Industrial Health and Safety: Custodial Treatment
Mr Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many employer representatives were given custodial sentences for offences relating to failure to comply with health and safety legislation in each year since 1997. [78149]
Chris Grayling: The number of custodial sentences for employer representatives from 1998-99 to 2010-11 is shown in the following table:
Custodial sentences | |||
|
Total | Suspended prison sentences | Prison sentence |
3 Nov 2011 : Column 716W
The national figures presented are for Great Britain, and do not include figures for health and safety in Northern Ireland. They are based on prosecutions initiated by HSE and local authorities.
Statistics are available only from 1998-99 onwards and the 2010-11 figures do not include prosecutions taken by local authorities as they are not yet available.
Employer representatives are those individuals with duties under health and safety legislation to safeguard the health and safety of employees and others.
Jobcentre Plus
Richard Harrington: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of jobs advertised through Jobcentre Plus in England and Wales (a) required a skilled worker and (b) were of graduate level in the last seven days for which information is available; and what proportion of these jobs were filled. [76350]
Chris Grayling: The precise information requested is not available. The following table shows the number of vacancies notified to Jobcentre Plus in England and Wales by occupation. This provides a broad guide to the skill level of the vacancies it receives, but there is no specific record of whether vacancies require applicants to be qualified to degree level. Vacancies are normally held for a certain period of time agreed with the employer and closed automatically after this point. It is not therefore possible to say what proportion of vacancies is filled.
As vacancy data are not adjusted for seasonal fluctuations, the monthly average number of notified vacancies is shown for the 12 months to September 2011, the latest month for which information is currently available.
Jobcentre Plus vacancies will represent only a proportion of all new vacancies coming up in the economy. Moreover, the Jobcentre Plus share of all vacancies is likely to vary across different occupations.
Jobcentre Plus notified vacancies: 12 months to September 2011 | |
Occupational group | Monthly average of notified vacancies |
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Source: www.nomisweb.co.uk |
Nicola Blackwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the potential for data sharing between Jobcentre Plus and organisations seeking to link jobseekers with mentoring and employment search support; and if he will make a statement. [78396]
Chris Grayling: The Department for Work and Pensions is working with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to develop a more streamlined service for the delivery of work-related training and careers advice.
The Social Security (Claims and Information) (Amendment) Regulations 2010, using new powers introduced by the Welfare Reform Act 2009, allow the proportionate sharing of data between organisations that are supporting Jobcentre Plus claimants with their employment, skills and training needs.
The regulations remove the need for repeated informed consent to share detailed claimant information. This will support increased joint working between Jobcentre Plus personal advisors, Next Step careers advisers and training providers to bring together the training, mentoring and employment support offered to jobseekers.
Jobseeker’s Allowance
Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many job centres did not meet their targets on reducing the number of jobseeker's allowance claimants in (a) the last quarter, (b) the last six months and (c) the last year; and in which districts they are located. [78218]
Chris Grayling: The departmental planning assumption for 2010-11 operational year was for 90% of claimants to leave jobseeker’s allowance within 52 weeks of date of claim.
For the 2011-12 operational year, a more accurate and timely data source has been introduced to provide off-flow rate management information, thus improving the quality of the data. The national planning assumption
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has been recalibrated to 88% to reflect the new data source for the 2011-12 operational year.
The planning assumptions represent a national average of the performance delivered across all Jobcentres. Individual jobcentre level planning assumptions are not set as labour market conditions vary. It is therefore not possible to provide the detailed information the hon. Member has requested.
Pensions: British Nationals Abroad
Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with which countries there is a (a) reciprocal agreement and (b) legal requirement for the UK state pension payable to UK pensioners living abroad to be uprated. [78321]
Steve Webb: Uprated UK state pensions are payable under reciprocal agreements between the UK and the host country to eligible UK state pension recipients living in the following non-EU/EEA countries: Barbados, Bermuda, Guernsey, Isle of Man, Israel, Jamaica, Jersey, Mauritius, the Philippines, Turkey, the United States of America and the now separate republics of the former Yugoslavia that are not EU member states (Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Serbia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia).
Upratings are also currently paid to eligible UK state pension recipients in the European Economic Area and Switzerland under EU Regulations.
UK state pensions are not uprated in any other country.
Social Security Benefits
Mr Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of the 21 to 60 year old population were out of employment and in receipt of benefits in each year from 1990 to 2011; and if he will make a statement. [77256]
Chris Grayling: The information that is available is given as follows.
The table shows information on claimants aged between 18 and 59 by client group (out of work benefits) 1995-2011. Information prior to May 1995 is not available in the format requested. This has been given for those aged 18-59 because it is a standard age grouping that is regularly published. Information for 21-60 could be produced only at disproportionate cost.
|
Total | Percentage population | Jobseeker's Allowance | Percentage population | Incapacity Benefits | Percentage population | Other income support | Percentage population |
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3 Nov 2011 : Column 720W
Notes: 1. Figures are 5% sample data from 1995 to 1999, and are rounded to the nearest 100. 2. Figures from 2000 onwards are from 100% WPLS data, and are rounded to the nearest 10. 3. Percentages are shown to one decimal place. 4. Percentage population figures have been calculated using ONS population estimates from 1996 to 2010. 5. Sample data figures (1995-99) are produced from published client group analysis tables. Rating protocols for client group sample data analysis differ from those applied to individual benefits. 6. Statistical Group is a hierarchical variable. A person who fits into more than one category will only appear in the top-most one for which they are eligible. For example, a claimant of Income Support and Incapacity Benefit would appear in "Incapacity Benefits" not "Income Support". 7. From November 2008 the "incapacity benefits group" includes Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). ESA replaced Incapacity Benefit (IB) and Income Support (IS) paid on the grounds of incapacity for new claims from 27 October 2008. Prior to this the "incapacity benefits group" referred to claimants of Incapacity Benefit (including credits only) or Severe Disablement Allowance including people claiming IS on the grounds of incapacity. 8. Figures are for Great Britain. Those for Northern Ireland are available from http://www.dsdni.gov.uk/index/stats_and_research/benefit_publications.htm Source: DWP Information Directorate 5% Sample Data and 100% Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS) data. ONS mid year population estimates. |
Social Security Benefits: Disability
Dan Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he has taken to ensure that people with a learning disability are able to use easy-read and accessible forms when applying for (a) jobseeker's allowance, (b) employment and support allowance and (c) other benefits. [78352]
Chris Grayling: The majority of claims are now taken either online or by telephone, rather than using paper forms. The Department's staff have guidance about how to support people with learning disabilities, with our main approaches being to ensure they use the phone where suitable, allow them to break the call into smaller pieces if they have difficulty concentrating for long periods, or to offer a one-to-one interview to support them if the telephone is not suitable. The most vulnerable can also opt to use a third party or intermediary to help them.
Universal Credit: Fraud
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate his Department has made of the effect on levels of fraud and error of using self-reporting as an alternative to real-time PAYE data for universal credit. [78317]
Chris Grayling: The use of real time PAYE data is a key element of universal credit.
The Government are fully committed to introducing real time PAYE data and are on track to deliver it in time for the introduction of universal credit in October 2013.
For those not covered by this facility, for example the self-employed, a system based on the self-reporting of earnings will be developed. We are in the process of considering the controls and safeguards against fraud and error which might be required.
Universal Credit: Major Projects Authority
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many reports the Major Projects Authority has completed on the implementation of universal credit; and on what dates these reports were presented to him. [78316]
Chris Grayling: The Major Project Authority is working with the DWP chief operating officer (the senior responsible owner for universal credit) rather than directly with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, my right hon. Friend the Member for Chingford and Woodford Green (Mr Duncan Smith).
In January of this year the Major Project Authority undertook a Starting Gate review on the universal credit programme. The senior responsible owner met with the Major Project Review Group Panel (co-ordinated by MPA) in July and October of this year and will meet with the panel again in December. Subsequent to each meeting the panel have written to the senior responsible owner.
Ahead of the next panel the Major Project Authority has arranged for a programme assessment review of the universal credit programme to take place.
Universal Credit: Northern Ireland
Naomi Long:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions he has had with Ministers from the Northern Ireland Executive on the
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effect of welfare reform and the introduction of the universal credit in Northern Ireland; and what assessment he has made of the effect of the level of childcare provision in Northern Ireland on the effectiveness of universal credit. [77538]
Chris Grayling: Ministers are working closely with Northern Ireland colleagues in the Department for Social Development (DSD) and in the Northern Ireland Social Security Agency (NISSA) to support the delivery of welfare reform and universal credit. This includes meetings to discuss a range of related subjects.
Child care and social security are a devolved matter in Northern Ireland and we will continue to work closely with the devolved Administration in Northern Ireland to seek to maintain a single system across the United Kingdom.
Winter Fuel Payments
Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what steps he is taking to provide financial support to cancer patients for fuel costs in the winter of 2011-12; [77812]
(2) whether he has any plans to extend the winter fuel payment to those (a) with a terminal illness and (b) undergoing treatment for cancer. [77813]
Steve Webb: There are no plans to extend provision under the winter fuel payment scheme.
People with a terminal illness and those undergoing treatment for cancer will, in most cases, be entitled to disability living allowance (DLA). DLA is a non-contributory, non-income-related and tax-free cash contribution towards the disability-related costs of those with a disability.
Additional help is also available to people with a terminal illness or those undergoing treatment for cancer where they are in receipt of an income-related benefit through the disability premiums associated with these benefits.
Cold weather payments are also available to certain vulnerable people to help with the extra heating costs that result from very cold weather in their area.
Justice
Coroners
Mr Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether he has made an assessment of the proposal on coronial reform submitted to his Department jointly by INQUEST and the Royal British Legion, entitled A Pragmatic Way Forward. [78224]
Mr Djanogly: I refer the right hon. Gentleman to my comments during Report stage of the Public Bodies Bill on 25 October 2011, Official Report, column 261, in which I responded to the question on the proposal.
Consultants
Mr Thomas:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) pursuant to the answer of 19 October 2011, Official Report, column 1014W, on departmental procurement,
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how many contracts involved the provision of consultancy services; how many contracts involved the employment of a consultant within his Department; whether any such consultants remained in employment on the latest date for which information is available; and if he will make a statement; [77718]
(2) how many full-time equivalent staff are employed on consultancy contracts in his Department; and if he will make a statement. [77495]
Mr Djanogly: The information is as follows.
(1) The answer given on 19 October 2011, Official Report, column 1014W, did not include data in relation to consultancy contracts. The Ministry of Justice has awarded the following consultancy contracts directly to small, medium and large businesses since May 2010:
|
Number of contracts awarded since May 2010 | Number of contracts currently in place as of 31 October 2011 |
None of the above contracts involve the employment of a consultant. They are procurement contracts let directly with businesses for the purposes of delivering consultancy services.
(2) There are no full-time equivalent staff employed on consultancy contracts.
Public Bodies Reform
Mr Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will consider publishing a paper summarising the responses to his Department's consultation on reforming the public bodies of his Department prior to 31 December 2011. [78225]
Mr Djanogly: I refer the right hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave on 31 October 2011, Official Report, column 390W.
Departmental Responsibilities
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many applications from employees to run services for which his Department is directly responsible he has received since May 2010; and if he will make a statement. [77602]
Mr Kenneth Clarke: The Ministry of Justice is actively exploring opportunities to encourage public service mutuals across its services. This has not yet led to any formal applications from employees to run services but we are following up initial areas of interest. All options will be developed within the wider context of work on service reform and competition.
Departmental Security
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) what level of security vetting is required for the post of (a) head of communications, (b) deputy head of communications and (c) head of press office in his Department; and if he will list each person who has held these posts since May 2010; [77930]
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(2) what level of security vetting is required for (a) grade six and seven, or equivalent, press officers and (b) ministerial private secretaries in his Department; [77931]
(3) what level of security vetting is required for (a) special advisers and (b) ministerial-appointed policy advisers in his Department; and if he will list each person who has held these posts since May 2010; [77932]
(4) what company or Government service is used to undertake security vetting at (a) counter terrorist check, (b) security check and (c) developed vetting level in his Department; [77933]
(5) how many people were in possession of a security pass for his main departmental headquarters, including multi-site headquarters and not including staff or contractors, in each month since May 2010. [77934]
Mr Blunt: The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) requires its special advisers, Director of Communications, Band A (previously Grades 6 and 7) press officers and ministerial private secretaries to hold minimum “security check” clearance. Details of individual clearances cannot be disclosed for security reasons but are proportionate to the requirements of each post.
The following individuals have held the listed posts since May 2010:
Head of Communications—Clare Harbord and Pam Teare
Deputy Head of Communications—There has been/is no such post
Head of Press Office—Rob Smith and Scot Marchbank
Special advisers— Kathryn Laing and David Hass.
The MoJ has not appointed any policy advisers since May 2010.
Defence Business Services carries out the vetting checks for the MoJ.
The following table gives the number of visitor passes issued for the MoJ headquarters buildings in each month since May 2010.
|
Number of passes issued |
3 Nov 2011 : Column 724W
The details for passes issued in October 2011 are not yet available.
In addition, the following table gives details of the number of “frequent visitor” passes for MoJ buildings in use in each month since May 2010.
|
Number of passes in use |
Employment Tribunals Service
Mr Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many claimants appearing before an Employment Tribunal had legal representation in (a) 2009, (b) 2010 and (c) 2011. [78318]
Mr Djanogly: The number of claimants represented in employment tribunals for the financial years 2008-09 to 2010-11 is set out in the following table:
Representation of claimants at employments tribunals (1) | |||
Represented by: | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 |
(1) This is a snapshot of the information provided by claimants in each financial year, and is comparable to employment tribunal claims accepted, not the number of employment jurisdictions in which a claim was made. (2) Included: representation by solicitors, law centres and trade association. (3) For those individuals representing themselves, there is no need to provide information on representation. Therefore all cases where the representative information was left blank are included here. |
This information is published annually as official statistics in the Employment Tribunals and Employment Appeal Tribunal Statistics Report.
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Offensive Weapons: Sentencing
Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many individuals aged 18 years or younger (a) were prosecuted and (b) received custodial sentences for carrying a bladed or pointed article in a public place in North Wales in each year since 2006. [77778]
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Mr Blunt: Persons aged 18 and under proceeded against at magistrates courts, found guilty and sentenced to immediate custody at all courts for carrying a blade or pointed article in a public place in North Wales Police Force Area, from 2006 to 2010 (latest available) can be viewed in the table.
Court proceedings data for 2011 are planned for publication in spring 2012.
Persons aged 18 and under proceeded against at magistrates courts and sentenced to immediate custody at all courts for carrying a blade or pointed article in a public place, North Wales police force area, 2006-10 (1,2,3) | |||||||
Statute | Offence |
|
Proceeded against | Found guilty | Sentenced | Immediate custody | Other sentences (4) |
(1) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) The figures presented here have been taken from the Ministry of Justices court proceedings database and are a record of the sentences passed in courts, they will differ from the figures published in the ‘Knife Crime Sentencing—Quarterly brief’ which are drawn from the Police National Computer. (4) Other sentences include: absolute and conditional discharge, fine, community sentences, suspended sentence, otherwise dealt with. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice |
Personal Injury: Compensation
Iain Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of how much income (a) companies, (b) public bodies and (c) trade unions receive in referral fees arising from insurance claims for motor accidents. [76938]
Mr Djanogly: The Government are banning the payment and receipt of referral fees in personal injury cases, and are taking forward the relevant provisions in the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill. An impact assessment was published in October and is available on the Ministry of Justice website.
Prisoners' Release
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many offenders have committed (a) murder, (b) rape, (c) sexual offences and (d) other violent offences after being released from prison early and where those offenders were committed within the period of that offenders' original custodial sentence in each of the last five years. [74743]
Mr Blunt: Legislation requires that most prisoners serving a normal determinate custodial sentence must be released automatically at the halfway point of their sentence. Release at this point is not early as there is no discretion to hold prisoners beyond it; section 244 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 confers a duty on the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice to release fixed term prisoners as soon as they have served one-half of the sentence. For those serving 12 months or more, the second half of the sentence is served in the community under licensed supervision and offenders are liable to be recalled to continue serving the sentence in prison if they fail to comply with their licence conditions.
Two schemes have operated during the past five years that have allowed prisoners to be released earlier than statutorily required at the half-way point of sentence. The Home Detention Curfew (HDC) scheme has operated under legislation since 1999. Prisoners who meet the eligibility criteria and are risk assessed as suitable may be released on HDC up to 135 days before the half-way point of sentence. Table 1 shows the number of proven violent and sexual offences committed by offenders while on HDC for the years 2004-05 to 2008-09, the latest period for which figures are available.
In the method used to derive these figures an offender is considered to have reoffended if, during their period on HDC, he or she committed an offence that was recorded on the Police National Computer (PNC) as resulting in a caution or conviction; for the offence to count, the caution or conviction has to be given within nine months of the end of the quarter in which the offender started on HDC. For this reason, some offences committed during an HDC period which resulted in a conviction beyond this nine month period do not appear in the table.
Further details of reoffending while on HDC can be found in Chapter 2.2 of the Compendium of Reoffending Statistics and Analysis, published in November 2010:
http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/publications/statistics-and-data/mojstats/compendium-of-reoffending-statistics-and-analysis.pdf
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To put these figures in context, in the last five years for which data are available 87% of prisoners have completed their period of HDC successfully and only 5% reoffended while on HDC.
The End of Custody Licence (ECL) was an administrative scheme, introduced as a temporary measure on 29 June 2007. It was withdrawn in March 2010 and the last ECL release was on 9 April 2010. Under ECL, prisoners who met the eligibility criteria serving sentences between four weeks and four years were released under temporary licence for the final 18 days of the custodial element of the sentence. There are no plans to reintroduce ECL.
Details of proven offending on ECL are unavailable but figures on alleged reoffending on ECL are found in table 2.
These figures have been drawn from the police's administrative IT system, the police national computer, which, as with any large scale recording system, is
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subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. The figures are provisional and subject to change as more information is recorded by the police.
Table 1: Proven reoffences committed while on home detention curfew by offence category in England and Wales, 2004-05 to 2008-09 | |||||
Number of offences | |||||
Offence Category | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 |
Table 2: Alleged reoffending by offenders on ECL | |||||
Number of alleged offences (by offenders during their period of ECL), as notified to NOMS by 26 April and cumulative totals | |||||
|
1 March to 26 April 2010 | 1 January to 26 April 2010 | 1 January to 31 December 2009 | 1 January- to 31 December 2008 | 29 June- to 31 December 2007 |
Notes: 1. The total of reasons for recall is not the same as the total number of decisions to recall because offenders can be recalled for more than one reason. 2. Alleged re-offending may lead to recall of the offender even though, at the point of the recall, the offender may not have formally been charged. 3 The offender's behaviour indicates an increased risk of reoffending or harm. 4 The number of offenders notified to NOMS as having allegedly reoffended during their period on ECL. Data Sources and Quality: All of the figures above are as notified to NOMS and may therefore be subject to inaccuracies. There may be recalls, reoffending, further offences, offenders returned to custody, and offenders released not in accordance with the scheme, some of which may not have been notified to us. |
War Memorials
Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans his Department has to provide support for the protection and preservation of war memorials. [77129]
John Penrose: I have been asked to reply.
This Department's Memorial Grant Scheme makes grants equivalent to VAT incurred by charities and faith groups in erecting, maintaining or repairing public memorials, including war memorials. Since the start of the scheme in 2005-06, over £1.8 million has been given out to support memorials across the UK.
English Heritage and the Wolfson Foundation, in association with the War Memorials Trust, provide grants for the repair and conservation of free-standing war memorials in England. These grants help with the upkeep and repair of war memorials. To date, over £757,000 has been offered under the scheme.
English Heritage has also produced the guidance leaflet, “Advice on Maintenance of War Memorials”, in association with the War Memorials Trust. The guidance is aimed at owners and custodians and gives advice on how to make an assessment of condition. The leaflet is downloadable from the Historic Environment Local Management (HELM) website.
Over the last 17 years the Heritage Lottery Fund has awarded more than £17.5 million to over 40 projects across the UK that have specifically included the conservation and interpretation of war memorials. These range from small scale repair projects to village war memorials, to larger scale memorial park restoration projects.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Adam Werritty
Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether Ministers in his Department have met Mr Adam Werritty in an official capacity. [77276]
Armed Conflict: Children
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will consider amending the interpretative declaration on the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict to prohibit the participation in hostilities of soldiers aged under 18 in any circumstances. [78260]
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Mr Jeremy Browne: There are currently no plans to amend our interpretative declaration on the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict.
The interpretative declaration is a statement to clarify the Government's understanding of its obligations. We believe that our policies on under-18s are robust and compliant with national and international law. Naturally we will continue to keep them under review.
Departmental Pay
Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many officials in his Department received a bonus in each year since 2007. [78133]
Mr Jeremy Browne: The following numbers of civil servants in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office received non-consolidated performance pay:
|
Number |
Non-consolidated performance pay is focussed on rewarding high levels of performance. It is an integral element of the reward package for staff, has to be re-earned each year and does not add to future pay bill costs.
Departmental Security
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what level of security vetting is required for (a) grade six and seven, or equivalent, press officers and (b) Ministerial private secretaries in his Department. [77901]
Mr Lidington: It would not be appropriate to confirm which specific posts within a Department are the subject of national security vetting. The booklet "HMG Personnel Security Controls", describes the circumstances in which a post may require the holder to be the subject of national security vetting checks, and is publicly available on the Cabinet Office website at:
www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/hmg-personnel-security-controls
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what level of security vetting is required for (a) special advisers and (b) Ministerial-appointed policy advisers in his Department; and if he will list each person who has held these posts since May 2010. [77902]
Mr Lidington: The booklet, "HMG Personnel Security Controls", describes the circumstances in which a post may require the holder to be the subject of national security vetting checks and is publicly available on the Cabinet Office website at:
www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/hmg-personnel-security-controls
3 Nov 2011 : Column 730W
The names of Special Advisers across all Government Departments are published in a Cabinet Office Quarterly Return available at:
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/special-adviser-data-releases
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what company or Government service is used to undertake security vetting at (a) counter terrorist check, (b) security check and (c) developed vetting level in his Department. [77903]
Mr Lidington: All security vetting services for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office are carried out through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Services (FCOS) Vetting Unit.
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many people were in possession of a security pass for his main departmental headquarters, including multi-site headquarters and not including staff or contractors, in each month since May 2010. [77904]
Mr Lidington: There are currently 2,388 active temporary security passes issued to non-contractors and others not working permanently in the UK offices of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The monthly breakdown of temporary passes issued since May 2010 is:
|
Number |
India: EU External Trade
Mr Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on the free trade agreement being negotiated between the EU and the Indian government containing protections for Indian nationals working in EU member states. [77787]
Mr Davey: I have been asked to reply.
The EU-India Free Trade Agreement is still under negotiation.
3 Nov 2011 : Column 731W
We expect commitments on the entry and stay of Indian nationals supplying services under the agreement to be covered in the Mode 4 element of the agreement. We expect these commitments to contain provisions based on those in the EU services offer in the Doha Round which clarify that all other requirements of EU and member state laws and regulations regarding entry, stay, work and social security measures shall continue to apply. We also expect the agreement to contain a chapter on sustainable development which will address labour standards.
IRG
Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department has awarded any contracts to IRG Ltd. [77161]
Macedonia: Politics and Government
Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the government of Macedonia on the issue of Albanian separatism. [77805]
Mr Lidington: I have had no recent discussions with the Government of Macedonia in relation to the theme of Albanian separatism. More generally, the UK Government believes that harmonious inter-ethnic relations are essential in delivering security and stability in Macedonia. In that context, I was pleased to send a statement in support of the 10(th) anniversary of the Ohrid Framework Agreement in Macedonia in August this year.
Members: Correspondence
Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he plans to reply to the letter of 15 September 2011 from the hon. Member for Cardiff West concerning the oral answer of 14 June 2011, Official Report, column 631, on Libya. [78226]
Mr Jeremy Browne: The letter from the hon. Member was transferred to the Welsh Government. A response was issued on 25 October.
Prime Minister
Departmental Public Expenditure
Austin Mitchell: To ask the Prime Minister whether he receives any external funding for (a) his ministerial office and (b) his advisers; and what the (i) source and (ii) amount is of any such funding. [77710]
The Prime Minister: I do not receive external funding for my ministerial office or my official advisers. As a party leader, party staff provide me with political advice.
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Financial Services: Taxation
Mr Frank Field: To ask the Prime Minister if he will publish his response to any correspondence received from residents of Birkenhead constituency on implementation of a financial transaction tax following the G20 meeting in November. [78023]
The Prime Minister: My office has received a large amount of correspondence in relation to the G20. It would not be for my office to release copies of correspondence sent direct to my office by members of the public or the replies to them. When constituents write to their Member of Parliament and those letters are then forwarded to my office, a response is sent to the relevant Member.
Lord Young of Graffham
John Robertson: To ask the Prime Minister (1) on what occasions Lord Young of Graffham has visited 10 Downing street in the last 12 months; [78348]
(2) what facilities in 10 Downing street Lord Young of Graffham has used in the last 12 months. [78349]
The Prime Minister: Lord Young has recently been appointed as my adviser on enterprise and will therefore visit Downing street accordingly. He had previously been an adviser until November 2010. I refer the hon. Member to the press notice issued by my office on 25 October 2011. This is available on the No. 10 website:
http://www.number10.gov.uk/news/adviser-appointed
Treasury
Business: Loans
Mr Blunkett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment his Department has made of the change in the level of credit available to businesses in 2011. [77782]
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the Project Merlin agreement. [77788]
Mr Hoban: On 9 February 2011, Official Report, columns 310-13, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, my right hon. Friend the Member for Tatton (Mr Osborne), announced a new commitment by the UK's biggest high street banks on lending expectations and capacity. As part of this commitment, the banks intend to lend £190 billion of new credit to businesses in 2011, up from £179 billion in 2010. If demand exceeds this, the banks will lend more. £76 billion of this lending will be to SMEs. This is a 15% increase on 2010 lending of £66 billion.
At the half-year point, the banks were broadly on track to meet their overall commitment, having loaned over £100 billion against an implied target of £95 billion. However, the banks were narrowly behind where they should be on lending to SMEs, having loaned over £37 billion against an implied target of £38 billion. The Government will use all of the tools available to them to ensure that the banks live up to their promises.
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Child Tax Credit
Ian Austin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many families in (a) England, (b) the west midlands and (c) Dudley borough are in receipt of the child tax credit family element. [78331]
Mr Gauke: The requested information can be found in the latest HMRC publication ‘Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics: Geographical analyses—April 2011’, available at:
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-geog-apr11.pdf
Data for England, west midlands and Dudley are provided in the following table:
Number of families benefiting from child tax credit family element April 2011 | |
Thousand | |
|
Number |
Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters
Mrs Moon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to encourage other countries to become signatories to the Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters; what steps he is taking to encourage an EU-wide agreement for EU extraction companies to publish country-by-country accounts; what steps he is taking with his OECD counterparts to create plans for country-by-country accounts to be extended to all industries; and if he will make a statement. [77726]
Mr Gauke: The Government are promoting the convention on mutual administrative assistance in tax matters in the G20 and other international forums. We encourage all countries to consider joining the convention, which is an important instrument for combating tax evasion and avoidance.
As I stated in my answer of 1 November 2011, Official Report, column 576W, the Government are engaging with the European Commission and other member states in order to emphasise our support for requirements being placed on EU extractives companies to disclose payments made to governments, matching the standards being set in the US. Work on country-by-country reporting by the OECD task force on tax and development remains ongoing.
Debts: Business
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information his Department holds on (a) the number and (b) the value of corporate bonds to be issued in the UK in the next 12 months. [77729]
Mr Hoban: HM Treasury does not forecast or hold any information on corporate bonds to be issued in the UK in the future.
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Departmental Security
Jon Trickett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what level of security vetting is required for the post of (a) head of communications, (b) deputy head of communications and (c) head of press office in his Department; and if he will list each person who has held these posts since May 2010; [77910]
(2) what level of security vetting is required for (a) grade six and seven, or equivalent, press officers and (b) ministerial private secretaries in his Department; [77911]
(3) what level of security vetting is required for (a) special advisers and (b) ministerial-appointed policy advisers in his Department; and if he will list each person who has held these posts since May 2010. [77912]
Miss Chloe Smith: Information relating to the circumstances in which a post may require the holder to be the subject of national security vetting checks is set out in the Cabinet Office document ‘HMG Personnel Security Controls’ which can be accessed online at:
www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/hmg-personnel-security-controls
It would not be appropriate to confirm which specific posts within a Department were the subject of vetting. This could highlight who within a Department has access to sensitive material and be used for targeting purposes.
Details of departmental special advisers are published quarterly by the Cabinet Office and can be accessed via:
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/special-adviser-data-releases
Jon Trickett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people were in possession of a security pass for his main Departmental headquarters, including multi-site headquarters and not including staff or contractors, in each month since May 2010. [77914]
Miss Chloe Smith: HM Treasury's departmental headquarters, 1 Horse Guards road (1HGR), is part of the Government Offices Great George street (GOGGS) complex. The building is a shared facility. The Cabinet Office occupies space in 1HGR, and the building is physically joined to 100 Parliament street, the headquarters of HM Revenue and Customs. All occupants of the GOGGS complex are issued with the same building photo pass. HM Treasury does not have its own departmental pass.
The numbers of active security passes currently allowing access to GOGGS are:
|
Number of live GOGGS photo passes (not including HM Treasury staff or contractors) |
A month by month breakdown of figures is not available.
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Telephone Services
Stephen Lloyd: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much funding his Department allocated to each telephone helpline funded by his Department in 2011-12; what the purpose is of each such helpline; and how many calls each helpline received in each of the last five years. [77990]
Miss Chloe Smith: HM Treasury currently funds one helpline—the Equitable Life Payment Scheme helpline. This went live in June 2011, and as of 31 October had received 5,265 calls. The purpose of the line is to answer policyholder questions about the Equitable Life Payment Scheme. The running costs of the helpline are included in the broader operational delivery contract of the scheme, and are subject to commercial confidentiality.
Economic Growth
Mr Meacher: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the contribution by the Chancellor of the Exchequer of 12 October 2011, Official Report, columns 366-82, what evidence he considered in concluding that adoption of the five-point plan would (a) increase the deficit by £27 billion and (b) raise interest rates by one per cent. [76287]
Miss Chloe Smith [holding answer 21 October 2011]: On 12 October 2011, Official Report, column 370, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, my right hon. Friend the Member for Tatton (Mr Osborne), said:
“The House is today asked to support an Opposition motion that would add another £20 billion to the structural deficit.”
The Chancellor considered a range of evidence on the cost of Opposition policies, based on published information and HMRC analysis. This included:
HMRC estimates that temporarily reducing the rate of VAT for 12 months (from now) would increase the deficit by around £12.4 billion. This is in line with the £12.1 billion estimate of the revenue received in 2011-12 from the rise in the main rate of VAT, as set out in Table 2.1 of Budget 2010.
Temporarily reducing the rate of VAT on home improvements is estimated to increase the deficit by £2.2 billion, as set out in the answer given on 17 October 2011, Official Report, column 713W.
HMRC estimates that temporarily reducing employer national insurance contributions for small firms taking on extra workers could increase the deficit by around £1 billion. This figure is based on broad assumptions, including the definition of a ‘small firm’ as one with 10 or fewer employees, and is therefore subject to particular uncertainty.
The cost of bringing forward capital spending would depend on the specific proposal. The estimate given in the debate reflected an illustrative assumption that the policy would imply no real terms cuts in capital departmental expenditure limits in 2011-12. If this were the case, the increase in the deficit would be £5.5 billion, as set out in Table 2.3 of Budget 2011.
In the same debate, the Chancellor said:
“I can give the House new information on what just a 1% rise in interest rates would mean for this country at the moment.”
Estimates of the effect of higher interest rates on debt interest costs are published by the OBR in the supplementary tables accompanying their Budget forecast. Table 2.18 shows that a 1% rise in gilt yields across the forecast period would raise debt interest costs by £6 billion per year by 2015-16.
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A 1% rise in mortgage interest rates is estimated to raise annual mortgage payments by UK households by around £10 billion. This is based on figures for the stock of outstanding mortgage debt published by the Council of Mortgage Lenders.
A 1% rise in the rate of return on portfolio UK debt held by foreign residents is estimated to increase net annual interest payments to foreign creditors by around £15 billion, based on Office for National Statistics data.
Excise Duties: Biofuels
Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what discussions his Department has had with the (a) Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and (b) Home Office on the effects of the fuel duty derogation for amateur biofuel producers who manufacture less than 2,500 litres of biodiesel a year; [73608]
(2) what discussions his Department has had with the Department for Transport regarding the future of the fuel duty differential for sustainable biodiesel. [73609]
Miss Chloe Smith [holding answer 12 October 2011]: Treasury officials routinely discuss a range of tax policy issues with their colleagues in other Departments.
A small producers' biofuel duty exemption was introduced in 2007 and continues to offer effective tax relief to low volume biofuel producers. The Government do ask that low volume producers (producing less than 2,500 litres a year) adhere to record keeping requirements, and accompanying regulations were introduced to help prevent manipulation of the threshold.
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is aware of attempts by a small number of producers to use the 2,500 litre a year registration threshold to avoid paying excise duty on biofuels. Action has been taken to enforce the regulations and prevent any manipulation.
The 20p per litre duty differential for used cooking oil (UCO) derived biodiesel will end as intended on 31 March 2012. Under changes to the renewable transport fuels obligation (RTFO), additional support for biofuels from waste including used cooking oil is being provided by double counting the contribution they make towards national targets.
Hotel Expenses
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much (a) his Department and (b) each of its agencies spent on hotel expenses incurred (i) in the UK and (ii) abroad in 2010-11. [76028]
Miss Chloe Smith [holding answer 21 October 2011]: Staff only book overnight hotel accommodation when absolutely necessary, in line with HM Treasury policy on travel and subsistence. They may either book hotel accommodation through the HM Treasury's hotel provider, or book directly with hotels and claim back the cost at a later date.
The following table shows the cost of accommodation booked through HM Treasury's hotel provider in 2010-11.
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£000 | ||
|
UK | Abroad |
The costs above may include meals purchased as part of a hotel booking. Total spending on all hotel expenses could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Spending on accommodation has declined markedly from 2009-10 levels of £72,000 and £94,000 for the UK and abroad respectively.
Inflation
Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the change in (a) the level of Government spending on benefits and pensions and (b) Government borrowing as a result of the increase in inflation announced on 18 October 2011; and if he will make a statement. [76100]
Mr Gauke: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), and I have asked the OBR to reply.
Letter from Robert Chote, dated October 2011:
As Chair of the Office for Budget Responsibility I have been asked to reply to your recent question:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the change in (a) the level of Government spending on benefits and pensions and (b) Government borrowing as a result of the increase in inflation announced on 18 October 2011; and if he will make a statement. 76100
We will set out estimates of the impact of the September 2011 inflation rate on public sector spending and borrowing in our forthcoming ‘Economic and fiscal outlook (EFO)’ on November 29th. It is not possible to estimate the Impact in isolation from other changes to the forecast as the impact will depend on the overall level of spending on benefits and pensions that we forecast for 2012-13 and future years.
In the March 2011 EFO we set out the impact of the change in our forecast of inflation since November 2010 on the level of social security benefit and tax credit spending in Tables 4.18 and 4.19 on page 126. We also set out in Box 4.3 on page 144 an explanation of the variety of ways in which inflation can affect the public finances, through both changes to government expenditure and changes to receipts.
Job Creation: Private Sector
Chris Evans: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps the Government is taking to promote job creation in the private sector. [76987]
Miss Chloe Smith: At Budget 2011 the Government put in place a wide range of measures to support growth, including:
Supporting business growth by aiming to create the most competitive tax system in the G20, including cutting corporation tax in April from 28% to 26%, by 2014 it will reach 23% which represents the lowest rate in the G7; and
Helping to ensure that it always pays to work by increasing the personal allowance by £1,000 in 2011-12.
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Tax Allowances: Film
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reason animated films are not eligible for the tax incentives available to feature films. [78355]
Mr Gauke: Animated films are eligible for film tax relief in the same way as any other film.
Tax Havens
Mr Anderson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to reduce tax avoidance through the use of tax havens. [78143]
Mr Gauke: The use of tax havens is one aspect of tax avoidance. To address tax avoidance the Government have set out a strategic approach. This is supported by HMRC's anti-avoidance strategy which puts the emphasis on prevention of avoidance through robust legislation and deterrence, backed up by accurate detection and robust action where avoidance does occur.
Specific activities undertaken within HMRC's strategy to address avoidance through the use of tax havens include for example obtaining and sharing information on avoidance through membership of the Joint International Tax Shelter Information Centre (JITSIC).
In addition tax havens often involve attempts at concealment and HMRC has made significant progress in tackling this by obtaining information such as banking details and introducing offshore disclosure initiatives.
Taxation: Football
Bob Russell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will estimate the annual loss in (a) revenues from taxation and (b) National Insurance contributions arising from the use of image rights contracts between professional football clubs and players; and if he will make a statement; [77995]
(2) what progress HM Revenue and Customs has made in investigating the effect on revenues from taxation of the use of image rights contracts between professional football clubs and players; and if he will make a statement. [77996]
Mr Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) do not hold the specific data referred to on image rights and cannot comment on the tax affairs of particular individuals or employers.
The normal rules relating to the taxation of employment income apply to payments from sports club employers to all professional sportsmen and sportswomen as employees of their club. Where employment income is paid, income tax and national insurance contributions should be deducted at source under PAYE.
Some prominent sports stars are able to market their image rights separately using limited companies. HMRC is aware of this practice. HMRC has measures in place to check where necessary that correct distinctions between employment and image rights income are properly observed and that any image rights income is properly taxed on the limited company and any other person who benefits from such an arrangement.
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Working Tax Credit
Joan Walley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has any plans to remove the qualifying age barrier for working tax credit; and if he will make a statement. [77775]
Mr Gauke: In general, workers without children must be aged over 25 and work 30 hours a week, in order to qualify for the working tax credit. There are exceptions, for example, workers with disabilities qualify at 16 hours. There are no plans to change the age at which people can qualify for the working tax credit.
However, the new universal credit, introduced over two Parliaments, will replace the current complex system of means-tested working-age benefits with a simple streamlined payment. The universal credit will extend in-work support to groups such as under 25s who cannot get working tax credit currently, which will help
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to address the concerns the hon. Lady has outlined. The first new claims to universal credit are expected to begin from 2013 and full migration is due in 2017.
Cabinet Office
Departmental Procurement
Mr Thomas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 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. [75113]
Mr Maude: Details of the contracts the Cabinet Office has advertised on Contracts Finder each month since May 2010 are in the following table:
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3 Nov 2011 : Column 742W
E-enablement—two externally hosted technical solutions which support the authority in the management of central procurement |
||||
(1) Indicates brace—total estimated value of contract |
The contracts for office supplies are call-off contracts for the whole of Government, and therefore the value provided is an estimate.
The medals and insignia framework has six separate suppliers covering 49 separate lots. The value provided is an estimate for the overall contract.
As well as contracts advertised on Contracts Finder, the Cabinet Office has published details of a further 19 contracts awarded to small and medium-sized enterprises. These include contracts competed through pre-existing frameworks and therefore the requirement was not originally advertised on Contracts Finder. In total, 21 out of 48 contracts published on Contracts Finder have been awarded to SMEs, which represents 43.75% of total contracts awarded where the details have been published on Contracts Finder.
Departmental Security
Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) what level of security vetting is required for the post of (a) head of communications, (b) deputy head of communications and (c) head of press office in his Department; and if he will list each person who has held these posts since May 2010; [77855]
(2) what level of security vetting is required for (a) grade six and seven, or equivalent, press officers and (b) ministerial private secretaries in his Department; [77856]
(3) what level of security vetting is required for (a) special advisers and (b) ministerial-appointed policy advisers in his Department; and if he will list each person who has held these posts since May 2010. [77857]
Mr Maude: The level of NSV clearance required by a post is not determined by its title or grade but is dependant upon the level and volume of classified information which the post holder handles and the circumstances in which it is seen and accessed.
A security clearance is time limited and there may be occasions when a post holder possesses a clearance level higher than that needed at that time. The security clearance level required by a post is reviewed regularly by senior management including the departmental security officer.
Further information on the circumstances in which a post may require the holder to be the subject of National Security Vetting checks is given in a publication produced by the Cabinet Office entitled ‘HMG Personnel Security Controls; advice and guidance for individuals who are subject to HMG recruitment and national security vetting controls, or related enquiries’. This is available on the Cabinet Office website at:
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/hmg-personnel-security-controls
It would not be appropriate to confirm which specific posts within a Department are the subject of vetting, as this could highlight those who have access to sensitive material and could be used for targeting purposes.
Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people were in possession of a security pass for his main Departmental headquarters, including multi-site headquarters and not including staff or contractors, in each month since May 2010. [77859]
Mr Maude: A total of 724 security passes have been issued for access to the main Cabinet Office London estate to others not including staff or contractors since May 2010. Details are shown in the following table:
|
Number |
These figures exclude one day visitor passes.
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In addition the Cabinet Office has entered into reciprocal arrangements with some other Departments whereby staff can have unescorted access to each other Departments' headquarters without the need for an additional pass.
Departmental: Security
Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what level of security vetting is undertaken in respect of civil service or political staff who attend meetings of (a) the Cabinet and (b) Cabinet sub-committees. [77789]
Mr Maude: Attendees at meetings of the Cabinet or of its sub-committees must hold the appropriate level of National Security Vetting clearance relevant for the subject matter(s) of those meetings.
Further information on the security vetting procedures and vetting levels different posts may require is provided in a publication produced by the Cabinet Office entitled ‘HMG Personnel Security Controls; advice and guidance for individuals who are subject to HMG recruitment and national security vetting controls, or related enquiries’. Copies are in the Library of the House and available on the Cabinet Office website at:
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/hmg-personnel-security-controls