and onto the next stage of their education, training or employment. The Government have also accepted the recommendation of the Careers Profession Task Force to ask Ofsted to carry out a thematic review of careers guidance as a means of identifying excellent provision and establishing a baseline for future policy development. We are considering the most appropriate timing for such a review.
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Sign Language
Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether the Government plans to introduce family sign language classes throughout England. [76213]
Sarah Teather: We have no current plans to introduce such classes throughout England. Support services for children with a hearing impairment, and their families, are determined by local authorities in response to local needs and in line with their statutory duties.
The Department for Education funded a pilot of a project called I-Sign, which included the development of family sign language classes, up until March 2011.
We have received the final evaluation of the pilot and will meet with the organisations involved in November 2011 to discuss how to use the learning from the project.
Special Educational Needs
Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what plans he has to enable children with (a) autism and (b) other special educational needs to participate in both mainstream and specialist provision during their time at school; [75681]
(2) what plans he has to encourage mainstream and special schools to work together to facilitate dual placements for children with (a) autism and (b) other special educational needs. [75682]
Sarah Teather: Some 15,500 children with special educational needs (SEN), including children with autistic spectrum disorders, are already benefiting from both mainstream and specialist provision through being placed in mainstream schools with specially resourced provision or in specialist units attached to mainstream schools. We are giving special schools, including special schools for children with autism, the opportunity to become Academies and play a leading role in transforming the educational experiences of children with SEN by exploring innovative arrangements working with other schools, including mainstream schools. These could include giving children the opportunity to participate in learning and activities alongside their mainstream peers. We also encourage other special schools, local authority maintained and independent, to work with their mainstream colleagues, sharing their expertise and helping to give their pupils mainstream experiences.
Through SEN statements, children can already benefit from dual placements in special and mainstream schools. Decisions in individual cases are taken by local authorities in discussion with parents and the schools concerned. The greater diversity of SEN provision the Government are encouraging will open up greater opportunities for children to benefit from dual placements.
Third Sector
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much direct funding his Department provided to each civil society organisation it funded in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; how much he expects to provide in (i) 2012-13, (ii) 2013-14 and (iii) 2014-15; and if he will make a statement. [74838]
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Sarah Teather: Civil society organisations play, and will continue to play, a significant role in developing and delivering services for children, young people and families. The sector receives money from DfE through a number of routes, including funding through arms length bodies, through the money we give to local authorities and from services commissioned from schools.
Information about DfE's direct spend with civil society organisations, for the financial year 2010-11 and between April 2011 and 30 September 2011 has been placed in the House Libraries.
We do not have comprehensive information on funding to organisations in future years as in many areas decisions have yet to be taken. We have made grants through our VCS Prospectus (announced on 25 February 2011) and indicative figures for each funded organisation for 2012-13 can be found in the press notice on the DfE website:
http://www.education.gov.uk/inthenews/a0074906/voluntary-and-community-organisations-awarded-60-million-grant
Allocations have only been made for 2011-12 and 2012-13 and there is no information about funding beyond that.
Treasury
Air Passenger Duty
Priti Patel: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had on the reform of air passenger duty. [76500]
Miss Chloe Smith: The Government undertook a consultation on air passenger duty from 23 March to 17 June 2011. The Government are reviewing the considerable number of responses submitted by interested parties and will publish a summary of responses later this autumn.
Asset Protection Agency: Government Procurement Card
Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the (a) date of purchase, (b) amount, (c) supplier and (d) level 3 or enhanced transaction entry was of each transaction undertaken by the Asset Protection Agency using the Government Procurement Card in (i) 2007-08, (ii) 2008-09 and (iii) 2009-10. [73495]
Miss Chloe Smith: The Asset Protection Agency (APA) was established on 7 December 2009. Total Government Procurement Card (GPC) spend from 7 December 2009 to 31 March 2010 was £2,288.21. There is one transaction of £157.26 for the agency in November 2009 before it was officially established. This is included in the overall figure. There are no other recorded costs on the APA GPC spend from 1 April 2009 to 6 December 2009.
For the period in question, the APA Government Procurement Card was primarily used for purchasing items for the APA such as stationery, IT equipment and tea and coffee.
Business: Fuels
Mr Donohoe: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will assess the effect of the price of fuel on the cost of setting up a new small or medium-sized enterprise; and if he will make a statement. [74961]
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Miss Chloe Smith: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 10 October 2011, Official Report, column 128W, to the hon. Member for Coventry South (Mr Cunningham).
Procurement
Gordon Henderson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the cost of employing civil servants to undertake procurement for his Department in (a) 2008-09, (b) 2009-10 and (c) 2010-11; and what estimate he has made of the cost of (i) employing civil servants and (ii) engaging consultants to undertake procurement for his Department in 2011-12. [73198]
Miss Chloe Smith: The cost of employing civil servants to undertake procurement activities in the Treasury for the Treasury Group were £384,000 in 2008-09, £479,000 in 2009-10 and £611,000 in 2010-11.
The estimated cost of employing civil servants to undertake procurement activities in the Treasury Group in 2011-12 is £389,000. The estimated costs of engaging consultants to undertake procurement activities in 2011-12 is £136,371.
Jack Dromey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether any (a) Ministers, (b) officials and (c) special advisers in his Department use private e-mail accounts for the conduct of government business. [73212]
Miss Chloe Smith: The Ministerial Code, the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers and the Civil Service Code set out how Ministers, officials and special advisers conduct government business.
Excise Duties
Neil Carmichael: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his rationale is for using the retail prices index instead of the consumer prices index to calculate increases in duty excise. [76033]
Miss Chloe Smith: The Government committed at Budget 2011 to continue to implement the duty increases inherited from the previous Government. These are based on the retail prices index. Budget 2011 announced that the Government will review the use of the consumer prices index for indirect taxes once its fiscal consolidation plans have been implemented.
Excise Duties: Alcoholic Drinks
Brandon Lewis: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many representations his Department has received on beer and wine duty fraud since the 2011 Budget. [76356]
Miss Chloe Smith: Treasury Ministers and officials meet with a wide range of organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors and discuss a broad range of issues, including beer and wine duty fraud, as part of the usual policymaking process. The Government take alcohol fraud very seriously and welcome suggestions to tackle alcohol duty fraud.
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Brandon Lewis: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will commence a formal consultation with the drinks industry on the impact of alcohol duty fraud. [76357]
Miss Chloe Smith: The Chancellor of the Exchequer, my right hon. Friend the Member for Tatton (Mr Osborne), announced that the Government will explore potential legislative measures to tackle existing and emerging threats to alcohol duty receipts at Budget 2011. HMRC are currently consulting with the alcohol industry informally on potential anti-fraud measures, and the impact of duty fraud on legitimate trade. A decision on whether to consult formally will be taken in due course.
HMRC published estimates of losses from duty fraud involving spirits and beer in “Measuring Tax Gaps-2011” in September 2011.
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/measuring-tax-gaps.htm
Foreign Investment in UK: Renewable Energy
Mr Meacher: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reasons he has not approved the price structure proposed to ensure the UK meets its legally binding targets for renewable energy; and what estimate he has made of the level of potential investment that might be affected if the price structure is not approved shortly. [75881]
Miss Chloe Smith [holding answer 20 October 2011]: The Renewables Obligation banding review has been published, and seeks comments on the level for support available for renewable electricity generation for the period 2013-17 under the Renewables Obligation. Details can be found on the Department of Energy and Climate Change website at:
http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/consultations/cons_ro_review/cons_ro_review.aspx
Jobcentre Plus
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he last visited a Jobcentre Plus centre in an official capacity. [76029]
Miss Chloe Smith [holding answer 21 October 2011]: Treasury Ministers and officials visit a wide variety of organisations in the public, private and third sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such visits.
Mobile Phones
Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to his Department's press notice of 3 October 2011, how the £150 million to improve mobile telephone coverage will be funded. [76335]
Danny Alexander: The £150 million for improved mobile coverage will be funded from underspends forecasted by Departments for 2011-12 that have been reallocated across future years. The package of conference announcements has no overall effect on the fiscal consolidation.
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Money: Counterfeit Manufacturing
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what estimate he has made of the number of counterfeit (a) £1 and (b) £2 coins in circulation; [74483]
(2) what recent estimate he has made of the face value of counterfeit coins in circulation. [74485]
Miss Chloe Smith: The most recent survey conducted by the Royal Mint found that its sample contained an estimated £1 coin counterfeit rate of 2.94%, or approximately 45 million £1 coins.
The Royal Mint does not currently undertake regular surveys for other denominations. The Royal Mint, the Serious Organised Crime Agency and industry partners do not believe that there is a significant counterfeit issue with any other denominations.
National Insurance Contributions: New Businesses
Owen Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 10 October 2011, Official Report, column 133W, on National Insurance Contributions, what data limitations prevent the national insurance contribution holiday factsheet differentiating between full-time and part-time jobs; and whether steps are being taken to improve data collection so that such a distinction could be made. [76568]
Mr Gauke: To minimise the burden on employers, the information requested from businesses benefiting from the NICs holiday is reduced to what is absolutely necessary. This includes details on the employer, employees benefiting and the amount saved but not additional data on hours worked or full-time/part-time status. HMRC has no plans to change the data collection for the scheme.
Revenue and Customs: Government Procurement Card
Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 17 October 2011, Official Report, column 702W, on Revenue and Customs: Government Procurement Card, (1) what the names of the suppliers were of the entries listed as hotels and accommodation between 29 May 2007 and 14 June 2007; [76505]
(2) what the names of the suppliers were of the entries listed as hotels and accommodation between 21 June 2007 and 28 June 2007; [76506]
(3) what the names of the suppliers were of the entries listed as hotels and accommodation between 2 July 2007 and 24 July 2007; [76509]
(4) what the names of the suppliers were of the entries listed as hotels and accommodation between 6 September 2007 and 24 September 2007; [76510]
(5) what the names of the suppliers were of the entries listed as hotels and accommodation between 13 November 2007 and 12 December 2007; [76512]
(6) what the names of the suppliers were of the entries listed as hotels and accommodation between 8 April 2008 and 1 May 2008; [76515]
(7) what the names of the suppliers were of the entries listed as hotels and accommodation between 15 February and 26 March 2008; [76514]
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(8) what the names of the suppliers were of the entries listed as hotels and accommodation between 22 May 2008 and 11 June 2008; [76516]
(9) what the names of the suppliers were of the entries listed as hotels and accommodation between 23 June 2008 and 4 July 2008; [76517]
(10) what the names of the suppliers were of the entries listed as hotels and accommodation between 11 July 2008 and 18 August 2008; [76519]
(11) what the names of the suppliers were of the entries listed as hotels and accommodation between 26 August 2008 and 1 September 2008; [76520]
(12) what the names of the suppliers were of the entries listed as hotels and accommodation between 8 September 2008 and 2 October 2008; [76521]
(13) what the names of the suppliers were of the entries listed as hotels and accommodation between 7 October 2008 and 22 October 2008; [76522]
(14) what the names of the suppliers were of the entries listed as hotels and accommodation between 3 November 2008 and 17 November 2008; [76523]
(15) what the names of the suppliers were of the entries listed as hotels and accommodation between 2 December 2008 and 22 December 2008; [76525]
(16) what the names of the suppliers were of the entries listed as hotels and accommodation between 19 January 2009 and 9 March 2009; [76526]
(17) what the names of the suppliers were of the entries listed as hotels and accommodation between 16 March 2009 and 2 April 2009; [76527]
(18) what the names of the suppliers were of the entries listed as hotels and accommodation between 27 April 2009 and 15 June 2009; [76528]
(19) what the names of the suppliers were of the entries listed as hotels and accommodation between 19 June 2009 and 25 June 2009; [76529]
(20) what the names of the suppliers were of the entries listed as hotels and accommodation between 21 October 2009 and 29 October 2009; [76530]
(21) what the names of the suppliers were of the entries listed as hotels and accommodation between 25 November 2009 and 15 January 2010; [76531]
(22) what the names of the suppliers were of the entries listed as hotels and accommodation between 1 March 2010 and 23 March 2010. [76532]
Mr Gauke: The resources needed to gather and review the volume of these transactions, which include operationally sensitive information, would exceed the disproportionate cost threshold.
The duties of HMRC staff cover a wide range of posts and some roles necessitate overseas or domestic travel that require accommodation in support of key departmental objectives—for example, fiscal crime liaison, EU policy development, enforcement of prohibition and restrictions and mutual administrative assistance.
Information for the whole of the 2007-08, 2008-09 and part of the 2009-10 includes GPC use by-staff prior to their transfer to UKBA under the relevant machinery of government changes.
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HMRC applies tight restrictions to both provision of GPC cards and their use and spend is tightly controlled and strictly follows the rules and standards of Government Accounting.
In support of the Government's transparency agenda all Departments will publish GPC transactional level data on their own departmental website, posting a link on:
www.data.gov.uk
Revenue and Customs: Manpower
Mark Hendrick: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what plans he has to consult (a) staff and (b) union officials of the tax credit office in Preston prior to making any decision on staffing levels following the introduction of the universal credit; [76403]
(2) what recent assessment he has made of the effect on staffing levels at tax credit offices of the introduction of a universal tax credit. [76564]
Mr Gauke: The Welfare Reform White Paper sets out that the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will be responsible for organising the delivery of universal credit.
For the introduction of universal credit, it has been agreed to utilise existing capabilities and the best operational units within DWP and HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). This will ensure people with relevant skills and experience can support claimants as they make the transition to universal credit.
HMRC and DWP are working closely to develop transition plans but are unable to say, at this early stage, what the impact on staffing in HMRC will be. However HMRC will continue to have regular meetings with representatives of the trade unions and, as the plans become more detailed, further information will be made available.
Owen Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff in HM Revenue and Customs work in the affluent team; and how many staff will be recruited to that team in the next 12 months. [76570]
Mr Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs will have 200 people working in the affluent teams to tackle those who pay or should pay the 50p rate of tax. One hundred of those people were recruited over the summer and the final hundred are moving in to their new posts now.
Revenue and Customs: Recruitment
Owen Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of staff in HM Revenue and Customs' affluent team were (a) recruited externally and (b) redeployed from within HM Revenue and Customs. [76569]
Mr Gauke: One individual was recruited from outside HMRC, but all the other team members have been recruited or redeployed from within HMRC. These new jobs are part of the reinvestment of £917 million over four years, announced in the 2010 spending review. This will see a redeployment of 2,250 staff this year.
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Revenue and Customs: Standards
Owen Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made in reviewing HM Revenue and Customs' service standards; and what objectives were set for the review. [76423]
Mr Gauke: HMRC is working closely with a wide range of stakeholders within and outside Government and aims to publish agreed service standards by the end of the calendar year.
Tax Allowances
Mr Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the potential revenue yield of freezing the (a) capital gains tax allowance threshold and (b) inheritance tax allowance threshold for each year from 2012-13 to 2015-16; and if he will make a statement. [76347]
Mr Gauke: Freezing the capital gains tax annual exempt amount at its current level of £10,600 for individuals and £5,300 for most trusts is equivalent to reducing it from what it would otherwise be by an amount that depends on inflation. Based on the September 2011 annual increase in the consumer prices index and thereafter forecast inflation, the reduction amounts to £600 for individuals and £300 for most trusts in 2012-13 and no more than £600 and £300 respectively for the years 2013-14 to 2015-16.
The information requested is not available but the estimated cost of increasing the annual exempt amount by £500 for individuals and £250 for trusts is available on the HMRC website at:
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/tax_expenditures/table1-6.pdf
A freeze to the inheritance tax threshold was announced by the previous Government and was legislated in the Finance Act which received Royal Assent on 8 April 2010. The allowance is frozen at its 2010-11 level of £325,000 until 2014-15. The forecast revenue yield was published in table 2.2 of the Budget 2011 document, available on the Treasury website at:
http://cdn.hm-treasury.gov.uk/2011budget_complete.pdf
An estimate of the revenue yield for extending the threshold freeze for the year 2015-16 is not available.
Tax Avoidance
Owen Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what HM Revenue and Customs' target is for the collection of revenue currently lost through tax avoidance and evasion for each year of the comprehensive spending review period; and what progress has been made towards that target in 2011 to date. [76459]
Mr Gauke: HMRC is transforming its compliance work and reinvesting over £900 million of its spending review savings into work against avoidance, evasion, criminal attacks and to recover more debt. Our target is to bring in an additional £7 billion a year by 2014-15 and we are on track to raise £2 billion this year.
Owen Smith:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects the General Anti-Avoidance Rule working group to publish its findings; and when he
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expects to bring forward any legislative proposals that nay be required. [76467]
Mr Gauke: The Government expect to receive and publish a report from the General Anti-Avoidance Rule (GAAR) Study Group in November 2011. The Government recognise that a GAAR is an important matter to both business and private individuals and that time will be needed to digest and carefully evaluate the findings of the study group. Development of a GAAR will be considered to a budget time scale and the Government have committed not to introduce a GAAR without further, formal public consultation.
Owen Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the monetary value of revenues lost to the Exchequer as a result of tax avoidance and evasion by (a) UK-domiciled individuals and (b) UK-based companies in the last year for which figures are available. [76472]
Mr Gauke: The information does not exist in the form requested.
The latest tax gap estimates were published in September 2011 in ‘Measuring Tax Gaps 2011’ on HMRC's website at:
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/mtg-2011.pdf
This included the following estimates of the tax gap for 2009-10 from avoidance by individuals and companies:
Avoidance of income tax, national insurance contributions, capital gains tax is estimated at around £1.5 billion;
Avoidance of corporation tax by businesses managed by HMRC's Large Business Service, is estimated at around £1 billion;
Avoidance of corporation tax by Large and Complex businesses is estimated at around £0.2 billion.
‘Measuring Tax Gaps 2011’ also contained a broad indication of the tax gap by behaviour for 2009-10. This estimated that:
Avoidance accounted for around 14% of the total gap for all taxes (£5 billion); and
Evasion accounted for 12% of the total tax gap across all taxes (£4 billion).
Neither the avoidance estimate or the evasion estimate are split between UK domiciled individuals and non-domiciled individuals.
Owen Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what targets HM Revenue and Customs has for solving open cases; and what progress has been made towards the achievement of such targets. [76566]
Mr Gauke: HMRC has committed to clearing 17.9 million open cases by December 2012 and is on track to do so.
The Open Case programme was set up in January 2011 to clear the remaining open cases through a combination of technical and clerical clearances.
HMRC successfully introduced the technical changes in October 2011 and are testing the changes before they go live.
HMRC currently have just under 1,000 staff working on clerical clearances.
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Cumulative figures to September show HMRC are ahead of clearance targets. So far HMRC have cleared around 3 million of the 17.9 million cases and the technical changes will enable us to clear millions more of these cases automatically.
Taxation: Environment Protection
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 17 October 2011, Official Report, column 711W, on taxation: environment protection, whether he has plans for the recycling of revenue from the carbon floor price and the EU Emissions Trading Scheme into low-carbon projects. [76415]
Miss Chloe Smith: In the spending review, Government committed significant spending to climate change mitigation and green objectives.
In general, the Government consider that hypothecation, or "earmarking" revenues for a particular spending purpose, is an inefficient way to manage the public finances.
Third Sector
Paul Flynn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 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. [76239]
Miss Chloe Smith: Treasury Ministers carry out their ministerial duties in line with the “Ministerial Code”. Any volunteering activities undertaken by Treasury Ministers in a personal capacity are a matter for them. Relevant interests, which may include voluntary activities, are published by the Cabinet Office in the List of Ministers' Interests.
Health
Cancer: Health Services
Eric Ollerenshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the findings of the 2010 National Cancer Patient Experience Survey; and what assessment he has made of the evidential basis for a link between positive patient experience and access to a clinical nurse specialist. [76777]
Paul Burstow: The national report of the 2010 cancer patient experience survey was published in December 2010 and 158 bespoke trust level reports were published in January 2011. Results of the survey have been disseminated widely. The 10% worst performing trusts have been visited to explain their results and offer practical help on actions to improve the experience of their patients. Many trusts have developed local action plans to improve cancer patient experience.
84% of cancer patients responding to the 2010 survey reported that they had been given the name of a clinical nurse specialist (CNS). Of these, over 90% reported that the CNS had listened carefully and were given understandable answers all or most of the time. In every
26 Oct 2011 : Column 238W
case, cancer patients with a CNS were significantly more likely to be positive about their care and treatment than patients who did not have a CNS. In December 2010 the Department published “One to one support for cancer patients” to assist local decision making and support the continued expansion in one to one support for all cancer patients. A copy has been placed in the Library.
Data Protection
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many official ministerial papers were recorded as not returned to his Department or otherwise unaccounted for in each month since May 2010; and if he will make a statement. [76813]
Mr Simon Burns: No ministerial papers have been recorded as not returned or unaccounted for since May 2010.
Euthanasia
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance is available to healthcare professionals caring for dying patients who request medical assistance to hasten their death. [76711]
Anne Milton: Euthanasia, the intentional taking of life albeit at a patient's request or for a merciful motive, is unlawful as is encouraging or assisting the suicide of another person.
Professional guidance to support healthcare staff who may have to deal with requests for help to hasten death has been issued by the Royal College of Nursing (“When someone asks for your assistance to die, October 2011”):
www.rcn.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/410638/004167.pdf
and by the British Medical Association (“Responding to patient requests relating to assisted suicide: guidance for doctors in England/Wales and Northern Ireland, July 2010”):
www.bma.org.uk/images/assistedsuicideguidancejuly2010_tcm41-198675.pdf
Haemophilia
Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the Health Service Guidance HSG 93(30) on Provision of Haemophilia Treatment and Care was last revised. [76676]
Anne Milton: Health Service Guidance 93(30) on “Provision of haemophilia treatment and care” has not been revised. However, newer documents on treatment and care are available:
The Haemophilia Alliance—“A National Service Specification for Haemophilia and other inherited bleeding disorders” (2006)
www.ukhcdo.org/docs/HaemAlliance-NatSvsSpec2006.pdf
NHS London Specialised Commissioning Group—“Designation of Haemophilia Services. Model documentation for Specialised Commissioning Groups” (2010)
www.specialisedservices.nhs.uk/document/designation-haemophilia-services
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Justice
Members: Correspondence
Mr Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Harwich and North Essex of 26 January 2011 regarding parliamentary sovereignty and the European Convention on Human Rights. [76058]
Mr Kenneth Clarke: I have sent a response today, and sincerely apologise for the delay, which was caused by an administrative oversight.
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 7 September 2011 regarding Mr R Whalley. [76704]
Mr Kenneth Clarke: A reply has now been sent.
Prisoners
Mrs Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people from (a) Vietnam, (b) South Africa, (c) Nigeria and (d) China were held in prison in England and Wales in (i) May 2010 and (ii) October 2011. [76620]
Mr Blunt: Information on the prison population in England and Wales for the requested nationalities as on 30 June 2010 and 30 June 2011 is shown in the table.
Information on the foreign national prison population in England and Wales as at 30 September 2011 will be published in 'Offender Management Statistics Quarterly Bulletin' available on the Ministry of Justice website on 27 October 2011.
| Population in prison for selected nationalities, 30 June 2010 and 30 June 2011, England and Wales | ||
| Nationality | 30 June 2010 | 30 June 2011 |
These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
Prisoners’ Release: Employment
Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many (a) men and (b) women have been released from prison since May 2010 and what proportion entered into work within (i) one, (ii) three, (iii) six and (iv) 12 months of leaving prison. [75638]
Mr Blunt: Between May 2010 and March 2011 (latest available), 80,513 prisoners were released from prison of which 73,616 were male and 6,897 female.
Information on the employment status of offenders who have been released from prison since May 2010 is not collected centrally on Ministry of Justice administrative data systems. The Ministry of Justice do hold some employment information on offenders, through a one-off
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data sharing project between MOJ, DWP and HMRC, where initial findings will be published for the first time later in the year.
Resettlement information on offenders, which shows the percentage of prisoners entering employment on release, is held and published by the National Offender Management Service. In 2010/11, 37.6% of offenders were in employment at the end of their sentence.
Prisoners: Employment
Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many (a) men and (b) women prisoners were in paid work in each month of 2011. [75763]
Mr Blunt: The latest figures available are up until March 2011. Figures in the following table show the average number of prisoners employed in production workshops by month, broken down by female and male in both the public and private prison estates.
| Private p risons | Public p risons | Total prison system | ||||
|
|
Female | Male | Female | Male | Female | Male |
The figures do not include those prisoners working on licence in the community. At the time of the prisoner earnings data collection in summer 2010 there were 459 such prisoners in Category D prisons. Prisoners engaged in other paid activity inside prisons are also not included. The figures used in the answer have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large-scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
Sentencing: Children
Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how many and what proportion of children given indeterminate sentences were subsequently released in each year since 2000; [76708]
(2) what the average time served in custody was of children given indeterminate sentences in each year since 2000. [76709]
Mr Blunt: Table 1 as follows shows that the total number of young people aged 10 to 17 years, serving indeterminate sentences which started between 2005-06 (when the indeterminate sentence came into effect) and 2009-10 is 178, and the proportion who were discharged over this time period is 6%. Table 2 shows data on the average time served in custody (in days) for 10 to 17-year-olds with indeterminate sentences in each year from 2005-06 to 2009-10.
This information set out in Tables 1 and 2 was supplied by the Youth Justice Board (YJB). The YJB does not have information on young people once they have turned 18 years old (and may transfer to the adult secure estate). Table 1 therefore does not include data on those who had been released after they had turned 18; and Table 2 refers to the average time in custody
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where the young person was released before their 18th birthday. In order to gather this information including those aged 18 or more would involve manually extracting and matching YJB and MOJ data and as such would incur a disproportionate cost.
| Table 1 : Number of 10 to 17-year-olds with indeterminate sentences 2005-06 to 2009-10 | ||
|
|
10 to 17-year-olds starting indeterminate sentences | 10 to 17-year-olds discharged from indeterminate sentence s |
| Notes: 1. YJB data. 2. The indeterminate sentence first came into effect in 2005-06. 3. ‘*’ signifies that there were no releases in this year. 4. The total proportion of indeterminate sentences that ended of those that started in this period is 6%. It should be noted that the sentences that ended within each year will not necessarily relate to the sentences that started within each year. 5.The YJB does not have data on young people once they turn 18 years old (and may transfer to the adult estate). The table therefore does not include data on those who had been released after they had turned 18 years of age. 6. These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing and may be subject to change over time. | ||
| Table 2 : Average time served in custody (in days) for 10 to 17-year-olds with indeterminate sentences, 2005-06 to 2009-10 | |
|
|
Average time |
| Notes: 1. YJB data. 2. The indeterminate sentence first came into effect in 2005-06. 3.'*' signifies that there were no releases in this year. 4. The YJB does not have data on young people once they turn 18-years-old (and may transfer to the adult estate). The table therefore refers to the average time in custody where the young person was released before their 18th birthday. 5. These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing and may be subject to change over time. | |
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Animal Welfare: Circuses
Mr Burley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent progress she has made on the new licensing regime for wild animals in circuses. [75676]
Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 3 October 2011, Official Report, column 1405W, on wildlife: circuses, what steps she has taken to overcome the legal difficulties in relation to a ban on the use of wild animals in circuses. [75776]
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Mr Paice: I refer my hon. Friend and the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Cambridge (Dr Huppert), during the oral answers to questions on 13 October 2011, Official Report, columns 467-68.
Animal Welfare: Wildlife
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department is taking to assist ground-based wildlife with migratory paths that cross motorways and other busy roads. [75839]
Richard Benyon: There are very few ground-based species whose migratory paths cross motorways and other busy roads. Natural England has long recognised that common toads are among the most vulnerable species in this respect. It has a memorandum of agreement worth £60,000 a year with the Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Trust (which oversees the common toad Species Action Plan) and has contributed to recent guidance for planners and highways engineers about common toads and roads.
Bovine Tuberculosis
Mr Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions her Department has had with the National Farmers Union on the vaccination of badgers against bacteria causing bovine tuberculosis. [76535]
Mr Paice: Representatives from the National Farmers Union have met officials and Ministers on several occasions during 2011 to discuss bovine TB, including our work on badger vaccines and their deployment.
Carbon Emissions
Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to introduce mandatory carbon reporting for companies; and if she will make a statement. [70797]
Richard Benyon: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food, my right hon. Friend the Member for South East Cambridgeshire (Mr Paice), gave to the hon. Member for Dundee West (Jim McGovern), on 6 September 2011, Official Report, column 374W.
Coastal Areas
Mr Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what support her Department makes available for seaside communities to establish whether land reclamation is a viable option. [74466]
Richard Benyon: DEFRA funds the Environment Agency to carry out flood and coastal erosion risk management activity in England. This includes work to develop long-term plans such as shoreline management plans. These plans may include consideration of the viability land reclamation where appropriate.
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Cormorants
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many applications there have been to kill cormorants in each of the last five years; and how many were granted in each such year. [76255]
Richard Benyon: Wildlife licensing is a devolved matter and applications for licences in England are made to Natural England. The following table shows the number of applications to kill cormorants received by Natural England in the last five years and how many licences to kill cormorants were granted in each year.
|
|
Number of applications received | Number of licences issued |
Crops: Biodiversity
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the contribution of orchards to (a) the environment and (b) biodiversity. [75849]
Richard Benyon: Orchards are important for a wide range of biodiversity including nationally rare and scarce species. There are 16,990 hectares of traditional orchards across 35,378 sites in England. The People's Trust for Endangered Species (PTES), working with Natural England, has carried out an aerial photo inventory and is verifying this on the ground, with volunteer surveyors visiting the orchards to record the species, age and condition of the fruit trees.
DEFRA provides financial support for approximately 2,500 hectares of orchards through agri-environment schemes. Apple and pear growers are also able to join Producer Organisations where they can apply for matching funding via the Single Common Market Organisation.
Floods: Insurance
Harriett Baldwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had with interested parties on the availability of flood insurance for homeowners after the expiry of the Statement of Principles. [75438]
Richard Benyon: We are working closely with the insurance industry to ensure that insurance remains widely available in England after the expiry of the Statement of Principles in July 2013. Following the Flood Summit I hosted in September 2010, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the right hon. Member for Meriden (Mrs Spelman), spoke at a follow-up meeting with insurance providers, community groups and other partners for further discussions on flood risk management and the challenges involved in flood insurance. We will provide an update on options shortly, with the aim of reaching a final decision by the spring.
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Metals
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is (a) considering taking and (b) taking in relation to scrap metal as part of her Department's review of waste policies. [74566]
Richard Benyon: The Review of Waste Policy in England, published in June 2011, set out the Government's principal commitment to prioritise efforts to manage waste in line with the waste hierarchy and reduce the carbon impact of waste.
The Government are working with industry to explore a responsibility deal to raise recycling levels for metal packaging. We have supported the development of European end-of-waste criteria for the recovery of iron, steel and aluminium scrap metal, which took effect from 9 October 2011. Meeting end-of-waste criteria will allow those metals to be traded as non-waste materials.
Additionally, measures are being considered to help deliver a more strategic intelligence-led approach to tackling metal theft (which may include scrap metal). The Home Office is examining the case for streamlining the overlapping controls on scrap metal businesses.
Pesticides
Mr Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she has taken any enforcement action in respect of the incorrect use of a pesticide product containing aminopyralid in each of the last five years. [70720]
Richard Benyon: The Health and Safety Executive's Chemicals Regulation Directorate (CRD), as the pesticides regulator, has considered a number of incidents where the herbicide aminopyralid has been reported as causing a problem in manure. CRD has not been able to determine any breach of pesticides legislation in any of the cases investigated, so no enforcement action has been taken.
Mr Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the Health and Safety Executive's Chemicals Regulation Directorate enforcement of restrictions on the use of pesticide products containing aminopyralid. [70721]
Richard Benyon: More stringent restrictions for the use of aminopyralid products were set in 2009 following earlier reports of crop damage caused by the use of manure from animals grazed on land treated with aminopyralid. These restrictions are designed to minimise the risk of contaminated manure being used.
The Chemicals Regulation Directorate (CRD) continues to monitor the situation closely and reports to DEFRA Ministers on a regular basis. Reported incidents have declined since the restrictions were tightened and there appears to be a reducing problem. CRD follow-up reported incidents and, to date, have not uncovered evidence of breaches of pesticides law that would lead to enforcement action.
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Rivers
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many English rivers do not meet the standard of the Water Framework Directive. [76275]
Richard Benyon: There are 4,837 individual river water bodies in England. 3,135 of these rivers are 'natural' rivers and 1,702 are modified rivers. The default objective of the Water Framework Directive (subject to certain exemptions) is to aim to achieve good ecological and chemical status for natural rivers and good chemical status and ecological potential for heavily modified rivers by 2015. Where these water bodies are already at “good” or better, the requirement is to ensure there is no deterioration in status.
In 2010 the Environment Agency assessed 4,771 of these river water bodies in England. 1,028 (22%) of these were at either good status/potential or better. 3,743 (78%) of English river water bodies were failing to meet good ecological status.
Actions agreed in River Basin Management Plans will reduce the number of failing rivers by 5% by 2015. The additional £92 million funding provided by DEFRA from 2011-15 to tackle failing rivers will further stretch this ambition.
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment she has made of the effects of abstraction and pollution on English rivers; and if she will make a statement. [76276]
Richard Benyon: In 2010, 22% of English river water bodies were assessed to be at good ecological status or good ecological potential. Ecological quality may be impacted by multiple environmental pressures, including changes to land use, river channel modifications, chemical quality, and alterations to flow. Obstructions can impact on the connectivity of rivers, which can affect the suitability of river habitats for different species, or may present a barrier to fish migration. Natural or man-made barriers impacting on fish migration are a contributing pressure in about 6% of English river water bodies failing good ecological status. Other factors affecting the connectivity, form and function of rivers are a contributing pressure in about 21% of rivers failing good ecological status. The main polluting pressures include nutrients, in about 46%, and organic (sanitary) pollutants in about 21%.
Squirrels: Pest Control
Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate her Department has made of the annual cost to the public purse of grey squirrel control. [75952]
Richard Benyon: The Forestry Commission in England spent approximately £102,000 during 2008-09, £127,000 during 2009-10 and £121,000 during 2010-11 on activities associated with the control of grey squirrel populations on the public forest estate.
Also, a proportion of funding from the England Woodland Grant Scheme is spent on grey squirrel control, but this is not recorded separately from other grant aided woodland management activities under the scheme.
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There is no central record of costs incurred by other public bodies such as local authorities or individual landowners which may include domestic and urban park squirrel control activity.
Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate her Department has made of the cost of damage caused by grey squirrels nationwide. [75953]
Richard Benyon: The report “The Economic Cost of Invasive Non-native Species on Great Britain”, produced by the Centre for Agricultural Bioscience International in 2010, was jointly commissioned by DEFRA, the Scottish Executive and the Welsh Assembly Government. It provides a comprehensive estimate of the costs of invasive non-native species to the economy of Great Britain and includes several species-specific case studies. The report estimated that the cost to the British economy of the grey squirrel was at least £14 million per annum.
Transport
Aviation: Security
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate she has made of the annual cost of the security regulatory system to the aviation industry; and what estimate she has made of the potential cost-savings to the industry arising from implementation of the proposals in her Department's Better Regulation for Aviation Security consultation document. [76598]
Mrs Villiers: A draft impact assessment accompanied the consultation, launched on 14 July, which estimated that the current cost of the security regulatory system to airports and airlines is £770 million per year. The consultation seeks industry views on where potential costs and benefits may be accrued through the implementation of an outcome-focused, risk-based model of regulation.
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to her Department's consultation document, Better Regulation for Aviation Security, what estimate she has made of the projected time savings for airline passengers being processed by a security management system as opposed to existing systems. [76599]
Mrs Villiers: The Government propose to move away from a 'one size fits all' model of prescriptive regulation to one focused on outcomes and based on risk, using security management systems as the means of delivering, measuring and improving security outcomes. Under this model it will be for airport and airline operators to determine how those outcomes can be achieved in ways that maintain or enhance security, while also improving the experience for air transport users.
Bus Services: Concessions
Maria Eagle:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much subsidy was given to coach operators to offer concessionary coach travel to pensioners and disabled people in each of the last five years; and what savings
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she estimates will be made from ending concessionary coach travel in each year of the current spending review period. [76550]
Norman Baker [holding answer 24 October 2011]:The following table shows the amount paid by the Department for Transport to coach operators offering half price concessions to older people aged 60 and over and eligible disabled people in England in each of the last five years.
| Grant paid to coach operators in England offering half price concessions to older people aged 60 and over and eligible disabled people | |
|
|
£ |
The Department estimates around £6 million will be saved in 2011-12 and £17 million in the remaining years of the spending review period.
Crossrail Line: Rolling Stock
Mr Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether she plans to make changes to the Crossrail procurement process in light of experience from the Thameslink rolling stock procurement process. [75283]
Mrs Villiers: I refer the right hon. Member to my answer of 21 October 2011, Official Report, column 1198W.
Legal Opinion
Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average hourly rate paid was to external (a) solicitors and (b) barristers engaged by her Department in 2010-11; what guidance her Department uses in commissioning external legal advice; and if she will publish (i) the names of each external (A) solicitor and (B) barrister engaged by his Department in 2010-11 and (ii) the sums paid in each case. [72575]
Norman Baker: Before the Department commissions external legal support, it takes advice from its own procurement and legal staff. It follows relevant guidance issued by OGC available at:
http://www.buyingsolutions.gov.uk/services/Legal/
by the Treasury Solicitors' Department; and the Attorney-General's Department.
The Department for Transport and its seven executive agencies instructed several external solicitors and barristers in 2010-11. To confirm all the names, average hourly rates paid, and actual sums paid to individual external solicitors and barristers engaged in that period would, I regret, incur a disproportionate cost. However, the following information is readily available.
In 2010-11 the following payments were made to external solicitors by DFT(c) and the Highways Agency:
1. DFT(c) (i.e. the central department)—£5,544,147
2. The Highways Agency—£5,568,757
The external solicitors' firms whose fees were paid by DFT(c) or the Highways Agency were:
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Beachcroft LLP
Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP
Burges Salmon
CMS Cameron McKenna LLP
Christian Khan
SNR Denton
Eversheds LLP
Field Fisher Waterhouse LLP
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP
Linklaters
Pannone LLP
Shoosmiths
Thomas Eggar
Veale Wasbrough Vizards
Winckworth Sherwood
Wragge and Co LLP
In 2010-11 the following external barristers were instructed by DFT(c), and payments made to them:
Claire Darwin—£101
David Barr*—£11,331
James Dingemans QC—£188,515
Jessica Simor*—£13,501
Jonathan Crow QC—£3,378
Jonathan Hough—£117,946
Karen Steyn*—£789
Kieron Beal*—£2,467
Maria Gallagher*—£1,616
Nigel Cooper QC—£1,375
Peter Mantle*—£2,402
Samuel Wordsworth*—£950
Timothy Mould QC—£2,805
Vikram Sachdeva*—£1,575
Jonathan Swift QC (First Treasury Counsel)
Those barristers marked with an asterisk are on the Attorney-General's (London) panel of approved counsel. They are paid according to Government agreed rates which are as follows:
A Panel—£120 per hour
B Panel—£100 per hour
C Panel—£80 per hour if over five years call. £60 per hour is under five years call
First Treasury Counsel's hourly rate is £220
Further details on the panel can be found at the following website:
http://www.tsol.gov.uk/attorney_generals_panel_of_counsel.htm
High Speed 2 Railway Line
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress her Department has made in analysing responses to the High Speed 2 rail consultation. [76499]
Justine Greening: The analysis of responses for the high speed rail consultation which is being produced independently of the Department, is almost complete and the final report will be presented to me shortly. I will carefully consider the report and advice from officials, before taking decisions on high speed rail.
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Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what reason her Department has not published (a) the analysis of responses to the High Speed 2 rail consultation and (b) the proposed route and strategy. [76542]
Justine Greening: The Government have made clear their intention to announce their decisions on high speed rail in light of the results of the consultation by the end of 2011. The analysis of responses for the high speed rail consultation will be published along with the announcement.
The proposed route for consultation was published in December 2010 and the Government strategy for consultation was set out in the consultation document, published in February 2011.
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made towards publishing the route and strategy for the High Speed 2 line. [76577]
Justine Greening: The Department for Transport's business plan sets a public target of announcing decisions on the HS2 strategy and route from London to the West Midlands, by the end of 2011.
Invalid Vehicles: Regulation
Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) pursuant to the answer of 20 June 2011, Official Report, column 19W, on invalid vehicles: regulation, when she plans to announce the results of her Department's consultation on proposed changes to legislation governing powered mobility scooters and powered wheelchairs; [75484]
(2) pursuant to the answer of 11 July 2011, Official Report, column 200W, on invalid vehicles: regulation, what the reasons are for the time taken to publish the results of her Department's consultation on proposed changes to legislation governing powered mobility scooters and powered wheelchairs. [75485]
Norman Baker [holding answer 18 October 2011]: The Department's full response to the consultation will be published as soon as possible. Following careful consideration and analysis of all the responses received, I have asked my officials to undertake further work with transport operators, the industry and user group representatives on the following issues:
options for training and incentives for vehicle users to take up training;
a possible minimum eyesight requirement and incentives for users to meet these requirements;
the case for increasing the unladen weight limit for powered wheelchairs only;
the carriage of mobility scooters on public transport;
improved guidance and information for mobility vehicle users; and
replacing the legal term “invalid carriage” with a more suitable and contemporary term, and a review of how current legislation could be better enforced.
These issues will be considered in relation to the aims of the Red Tape Challenge.
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Railways
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what her policy is on a high-speed rail link between Gatwick and Heathrow airports. [73998]
Mrs Villiers: The Government are committed to developing a new policy framework for aviation which supports economic growth while addressing the environmental impacts of flying. We plan to publish a draft aviation policy for consultation in the spring.
As part of our work on this we are seeking views on the key issues which need to be addressed, including the importance of a UK hub airport and whether it might be possible to create a ‘virtual hub’ by improving connectivity between existing airports. The proposal on a high-speed rail link between Gatwick and Heathrow will form a useful contribution to the debate and will be considered alongside all other responses.
Railways: Snow and Ice
John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what commitments she has had from (a) train operating companies and (b) Network Rail on provision of passenger information in the event of winter weather-related disruption. [76803]
Norman Baker: Train operating companies and Network Rail are implementing a wide range of measures to improve progressively the provision of passenger information in the event of winter weather-related and other disruptions.
Measures they have taken include improvements to contingency timetables provision and communication methods; alternative contingency timetables for short-notice upload to websites and information displays when disruptions affect normal services; long-line PA systems are being introduced at some stations and some TOCs are now using social media to disseminate information to passengers in real time.
I regularly meet train operating companies and Network Rail, and preparations for winter, and indeed, autumn-related weather disruption is high on the agenda.
Railways: Weather
Mr Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment her Department has made of train operating companies' preparedness for extreme winter weather conditions. [76355]
Norman Baker: The Department is liaising with train operating companies to monitor their winter preparations. Our aim is to ensure that their proposed plans take account of the lessons learnt from the last two winter experiences.
We understand that their contingency and resilience plans include provisions to overcome such problems. These include improved passenger communication strategies and development of additional contingency timetables for service operations under different weather scenarios. They also include a range of modifications to train fleets to improve resilience and address problems encountered in previous winters.
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Roadworks
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps her Department is taking to ensure that local authorities' roadworks are subject to the same rules as roadworks conducted by utility companies; and if she will make a statement. [76533]
Norman Baker [holding answer 24 October 2011]:Street works provisions in the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 apply to works carried out by utility companies and others with apparatus in the highway, but not to local authority works. However, the Government are encouraging local authorities to develop proposals for permit schemes under the Traffic Management Act 2004, which requires authorities to treat their own works in the same way as those carried out by utility companies and other statutory undertakers. The Government's draft guidance on lane rental schemes, currently out to consultation, also encourages local authorities to apply the same financial incentives to their own works contractors as they propose to require of utility companies.
Thames Estuary Airport
Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent assessment she has made of the feasibility of establishing an airport in the Thames Estuary. [75779]
Mrs Villiers: The Department for Transport has not made any recent assessment of the merits of a new airport in the Thames estuary.
The Government are developing a new policy framework for aviation which supports economic growth while addressing the environmental impacts of flying. We will consider all responses to the scoping exercise which has recently closed on this issue.
West Coast Railway Line
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the cost has been of (a) full-time equivalent staff in her Department, (b) consultants and (c) solicitors involved in the negotiations with Virgin Rail Group on extending the Intercity West Coast rail franchise. [76485]
Mrs Villiers: The cost of full-time equivalent staff in the Department for Transport involved in the negotiations with Virgin Rail Group on extending the Intercity West Coast rail franchise is £80,000. For consultants the cost is £121,000 and for solicitors £62,000.
Energy and Climate Change
Carbon Emissions
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he made an estimate of the carbon footprint which would arise from requiring energy companies to write to their customers to inform them how they may be able to achieve a cheaper tariff prior to the energy summit of 17 October 2011. [76796]
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Gregory Barker: We have not made a specific assessment of the carbon footprint of the communication energy suppliers voluntarily agreed to send to their customers who pay by cash or cheque to let them know how much they could save by moving to the cheapest direct debit tariff. Energy suppliers will send this communication by e-mail or text where possible, minimising any environmental impact.
Carbon Emissions: Natural Gas
Mrs Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what consideration his Department has given to the potential contribution of off-mains gas households to meeting carbon emission targets. [76661]
Charles Hendry: The contribution of off-mains gas households is a consideration in developing all our household carbon cutting policies, including the domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) and the Green Deal.
The Green Deal framework has been designed to enable all 4.3 million households off the mains gas network to potentially benefit, as the Green Deal “charge” will be attached to the electricity meter.
Advertising
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department has spent on advertising job vacancies since May 2010. [75634]
Gregory Barker: Our financial records show that since May 2010, £128,000 has been spent on external advertising of job vacancies.
Foresee
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the (a) date, (b) time, (c) attendees and (d) topics of discussion were of each meeting with Ministers in his Department attended by Miriam Maes in her role as Chief Executive of Foresee Ltd since May 2010. [76795]
Gregory Barker: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 25 October 2011, Official Report, column 188W.
Satellite Communications
Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment his Department has made of the contribution of earth observation satellite technology in monitoring (a) climate change and (b) the effects of climate change. [76814]
Gregory Barker: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 13 July 2011, Official Report, column 378W.
Sellafield
Ms Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the cost was of decommissioning the nuclear site at Sellafield in each of the last five years; and what estimate he has made of the cost in each year to 2016. [76435]
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Charles Hendry [holding answer 24 October 2011]: Decommissioning at Sellafield includes all activities from post-operational clean-out, waste treatment, maintenance of facilities and interim storage before final disposal. The following table sets out what the cost of decommissioning the nuclear site at Sellafield was in each of the last five years, alongside the projected costs in the 2010 spending review period.
| Sellafield decommissioning cost | |
|
|
£ million |
Culture, Media and Sport
Arts
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps he plans to take to maintain the global position of the UK in respect of the creative industries; and what account he will take of the (a) digital and (b) global nature of such markets in such plans. [75745]
Mr Prisk: I have been asked to reply.
Building on the ambitions described in The Plan For Growth, UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) has developed a new strategy “Britain Open For Business” which shows how the government will continue to support SMEs and high growth companies, and in particular those in the digital field that remain at the forefront of many global creative developments, in key markets around the world and to encourage inward investment from the sector.
UKTI works in partnership with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and with Industry through the Creative Industries Council and through the Creative Industries International Marketing Strategy Board to develop and deliver strategies to promote the sector internationally. Working with its global network, UKTI continues to engage with key investors in the digital and creative space who have been identified as having the greatest potential for (further) investment in the UK. UKTI also delivers a tailored programme including missions and showcasing activities to promote the UK's creative industries internationally, many of which specifically focus on digital.
Ministerial Voluntary Work
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport 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. [76245]
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John Penrose: No Ministers within the Department have yet undertaken a One Day Challenge. Each Minister is committed to their pledge, and is looking forward to undertaking the challenge in the near future.
Libraries
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much he expects to save through the abolition of the Advisory Council on Libraries. [76025]
Mr Vaizey: Apart from staff time and expenses, there are no expected costs or savings associated with the proposed abolition of the Advisory Council on Libraries (ACL). ACL has no budget, premises, assets, liabilities, contracts or employees. Costs associated with ACL activity, such as members' expenses and hospitality charges for meetings, are charged to the Department for approximately £2,500 per annum.
Communities and Local Government
Enterprise Zones: West Midlands
Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) what estimate he has made of the number of highly-skilled jobs that will be created as a result of the operation of the Birmingham and Solihull Enterprise Zone; [76047]
(2) what assessment he has made of the effects of the creation of the enterprise zone in Birmingham on jobs in Birmingham Ladywood constituency. [74516]
Greg Clark: The Government approved the Birmingham City Centre Enterprise Zone bid in August. In their accompanying press release, the Greater Birmingham and Solihull local enterprise partnership announced that the Zone could generate up to 40,000 new jobs over its lifetime.
Enterprise Zones are about allowing areas with real potential to create the new business and jobs that they need, with positive benefits across the wider economic area. This means that areas like Ladywood are able to benefit from the jobs and economic opportunities created.
Government Procurement Card
Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what transactions have been made on his Department's Government Procurement Card by each card-holding director and board member of the Audit Commission since 2006-07; and what the (a) supplier, (b) date, (c) amount and (d) name of the card holder was for each transaction. [73224]
Robert Neill: This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission and I have asked the chief executive of the Audit Commission to write to my hon. Friend direct.
Letter from Andy McKeon, dated 26 October 2011:
Your Parliamentary Question has been passed to me to reply as the Chief Executive is on leave.
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The Audit Commission does not have access to GPC cards provided by the Department. Only the Chief Executive and Chairman held GPC cards. They no longer hold them.
The Audit Commission does not hold electronic records on individual card holder transactions from 2006/07 and 2007/08. This information is archived in hard copy, and could only be retrieved at disproportionate cost.
We have, however, provided information for 2008/09 and 2009/10 on 10 May 2011 official report column 1175-1177w. The only other transaction since 31 March 2010 was on 28 June 2010 by the Chief Executive Eugene Sullivan for £415.15 at the City Inn Westminster.
Local Government: Public Consultation
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will bring forward proposals to make it mandatory for local authorities to provide residents with the opportunity to raise issues of concern with councillors at full council and cabinet meetings through public question and answer sessions for the purposes of improving local democratic accountability; and if he will make a statement. [74796]
Robert Neill: Although this matter is governed by councils' Standing Orders, Ministers believe all councils should ensure there is opportunity for some form of public speaking at such council meetings.
Public Sector: Pensions
Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to his answer of 5 July 2011, Official Report, column 1158W, on public sector: pension, when the Government plans to respond to the Independent Public Service Pensions Commission's recommendations. [76804]
Robert Neill: The Government have accepted Lord Hutton's recommendations as a basis for consultation with public sector workers, trade unions and other interested parties about the need for long term reform of public service pension schemes.
The Government and the TUC meet on a regular basis to discuss public service pension reform. These discussions cover Lord Hutton's key recommendations and the Government's proposed increase in members' contributions. Discussions have also opened at a scheme by scheme level to ensure a fuller understanding of the implications of reform before final conclusions can be reached. The Government intend to introduce changes from 2015 and have confirmed that all pension benefits earned up to that point will be protected.
The reforms will ensure that all public service pensions will continue to be among the best pensions available.
Regional Development Agencies: Property Transfer
Mr Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he is taking to ensure that the assets of regional development agencies are disposed of in an open and transparent manner. [76113]
Greg Clark:
The approach to disposing of agencies' assets will follow the principles set out in the Local Growth White Paper and the statement on the agencies
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assets and liabilities made on 10 February 2011. A copy of this is in the Library of the House.
The majority of the agencies' land and property portfolio transferred to the Homes and Communities Agency on 19 September 2011 under a stewardship arrangement. As set out in the Business, Innovation and Skills written ministerial statement of 6 July 2011, Official Report, columns 95-96WS, the Homes and Communities Agency will establish local committees to allow local bodies such as local authorities, businesses, local enterprise partnerships and others to influence development of the portfolio, and maximise economic outcomes and benefits for local communities and the taxpayer.
Social Rented Housing
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to his written ministerial statement of 10 October 2011, Official Report, columns 1-5WS, on the work of the Department (Conference Recess), what estimate he has made of the number of households with an income of over £100,000 living in social housing in each local authority area. [76444]
Grant Shapps [holding answer 24 October 2011]: It is estimated that in social rented housing in England there are between 1,000 and 6,000 households where the household reference person and partner have a combined income over £100,000 per annum. There will be other cases where households in the social rented sector have total incomes exceeding £100,000—for example because of the earnings of flat sharers, lodgers, or grown-up children—but such cases are not counted here. It is not possible to provide a breakdown of this estimate by local authority because of the sample sizes of the sources, the English Housing survey and the Family Resources survey.
I am minded to introduce a “pay to stay” scheme for social tenants on incomes greater than £100,000 who want to stay in their properties. We will be publishing a consultation on this in due course, which will consider how best to configure the scheme and ensure it is appropriately targeted at genuine high earners.