HIV Infection
Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the current level of Government funding for HIV education and prevention in England. [78715]
Mr Simon Burns: This year, the Department has invested £2.9 million in a national programme of HIV prevention for men who have sex with men and African communities, the groups most at risk of HIV in the United Kingdom. Prevention will be a key part of the Government's new Sexual Health Policy Framework.
The Department is currently considering how national HIV prevention programmes might be taken forward from 2012-13 when the current programmes end. At a local level, it is for local primary care trusts, and from 2013 local authorities, to decide their level of investment in HIV prevention, taking into account HIV prevalence and their wider public health needs.
HIV Infection: Greater London
Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to reduce the number of cases of HIV in London. [78716]
Mr Simon Burns: Targeted HIV prevention programmes for those groups at increased risk of HIV continue to play an important role in reducing the number of cases of HIV both in London and on a national level. The Department continues to fund the Terence Higgins Trust and the African Health Policy Network for prevention work both in London and nationally.
At a local level, it is for local primary care trusts, and from 2013 local authorities, to decide their level of investment in HIV prevention, taking into account HIV prevalence and their wider public health needs.
8 Nov 2011 : Column 246W
Hospital Beds
Liz Kendall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many (a) acute and (b) non-acute patients aged 18 years and over were occupying a hospital bed but eligible for discharge by NHS commissioner area in each quarter in (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11 and (iii) 2011 to date; [78574]
(2) how (a) acute and (b) non-acute patients aged 18 years and over were occupying a hospital bed but eligible for discharge by local authority area in each month in (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11 and (iii) 2011 to date. [78575]
Paul Burstow: The Department does not collect data in each quarter or month but we have a snapshot figure that represents an average of the number of patients delayed per day during that period. This information has been placed in the Library.
Hospitals: Eggs
Mr Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has issued guidelines to hospitals on their buying criteria to ensure eggs produced in conventional cages should not be used in any form. [78569]
Mr Simon Burns: We encourage national health service organisations to adopt the Government Buying Standards (GBS) for food, where possible, through the NHS operating framework for 2011-12 published in December 2010. Mandatory GBS criteria currently bans the use of fresh (in-shell) eggs from conventional cage systems. If a cage system is used it should be enriched cages. In light of the forthcoming European Union ban on conventional cages, we intend to extend this mandatory criteria to cover all liquid and powdered egg products, which are currently in voluntary best practice criteria.
This Government believe that their role is to set a credible and workable example for the wider public sector to follow, and it is this that the GBS is designed to deliver. All public bodies have a different set of requirements and the local people most closely connected with them, staff, patients, governors, will have different priorities, making them best placed to decide how to achieve the objectives we are aiming for.
Hospitals: Waiting Lists
Liz Kendall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many urgent NHS operations were cancelled in each month of (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11 and (c) 2011 to date. [78573]
Mr Simon Burns: The number of urgent cancellations in each month requested is shown in the following table:
| Urgent cancellations | ||
|
|
Month | Number |
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| Note: Prior to August 2010, these figures were collected weekly, and therefore the monthly figures shown are an aggregate of either four or five weeks as opposed to a calendar month. Source: Weekly and monthly sitreps. | ||
Learning Disability
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of people with a learning disability in England who are being supported (a) exclusively or (b) predominantly through a health budget; and if he will make a statement. [79207]
Paul Burstow: Personal health budgets are currently being piloted across England. Over 2,700 people have been recruited into an independent evaluation programme. Around half of them will have personal health budgets; the remainder are in a control group. The evaluation does not include a specific cohort of people with learning disabilities. So, although it is likely that many people with learning disabilities are involved in the pilot, we do not yet know how many, or to what extent their needs are being supported through a personal health budget.
However, the evaluation team will gather information and report on the conditions that people have, including learning disabilities. The final evaluation report is due in October 2012.
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent estimate he has made of the number of adults with a learning disability in England; what steps he is taking to ensure there is sufficient funding for people who need care and support due to learning disability; and if he will make a statement. [79209]
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Paul Burstow: The Department does not collect information on estimates of the total number of adults with learning disabilities. However, the Institute of Health Research at Lancaster University estimated that in 2004 there were 800,000 adults (aged 20+) with learning, disabilities, which they modelled would increase to 870,000 in 2011.
The number of adults with learning disabilities receiving social care services as of 31 March 2010 was 102,500. This figure consists of 95,500 people aged 18 to 64 and 7,000 aged 65+.
In recognition of the pressures on the social care system in a challenging local government settlement, the spending review allocated an additional £7.2 billion over four years to 2014-15 to support the delivery of social care.
It is up to local authorities to choose how best to use their available funding. However, we think that the extra investment we have set out, combined with a rigorous focus on efficiency, will mean that there is funding available to protect people's access to care during the spending review period, including those with learning disabilities.
Lighting: Health Hazards
Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what (a) assessment he has made of and (b) representations he has received on the recent Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks review of the ability of EU member states to manufacture incandescent bulbs available where there are medical grounds; and if he will make a statement. [R] [79447]
Anne Milton: The European Commission's Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks (SCENIHR) released a preliminary Opinion on the health effects of artificial light on 18 July 2011. SCENIHR have carried out a public consultation and scientific hearing on this opinion and we understand that SCENIHR will publish a final opinion before the end of 2011.
The Government have asked the European Commission to take the SCENIHR review and recommendations into account.
The Department is continuing to work with patient groups, clinicians and the lighting industry to keep the health issues under review.
Medical Treatments: VAT
Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations he has received on the inability of NHS trusts to recover VAT on medical treatments compared to the ability of dispensing pharmacists to do so; and what representations he has received from patients and pharmacists on collection of prescriptions from their local pharmacists which are taken into hospital to be administered. [78831]
Mr Simon Burns:
Value-added tax (VAT) is a matter for Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC). Since 1 May 2010, the Department has received fewer than 10 written representations on the inability of national health service trusts to recover VAT on medical treatments
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compared to the ability of dispensing pharmacists to do so; and fewer than five written representations from patients and pharmacists on the collection of prescribed medicines from their local pharmacies which are then taken into hospital to be administered.
Musculoskeletal Disorders
Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the role of osteopathy in reducing workplace sickness absence due to musculoskeletal disorders. [76921]
Anne Milton:
The Department has not made an assessment of the specific effects of complementary medicines, such as osteopathy, in reducing workplace sickness absence. However, improving health in the workplace is a key part of public health policy through
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both the ‘Healthy Lives, Healthy People’ White Paper and the Public Health Responsibility Deal.
NHS: Pensions
Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the participation rate was for the NHS pension schemes in each pay band in each year from 2006 to 2010. [79528]
Mr Simon Burns: The information requested is not held centrally.
However, using data from the NHS Electronic Staff Record (ESR) Data Warehouse it is possible to estimate pension membership rates for Hospital and Community Health Services (HCHS) staff for the end of the period of interest:
| Estimated pension membership rate (headcount) | ||
|
|
September 2009 (%) | September 2010 (%) |
| Notes: 1. The ESR Data Warehouse contains monthly snapshots of the live ESR system, which is a payroll and human resources system containing staff records for national health service employed staff in England. It contains records on all NHS staff except for those in the following groups: general practitioners (GPs), GP practice staff and other primary care providers e.g. dentists; two foundation trusts (Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust); and those staff groups affected by Transforming Community Services where the service is now provided by a non-NHS organisation. 2. Pension membership rates are estimated by considering the proportion of ESR's, across staff groups, with recorded employer pension contributions. Aggregate estimates are then produced using published NHS Information Centre work force census data collected annually each September. Data cleaning processes are also applied to the ESR extracts before use. 3. For non-medical staff, estimates are generated by Agenda for Change (AfC) pay band. Medical staff are not employed on AfC terms so estimates are provideo1 by broad staff groups. | ||
NHS: Private Sector
Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what recent assessment he has made of the effect on the number of NHS patients who will seek private treatment of the proposals contained in the Health and Social Care Bill; [79223]
(2) what recent estimate he has made of the number of non-European Economic Area overseas private patients that would be treated in NHS hospitals as a result of his proposals in the Health and Social Care Bill. [78949]
Mr Simon Burns: The Government's assessment to date of the proposal to remove the private patient income cap for foundation trusts is contained in the Government's Command Paper, “Liberating the NHS: Legislative framework and next steps”, and the Impact Assessments so far published for the Health and Social Care Bill 2011.
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Older People: Carers
Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding he allocated to social care for the elderly in the latest period for which figures are available. [79412]
Paul Burstow: Allocating funding for adult social care is the responsibility of local authorities, who receive funding from central Government through the local government formula grant and raise money locally through council tax.
The latest local authority budget data for 2011-12 show that local authorities have budgeted £7.0 billion towards social care for those over 65. We also estimate that around £300 million has been transferred to local authorities for older people's services from primary care trusts this year, as part of the additional support for social care provided through the health system. Budgeted expenditure for older people will therefore be around £7.3 billion this year.
Primary Care Trusts: Per Capita Costs
Mr Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how much Mid Essex Primary Care Trust received per capita in the latest period for which figures are available; [79233]
(2) what the average level of per capita funding for primary care trusts in England was in the latest period for which figures are available; [79234]
(3) which 10 primary care trusts received the (a) highest and (b) lowest level of per capita funding in the latest period for which figures are available. [79235]
Mr Simon Burns: Mid Essex Primary Care Trust (PCT) received funding of £1,399 per capita in the 2011-12 PCT revenue allocations compared to the national average of £1,693.
The 10 PCTs with the highest and lowest per capita funding for 2011-12 are shown in the following table.
| 2011-12 total revenue allocations per head (1) | |
|
|
£ |
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| (1) In December 2010 PCTs were informed of their total 2011-12 revenue allocations which include: 2011-12 recurrent revenue allocations; non-recurrent allocations for primary dental services, pharmaceutical services and general ophthalmic services; and support for joint working between health and social care. | |
These allocations were announced separately in 2010-11.
Public Health England
Grahame M. Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to ensure Public Health England is operationally independent of Government. [78584]
Anne Milton: Public Health England will be established as an Executive Agency of the Department of Health on 1 April 2013, and will work in an open and transparent way. It will be managed by a chief executive who will be solely responsible for the day-to-day operation of the agency. Public Health England will receive its own budget to deliver its services. It will have scientific committees that will provide rigorous and impartial advice on public health issues. This operational freedom will be supported by a framework agreement between the Department and Public Health England which will set out the roles and responsibilities of both organisations.
Skin Cancer
Sir Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many single technology appraisals have been published by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence for (a) malignant melanoma and (b) each other cancer disease area since 1 March 2010; [79464]
(2) how many treatments for people with advanced melanoma have been recommended by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence since 1 March 2010. [79465]
Paul Burstow: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has not published any final technology appraisal guidance on treatments for malignant melanoma or advanced malignant melanoma. NICE is undertaking three appraisals of drugs for the treatment of this condition.
Since 1 March 2010, NICE has published 21 single technology appraisals on treatments for cancer. This includes three appraisals that were terminated because NICE did not receive an evidence submission from the manufacturer or sponsor of the technology.
Social Services: Fees and Charges
Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the evidential basis used by his Department to set £23,250 as the proposed means-tested threshold for social care costs. [78717]
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Paul Burstow: With effect from 1 April 1993, the National Assistance (Assessment of Resources) Regulations 1992 set the upper capital limit at £16,000. This was based on the figure used in the financial assessment for income support. Due to the passage of time, it is not possible to establish the reasons that the level set was felt to be appropriate at the time. Contemporary papers and reports are not available.
Since 1993, the upper capital limit, for residential charging, has been periodically uprated. The last uprating, to £23,250, was in 2010.
Speech and Language Disorders: Health Services
Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many people were (a) wholly and (b) partially state funded for speech and language therapy in 2010; and what estimate he has made of funding that will be provided by his Department in each such category in the remainder of the Comprehensive Spending Review; [79187]
(2) which primary care trusts have announced funding reductions for speech and language therapy during the Comprehensive Spending Review period; and what the level was of each such funding reduction; [79188]
(3) what the total cost to the public was of funding speech and language therapy in 2010; and what he estimates the cost will be in each year of the Comprehensive Spending Review. [79189]
Anne Milton: The information requested is not collected centrally. Funding for speech and language therapy is provided within the national health service budget and decided by local NHS organisations. This process provides the means for addressing local needs within the health community, including the provision of speech and language therapy.
St Helens and Whiston NHS Hospital Trust
Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to make his decision on the funding gap at St Helens and Whiston NHS Hospital Trust. [78950]
Mr Simon Burns: The Department is currently examining the private finance initiative issue in a small number of trusts where it cannot be resolved locally. As part of the potential provision of financial support to specific national health service trusts going forward to support them achieve foundation trust status, this is being considered. The framework and process have not been finalised. However, in relation to any support, which might be provided to trusts, the Department has outlined four key tests that they would have to meet:
the problems they face must be exceptional and beyond those faced by other organisations;
they must show that the problems are historic and that they have a clear plan to manage their resources in the future;
they must show that they are delivering high levels of annual productivity savings; and
they must deliver clinically viable, high quality services, including low waiting times and other performance measures.
8 Nov 2011 : Column 254W
Any specific decisions in relation to St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust will be determined following the finalisation of the analysis and this framework.
Justice
Young Offenders: Drugs and Alcohol
18. Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the number of people entering young offender institutions who have drug and alcohol problems. [78971]
Mr Blunt: No estimate has been made because this information is not collected centrally. From April 2012, the National Drug Treatment Monitoring System (NDTMS) is being introduced into prisons and young offenders institutions in England. NDTMS will allow for accurate data to be collected from substance misuse services.
Prison Work
20. Richard Harrington: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans he has to promote work in prisons. [78973]
Mr Blunt: We have made clear our intention to make prisons places of work and industry. We are already making good progress towards longer prisoner working weeks at a number of prisons. We have also set up a Business Advisory Group to both advise and promote the outcomes we are seeking.
These plans will require new businesses in prisons to cover their costs and the enhanced costs of undertaking work in prisons as well as providing a return for victims of crime and a contribution towards the rehabilitation of the prisoners engaged in this new commercially positive work.
Anti-corruption
21. Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he last met the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport to discuss corruption in sport as part of his role as the UK's international anti-corruption champion. [78974]
Mr Kenneth Clarke: I have regular discussions with ministerial colleagues as part of my international anti-corruption champion role, although I have not met the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, the right hon. Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), to discuss this particular matter. The UK is supporting the EU's efforts to reduce corruption in sport and I am monitoring the progress of this work.
Personal Injury Law
22. John Howell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he is taking to reform the use of referral fees by personal injury lawyers. [78975]
Mr Djanogly:
In my written ministerial statement of 9 September 2011, Official Report, column 32WS, I informed the House of the Government's decision to ban the payment and receipt of referral fees in personal
8 Nov 2011 : Column 255W
injury cases. This ban is being taken forward through provisions in the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill.
Conditional Fee Arrangements
Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the number of people who used conditional fee agreements in (a) privacy and (b) libel cases in 2010. [78958]
Mr Djanogly: I understand that 158 defamation proceedings were commenced in the Queen's Bench Division in 2010, although we do not have data on how these cases were funded. Data provided to Lord Justice Jackson suggested that only 17.5% of a similar number of such cases in 2008 were funded by way of conditional fee agreement.
Census: Guernsey
Malcolm Wicks: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) what discussions his Department and the Bailiwick of Guernsey had on the decision not to organise a census of population in Guernsey in 2011; [78707]
(2) for what reason the Bailiwick of Guernsey has not organised a census in 2011. [78708]
Mr Kenneth Clarke: My Department has not had any discussions with the States of Guernsey on their decision not to hold a census of Guernsey's population in 2011.
As an internally self-governing dependency of the Crown, this is entirely a matter for the island authorities. However, I can inform the right hon. Member that the States of Guernsey has migrated to an electronic collation of social and economic data traditionally compiled by paper census. It was considered that the merits of moving to such a system were compelling, following examples set by countries such as Finland.
Alderney is working with Guernsey towards adopting a similar system and Sark compiles its own population figures.
Charities
Dr Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what grants his Department made to charitable organisations in each of the last five years. [79079]
Mr Djanogly: The Ministry of Justice funds a large number of groups, including registered charities, voluntary and community groups. It would incur disproportionate costs to research each organisation, check its charitable status and disclose what grants were given.
Grants are given to organisations that provide a wide range of services, such as the provision of support for victims of crime, mediation services, work to reduce crime and debt advice.
Civil Disorder
Mr Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many and what proportion of people convicted following the public disorder of August 2011 were children; and what proportion had parents subject to parenting orders. [79296]
8 Nov 2011 : Column 256W
Mr Blunt: The latest available published data, as of 12 October 2011, on offenders found guilty at all courts for offences relating to the public disorder between 6 and 9 August 2011, show that 185 offenders (27%) were aged between 10 and 17 years.
In order to allow timely reporting of statistics on offenders proceeded against at the magistrates courts for offences resulting from the 6-9 August public disorder, a dataset has been compiled from manual returns from the courts. The available information does not include whether a parent of an offender found guilty of an offence related to the public disorder was subject to a parenting order.
Civil Proceedings: Legal Costs
Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he is taking to reduce the level of civil litigation. [78967]
Mr Djanogly: The Government are implementing fundamental reform of civil litigation funding and costs. We are also banning referral fees in personal injury cases. The Government believe that together these changes will deter unnecessary and avoidable claims from progressing to court.
Coroners
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what discussions he has had with faith groups on his proposals for the future of the Office of Chief Coroner. [78965]
Mr Djanogly: I have not had any formal discussions with faith groups on this matter, however the Ministry of Justice has just consulted on the proposals for the future of the office of the chief coroner as part of a wider consultation on the Public Bodies Bill reforms and received responses from faith groups. Faith groups were also consulted on the new charter for the coroner service, and we have corresponded with leaders of faith groups on specific coroner issues such as less invasive post-mortem examinations.
Departmental Assets
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assets with a value of £250,000 or more his Department has bought since May 2010; for what purpose; and if he will make a statement. [77365]
Mr Kenneth Clarke: Since May 2010, the Department has bought the following assets with a value of £250,000 or more:
| Name of the asset | Value (£ million) | Purpose |
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Freedom of Information Requests
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many requests under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 his Department has received in each month since May 2010; how many responses given in each such month disclosed (a) the full information requested, (b) part of the information requested, with some information withheld under exemptions in the Act and (c) none of the information requested; and in respect of how many requests received in each such month (i) (A) substantive and (B) holding responses were issued within 20 working days of the date of receipt, (ii) no substantive response was issued within 40 working days of the date of receipt and (iii) no substantive response has yet been issued. [78912]
Mr Djanogly: To answer this question in full, a manual search of every request received and answered by the Ministry of Justice since May 2010 would be required, as we do not have the means to extract the information electronically. This would incur disproportionate cost.
Relevant information readily available is, however, provided as follows. The Ministry of Justice publishes on its website quarterly and annual statistics on freedom of information requests received by over 40 central Government bodies, and it is from these publications that the following statistics are taken. The available statistics cover the period April 2010 to June 2011. Under the Official Statistics Code of Practice, we cannot release statistics for a time period prior to their appearance in a regular statistical report. Statistics for the remainder of 2011 will be collated and published in due course.
Between April 2010 and June 2011 the Ministry of Justice provided the full information requested 844 times. This statistic, and the quarterly breakdown as follows, includes only first requests, it does not include information provided at internal review or subsequent appeal stages available under the Freedom of Information Act ('the Act'). Full disclosure by quarter:
| Quarter | Full disclosure |
Between April 2010 and June 2011 the Ministry of Justice partially withheld information in 344 first response requests, and by quarter:
| Quarter | Partial disclosure |
Between April 2010 and June 2011 the Ministry of Justice withheld the whole response of information 1477 times, and by quarter:
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| Quarter | Withheld |
The following number of substantive responses have been issued by the Ministry of Justice since April 2010. In this case, 'substantive' should be understood as any answer that is not a holding response. The figures therefore include answers where the Ministry of Justice has: confirmed it does not hold the information; explained that providing the information would exceed the cost limit provided for in the Act; declined to answer under section 14 of the Act (vexatious or repeated requests); provided all the information requested; and provided some of the information requested.
| Quarter | Substantive response |
The Ministry of Justice has issued a 'holding reply' on 47 occasions between April 2010 and June 2011. A holding reply in this instance is one sent in accordance with the provisions of the Act informing the requester that the balance of the public interest arguments relating to the disclosure of the information requested requires further consideration, and as such the deadline for response is legitimately extended. The Department can only take this approach if it is considering an exemption which is subject to the application of a public interest test. By quarter, the figures are as follows:
| Quarter | Number of PIT extensions |
The Department is unable to provide information about the number of requests not responded to within 40 days, without incurring disproportionate cost. However, the number of times that the Department has responded to a FOIA request beyond the statutory 20 day deadline is 660 (April 2010-June 2011). This can be broken down further:
| Quarter | Responded to late |
The number of cases that had not received a substantive response, at time of the relevant official statistics publication, for the period April 2010-June 2011, areas follows:
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| Quarter | Number substantive response yet issued |
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice in respect of how many responses to requests for information received by his Department under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 the reason of (a) commercially sensitive information, (b) information not held, (c) information too costly to provide and (d) vexatious or repeated requests has been given in response since January 2010. [78913]
Mr Djanogly: The Ministry of Justice publishes on its website quarterly and annual statistics on Freedom of Information requests received by over 40 central government bodies. The information provided has been taken from these publications. The figures provided are for the period 1 January 2010 to 31 June 2011.
Under the Official Statistics Code of Practice, we cannot release statistics for a time period prior to their appearance in a regular statistical report. Statistics beyond 31 June 2011 will be collated and published in due course.
These figures include only first requests; information provided at internal review or subsequent appeal stages available under the Freedom of Information Act (‘the Act’) are not included.
|
|
Number |
The total number of requests received in this period was 4,075.
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice which Minister in his Department is responsible for determining whether exemptions to the Freedom of Information Act 2000 should apply to responses to requests for information under the Act; and which other Minister is responsible for making such determinations should the subject matter of the request fall within the Ministerial responsibilities of the Minister with lead responsibility. [78914]
Mr Djanogly: Departmental officials within the Ministry of Justice determine whether exemptions to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) are engaged.
However, the application of the exemption in Section 36 (prejudice to the effective conduct of public affairs) of FOIA is subject to the reasonable opinion of a qualified person, who for Government Departments is a Minister of the Crown.
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The Ministry of Justice obtains the opinion of the qualified person by seeking the view of—usually—the Minister responsible for the subject matter to which the information relates.
Lost Property
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 31 October 2011, Official Report, columns 391-2W, on departmental lost property, whether he has had discussions on the activities of ElcomSoft and its password breaking programmes; and if he will make a statement. [79372]
Mr Djanogly: The Ministry of Justice has not had any discussions on the activities of ElcomSoft and its password breaking programmes.
Departmental Public Expenditure
Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 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. [77592]
Mr Kenneth Clarke: Neither my ministerial office nor special advisers are funded externally.
Departmental Travel
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department has spent on first class travel by (a) air, (b) boat and (c) train since May 2010. [75517]
Mr Kenneth Clarke: Since May 2010 the Ministry of Justice has spent the following on first class travel:
(a) Air: £4,279;
(b) Boat: nil;
(c) Train: £889,138.
We have introduced a new travel and subsistence policy in April 2010 containing restrictions on using first class travel. However, the policy does recognise that in certain cases (e.g. when accompanying a Minister or where a member of staff has special needs) and with prior management approval, first class travel is undertaken.
Extradition
Mr Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what information his Department holds on how many extradition requests to the UK have been refused by a court under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights in each year since 2000. [79335]
Mr Blunt: The Department does not compile information about requests for extradition of persons from the United Kingdom in a way that would permit the reasons for refusal to be ascertained to this level of detail. The information requested could therefore only be found by manual examination of case files, and would incur a disproportionate cost.
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Legal Aid Scheme: Prisoners
Mr Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners currently serving indeterminate sentences in England and Wales have received legal aid for proceedings in the family courts relating to (a) custody of children, (b) adoption of children, (c) contact with children and (d) parental responsibility. [79390]
Mr Djanogly: This information is not kept by either the Ministry of Justice or the Legal Services Commission.
Legal Opinion
Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) 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; [78077]
(2) 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. [78086]
Mr Djanogly: The information is as follows:
(1) The Legal Directorate within the Ministry of Justice provides advice to the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, and Ministers directly as required and indirectly when policy officials request legal advice for submissions. There is no central record of all the legal advice provided by the Legal Directorate and it would not be possible to provide this information for the periods requested without manually searching files and submissions and incurring disproportionate costs.
(2) Total headcount in Legal sections of the Ministry of Justice.
|
|
Number |
| (1) Includes magistrates courts legal advisers and tribunal lawyers and registrars. (2) No legal staff employed directly. (3) Information for the period requested is not available centrally and can not be collated within the time frame without incurring disproportionate costs. | |
Under the Governments Transparency Agenda the department publishes senior salary and organogram data for the MOJ and its agencies including executive NDPBs (CCRC, CICA, ICO, JAC, LSC, LSB, Parole Board and YJB) on the Justice website however it does not include advisory NDPBs.
The last figures published provided information as at 31 March and, the next exercise will produce the September data which is due to be published at the end of November. This information can be found at:
http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/transparency-data/senior-civil-service-salaries-and-organograms.htm
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Members: Correspondence
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he plans to answer the letter from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton of 27 September 2011 with regard to Mr Naseer Ahmed Bhatti. [79375]
Mr Kenneth Clarke: I have now replied.
Prisoners: Foreign Nationals
Mr Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent estimate he has made of the number of people in prison who are (a) citizens of other EU member states and (b) non-EU citizens. [79297]
Mr Blunt: As at 30 September 2011 there were 11,076 foreign national prisoners, of which 3,776 were EU nationals and 7,300 non-EU nationals. The number of foreign national prisoners held in all prison establishments in England and Wales by nationality is published quarterly in the Ministry of Justice Statistics bulletin ‘Offender Management Statistics Quarterly Bulletin—Table 1.5. The publication is available free of charge via the following link:
http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/statistics-and-data/prisons-and-probation/oms-quarterly.htm
These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
Prisons: Private Sector
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice which services (a) the National Offender Management Service and (b) his Department provide to private companies which are managing jails. [78811]
Mr Blunt: Private sector suppliers do not generally rely on shared services being provided by the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) or the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) for the delivery of their contractual commitments.
Private sector providers receive some support in relation to auditing and assurance, contractual and operational policy advice and operational and incident support. In addition, on newer custodial contracts they use some MOJ third-party contracts for goods and services (e.g. food), where there are financial benefits and it is in the public interest. Other shared national contracts include contracted court and inter-prison escorting services and, where appropriate, as part of an integrated national service, data, security and some other operational arrangements are shared.
Translation Services
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the total cost to the public purse was of providing translation services to foreign (a) defendants in court cases and (b) offenders in prisons in each of the last five years. [72981]
Mr Djanogly: The Ministry of Justice's central accounting systems do not all separately record the costs of providing translation services to foreign defendants and offenders. It would incur disproportionate cost to disaggregate such costs from the respective accounts.
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Energy and Climate Change
Adam Werritty
Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether (a) he, (b) any Ministers and (c) officials of his Department have met (i) Mr Michael Hintze, (ii) Mr Tony Buckingham, (iii) Mr Michael Davis, (iv) Mr Poju Zabludowicz, (v) Jon Moulton and (vi) Stephen Crouch; and where any such meetings took place. [78652]
Gregory Barker: Details of meetings that are held between DECC Ministers and external parties are published externally on the Department's website on a quarterly basis. Information for other officials' meetings is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether (a) he, (b) officials of his Department and (c) special advisers in his Department have met Mr Adam Werritty on official business since May 2010; and how many such meetings took place (i) on his Department's premises and (ii) elsewhere. [78850]
Gregory Barker: Details of meetings that are held between DECC Ministers and external parties are published externally on the Department's website on a quarterly basis. Information for other officials' meetings is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Carbon Emissions: Pilot Schemes
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, pursuant to the contribution of the Minister of State for Energy and Climate Change, the hon. Member for Bexhill and Battle (Gregory Barker) to the Public Bill Committee on the Energy Bill [Lords] of 21 June 2011, Written Evidence, column 42S, what progress has been made on establishing follow-on pilot programmes to the local carbon framework pilots. [79468]
Gregory Barker: DECC supported the £2.5 million Local Carbon Frameworks pilot in 2010-11, which involved 30 local authorities. Its aim was to identify the best ways to reduce carbon emissions at a local level. An evaluation of the pilot and toolkit for the benefit of all local authorities will be published later this year. There are no plans to run further local carbon framework pilots but DECC will continue to support local authorities cut carbon, and I have recently asked the Committee on Climate Change to provide advice on this.
Combined Heat and Power: Social Rented Housing
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he has plans to promote the installation of micro-combined heat and power in (a) residential property and (b) social housing for the purposes of reducing carbon emissions and fuel costs. [78550]
Gregory Barker:
Micro-combined heat and power will be eligible for the Green Deal, which will be available to all sectors, including social housing. It can be financed with Green Deal finance if it has been recommended
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during the Green Deal assessment for a given property that it can achieve savings on the energy bill.
The first 30,000 domestic sized installations (=2 kW) of micro combined heat and power are also supported by the feed-in tariff under a pilot scheme.
Public Sector Employee Bids
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 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. [77608]
Gregory Barker: No applications have been received from any member of DECC's senior civil service to run any services for which DECC is responsible since May 2010, and we have no record of any such applications from other DECC employees.
Electricity
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 20 October 2011, Official Report, column 1112W, what timetable he has set for the implementation of measures to improve competition in the domestic energy market. [78255]
Charles Hendry: The Government plan to lay an order in Parliament this month to increase the threshold for supplier participation in the Community Energy. Saving Programme (CESP) and Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT). We expect it to be in force before the end of the year.
Ofgem has announced that it plans to consult later this month on a range of tariff proposals that aim to reform the energy market by making it simpler and more competitive to reduce tariff complexity.
In December, Ofgem plan to make a decision on their proposals to improve electricity wholesale market liquidity.
Feed-in Tariffs: Housing
Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will estimate the average cost to homeowners of bringing a property up to level C energy performance certificate rating before qualifying for eligibility for receipt of the feed-in tariff. [79330]
Gregory Barker: The Government's current consultation on feed-in tariffs for solar photovoltaics (PV) sets out two options for strengthening the link between energy efficiency and FITs. The first option is that only buildings with an energy performance certificate (EPC) rating of level C would be eligible for the standard FITs rates for solar PV.
The costs of reaching level C will vary depending on the base-level energy performance of the building in question. However, we estimate that for a typical house, an investment of up to £5,600 in energy efficiency measures may be required to bring a property up to level C.
From autumn 2012, the measures necessary to meet level C would be largely financeable through the Green Deal. Prior to that, the carbon emissions reduction target (CERT) scheme may also be able to provide a proportion of the installation costs for the more basic measures.
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Generation Capacity
Mr Binley: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the installed available generating capacity was of each (a) coal, (b) gas (combined-cycle gas turbine), (c) nuclear, (d) oil and (e) renewables plant in November 2011. [78697]
Charles Hendry: DECC publishes data on installed generation capacity for each plant owned by major power producers in the UK. This is updated on an annual basis, data up to May 2010 are available in table 5.11 of DUKES at the following link:
http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/statistics/energy_stats/source/electricity/electricity.aspx
At any point in time, not all installed capacity may be available, for a number of reasons, including unplanned and planned (maintenance) outages. Based on its Winter Outlook Report (published on 11 October 2011) , National Grid's operational view of Great Britain's generation capacity anticipated to be available for the start of winter 2011 is 81.8 GW. A breakdown of this capacity is shown in the following table:
| Operational view of generating capacity available for winter 2011-12 | |
| Fuel type | Capacity (MW) |
| Source: Taken from figure E3. Embedded renewable generation is not included. | |
The full National Grid report can be found at the following link:
http://www.nationalgrid.com/NR/rdonlyres/BE947476-51DF-4D5F-8E2B-5342595157A9/49492/Winter_Outlook_Report_201112.pdf
Generators declare their forward availability to National Grid. These data are revised on a continuous basis, and are used by National Grid for both operational and planning purposes. Summary charts of declared availability (“output usable”), by fuel type, are available at the following link:
http://www.bmreports.com/bsp/bsp_home.htm
daily, two to 14 days ahead; and
weekly, two to 52 weeks ahead.
Smart Meters
Mr Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he plans to take to ensure the installation of Smart meters is done in such a way that data on the household will be made secure. [78483]
Charles Hendry: The Government recognises the privacy and security of personal data as an important issue and are putting in robust arrangements in place to protect consumers.
We are committed to following the principle of 'Privacy by design', which means that privacy issues are considered early and embedded into the design of the
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smart meter programme. The Government's key principles underpinning the programme's privacy framework are that consumers should have a choice as to how their smart metering data is used and by whom, except where it is required to fulfil regulated duties. We are minded to define regulated duties narrowly. The intention is to publish a further consultation on privacy policy proposals in 2012.
In addition, the arrangements for the security of the smart metering system have been developed by a dedicated team of security experts within the programme, who perform ongoing risk assessments in order to identify the nature of possible threats, and ensure that risks are appropriately managed.
Oil: Safety
Mr Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment his Department has made of the threat to oil platforms from terrorism or criminal attack; and what steps he is taking to prevent such attacks. [79414]
Charles Hendry: The Department maintains a continuous assessment of threats to upstream oil and gas infrastructure from all sources including terrorism or criminal attack in conjunction with the Security Services and the industry. A number of measures are used to mitigate the risks; these are applied in proportion to the significance of each piece of infrastructure.
Pensioners: Fuel Poverty
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent steps his Department has taken to lift pensioners out of fuel poverty. [78643]
Gregory Barker: Government are committed to supporting vulnerable consumers and tackling fuel poverty and have in place a range of policies to contribute towards these aims. These include the Warm Home Discount to assist more of the most vulnerable households with their energy bills. The Core Group element of this scheme provides an automatic rebate of £120 this winter on electricity bills to poorer pensioners.
Warm Front continues to provide assistance with insulation and heating measures to low income and vulnerable pensioner households.
The CERT extension and Super Priority Group have a significant positive impact on fuel poverty. Around 185,000 households could receive measures to provide a long-term solution to fuel poverty. Many more households will receive measures which will protect them from falling into fuel poverty.
Looking forward Government continue to work towards introducing the new energy company obligation—the ECO—within the Green Deal framework. A key focus for the ECO will be on providing support for low income and vulnerable households who cannot achieve significant energy savings without an additional measure of support, enabling them to heat their homes more affordably on a long-term basis, and improve the energy efficiency of their homes.
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Renewable Energy: Heating
Mrs Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he has considered including bioliquids in the Renewable Heat Incentive. [79481]
Gregory Barker: As stated in the Renewable Heat Incentive policy document (published in March), we are considering whether to support bioliquids as part of developing the second phase of the scheme.
Solar Power
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many (a) feed-in tariff and (b) solar installations there were in (i) the UK, (ii) each local authority area and (iii) each parliamentary constituency in each of the last 15 years. [79099]
Gregory Barker: The table, which will be placed in the Libraries of the House, shows the total solar photovoltaic installed capacity in the UK at the end of each of the last 15 years. Prior to the introduction of feed-in- tariffs, data by local authority and parliamentary constituency, as well as the number of UK solar photovoltaic installations, are not available.
The total number of feed-in-tariff installations and Feed in Tariff solar photovoltaic installations, in each local authority, parliamentary constituency and Great Britain as a whole, as at the end of September 2011, is given in an annex, a copy of which will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
Solar Power: Feed-in Tariffs
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to paragraph 6(ii) of his Department's consultation on Comprehensive Review Phase 1 - Tariffs for Solar PV, published on 31 October 2011, for what reason 12 December was chosen as the reference date. [79030]
Gregory Barker: The reference date of 12 December 2011 proposed in the Government's consultation on feed-in tariffs (FITs) for solar photovoltaics (PV) is six weeks after the publication date of this consultation. As the consultation explains, this period will allow many prospective generators, particularly householders, who have made a financial commitment to installing PV (for example, paying a deposit) to complete their installations and receive the current tariffs.
We recognise though that some prospective FITs generators who have incurred or committed expenditure may not be able to complete their installations and submit their applications for FITs before the proposed reference date. In forming the proposal, we have taken into account the possibility of hardship to persons in this situation. We consider that the proposed approach is reasonable given a number of factors. These include the urgency of the concerns about the impact on the scheme's budget of continuing high levels of uptake at the current tariffs, including any rush of new installations triggered by the consultation. In addition, the proposed new tariffs are designed to provide a reasonable rate of
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return in line with those intended when the scheme was first introduced. The FITs scheme was never intended to provide windfall profits and in the current climate we regard the returns expected for FIT generators under the proposed new tariffs to be reasonable.
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to paragraph 32 of his Department's consultation on Comprehensive Review Phase 1 - Tariffs for Solar PV, published on 31 October 2011, whether his Department has made an estimate of the average time lag between when a project is installed and when it is confirmed on Ofgem's central fit register. [79031]
Gregory Barker: The average length of time between the commissioning date of a solar photovoltaic (PV) installation and the date on which it is confirmed on the Ofgem central feed-in tariffs (FITs) register is 49 days.
It is important to note that the confirmation of an installation on the Ofgem central FIT register is the last stage in the FITs application process, and is later than the date an installation becomes eligible for FITs payments.
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the timing of his planned consultation on solar feed-in tariffs on the capacity of small and medium-sized enterprises to fully participate in that consultation. [79287]
Gregory Barker: The reference date of 12 December 2011 proposed in the Government's consultation on feed-in tariffs (FITs) for solar photovoltaics (PV) is six weeks after the publication date of this consultation. As the consultation explains, this period will allow many prospective generators, particularly householders, who have made a financial commitment to installing PV (for example, paying a deposit) to complete their installations and receive the current tariffs.
We recognise though that some prospective FITs generators who have incurred or committed expenditure may not be able to complete their installations and submit their applications for FITs before the proposed reference date. In forming the proposal, we have taken into account the possibility of hardship to persons in this situation. We consider that the proposed approach is reasonable given a number of factors. These include the urgency of the concerns about the impact on the scheme's budget of continuing high levels of uptake at the current tariffs, including any rush of new installations triggered by the consultation. In addition, the proposed new tariffs are designed to provide a reasonable rate of return in line with those intended when the scheme was first introduced. The FITs scheme was never intended to provide windfall profits and in the current climate we regard the returns expected for FIT generators under the proposed new tariffs to be reasonable.
The Department has not specifically assessed the impact of the timing of the consultation on small and medium-sized enterprises.
Mr Jim Cunningham:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will assess the potential effects of his proposals to alter solar feed-in
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tariffs rates before the conclusion of the consultation period on solar feed-in tariff rates; and if he will make a statement. [79288]
Gregory Barker: The reference date of 12 December 2011 proposed in the Government's consultation on feed-in tariffs (FITs) for solar photovoltaics (PV) is six weeks after the publication date of this consultation. As the consultation explains, this period will allow many prospective generators, particularly householders, who have made a financial commitment to installing PV (for example, paying a deposit) to complete their installations and receive the current tariffs.
We recognise though that some prospective FITs generators who have incurred or committed expenditure may not be able to complete their installations and submit their applications for FITs before the proposed reference date. In forming the proposal, we have taken into account the possibility of hardship to persons in this situation. We consider that the proposed approach is reasonable given a number of factors. These include the urgency of the concerns about the impact on the scheme's budget of continuing high levels of uptake at the current tariffs, including any rush of new installations triggered by the consultation. In addition, the proposed new tariffs are designed to provide a reasonable rate of return in line with those intended when the scheme was first introduced. The FITs scheme was never intended to provide windfall profits, paid for by energy consumers in general, and in the current climate we regard the returns expected for FIT generators under the proposed new tariffs to be reasonable.
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change for what reason his consultation on solar feed-in tariffs is six weeks long. [79290]
Gregory Barker: The consultation on proposed changes to feed-in tariffs for solar photovoltaics (PV) runs for approximately eight weeks; from 31 October to 23 December 2011. This consultation period is shorter than that recommended in the code of practice on consultation. However, the Government considers that this is justified given the small number of issues covered by the consultation and the urgency of the budgetary risk that it is focused on addressing.
Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will estimate the number of solar PV systems which will have been installed, commissioned and submitted for accreditation to a feed-in tariff licensee before 12 December 2011. [79331]
Gregory Barker: We estimate that by 12 December 2011, a total of approximately 130,000 solar PV installations will be eligible for feed-in tariffs (FITs). This estimate is uncertain and depends on projected growth between now and 12 December.
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 31 October 2011, Official Report, column 26WS, on feed-in tariffs, what estimate he has made of the number of planned solar PV installations scheduled to take place after 12 December 2011. [79461]
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Gregory Barker: The following table sets out estimates for the number of solar photovoltaic (PV) installations that are projected to be installed between 12 December 2011 and the end of the current spending review period under the proposals set out in the Government's consultation on feed-in tariffs for solar PV.
|
|
Installations (cumulative total) |
| Notes: 1. Estimates are based on the impact assessment supporting the consultation on FITs for solar PV and take a midpoint of the projected impacts of the two options for energy efficiency requirements set out in the consultation. 2. Estimates are uncertain and depend on a number of factors including final decisions following the current consultation on FITs, how the market responds to any resulting changes in tariff levels, the future profile of costs of PV panels and the average size of installation for different tariff bands. 3. Estimates rounded to nearest 5,000. | |
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 31 October 2011, Official Report, column 26WS, on feed-in tariffs, what impact assessment he carried out on the effect of the decision to reform the feed-in tariff on (a) the solar PV market and (b) small and medium-sized enterprises providing solar PV installations. [79462]
Gregory Barker: The impact assessment accompanying the Government's consultation on feed-in tariffs (FITs) for solar photovoltaics (PV) estimates that new solar PV installations will continue to come forward under the proposed changes to FITs for solar PV. The number of installations are expected to be between 70-95% less for different tariff bands than under the “Do Nothing scenario”. The impact assessment does not estimate the specific impact of this, or the potential new business opportunities arising from the consultation proposals on energy efficiency, on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 31 October 2011, Official Report, columns 26-7WS, on feed-in tariffs, what estimate he has made of the number of small and medium-sized enterprises installing solar PV who have been affected by the decision to reform the feed-in tariff. [79529]
Gregory Barker: The Department does not hold specific information on the number of small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) currently installing solar photovoltaics (PV). 3,237 companies have been certificated to install solar PV under the Microgeneration Certification scheme. Of these, 3057 companies have been certificated since the start of the feed-in tariffs scheme in April 2010. We expect that the majority of these companies are SMEs.
Prime Minister
Cabinet Committees: Third Sector
Mr Thomas: To ask the Prime Minister which Cabinet Committee is responsible for discussing progress on the Government's big society agenda; and if he will make a statement. [78209]
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The Prime Minister: I have convened a steering group of Ministers on a number of occasions to help drive the big society agenda. The big society agenda is wide-ranging, covering various policy areas, and is embedded in departmental reforms. Therefore different Cabinet committees will consider different aspects.
Public Appointments
Mr Jenkin: To ask the Prime Minister (1) who has applied to be Head of the Civil Service; and when he plans to announce who will take up that appointment; [79471]
(2) how many hours per week he proposes that the Head of the Civil Service will devote to that role; and when he will have regular meetings with the post holder. [79472]
The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the press notice issued by my office on 11 October 2011. This is available on the No. 10 website:
http://www.number10.gov.uk/news/cabinet-secretary-announces-retirement
Tony Blair
Mr Amess: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 28 April 2011, Official Report, column 524W, on Tony Blair, how much is payable in Public Duties Cost Allowance per year; what the rate was in each year since May 2007; how much was paid to Tony Blair in Public Duties Cost Allowance in each month since 2007; what restrictions apply to the use of this allowance; and if he will make a statement. [56610]
Mr Maude: I have been asked to reply.
I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 27 October 2011, Official Report, column 338W.
Cabinet Office
Big Society Capital
Mr Thomas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office when he expects the Big Society Bank to make its first loan; and if he will make a statement. [79490]
Mr Hurd: I expect the Big Society Bank to become operational and start making investments in early 2012.
In the meantime, I have directed the Big Lottery Fund to set up an interim Investment Committee to make initial investments to support the growth of the social investment market using up to £5 million of the English portion of money released through the dormant accounts scheme.
The Investment Committee announced its first in-principle investment of up to £1 million in the Private Equity Foundation in July.
Charities
Mr Thomas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office which organisations that applied for funding from the Transition Fund were not successful; and if he will make a statement. [79371]
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Mr Hurd: There have been over 1,000 awards from the Transition Fund. We do not publish details of unsuccessful applicants but I can confirm that of the 1,721 applications made to the programme, 606 were unsuccessful.
Internships
Luciana Berger: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many unpaid and expenses-only internships (a) his Department and (b) each public body for which he is responsible employed in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [78379]
Mr Maude: From 1 November 2010 to 31 October 2011 the Cabinet Office and its non-departmental public bodies employed no unpaid or expenses-only interns. However, the Department did offer 11 apprenticeships and 34 paid internships.
The Social Mobility Strategy published in April 2011 clearly states that we want to ensure that everyone has a fair opportunity to fulfil their potential. Making work experience and internships available to young people from all walks of life is a key element of this. I am pleased that the Government are leading by example in Whitehall with a new internship programme for under-represented groups. The new Whitehall Internship Programme has been developed in response to a pledge in the coalition agreement which states that the Government will provide internships in every Whitehall Department for under-represented groups, including black, Asian and minority ethnic communities.
In addition to our internship schemes for university students and recent graduates, during the summer of 2011 the Cabinet Office also offered four high achieving 16-year-olds from low-income backgrounds an opportunity to complete a short paid work experience placement, aimed at raising the aspirations of young people who would not ordinarily have the opportunity to visit or work in Whitehall. Travel and living expenses were also provided, as well as accommodation in central London and a range of after work entertainment and development opportunities.
ElcomSoft
Mr Thomas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what representations he has received on the work of ElcomSoft and its password breaking programmes; and if he will make a statement. [79370]
Mr Maude: Neither I nor my officials have received any representations from ElcomSoft about their work or products.
Federation of Student Islamic Societies
Mr Lammy: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what correspondence his Department has received from (a) ministerial colleagues and (b) officials in the Home Office on recruitment events organised in conjunction with the Federation of Student Islamic Societies since 1 June 2011. [77955]
Mr Maude:
There was limited correspondence in late October between Home Office and civil service fast stream officials regarding the status of the October
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Federation of Student Islamic Societies (FOSIS) event that was organised to promote fast stream to FOSIS members.
Mr Lammy: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many civil service recruitment events have been organised in conjunction with the Federation of Student Islamic Societies since 1 June 2011. [77956]
Mr Maude: Civil service fast stream attended, with several other major recruiters, the Federation of Student Islamic Societies Annual Careers and Community Fair on 18 June 2011, as an opportunity to promote the fast stream graduate talent management programme.
Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme
Rachel Reeves: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the participation rate for the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme was for each pay band in each year from 2006 to 2010. [79534]
Mr Maude: The number of employees eligible to be members of the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme but who opted out in the years between 2006 and 2010 are given in the following table, together with active membership of the scheme at the end of the relevant years, as published in the Cabinet Office: Civil Superannuation Resource Accounts. We do not hold data on the breakdown of participation rates by pay band.
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| Number | ||
|
|
Opters out | Active members at 31 March |
Skin Cancer
Sir Paul Beresford: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people were diagnosed with malignant melanoma in each of the last 10 years. [79463]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated November 2011:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many people were diagnosed with malignant melanoma in each of the last 10 years. [79463]
The latest available figures for newly diagnosed cases of malignant melanoma (incidence) are for the year 2009. Please note that these numbers may not be the same as the number of people diagnosed with cancer, because one person may be diagnosed with more than one cancer.
The table included in this answer provides the number of newly diagnosed cases of melanoma skin cancer in England for each year from 2000 to 2009.
The latest published figures on the incidence of cancer in England are available on the National Statistics website at:
http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/vsob1/cancer-statistics-registrations--england--series-mb1-/no--40--2009/index.html
| Registrations of newly diagnosed cases of malignant melanoma, persons, England, 2000-09 (1,2) | ||||||||||
| Cancer registrations | ||||||||||
|
|
2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
| (1) Malignant melanoma is coded as C43 in the International Classification of Disease, Tenth revision (ICD-10). (2) Newly diagnosed cases registered in each calendar year. | ||||||||||
Social Finance
Mr Thomas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps he is taking to promote the development of social finance; and if he will make a statement. [79491]
Mr Hurd: The Government are committed to supporting the growth of a strong social investment market. In February, we published our strategy—‘Growing the Social Investment Market: A vision and strategy’—which outlines our vision to create a new pillar of finance for social ventures.
Since then, Big Society Capital (BSC) has been set up and is in the process of securing Financial Services Authority and State Aid approvals. We expect it to be open for business in spring next year. BSC will use up to £400 million of dormant accounts money and £200 million investment from the ‘Merlin’ banks to support organisations that invest in the social sector, helping them to provide a greater range of financial services to the social sector and to raise more money for onward investment into the sector.
In July we announced a £10 million funding programme, to launch in 2012, for investment and contract readiness, in order to help social sector organisations prepare for new opportunities in public service delivery and social investment. In August, the Government announced a trial of four Social Impact Bonds which would let people invest in social projects and be paid a return if the projects are successful.
International Development
Afghanistan: Females
Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department has spent annually on funding for organisations supporting (a) women's rights and (b) women's health in Afghanistan. [78719]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: Details of all DFID's projects and programmes, including annual spend, are available online at:
http://projects.dfid.gov.uk/
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The Department for International Development (DFID) is supporting programmes that directly benefit women's organisations and activities in Afghanistan. Our funding to the International Planned Parenthood Foundation and WOMANKIND Worldwide is supporting civil society organisations in Afghanistan and elsewhere address the human rights and practical needs of women and girls. During my recent visit to Afghanistan I launched a major new civil society programme which will help Afghan organisations to hold their government to account. The programme will particularly target women (and youth) and it is expected that many women's organisations will benefit. In addition, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) provides support to the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission and the Human Rights Support Unit at the Ministry of Justice. The FCO also provides support to paralegal services working with women and girls in adult prisons and juvenile detention centres.
Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether his Department provides financial support to organisations in Afghanistan which provide assistance to women or girls who have been victims of (a) domestic abuse, (b) rape and (c) forced marriage; and if he will make a statement. [78720]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: The Department for International Development is not currently supporting organisations in Afghanistan that provide direct assistance to women and girls who have been the victims of domestic abuse, rape and forced marriage. However, during my recent visit to Afghanistan I announced a major new civil society programme which will help Afghan organisations to hold their Government to account, including on their obligations to protect women and girls from violence, and promote human rights more generally. The programme will particularly target women and young people and it is expected that many women's organisations will benefit, including those focussed on rights issues.
Afghanistan: Mortality Rates
Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions he has had with the Government of Afghanistan on maternal mortality rates in Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement. [78718]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: I had discussions in Kabul last week with Afghan Ministers on a range of subjects including health outcomes. Officials met with the acting Minister of Public Health in June 2011 to discuss maternal mortality issues. The ministry is prioritising women and children's health with a focus on reducing maternal mortality, as well as neonatal and under-five mortality. It has developed a new reproductive health policy and strategy to run from 2011 to 2013. We expect new data on maternal mortality in Afghanistan to be published by the Government of Afghanistan in the coming months.
Burma: Overseas Aid
Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much aid he plans to provide to Burma in (a) 2011-12, (b) 2012-13 and (c) 2013-14. [78714]
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Mr Andrew Mitchell: The Department for International Development's assistance to Burma has been designed to achieve results for poor and vulnerable people there, with programmes in areas including maternal health, livelihoods and malaria. To enable this, I have allocated the following levels of aid to Burma: £36 million in 2011-12; £36 million in 2012-13; and £55 million in 2013-14.
Further details are available in the DFID Burma operational plan which is available on the DFID website;
www.dfid.gov.uk
Security Vetting
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 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. [77890]
Mr Duncan: The booklet HMG Personnel Security Controls, available from the Cabinet Office website at:
www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/hmg-personnel-security-controls
describes the circumstances in which a post may require the holder to be the subject of national security vetting checks.
It is not appropriate to confirm which specific posts or post holders within a Department are the subject of vetting, as this could highlight who within a Department has access to sensitive material and be used for hostile targeting of individuals.
Since November 2010 the post of head of communications is held by James Helm, succeeding James Hardy. Since May 2010 the deputy head of communications is Deborah Hermer, and the head of news is Charlotte Morgan.
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 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. [77891]
Mr Duncan: The booklet HMG Personnel Security Controls, available from the Cabinet Office website at:
www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/hmg-personnel-security-controls
describes the circumstances in which a post may require the holder to be the subject of national security vetting checks.
It is not appropriate to confirm which specific posts or post holders within a Department are the subject of vetting, as this could highlight who within a Department has access to sensitive material and be used for the hostile targeting of individuals.
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 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. [77893]
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Mr Duncan: The Department for International Development currently uses both “Foreign and Commonwealth Office Services”, a trading fund of FCO, and the Defence Vetting Agency, for national security vetting.
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 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. [77894]
Mr Duncan: Sixty-one temporary building passes are currently held by persons other than staff (including those of other Government Departments) and contractors.
The Department's access control system only holds data for current live passes, and historical information is not available.