Travellers: Caravan Sites
Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he plans to publish his proposed new Planning Policy Statement for Traveller sites. [76792]
Robert Neill: The Government intend to publish their final policy as soon as possible following due consideration of the consultation responses.
Waste Disposal: Domestic Waste
Mrs Riordan: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will estimate the cost of implementing weekly refuse collections for household waste in the Calderdale council area. [73824]
Robert Neill:
As outlined in the written statement of 10 October 2011, Official Report, column 1WS, the new Weekly Collections Support Scheme will support councils
26 Oct 2011 : Column 257W
which switch from fortnightly to better weekly collections, and will support weekly collection councils which wish to keep and improve the weekly service they offer.
This initiative will help councils deliver better weekly collections, and in the process make it easier for families to go green and improve local amenity and local environment.
The cuts to frontline rubbish services encouraged by the last Administration were a lazy option. We believe that more joint working, better procurement, positive incentives and new technology are better ways of improving value for money, while maintaining regular and comprehensive services for local residents.
Defence
Armed Forces: Advisory Services
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether armed services personnel receive advice on (a) budgetary and life skills, (b) debt management, (c) physical health, (d) mental health and (e) substance misuse before leaving the armed services. [76225]
Mr Robathan: All service leavers are entitled to some form of resettlement advice, regardless of rank and length of service, which includes financial-related briefings, to which spouses/partners are also invited, covering budget and debt management. If individuals wish further advice in-depth one-to-one meetings are also offered and organisations that can provide advice on debt management are signposted by resettlement staff.
Advice on maintaining good physical and mental health is provided throughout individuals' service careers, which provides them with an excellent foundation for their future civilian life. All personnel receive a discharge medical assessment prior to discharge, at which any specific concerns can be raised. Personnel are given advice on the importance of seeking medical help, including the ability to access the Military Departments of Community Mental Health and are also given advice on other organisations that can provide help, for example from service charities such as Combat Stress. In addition, a counselling service exists for service personnel who, upon leaving the armed forces, are considered by their unit interviewing officer as vulnerable to social exclusion.
Armed Forces: Compensation
Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the inquest of Sergeant Major Adamson held in June 2011, if he will review the decision regarding a compensation claim to establish if it can be paid in such circumstances regardless of whether a formal legal obligation exists. [76364]
Mr Robathan [holding answer 24 October 2011]: Prior to May 1987, service personnel (or their dependants in the case of a fatality) were prevented from pursuing claims for compensation from the Ministry of Defence (MOD) by Section 10 of The Crown Proceedings Act 1947. Section 10 was repealed by The Crown Proceedings (Armed Forces) Act 1987.
When the House debated the repeal of Section 10, the question of retrospection was considered and motions to allow all past and present members of HM Forces or
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their dependants to pursue compensation claims for injury or death were moved: they were defeated or withdrawn. The view then, as it is now, was that there was no logical point at which to draw a line, short of trying to cover all types of injury, and this would create more examples of unfairness and injustice.
This position was challenged in the other place on the basis that Section 10 of The Crown Proceedings Act 1947 is incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights. The noble Lords, Lord Bingham, Lord Hoffman, Lord Millett, Lord Hope and Lord Walker heard the matter on 13 and 14 January 2003 and a unanimous judgment was handed down on 13 February 2003 in favour of the MOD. The MOD's position concerning the payment of claims predating the repeal of Section 10 of The Crown Proceedings Act remains unchanged.
When compensation claims are submitted, they are considered on the basis of whether or not the MOD has a legal liability to pay compensation. Where there is a legal liability to pay compensation we do so. As the incident leading to Sergeant Major Adamson's tragic death was before the repeal of Section 10 in 1987, any claim in respect of this tragic death is prevented by law.
Arms Trade: Exports
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which (a) Ministers and (b) officials from his Department attended the recent Defence and Security Equipment International exhibition. [76645]
Peter Luff: The exhibition was attended by the previous Secretary of State for Defence, my right hon. Friend the Member for North Somerset (Dr Fox), the Minister for International Security Strategy, my hon. Friend the Member for Aldershot (Mr Howarth), the Minister for Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans, my right hon. Friend the Member for South Leicestershire (Mr Robathan), the Under Secretary of State for Defence, my noble Friend Lord Astor of Hever and myself.
A wide range of officials at various grades attended from the Ministry of Defence including: the Permanent Secretary, the Chief of Defence Material, the Chief of the Naval Staff, the Chief of the General Staff, and the Chief of the Air Staff.
BAE Systems
Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what effect the recent redundancies announced by BAE Systems have had on his industrial strategy for defence. [73372]
Peter Luff: UK industry plays a vital role in equipping and supporting our armed forces. A White Paper setting out the Government's approach to equipment, support and technology issues in the defence and security areas will be published later in the year.
Defence Equipment: Gibraltar
Mr Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the book value is of the surplus vessels and equipment for sale by tender in Gibraltar. [70985]
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Peter Luff: The surplus vessels and equipment for sale by tender in Gibraltar are advertised on the website:
www.edisposals.com
Net Book Values (the cost of the asset minus depreciation) is an accounting device and bears no relation to the reserve price set by the Disposal Services Authority for the sale of the items, which are shown in the following table:
| Disposal Services Authority Reference | Description | Net Book Value (NBV) |
| (1) Vessel recovered at sea by Royal Fleet Auxiliary. Ministry of Defence property by default as vessel not claimed. (2) NBV not held. | ||
Cultural Heritage
Mike Crockart: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to his Department's 2009-11 Heritage Report, which heritage risks have been identified for active management during the transition period following the Strategic Defence and Security Review. [76409]
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Mr Robathan: Two heritage risks have been identified for active management by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) in the heritage report during the transition period following the strategic defence and security review:
To ensure that the policy and management processes for managing MOD's heritage portfolio are considered and embedded within the transformation of MOD's estate management to the Defence Infrastructure Organisation.
To ensure that the sustainable future of MOD's heritage assets within the scope of the basing review is safeguarded within any future disposal or redevelopment initiatives.
Departmental Manpower
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on promoting British jobs and contracts within the defence industry. [73165]
Peter Luff: Ministers and officials hold regular discussions with colleagues in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on a range of issues, including the development of the forthcoming White Paper on technology, equipment and support for UK defence and security, encouraging exports and greater support to small and medium sized businesses. The long-term prosperity of UK industry depends on being competitive and market sensitive, in order to offer value for money to the British taxpayer and compete successfully in foreign markets.
European Fighter Aircraft
Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment his Department has made of the potential effects on levels of employment of a slow-down in orders for tranche 3A of the Eurofighter. [76086]
Peter Luff: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 17 October 2011, Official Report, column 600W.
Members: Correspondence
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Richmond Park of 28 March 2011, regarding service family accommodation and the Green Deal. [76417]
Mr Robathan: I apologise that my hon. Friend has not yet received a response to his letter. This was due to an administrative oversight which I have asked my officials to investigate. I now have a copy of the letter and will respond as soon as possible.
Dalgety Bay
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reason the clean-up of radioactive contamination arising from radioactive luminous dials from redundant military aircraft dismantled at Donibristle military airfield at Dalgety Bay in Fife was not included in the programme of work described in his Department's Nuclear Liabilities Management Strategy published in September 2011. [75750]
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Mr Robathan: The Nuclear Liabilities Management Strategy deals with the liabilities which have arisen from the Defence Nuclear programme, which covers the building and operating of nuclear submarines and the manufacture and management of nuclear weapons.
The former Royal Naval Air Station Donibristle did not form any part of either the current or historic Defence Nuclear programme. Consequently, the aircraft dismantling activities in question and the potential for radioactive land contamination associated with luminous dials fall outside of the scope of the strategy and have therefore not been included.
Mr Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish any advice obtained by his Department in relation to the risk to health from radioactive pollution found at Dalgety Bay in Fife. [75753]
Mr Robathan: We are currently discussing the situation with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and I will write to the hon. Member as soon as inquiries are complete.
Radioactive Waste
Mr Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence at which locations his Department has records of the burial of radium fragments. [75757]
Mr Robathan: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) takes a proactive approach to the assessment of land quality across the estate and to the management of the risks to human health and the environment. This includes radium 226 associated predominantly with the historical maintenance and disposal of luminised instruments especially during and after the second world war and which are present to some degree at many current and former MOD sites.
Where radium-226 contamination has been identified the potential risks are managed at site level. Such contamination on MOD sites is present in a relatively non-mobile form, with there being little to no leaching to soils and limited solubility in groundwater. As such, it is believed that radium and for that matter radiological contamination on MOD sites poses a relatively low risk to human health and the wider environment.
While the MOD has information on those sites which have been subject to land quality assessment, the information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Business, Innovation and Skills
Arms Trade: Exports
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills which (a) Ministers and (b) officials from his Department attended the recent Defence and Security Equipment International exhibition. [76648]
Mr Prisk: The Minister of State for Trade and Investment, my noble Friend, Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint, attended the recent Defence and Security Equipment International exhibition.
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Though not a BIS Minister, the Under-Secretary of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change and Government Spokesperson, my noble Friend, Lord Marland, also attended in his capacity as Chairman of UKTI Business Ambassadors' Group.
We estimate around 220 UKTI and BIS officials attended. The majority of officials were from UKTI Defence and Security Organisation.
Business: Marketing
Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what his policy is on measures to protect (a) consumers and (b) businesses from unsolicited, unwanted marketing approaches. [74035]
Mr Davey: Government recognises that some people find unsolicited mail and phone calls a real nuisance. That is why we have made sure that there are preference services in place to stop them. More information about postal preference services can be found on the Mailing Preference Service website:
www.mpsonline.org.uk
We strongly advise people to be very wary of unsolicited offers which sound too good to be true, as they often are. Where people receive material through the postal system which they believe is either misleading or may promote a scam or fraud, they should inform the appropriate authorities (Advertising Standards Authority, Trading Standards or Action Fraud). Consumers and businesses are protected from unsolicited marketing telephone calls through the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 (PECR). This prohibits calls to a consumer who has either previously notified the caller that they do not wish to receive such calls or has been registered with the Telephone Preference Service (TPS), or for business through the Corporate Telephone Preference Service (CTPS) scheme, for at least 28 days. Companies are legally required not to call a number that has registered on the TPS or CTPS list. Redress is available if registration is ignored. The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) is responsible for enforcing the TPS and CTPS and is able to issue a fine of up to £500,000 for the most serious breaches of the regulations.
Consumers are also protected from unsolicited automated recorded calls through the same PECR regulations. Companies that make recorded calls to sell or promote their product or business have to comply with Regulation 19 (1) and (2) of the Privacy Regulations, which require that prior consent of the recipient has to be obtained before such calls can be made. Regulation 24 (1) (a) states that all messages must include the identity of the caller and an address or freephone number at which the caller can be contacted.
In addition, most telecom service providers offer a range of services that can reduce the need to answer an unsolicited marketing call.
Departmental Billing
Mike Freer:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the average cost to his Department was of processing the payment of an invoice in the latest period for which figures are available; and
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what proportion of invoices settled in that period his Department paid
(a)
electronically and
(b)
by cheque. [74988]
Mr Davey: The Department has recently collected information to benchmark its back office functions as part of a wider shared services programme and the cost of processing the payment of an invoice in 2010/11 was calculated as £3.24.
In the same period, 99.4% of all invoices were settled electronically and 0.6% were settled by payable order (cheque).
Exports: Libya
Mr Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) what assistance he plans to provide to small and medium-sized enterprises owed money for goods supplied to Libyan customers shortly before the recent conflict in that country; [76106]
(2) if he will provide Sellers International Ltd of Huddersfield with assistance whilst it awaits payment by customers in Libya for engineering products supplied before the recent conflict in that country. [76107]
Mr Prisk: The British Government are engaging at the highest level with the National Transitional Council (NTC) in Libya on a wide range of issues including the recovery of assets and to secure debt and compensation payments on behalf of British companies. The NTC have already said that any future administration in Libya will honour existing legal and contractual obligations, including to foreign companies. Although HMG is unable to intervene directly in individual cases, we will continue to remind the Libyan authorities of their commitment and urge them to honour it. It is essential that companies, like Sellers International Ltd of Huddersfield, return to Libya once the situation on the ground allows, not only to pursue new business but to recover their assets and to pursue debts.
Exports: Licensing
Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of applications for standard individual export licences were processed in (a) 20 working days or fewer, (b) between 21 and 30 working days, (c) between 31 and 45 working days, (d) between 46 and 60 working days and (e) over 61 working days in each year between 2005 and 2010. [76718]
Mr Prisk: Information on standard individual export licences processed is published in the Annual Reports on Strategic Export Controls.
In Section 3 of each annual report—Table 3.8 gives you "SIELs Processing Performance" within 20 working days and within 60 working days.
Table 3.9 gives a breakdown in working days as follows: 0-5; 6-10; 11-15; 16-20; 21-25; 26-30 and 31+.
They are available to view at:
http://www.exportcontroldb.bis.gov.uk
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Click on “Published Reports” and then click on “Strategic export control: Annual Report Policy Text” for the year you require.
Higher Education: Charities
Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) whether his Department has conducted an impact assessment on the likely effect of an expansion of for-profit higher education providers on the financial viability of existing higher education institutions; [73393]
(2) with reference to his Department's Higher Education White Paper, what assessment his Department has made of the likely cost to existing higher education providers of an expansion of alternative providers in the higher education sector. [73394]
Mr Willetts: The Department's Higher Education White Paper "Higher Education: Students at the Heart of the System" was accompanied by an impact assessment. This provides analysis of some of the benefits and costs of an expansion of alternative and for-profit providers, including upon the financial viability of existing providers. This impact assessment is available at:
http://discuss.bis.gov.uk/hereform/all-documents/
Higher Education: Fraud
Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the potential for creation of bogus universities as a result of changes to the rules governing the awarding of university title; and what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on this issue. [73392]
Mr Willetts: Offering a degree qualification that could be taken to be that of a UK institution without having been recognised by the UK authorities—a so-called “bogus” degree—is an offence. A recognised body is one which has been granted degree awarding powers.
The proposals we are making around university title as part of our reforms to higher education relate specifically to reducing the student numbers criterion in order to enable smaller institutions with degree awarding powers to access university title. There is no connection between these proposals and the phenomenon of bogus degrees or universities.
The proposals for reform of higher education we have set out and on which we are currently consulting have been agreed across Government.
Legal Opinion
Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many times his Department's legal section provided legal advice to Ministers in (a) 2007, (b) 2009, (c) 2010 and (d) the first six months of 2011. [76368]
Mr Davey
[holding answer 24 October 2011]: When the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the right hon. Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), and Ministers are provided with advice which raises legal issues, that advice will include legal advice
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provided by lawyers employed by the Department (and where appropriate in turn informed by advice from counsel or external lawyers). It is not within the cost limit to give a figure for the number of times such legal advice has been given within the periods specified as no specific records are kept.
Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many times his Department has sought legal advice from external counsel in (a) 2007, (b) 2009, (c) 2010 and (d) the first six months of 2011. [76381]
Mr Davey [holding answer 24 October 2011]: The Department does not keep a central record of the number of times external counsel is consulted. When seeking legal advice from external counsel the Department uses the following guidance:
The Attorney-General's guidelines on the use of the private sector for Government legal work.
Treasury Solicitor's Department's guidance on the use of counsel.
Government Legal Service guidance on the best practice for Government, lawyers managing private sector provision of legal services.
Government Legal Services procurement protocol.
Department for Business, Innovation and Skills procurement code and procurement guidance.
Local Enterprise Partnerships: Foreign Investment in the UK
Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what progress has been made by UK Trade and Investment on ensuring that local enterprise partnerships are vehicles for inward investment from foreign countries. [76560]
Mr Prisk: UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) is having detailed discussions with local enterprise partnerships about how they can best support the attraction, landing and retention of foreign direct investment to the UK. They play a critical role, particularly in providing information on the local offer (why it carries national or international comparative advantage), and in resolving local issues for potential and existing investors. UKTI is currently developing memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with local enterprise partnerships, or their local partner organisations, to cement the working relationship. A number of MoUs have already been signed and discussions on others, including with the Birmingham and Solihull local enterprise partnership, are well underway.
Postage Stamps: Prices
Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what representations he has received on the process for setting the price of a first class stamp; and from whom. [76798]
Mr Davey: I have not received any specific representations about the process for setting the price of first class stamps, but am of course aware of the consultation issued by the postal services regulator, Ofcom, on 20 October—“Securing the Universal Postal Service”.
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The regulator's proposals—which were developed independently of Government—include giving Royal Mail freedom to set its own prices for first class deliveries, while maintaining a price cap for second class mail.
The Government encourages anyone with an interest in the future of the universal postal service to take the opportunity to participate in Ofcom's consultation, which runs until 5 January 2012. More information about the consultation can be found on Ofcom's website:
www.ofcom.org.uk
Science: Finance
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to the letter of 11 June 2010 from the Chief Scientific Adviser, Professor John Beddington, on public science spending, what his Department's response was to that letter; and when it was issued. [75873]
Mr Willetts: Professor John Beddington's letter of 11 June 2010 was one of many helpful pieces of high-level advice solicited as part of a consultation in the run up to the spending review of 2010.
Professor John Beddington's advice helped to shape the allocations of science and research funding for 2011/12 to 2014/15 (“Investing in World-Class Science and Research”), which were announced in December 2010.
Wales
Ministerial Voluntary Work
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what volunteering (a) she and (b) other Ministers in her Department have undertaken as part of the One Day Challenge; what the nature of the work undertaken was; on what dates it took place; and what the names were of the organisations assisted. [76228]
Mr David Jones: My right hon. Friend and I are scheduled to undertake a day's volunteering with organisations based in Wales in the coming months, including the Prince's Trust. We would be happy to provide further details on the organisations assisted and the nature of the work undertaken once it has been completed.
Cabinet Office
Data Protection
Mr Thomas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 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. [76812]
Mr Maude: No Cabinet Committee papers have been recorded as not returned or otherwise unaccounted for since May 2010.
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Work and Pensions
Departmental Correspondence
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what representations he has received on (a) the big society bank, (b) the Work programme and (c) volunteering in each month since June 2011; and if he will make a statement. [75098]
Chris Grayling: The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) receives many representations on these subjects and is keen to engage with delivery partners wherever this can support benefit claimants into work.
Departmental Ministers and officials are in discussion with their counterparts in the Cabinet Office on how big society capital (formerly referred to as the 'big society bank') can contribute to the delivery of welfare-to-work reform. Big society capital will not be a grant-making organisation. It is expected, however, that it will often partner with grant-making institutions such as the Big Lottery Fund, National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA) and foundations that share big society capital's objectives.
DWP has held an open and continuing dialogue about the Work programme and Work Together with a wide range of stakeholders. There has been significant interest from MPs, other Government Departments, local authorities, the devolved Administrations, the welfare to work industry, and customer representative groups.
Press: Subscriptions
Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department spent on newspapers, periodicals and trade profession magazines in 2010-11. [75006]
Chris Grayling: Information on the amount spent in financial year 2010-11 and, for reasons of comparison, financial year 2009-10 is set out in the following table.
| £ | ||
| Financial year | Newspaper/magazine spend | Periodical spend |
This is a 16.6% decrease on periodical spend between 2009-10 and 2010-11.
There are two reasons for the increase in costs for newspapers and magazines:
(a) Inflation for publications is running at approximately 10% per annum.
(b) We have been converting subscriptions for materials to news items where possible. This means that we do not pay for a full year up front but, instead, pay for the material as delivered. This gives much greater flexibility in cancelling materials part way though the year.
Procurement
Mr Thomas:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many contracts his Department has awarded directly to (a) small, (b) medium-sized and
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(c)
large businesses in each month since May 2010; what the value was of such contracts; and if he will make a statement. [75179]
Chris Grayling: The numbers and values awarded to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are detailed in the following table.
|
|
Contracts awarded to SME’ s | Total value (£) |
| (1) Including six Work programme contracts. Notes: 1. DWP cannot break its supplier base into the distinct small, medium and large classifications required for this PQ. 2. We do have a limited classification of small and medium-sized enterprises (SME's). This SME classification is used in the response above. 3. DWP awarded 1,129 contracts in total in this period (of which, CIT low level contracts total 598). SME suppliers represent 3.01% of the overall total. 4. Of the 1,129 contracts, we have 356 contracts where the supplier's SME status is unknown. 5. The DWP also contracts with a number of prime suppliers who are supported by a high number of SMEs. The Department is currently working with these suppliers on how best to track the volume of business that flows through prime suppliers to SMEs. 6. The data includes DWP and its NDPB's. 7.The data is extracted from the BMO Contracts database using the contract start date as the filter. 8. Some contracts have a nil value because there is no firm contractual commitment to spend. 9. The period covered by this response is 1 May 2010 to 30 September 2011. | ||
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many contracts his Department has advertised on the Contracts Finder website in each month since May 2010; what the value was of such contracts; what proportion were awarded to (a) third sector organisations and (b) small businesses; and if he will make a statement. [75181]
Chris Grayling: The table provides a month by month breakdown of the contract opportunities and values published by DWP on Contracts Finder from May 2010 to September 2011. DWP began to publish data to Contracts Finder from October 2010 onwards, as required by the Government’s transparency policy.
There is no present capability to highlight contract awards to Third Sector Organisations (TSO's) on Contracts Finder. While we have visibility on a high number of
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TSO's in our wider supplier base, we have not yet completed work to link the Contracts Finder data to our internal supplier records. For that reason, we are presently unable to say how many opportunities in the period have been awarded to Third Sector Organisations.
Of the 170 published opportunities, 23 (13.5%) were considered suitable for an SME business response. Of the 23 SME suitable opportunities, 13 (56.5%) were awarded to SME businesses.
|
|
Month | Opportunities | Value (£) |
Employment: Vacancies
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what information his Department holds on the number of job vacancies in each local authority area. [76103]
Chris Grayling: Jobcentre Plus vacancies will represent only a proportion of the total vacancies available in each area, as further vacancies will arise through other recruitment channels. Moreover, this proportion will vary between local authority areas as Jobcentre Plus's market share is not geographically uniform.
A table which sets out for each local authority area (i) the number of vacancies notified to Jobcentre Plus and (ii) the number of live unfilled job vacancies in September 2011(1) has been placed in the Library.
(1) The Office for National Statistics' measure of total vacancies in the economy is not available at local authority level, and Jobcentre Plus vacancy figures are not available for Northern Ireland.
Housing Benefit
Sheila Gilmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many households have received annual housing benefit payments in excess of £50,000 (a) in and (b) outside London in the latest period for which figures are available. [75906]
Steve Webb:
Information on the total annual amount received by individual households is not available. In July 2011, around 150 households were receiving a
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weekly housing benefit award equivalent to an annualised value of over £50,000. All of these households were in London.
Notes:
Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
Source:
Single Housing Benefit Extract, July 2011
Local Government Finance
Mr Raynsford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was paid to each local authority to meet the cost of council tax benefit in each of the last five years; and what the percentage change was in such payments (a) year on year and (b) over the five year period. [74453]
Steve Webb: The available information on payments in respect of council tax benefit paid to claimants has been placed in the Library. Information on payments in respect of local authority costs of administration is not separately available for council tax benefit.
Public Service Mutuals
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) 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; [74811]
(2) 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. [74787]
Chris Grayling: Given the scale of welfare reform in my Department, with the planned introduction of universal credit and personal independence payments in 2013, I believe the delivery and financial risks mean that this is not the appropriate time to consider mutualisation as a service delivery option. However, my Department continues to engage with Cabinet Office which has overall responsibility for developing the provision of public service mutuals/right to provide across the public sector.
Social Fund
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he plans to take to ensure that his proposals to decentralise the Social Fund do not reduce the availability of the Social Fund to vulnerable clients. [76625]
Steve Webb: We are not decentralising the Social Fund; we are abolishing the discretionary elements of the Social Fund. New support to replace Community Care Grants and general living expenses Crisis Loans will be administered by local authorities in England and devolved to Scotland and Wales.
The design of the new local provision will be for individual local authorities and the Administrations in Scotland and Wales. It is expected that the new assistance will be aligned with existing services. My officials are working closely with local authorities and the devolved Administrations to support them in developing their services.
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Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he plans to take to ensure that his proposals to decentralise the Social Fund do not result in (a) ineffective targeting of support and (b) geographical inequalities in accessing assistance. [76626]
Steve Webb: We are not decentralising the Social Fund; we are abolishing the discretionary elements of the Social Fund. New support to replace Community Care Grants and general living expenses Crisis Loans will be administered by local authorities in England and devolved to Scotland and Wales.
Local authorities' local knowledge, broad responsibilities and experience of benefits administration put them in an ideal position to refine and deliver the successor schemes to Community Care Grants and Crisis Loans.
Local design and delivery means that the new providers will have the flexibility to design and deliver the new support in a way that best fits local circumstances and needs and aligns with existing welfare services and can be targeted at those groups and individuals who need it the most.
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent assessment he has made of the capacity of local authorities to administer the Social Fund. [76627]
Steve Webb: Local authorities will not be administering the Social Fund. The discretionary elements of the Fund are being abolished and new support to replace Community Care Grants and general living expenses Crisis Loans will be administered by local authorities in England and by the devolved Administrations in Scotland and Wales.
Over the summer my officials have spoken to over 50 English local authorities to discuss their early planning for the new local Welfare Assistance, including local authority capacity. The emerging evidence suggests that most local authorities are looking to align this function with existing services.
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many appeals against decisions made on Social Fund applications there were in (a) Coventry and (b) England in each of the last five years. [76731]
Steve Webb: No information is available for Coventry.
Discretionary Social Fund payments (Community Care Grants; Budgeting Loans and Crisis Loans) do not carry a right of appeal. Applicants may request a review. Second tier reviews are carried out by the Independent Review Service. Decisions on applications to the Regulated Social Fund (Cold Weather Payments; Funeral Payments and Sure Start Maternity Grants) do carry a right of appeal.
Information for Great Britain for appeals and for reviews by the Independent Review Service are in the following table:
| Financial year | Number of appeals | Number of reviews |
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| Notes: 1. The number of appeals is the number received by the Social Security and Child Support Appeals Tribunal. 2. Figures for the number of appeals are based on the appeals for Funeral Payments and Sure Start Maternity Grants. 3. Figures for the number of reviews are based on the number of applications for Social Fund Inspector (SFI) review. 4. The number of reviews are based on the total number of reviews for Community Care Grants, Budgeting Loans and Crisis Loans. 5. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. Source: The Secretary of State for Work and Pension's Annual Report on the Social Funds. | ||
Deputy Prime Minister
Social Mobility
Eric Ollerenshaw: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what steps his Department is taking to improve social mobility; and if he will make a statement. [76606]
The Deputy Prime Minister: Improving social mobility is the principal goal of the Government's social policy. It is central to my vision of a fair, open society where no-one is prevented from fulfilling their potential by the circumstances of their birth and where skills, talent and hard work are what counts in determining success.
Published in April 2011, the Government's Social Mobility Strategy—“Opening Doors, Breaking Barriers: A Strategy for Social Mobility”—aims to tackle unfairness at every stage of life with specific measures to improve social mobility. I chair a group of key Ministers to supervise delivery of this strategy.
The strategy also sets out robust mechanisms to underpin our commitments on social mobility. This includes a set of key indicators to help us track progress, and the creation of a new Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission to hold the Government to account.
International Development
Mopani Copper Mines, Zambia
3. Mr Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions he has had with the European Commission on the Mopani copper mines in Mufulira, Zambia. [76679]
Mr O'Brien: The European Investment Bank has raised this matter with officials from my Department and from the Treasury. The EIB informed us and other EU member states of allegations of tax evasion shortly after they became public in February this year. The EIB's independent inspector general is investigating the allegations and a final report is expected before the end of the year.
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Female Genital Mutilation
11. Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his Department's policy is on steps to eradicate female genital mutilation in developing countries. [76688]
Mr O'Brien: The Government condemns female genital mutilation as an extreme violation of human rights. DFID supports measures to reduce female genital mutilation through our funding to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) and through our support to non-governmental organisations such as the Population Council.
Cameroon
13. Mr Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of levels of education in Cameroon. [76690]
Mr O'Brien: The most recent data on education in Cameroon is set out in the 2011 Education for All Global Monitoring Report. This shows that net enrolment in primary education in 2008 was 88% of the school-age population in Cameroon, above the average of 76% for Sub-Saharan Africa as a whole. The Bilateral Aid Review in January this year confirmed the decision originally made in 2008 to close the UK's bilateral aid programme in Cameroon. UK aid will continue to reach Cameroon through our contributions to the multilateral development organisations, including the World Bank, EU and African Development Bank.
Lesotho
14. Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of the development needs of Lesotho. [76691]
Mr O'Brien: Lesotho has significant development needs, particularly in the area of HIV and AIDS. DFID's bilateral programme to Lesotho has delivered impressive results in this area, reducing HIV prevalence in its important garment factories from 37% to 27% in just three years.
Burma: Overseas Aid
Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what funding he is providing for capacity building work in Burma. [76759]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK does not have a specific allocation for capacity building in Burma. A number of Department for International Development programmes in Burma include the provision of capacity building for Burmese non-governmental organisations as well as training for individuals such as farmers, community teachers, and health staff and volunteers responsible for the direct delivery of health services. DFID does not provide capacity building for the Burmese central government.
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Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he is taking to ensure the effective delivery of aid to Burma. [76774]
Mr Duncan: In all countries where the Department for International Development (DFID) operates, the effectiveness of spending is maximised by: identifying the sectors and areas where DFID can have the greatest impact; preparing detailed business cases for each project which focus particularly on expected results and value for money; regularly monitoring and evaluating projects; and working closely with the organisations which implement projects and receiving feedback from project beneficiaries.
In Burma, UK aid is delivered through UN agencies and non-governmental organisations. DFID takes close account of the ability of recipient organisations to meet project objectives and to account properly for aid funds.
Commonwealth: Overseas Aid
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development by how much he plans to change the level of aid to each Commonwealth country in 2011-12. [74925]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: There has been a significant increase in the allocations of aid to Commonwealth countries. Overall support to Commonwealth countries was 35% in 2009-10 under the previous Government but our plans highlight that in 2013-14 this will move to 56%.
Full details of the level of aid provided to each Commonwealth country in the years from 2006-07 to 2010-11 is set out in the recently published Statistics In Development. See the following website:
http://www.dfid.gov.uk/About-us/How-we-measure-progress/Aid-Statistics/Statistics-on-International-Development-2011/SID-2011-Tables-Index
The relevant tables are 14.1 to 14.5 which sets out the UK's expenditure by country recipient for each year within this period.
In 2010-11 the Department for International Development conducted a review of its bilateral aid programme. The results of this are published on the external website at:
http://www.dfid.gov.uk/Documents/MAR/FINAL_BAR%20TECHNICAL%20REPORT.pdf
Annex F sets out indicative budgets for each country from 2010-11 through to 2014-15. The average increase in allocations for the 14 priority countries in the Commonwealth, compared to levels of aid in 2010-11 is 10%.
Departmental Pay
Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many civil servants in his Department received a bonus in each year since 2007. [76383]
Mr O'Brien: The following table shows the number of staff who received a non-consolidated performance payment in each of the financial years requested.
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| Financial year (1) | Number of staff receiving a performance award |
| (1) Payments made are for the financial year indicated but relate to performance achieved in the previous reporting year. (2) DFID did not operate a non-consolidated reward scheme for staff below the SCS in 2008-09. | |
Procurement
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many contracts his Department has advertised on the Contracts Finder website in each month since May 2010; what the value was of such contracts; what proportion were awarded to (a) third sector organisations and (b) small businesses; and if he will make a statement. [75153]
Mr O'Brien: The Contracts Finder website went live for all Government contract opportunities on 11 February 2011. The Department for International Development (DFID) has advertised 53 new tenders on Contracts Finder from 11 February to date. All tenders were posted to the European Union (EU) portal, Tenders Electronic Daily (TED) and simultaneously to Contracts Finder via a link established by Cabinet Office.
Of the 53 tenders: eight contracts have since been awarded; seven contracts with a total value of £30 million and one framework with an estimated value of £160 million. Of the seven contracts awarded: one was awarded to a third sector organisation at a value of £3 million (10%); three contracts have been awarded to suppliers registered with DFID as small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) at a value of £23.5 million (78%). The framework was awarded to seven suppliers, of which two are registered with DFID as SMEs.
Only live tenders are retained on Contracts Finder and TED. A breakdown of advertised tenders per month sent from DFID, since February 2011 is as follows:
|
|
Number |
Legal Opinion
Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many officials in his Department were working in its legal section in June 2011; and how many staff were working in the legal departments of his Department's agencies and non-departmental bodies. [76394]
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Mr O'Brien: The Department for International Development does not have a legal section. DFID seeks legal advice from the following:
The Treasury Solicitor's Department (TSol)
Foreign and Commonwealth Office Legal Advisers (FCO Legal)
Crown Agents Legal (CA Legal)
Office of the Solicitor to the Advocate General (OSAG).
Libya: Armed Conflict
Nicola Blackwood: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his latest assessment is of the humanitarian and stabilisation situation in Libya. [76682]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: The liberation of Libya offers immense opportunities but there will undoubtedly be challenges. The UK Government were one of the first to provide vital humanitarian support to those affected in the early stage of the conflict in Libya. The humanitarian situation is improving as access is secured, but there are still displaced people. Libyan authorities, supported by the United Nations and humanitarian agencies, are leading in providing assistance to those affected including basic supplies such as food, water and medicines.
The National Transitional Council has demonstrated strong leadership of the stabilisation agenda and it is apparent that people of Libya are making good progress towards building themselves a strong and democratic future. There is still work that remains to be done, however, and the UK has provided support in the critical areas of policing and public financial management. We continue to stand ready to support stabilisation and humanitarian efforts under the leadership of the Libyans and the international co-ordination of the United Nations.
Libya: Politics and Government
Jesse Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his most recent assessment is of the humanitarian and stabilisation situation in Libya. [76758]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: The liberation of Libya offers immense opportunities but there will undoubtedly be challenges. The UK Government were one of the first to provide vital humanitarian support to those affected in the early stage of the conflict in Libya. The humanitarian situation is improving as access is secured, but there are still displaced people. Libyan authorities, supported by the United Nations and humanitarian agencies, are leading in providing assistance to those affected including basic supplies such as food, water and medicines.
The National Transitional Council has demonstrated strong leadership of the stabilisation agenda and it is apparent that people of Libya are making good progress towards building themselves a strong and democratic future. There is still work that remains to be done, however, and the UK has provided support in the critical areas of policing and public financial management. We continue to stand ready to support stabilisation and humanitarian efforts under the leadership of the Libyans and the international co-ordination of the United Nations.
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Overseas Aid: Fraud
Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many full-time equivalent officials of his Department responsible for fraud investigation are based in (a) Europe, (b) Africa, (c) North America, (d) South America and (e) Asia. [76666]
Mr O'Brien: The Department for International Development (DFID) has five FTE UK-based officials responsible for investigations based in the Counter Fraud Unit (CFU) in the UK. There are no DFID officials who investigate fraud based permanently in Africa, the Americas or Asia.
DFID uses external specialist investigators to investigate the majority of fraud allegations, coordinated by a network of 17 fraud liaison officers (FLOs) based in offices in Africa and Asia, and overseen and supported by the CFU. The FLOs also help local DFID offices to manage fraud risks in their programmes, systems and processes.
Tuberculosis: Disease Control
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to reduce the prevalence of (a) multidrug resistant tuberculosis and (b) extremely drug resistant tuberculosis. [74195]
Mr O'Brien:
The emergence of drug resistant strains of tuberculosis (TB) poses a serious threat to TB control.
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Improving basic TB control is critical to prevent the further spread of drug resistant tuberculosis. Our three priorities are to help increase access to and use effective diagnosis and treatment of TB; to invest in research and product development into more effective vaccines and diagnosis and treatment of TB, including drug resistant TB; and to support countries to strengthen health systems to deliver quality TB programmes. We do this through our support to UNITAID, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, and our research and bilateral support.
The UK Government have made a 20 year commitment to UNITAID of up to €60 million per year. UNITAID aims to help expand access to quality-assured multi-drug resistant TB (MDR TB) treatment and push for price reductions. The Department for International Development is also supporting the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND) to carry out research for the development of new diagnostics for TB, including rapid diagnosis for MDR TB for use in peripheral laboratories and clinics.
Zimbabwe
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether he has any plans to visit Zimbabwe. [76742]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: I have no immediate plans to visit Zimbabwe but I will do so as soon as I judge that a visit would help promote development and move forward the prospect for the political transition which the Zimbabwean people deserve to see.