Youth Custody

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the under-18 secure estate capacity in England and Wales was in each year between 1996-97 and 2010-11. [83097]

Mr Blunt: The following table shows the average number of beds commissioned in each sector of the juvenile secure estate in each year from 2000-01 to 2010-11 together with the total number for each year.

These data are from the Youth Justice Board (YJB) and refer to secure training centres (STCs), secure children's homes (SCHs) and places commissioned by the YJB in young offender institutions (YOIs). 2000-01 is the earliest date from which data are available that gives information on all secure establishments in the youth estate for this age group.

The YJB monitors population levels and adjusts the numbers of beds it commissions accordingly. As a result decommissioning activity will often follow decreases in the number of under 18s in secure accommodation. The Government published their Secure Estate Strategy consultation on 19 July 2011. The consultation closed on 11 October 2011 and the Youth Justice Board is now carefully considering the responses received. The strategy proposes to reduce the number of beds commissioned across the secure estate in order to ensure supply meets demand. The new strategy is an opportunity to reconfigure the estate to improve provision and better meet young people's needs.


Secure children's homesSecure training centresPlaces commissioned in young offender institutionsTotal

2000-01

262

130

2,868

3,260

2001-02

262

130

2,981

3,373

Cabinet Office

Departmental Audit

Mr Thomas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many internal audits have taken place (a) in his Department and (b) in the non-departmental

1 Dec 2011 : Column 1047W

bodies for which his Department is responsible in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement. [82551]

Mr Maude: Department for Communities and Local Government Internal Audit is contracted to provide the internal audit service for the Cabinet Office and its non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs).

During the period November 2010 to November 2011, Internal Audit has undertaken 30 audits. This figure includes four audits undertaken in the National School of Government (NSG) which since 1 April 2011 has been part of the Cabinet Office.

The following audits have been undertaken in the NDPBs:

Civil Service Commission (NDPB—created November 2011): one audit

Capacitybuilders (NDPB—ceased to exist April 2011): four audits

Commission for the Compact (NDPB—ceased to exist April 2011): one audit.

Food Procurement

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) what steps he is taking to ensure that the same standards of animal welfare for whole eggs apply to imported liquefied eggs procured by (a) his Department and (b) public bodies for which he is responsible; [83787]

(2) what steps he is taking to ensure that the same standards of animal welfare for whole eggs apply to imported liquefied eggs served on the Downing street estate. [83736]

Mr Maude: The Prime Minister's Office is an integral part of the Cabinet Office.

The standards for animal welfare for whole eggs and imported liquefied eggs are set out in the Government Buying Standards on Food and Catering at:

http://sd.defra.gov.uk/advice/public/buying/products/food/

These are mandatory for central Government and their Executive agencies.

Information in relation to the Cabinet Office's commitment to the Government Buying Standards on Food and Catering can be found on its website at:

http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/food-procurement-reporting

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) what proportion of food sourced by (a) his Department and (b) public bodies for which he is responsible was procured from UK food producers in the latest period for which figures are available; [83788]

(2) what proportion of food served on the Downing street estate was procured from UK food producers in the latest period for which figures are available. [83735]

Mr Maude: The Prime Minister's Office is an integral part of the Cabinet Office.

Information for 2010-11 on the proportion of food procured by the Department and public bodies, which

1 Dec 2011 : Column 1048W

was produced to UK production standards or equivalent, can be found on the Cabinet Office website at:

http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/food-procurement-reporting

Information for 2011-12 will be published after April 2012.

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) what steps (a) his Department and (b) public bodies for which he is responsible are taking to ensure that they meet the Government's buying standards for food and catering; [83789]

(2) what steps he is taking to ensure that all food served on the Downing street estate meets the Government's buying standards for food and catering. [83737]

Mr Maude: The Prime Minister's Office is an integral part of the Cabinet Office.

Information in relation to the Government Buying Standards published in June 2011 about sourcing food, subject to no overall increase in costs, meeting UK or equivalent standards of production can be found on the Cabinet Office website at:

http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/food-procurement-reporting

Employment Schemes

Stephen Timms: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office which objectives for the Work Programme the Transparency Indicators announced in the Open Service White Paper will show as being met or not met. [84436]

Chris Grayling: I have been asked to reply.

In line with the Business Plan reporting requirement, performance data on the Work programme will be published on the Department's Business Plan Transparency webpage as the data become available. In addition, performance against the first indicator will be included as part of the Quarterly Data Summary reporting process.

The Department will publish performance data on the following Work programme indicators:

the proportion of participants who have achieved a Job Outcome payment at 12 months on the programme (to be published quarterly from November 2012);

proportion of customers who have achieved a Job Outcome payment at 24 months on the programme (to be published quarterly from November 2013);

the average cost per Job Outcome for participants who have been on the programme for 24 months (to be published quarterly from November 2013); and

the average benefit savings for individuals who have been on the programme for 24 months (to be published quarterly from February 2014).

The data will also be published on the No. 10 website.

Procurement

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office with reference to procurement policy Action Note 3/11, whether his Department has considered the value of the fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory principles in relation to licensing. [83878]

1 Dec 2011 : Column 1049W

Mr Maude: Following the outcome of the UK Government Open Standards Survey, a public consultation will begin early in 2012 regarding open standards in Government IT. Fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) principles will be considered as part of this consultation.

Personal Income: Liverpool

Luciana Berger: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the (a) maximum and (b) minimum household income was in each (i) ward and (ii) parliamentary constituency in Liverpool in the most recent period for which figures are available. [84083]

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 Parliamentary Question asking what the (a) maximum and (b) minimum household income was in each (i) ward and (ii) parliamentary constituency in Liverpool in the most recent period for which figures are available. (84083)

The information requested is not available.

Public Bodies

Mr Thomas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what risk registers are held by his Department and the non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible; and if he will make a statement. [83423]

Mr Maude [holding answer 28 November 2011]: Within the Cabinet Office each business group is accountable for managing their own risks and are responsible for both maintaining their associated risk registers and for ensuring that their business plans and all projects, programmes or activities which deliver departmental strategic or corporate objectives, include the review of associated risks and that any mitigating actions are implemented.

Risk registers are kept and maintained, as is appropriate, at working level. A list of all risk registers used within the Department and its NDPBs is not held centrally and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

The Cabinet Office also co-ordinate a number of cross-government risk assessments to identify and assess a range of risks for the UK. These inform wider cross-Government policy making, including contingency planning and national security.

Serco

Keith Vaz: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many contracts his Department has awarded to Serco since May 2010; and what the (a) monetary value and (b) net worth was of each such contract. [83051]

Mr Maude: The Cabinet Office has not awarded any contract to Serco since May 2010.

1 Dec 2011 : Column 1050W

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Animal Welfare: Cattle

Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many investigations into allegations of (a) acts of cruelty to cattle and (b) cattle being kept in conditions which neglect their welfare have been carried out in each region of England and Wales in (i) 2010-11 and (ii) 2011 to date; and if she will make a statement. [82532]

Mr Paice: As these are allegations, the investigation would be unplanned.

(i) In 2010-11 52 investigations were carried out.

(ii) From April 2011 to date, 22 investigations have been carried out.

We are, however, unable to identify investigations by individual animal species, therefore these figures will not just apply to cattle.

The following table shows routine planned welfare inspections carried out on cattle in each region of England and Wales.

Welfare inspections by region (cattle)
CountryRegion2010-11April to October 2011

England

 

3,744

1,738

 

East Midlands

224

92

 

North East

148

30

 

North West

364

194

 

South East

360

164

 

South West

1,992

1,012

 

West Midlands

384

131

 

Yorks and Humber

272

115

Wales

 

601

296

 

North Wales

271

70

 

South Wales

329

226

Notes: 1. Vetnet Codes: Beef—Breeding, Cattle—Growing, Dairy Cattle and Calves have been included in the data. 2. Data have been provided at an inspection level and includes all inspections carried out for cattle regardless of the inspection result. 3. Please be aware that multiple inspections can be carried out at a visit, e.g. a visit where dairy cattle and calves are inspected will be counted as two inspections. 4. You will note that the number of inspections has decreased from last year. This is due to inspections now being carried out on a risk basis.

Animal Welfare: Circuses

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Cambridge of 13 October 2011, Official Report, column 468W, on wild animals in circuses, from whom her Department has sought legal advice on the use of wild animals in circuses; and if she will place such advice in the Library. [82562]

Mr Paice: The Government have already indicated they wish to exercise their right to legal professional privilege in respect of this information, 21 June 2011, Official Report, column 240W. That position is unchanged.

1 Dec 2011 : Column 1051W

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmhansrd/cm110621/text/110621w0004.htm#11062168000154

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which local authorities she expects to participate in enforcement of a licensing system on the use of wild animals in circuses. [82679]

Mr Paice: None. We expect the licensing scheme for wild animals in circuses to be enforced through inspections by DEFRA appointed inspectors.

Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the oral answer to the hon. Member for Cambridge (Dr Huppert) of 13 October 2011, Official Report, column 468, who has offered legal advice to her Department on the use of wild animals in circuses; and if she will place in the Library a copy of any such advice received by her Department. [82763]

Mr Paice: Since 23 June 2011, DEFRA has been sent legal advice by the RSPCA and was referred to an article in an online legal journal that can be found at:

http://webjcli.ncl.ac.uk/2011/issue4/pdf/rook4.pdf

The RSPCA advice has not been published and it may be subject to legal privilege. The release of this unpublished legal advice would need to be considered by the RSPCA.

Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is on inclusion of welfare standards for all species of wild animal available for use in circuses around the world in any future licensing regime. [82785]

Mr Paice: In preparing proposals for licensing, the Government are considering what welfare standards should apply to all species, and which species have specific additional requirements. These will take into account international best practice.

Biodiversity

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will publish the criteria that would have to be met during the biodiversity offset pilot for the scheme to be rolled out further. [84386]

Richard Benyon: The biodiversity offsets pilots are being set up specifically in order to enable us to assess the effectiveness of the approach. The pilots will run for two years and there will be an independent evaluation of the process. A decision will then be made on whether, and if so how, to support greater use of offsetting across England.

Common Agricultural Policy

Stephen Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department is taking to protect the farming industry in negotiations on the future of the Common Agricultural Policy. [83682]

1 Dec 2011 : Column 1052W

Mr Paice: The European Commission's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) proposals were formally released on 12 October 2011 and are currently being considered by member states in the Agriculture Council, as well as by the European Parliament for the first time, under co-decision.

We will continue to negotiate hard in Agriculture Council for a fair outcome for UK farmers and taxpayers. It is important that the UK (and EU) agriculture industry is well positioned to respond to the opportunities and challenges of the future. We will therefore seek to ensure that a reformed CAP encourages the innovation, sustainable actions and market orientation that are essential to ensuring the long term competitiveness and resilience of the agriculture industry. The UK is also committed to fighting for a CAP that is significantly simpler overall for farmers, administrators and paying agencies.

DEFRA Ministers are in regular discussions with EU ministerial colleagues over the reform of the CAP. We have also been discussing the potential consequences of the proposals for all parts of the UK with Ministers for the devolved Administrations.

DEFRA will consult interested stakeholders in England to gather evidence and better understand how the Commission's proposals will affect different sectors of the industry. We will work closely with the devolved Administrations, who will also consult their stakeholders, and seek to influence the detail of the legislation so that it reflects conditions and needs across the UK.

Dangerous Dogs

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether any local authority staff have been injured by dangerous dogs in the course of their duties since June 2010. [81001]

Mr Paice: This information is not held centrally by DEFRA.

Food Procurement

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to ensure that the same standards of animal welfare for whole eggs apply to imported liquefied eggs procured by (a) her Department and (b) public bodies for which she is responsible. [83722]

Mr Paice: We will be making changes to the Government Buying Standards mandatory criteria which apply to fresh, in-shell eggs to ensure that eggs produced in conventional cages—an illegal production system across the EU after 2012—will not be used in any form whether this is fresh, powdered or liquid.

Farmers: Supermarkets

Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with her EU counterparts on introducing minimum standards in contracts between dairy farmers and retailers; and if she will make a statement. [77181]

1 Dec 2011 : Column 1053W

Mr Paice: The EU Commission's proposals for new rules on contractual relations in the dairy sector would allow member states to decide whether to make written contracts compulsory for the delivery of raw milk from producers to processors of raw milk. There is no proposal to extend that to contracts with retailers.

Food Security

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the implications for food security in 2050 of each extreme of the population range projection made by the Office for National Statistics for that year. [80636]

Dr Wollaston: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what assessment she has made of the implications for food security in 2050 of each extreme of the population range projection made by the Office for National Statistics for that year; [81276]

(2) what assessment she has made of food security in 2050 at the upper and lower limits of the population range currently projected by the Office for National Statistics. [83908]

Mr Paice: The Office for National Statistics produce population projections for the UK based on a set of demographic assumptions. Their principal projection for the UK in 2050 is 78.4 million. Population projections become increasingly uncertain the further they are carried forward and the long-term figures should be treated with great caution.

Our food security depends on access to the world market, and our domestic food industry needs to be able to compete on the world stage. In a world where climate instability can disrupt patterns of production, food security cannot be delivered from a narrow, self-interested, national protectionist stance, or by recommending self-sufficiency.

Earlier this year the Government's Chief Scientist, Sir John Beddington, published a Foresight report into the Future of Food and Farming which looked at the challenges today and in the future. It explored how we can feed a global population of 9 billion by 2050 healthily and sustainably and identified hunger and environmental degradation as the key problems we face. The Foresight world population figures are derived from United Nations projections.

As an immediate response to the report, DEFRA have signed up to a Foresight Action Plan which will include:

championing an integrated approach to food security;

pressing for integration of agricultural GHGs into UNFCCC process;

taking forward Nagoya work on international biodiversity;

promoting the importance of sustainable intensification;

pressing for trade liberalisation and CAP/CFP reform;

showcasing what can be achieved on food waste reduction within the UK and share best practice; and

increasing the productivity and competitiveness of UK food and farming and ensure that agriculture and the food sector can contribute fully to the green economy.

1 Dec 2011 : Column 1054W

Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Business

Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to implement section 85(1) of the Climate Change Act 2008 on the mandatory reporting of greenhouse gas emissions. [83494]

Mr Paice: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for East Lothian (Fiona O'Donnell), on 24 November 2011, Official Report, column 556W.

National Parks: Public Consultation

Fiona O'Donnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the cost to national park authorities of consulting with local communities on arrangements for local governance structures in the latest period for which figures are available. [84431]

Richard Benyon: No central estimate has been made. Each National Park Authority consulted as it judged appropriate and met the costs from its existing budget. Those budgets are largely financed by unhypothecated grants from DEFRA.

Timber

Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to make possession of illegally logged timber an offence across the supply chain; and if she will make a statement. [83608]

Mr Paice: We are committed to eliminating illegal timber from the UK market. We will therefore put in place the necessary legislation to implement the provisions of the EU illegal timber regulation in the United Kingdom by 3 March 2013 in accordance with the provisions of the regulation. The regulation prohibits the first-placing of illegal timber on the EU market which will restrict its purchase, possession and sale down the supply chain. To ensure the traceability of timber products, those businesses trading in timber and timber products further down the supply chain will be obliged to keep records of their suppliers and customers. Implementation will include putting in place a robust and proportionate enforcement regime, including appropriate penalties.

Defence

Adam Werritty

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 24 October 2011, Official Report, column 402W, whether any civil servants were present at the 2010 meeting between the right hon. Member for North Somerset (Dr Fox), Mr Adam Werritty and Mr Matthew Gould. [78778]

Mr Philip Hammond [holding answer 7 November 2011]: I refer the hon. Member to the Cabinet Secretary’s report published on 18 October 2011.

1 Dec 2011 : Column 1055W

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 24 October 2011, Official Report, column 402W, whether any reports of the 2010 meeting between the right hon. Member for North Somerset (Dr Fox), Mr Adam Werritty and Mr Matthew Gould were forwarded to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. [78779]

Mr Philip Hammond [holding answer 7 November 2011]: The Ministry of Defence did not send a report of the meeting to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 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. [78871]

Mr Philip Hammond [holding answer 7 November 2011]: I refer the right hon. Member to the Cabinet Secretary’s report published on 18 October 2011, and to the answer I gave on 14 November 2011, Official Report, column 518W.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost of UK operations in Afghanistan was on the most recent date for which figures are available. [81544]

Mr Philip Hammond: The net additional cost of military operations in Afghanistan, rounded to the nearest £10 million, is shown in the following table.

Financial year£ million

2001-02

220

2002-03

310

2003-04

50

2004-05

70

2005-06

200

2006-07

740

2007-08

1,500

2008-09

2,620

2009-10

3,820

2010-11

3,770

Our estimate for the net additional cost of Afghanistan in the current financial year (2011-12) is £4,030 million.

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether each nation participating in the ISAF mission in Afghanistan has access to the Afghan Mission Network. [82690]

Mr Philip Hammond: An individual from any nation participating in the ISAF mission in Afghanistan is able, in principle, to access the Afghan Mission Network providing that they hold the correct security clearance.

Air Force: Military Bases

Sir Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 19 October 2011, Official Report, column 993W, on Air Force:

1 Dec 2011 : Column 1056W

military bases, what his Department's policy is on the taking of minutes of

(a)

meetings and

(b)

telephone calls between the Secretary of State and First Ministers of the devolved Administrations. [77316]

Mr Philip Hammond [holding answer 31 October 2011]: Departmental practice on the minuting of discussions between the Secretary of State and First Ministers of the devolved Administrations is the same as that for interaction with any other individual(s). Minutes are only required if there are substantive agreements that need to be recorded and communicated to a wider audience, or which need to be kept as a public record. In detail, a record should be kept:

to account for expenditure or to record financial or other important decisions;

where information or a decision has to be passed to a wide audience;

or where the message is too detailed or complex to deliver verbally or may need to be studied carefully.

AWE Aldermaston: Planning Permission

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when his Department expects to submit a planning application for the proposed Technology Development Centre at the Atomic Weapons Establishment Aldermaston to the local planning authority; whether an environmental impact assessment will be prepared for the proposed development; and whether he plans to request a defence-exempt environmental impact assessment direction for the proposed development. [83601]

Peter Luff [holding answer 30 November 2011]:The planning application for the proposed Technology Development Centre was submitted to West Berkshire council on 25 November 2011. A Defence environmental impact assessment exemption direction was granted by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, my right hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr Pickles), on 17 August 2011 so an environmental impact assessment will not be submitted. However, a defence-exempt environmental appraisal has been included with the planning application. This provides the majority of the information that would have been supplied with an environmental impact assessment; a small amount of information has, however, been omitted for the purpose of safeguarding national security.

Conflict Prevention

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to paragraph 7.4 of the Building Stability Overseas Strategy, whether he plans to publish a watchlist of fragile countries. [82354]

Mr Philip Hammond: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister for Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans, my right hon. Friend the Member for South Leicestershire (Mr Robathan) to my hon. Friend the Member for South West Devon (Mr Streeter), on 22 November 2011, Official Report, column 273W.

1 Dec 2011 : Column 1057W

Defence: Procurement

Craig Whittaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) original budget, (b) projected final cost, (c) expected timescales for delivery, (d) primary contractor and (e) identity of additional consortium members are in relation to the Soothsayer project. [81170]

Peter Luff [holding answer 15 November 2011]: The original approval for Soothsayer was £150 million. The contract was terminated by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) on 24 June 2009. The final costs are being withheld as their disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice commercial interests. For delivery, prior to termination, the expected delivery date was April 2011. The prime contractor was Lockheed Martin Systems Integration and there was no consortium.

Departmental Publications

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) leaflets, (b) posters and (c) reports his Department has published since May 2010; how much each cost; and which company (i) published and (ii) designed each. [82996]

Mr Robathan: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has a central contract with Corporate Document Services (CDS) for the provision of printing services. The contract covers a range of printed material in both paper and other materials using all forms of printing methods and technology. The contract can be used for Royal Navy, Army, Royal Air Force and other departmental printing requirements. Identifying specific types of order, as defined in the question, would require line by line examination of records. The volume of orders placed through the contract means that this could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Orders placed through the CDS contract may include design work. Orders placed through the contract cover a variety of products; in addition to those products

1 Dec 2011 : Column 1058W

listed in the question, and among many others, the contract covers production of technical publications, periodicals, magazines, forms, business cards, CD/DVD duplication, signage, scanning and microfiche services and internet services.

The total cost of this contract between 1 May 2010 and 31 October 2011 was £11.78 million. This represents a reduction of almost £2 million from the contract's total cost over the previous 18-month period, 1 November 2008 to 30 April 2010, which was £13.56 million.

The Government's Central Office of Information (COI) have also managed some printing activity on the Department's behalf. Leaflets and posters printed through COI over the period requested have cost some £100,000.

On 31 May 2010, the Prime Minister wrote to all Government Departments with plans to open up Government data, with a specific commitment to publish Government expenditure over £25,000. This published information includes payments made to CDS and to COI for any services. For the MOD it can be found at:

http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/CorporatePublications/FinancialReports/ModSpend/ModSpendOver25000DataFiles.htm

Departmental Written Questions

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many questions for written answer on a named day received a (a) holding and (b) substantive response on the day that they were due for answer by each Minister in his Department since 11 May 2010. [84153]

Mr Robathan: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) received 1,444 questions for written answer on a named day from 11 May 2010 to 28 November 2011. Of these, 738 or 51%, received a substantive response on the day they were due for answer. All questions for written answer on a named day that are not answered by the MOD substantively on the day they are due for answer receive a holding response as a matter of course.

The information requested, broken down by each Minster in the MOD, is as follows:

MinisterNumber of questions received for written answer on a named day (11 May 2010 to 28 November 2011)No. of questions receiving substantive response on day due for answerPercentage

Secretary of State

274

78

28

Minister of State for the Armed Forces

264

141

53

Minister for Defence Equipment Support and Technology

319

179

56

Minster for Defence Personnel Welfare and Veterans

527

291

55

Minster for International Security Strategy

60

49

82

The MOD shall be providing the Procedure Committee with information relating to written parliamentary question performance at the end of the parliamentary Session. Statistics relating to the MOD's performance for the 2009-10 Session were previously provided to the Committee and are available on the Parliament website.

Ex-servicemen

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent meetings he has had with veteran groups. [83134]

Mr Philip Hammond: While I have had no formal meetings with Veteran Groups to date, I have had the pleasure and honour of meeting veterans on 16 October at Royal Wootton Basset; on 13 November, Remembrance Sunday, at the Cenotaph; and on 20 November, in Paris at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission ceremony.

Defence Ministers and officials meet regularly with Veteran Groups on a wide range of issues. We also work very closely with other Government Departments, devolved Administrations, and Voluntary Sector organisations to ensure that the needs and circumstances of the ex-Service

1 Dec 2011 : Column 1059W

community are known with the aim of improving veterans' access to services and to assist with their transition to civilian life.

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many times the Minister for Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans has received meeting requests from (a) The Veterans Charity, (b) Veterans UK and (c) The Royal British Legion; [84165]

(2) how many times the Minister for Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans has received meeting requests from Combat Stress since 11 May 2011; and how many of these requests have been fulfilled; [84381]

(3) how many times the Minister for Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans has received meeting requests from the Falkland Veterans Foundation since 11 May 2011; and how many of these requests have been fulfilled; [84382]

(4) how many times the Minister for Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans has received meeting requests from the Soldier's Charity since 11 May 2011; and how many of these requests have been fulfilled. [84383]

Mr Robathan: While we do not hold records of all meeting requests, I can confirm that I regularly meet representatives of charities which raise money for, and represent the interests of, current and former members of our armed forces and their families, either on a one to one basis or as part of wider forums, such as the Central Advisory Committee on Pensions and Compensation or the Ministry of Defence (MOD)'s Welfare Conference.

Since May 2011, I am not aware that I have met representatives of the Veterans Charity or the Falkland Veterans Foundation. Veterans UK is the MOD's Service Personnel and Veterans’ Agency (SPVA) online website. I regularly meet members of SPVA staff to discuss departmental issues.

Germany: Military Bases

Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has held with the German Government concerning the NATO Status of Forces Agreement—SOFA—Supplementary Agreement. [83571]

Mr Gerald Howarth: The Secretary of State for Defence, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), has not held any discussions with the German Government concerning the NATO SOFA Supplementary Agreement.

The previous Secretary of State, my right hon. Friend the Member for North Somerset (Dr Fox), did write to his German counterpart at the time of the strategic defence and security review informing the German Government that we would be relocating British forces to the UK.

Ministerial Meetings

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether (a) he, (b) officials of his Department and (c) special advisers in his Department have met (i) Mr Jon Moulton and (ii) Mr Tony Buckingham on official

1 Dec 2011 : Column 1060W

business since May 2010; and how many such meetings took place (A) on his Department's premises and (B) elsewhere. [78857]

Mr Philip Hammond [holding answer 7 November 2011]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Wrexham (Ian Lucas), on 21 November 2011, Official Report, columns 25-6W.

Libya: Armed Conflict

David Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many air sorties were flown in each month of the Libya campaign to the end of October 2011. [82721]

Mr Philip Hammond: The approximate number of air sorties flown by the UK armed forces by month in support of operations in Libya is given in the following table:


Number of Sorties

March 2011

180

April 2011

430

May 2011

440

June 2011

490

July 2011

510

August 2011

540

September 2011

390

October 2011

240

In addition, from 19 March to 31 October 2011, C130 and C-17 aircraft flew 25 operational sorties that landed in Libya; and, Lynx helicopters also flew 172 sorties in support of operations in Libya. Flights in support of Operation ELLAMY have also been flown to and from Italy and Cyprus but the information on these sorties is not held in the format requested.

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he made of the satellite datalink capacity for communication between ISTAR assets during Operation Ellamy. [82757]

Mr Philip Hammond: In Operation Ellamy, effective information sharing was achieved via satellite communications. However, satellite datalink communication between ISTAR assets was not the primary means of supporting near-real time co-ordination and datasharing. Instead, ultra high frequency and very high frequency radios and military tactical datalinks were utilised to good effect.

Military Aircraft

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) Army, (b) RAF and (c) Navy fixed wing aircraft are based in (i) the UK and (ii) Germany. [82968]

Peter Luff: Information on all in-service fixed wing aircraft based in the UK is shown in the following table. In-service aircraft include all bar those which are redundant, declared as surplus or awaiting disposal. Remotely piloted air systems and contractor owned fleets are not included.

1 Dec 2011 : Column 1061W

ServiceIn-service fixed wing aircraft

Royal Navy

10

Army

11

RAF

696

There are no fixed wing aircraft based in Germany.

Navy: Standards

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the fighting effectiveness, efficiency and morale of the Royal Navy. [84445]

Peter Luff: The fighting effectiveness, efficiency and morale of the Naval Service is constantly monitored through an effective and well proven process, which identifies, assesses and manages any risks to the delivery of outputs and objectives, reporting, as appropriate, to the Secretary of State for Defence, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), as Chairman of the Defence Board.

Rescue Services

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) whether he has reached agreement with the Secretary of State for Transport on any reduction in the number of search and rescue bases; and where any such reduction will take place; [82371]

(2) what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Transport on the timetable for the transfer of the Search and Rescue Service to his Department. [82372]

Peter Luff: I refer the hon. Member to the written statement made on 28 November 2011, Official Report, columns 52-53WS, by the Secretary of State for Transport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Putney (Justine Greening).

Submarines

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many submarines are available for operations or are on operations. [84443]

Peter Luff: The Naval Service has seven ship submersible nuclear and four ships submersible ballistic nuclear in various states of readiness for operational service.

Submarines: Decommissioning

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many submarines he expects to be transported from (a) Rosyth to Devonport and (b) Devonport to Rosyth by means of (i) towing, (ii) towing on a barge and (iii) heavy lift ship under his proposals for submarine dismantling. [82866]

Peter Luff: No decisions have been taken on where submarine dismantling will be undertaken but the Ministry of Defence has made proposals as part of the public consultation that is currently under way. The consultation documents are available at:

1 Dec 2011 : Column 1062W

http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/MicroSite/DES/WhatWeDo/SDP

Under these proposals, radioactive materials would be removed from the submarines where they are stored at Devonport and Rosyth Dockyards. No transport of submarines from Rosyth to Devonport or vice versa would, therefore, be required.

Submarines: Training

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what (a) the structure and (b) location is of the Submarine Sea Training Organisation. [84442]

Peter Luff: The Submarine Sea Training Organisation is part of Flag Officer Sea Training and is led by a Royal Navy Captain supported by eight functional areas responsible for the different elements associated with specialised training. Training is currently located in Faslane for the Vanguard class arid Astute class submarines, and Devonport for Trafalgar Class submarine.

Trident

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the Trident nuclear weapon system and its successor was discussed by his predecessor at meetings on his visits to Washington on (a) 22 to 25 May 2011 and (b) 31 July to 3 August 2011. [80282]

Mr Philip Hammond [holding answer 15 November 2011]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 22 November 2011, Official Report, column 275W.

Unmanned Air Vehicles

Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost to his Department is of deploying a (a) Desert Hawk, (b) Hermes 450 and (c) Reaper; how many people are needed to operate each such unmanned aerial vehicle; and if he will make a statement. [83404]

Peter Luff: The Desert Hawk, Hermes 450 and Reaper Unmanned Air Systems (UAS) were all purchased as urgent operational requirements. Total financial approval for delivering and supporting these UAS including deployment costs on operations is shown in the following table:

UAV typeApproval (£ million)

Desert Hawk

42

Hermes 450

181

Reaper

1506

1 Includes funding to sustain the Reaper capability until 2015.

The Desert Hawk, Hermes 450 and Reaper UAS tactical capability is provided by a total of 290 personnel consisting of command, aircrew, technicians intelligence and support staff, split as follows;

1 Dec 2011 : Column 1063W

UAV typePersonnel numbers

Desert Hawk

63

Hermes 450

74

Desert Hawk/Hermes 4501

38

Reaper

115

Total

290

1 Combined staff covering exploitation, command and support functions.

Metal Theft

Nick Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions Ministers in his Department have had with ministerial colleagues in the Home Office on protecting war memorials from metal thieves. [82855]

Mr Robathan: The Ministry of Defence has no direct responsibility for this matter but supports any plan to protect the memory of those who have served and paid the ultimate price defending our country. It is appalling that memorials are being vandalised and violated in the manner reported.

I am aware that my ministerial colleagues in the Home Office have had a number of discussions with Ministers from other Government Departments to consider what approach should be taken to tackle metal theft.

Home Department

Adam Werritty

Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether (a) she, (b) officials of her Department and (c) special advisers in her Department have met Mr Adam Werritty on official business since May 2010; and how many such meetings took place (i) on her Department's premises and (ii) elsewhere. [78869]

Damian Green [holding answer 7 November 2011]: The Secretary of State for the Home Department and special advisers have not met with Mr Adam Werritty since May 2010. Information on whether officials have met Mr Werritty is not held centrally.

Arrest Warrants

Mr Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many requests for the surrender of an individual under a European Arrest Warrant were received by the Serious Organised Crime Agency in 2010-11. [79002][Official Report, 1 April 2014, Vol. 578, c. 3MC.]

Damian Green [holding answer 7 November 2011]: In 2010-11, SOCA received 6,032 Part 1 European Arrest Warrant requests (relating to individuals who are in the UK) and 256 Part 3 warrants (relating to individuals wanted by the UK).

Member states will often issue an EAW to all other member states when the location of the individual sought is not known. The number of requests received, therefore, is not necessarily an indicator of those individuals being in the UK.

1 Dec 2011 : Column 1064W

Mr Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many UK nationals were extradited to another EU member state under a European arrest warrant in (a) 2004-5, (b) 2005-6, (c) 2006-07, (d) 2007-08, (e) 2008-09, (f) 2009-10 and (g) 2010-11. [84152]

Damian Green: The Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service for Scotland are the designated UK authorities responsible for processing European arrest warrants (EAWs).

Since the introduction of the EAW in 2004 193 British nationals have been surrendered by the UK to another European Union member state under an EAW.

Due to the way data were recorded prior to 1 October 2008 it is not possible to provide data on the number of British nationals surrendered to each European Union member state prior to this date:


British nationals surrendered

2004

5

2005

11

2006

26

2007

27

1 January 2008 to 30 September 2008

32

1 October 2008 to 31 March 2009British nationals surrendered

Netherlands

2

Spain

1

Total

3

2009-10British nationals surrendered

Belgium

1

Cyprus

3

France

5

Germany

2

Greece

1

Hungary

1

Ireland

4

Lithuania

1

Malta

1

Netherlands

2

Poland

8

Portugal

1

Spain

11

Total

41

2010-11British nationals surrendered

Belgium

3

Czech Republic

1

France

2

Germany

7

Greece

8

Ireland

4

Malta

1

Netherlands

5

Poland

1

Spain

16

Total

48

1 Dec 2011 : Column 1065W

Legal Proceedings

Mr Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which organisations that have received funding from her Department have brought legal proceedings against her Department in the last five years; which such organisations were not successful in their actions; and whether her Department (a) applied and (b) was paid for costs in respect of such cases. [83890]

Damian Green: Judicial review proceedings were brought in 2010 against the Secretary of State for the Home Department by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) in respect of the ‘Consolidated Guidance to Intelligence Officers and Service Personnel on the Detention and Interviewing of Detainees Overseas, and on the Passing and Receipt of Intelligence Relating to Detainees’. The Prime Minister, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and the Secretary of State for Defence were also defendants to these proceedings. The EHRC was unsuccessful in its action. The defendants applied for costs and the Administrative Court made a costs order against the EHRC. The defendants will shortly start the process of recovering their costs pursuant to the costs order.

Judicial review proceedings have been brought on two occasions by staff associations representing the interests of police officers, which are funded in part by the Secretary of State. In 2008 the Staff Side of the Police Negotiating Board (which includes the Police Federation for England and Wales, the Police Superintendents' Association for England and Wales and the Chief Police Officers' Staff Association) challenged a decision of the Secretary of State not to implement in full a pay award recommended by the board. The Staff Side's claim was unsuccessful. No application was made by the Secretary of State for costs. In 2009 the Police Federation for England and Wales challenged a decision of the Secretary of State to delay the implementation of new actuarial factors used to calculate lump sums payable as part of police officers' pensions. The Police Federation's claim succeeded.

Central records do not allow an electronic search to be conducted to establish whether a claimant was an ‘organisation’, as distinct from an ‘individual’ but, apart from the instances mentioned above, the Department is not aware of any other legal proceedings that have been brought against it in the last five years by other organisations which receive direct departmental funding towards their operational costs.

Food Procurement

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to ensure that the same standards of animal welfare for whole eggs apply to imported liquefied eggs procured by (a) her Department and (b) public bodies for which she is responsible. [83769]

Damian Green: The (a) Home Office and (b) the public bodies for which it is responsible do not directly contract for food supplies but procures catering services through wider facilities management or operating service contracts. As part of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) led initiatives, we have begun work to establish the proportion of food

1 Dec 2011 : Column 1066W

already procured by our facilities management and operating service suppliers that meets buying standards for food and catering. We will continue to work with suppliers to gain accurate data and to identify what potential there is to increase this compliance.

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what proportion of food sourced by (a) her Department and (b) public bodies for which she is responsible was procured from UK food producers in the latest period for which figures are available; [83770]

(2) what steps (a) her Department and (b) public bodies for which she is responsible are taking to ensure that they meet the Government's buying standards for food and catering. [83771]

Damian Green: The (a) Home Office and (b) the public bodies for which it is responsible do not directly contract for food supplies but procures catering services through wider facilities management or operating service contracts. As part of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) led initiatives, we have begun work to establish the proportion of food already procured by our facilities management and operating service suppliers that meets buying standards for food and catering. We will continue to work with suppliers to gain accurate data and to identify what potential there is to increase this compliance.

Judicial Review

Mr Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her policy is on (a) the recovery of legal costs from failed applicants for judicial review and (b) enforcement of any such recovery; and whether any exceptions apply. [83917]

Damian Green: The policy of the Department is generally to seek the recovery of legal costs from failed applicants for judicial review. Where the Department has sought to recover its costs and obtained a legal costs order then it would generally seek to enforce the order. Each case is assessed according to the individual circumstances and there may always be exceptions which warrant a different approach on the facts of a particular case.

Official Hospitality

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what receptions and events have been hosted by her Department since May 2010, including those sponsored by a third party. [84244]

Damian Green: We do not hold central records of all receptions and events hosted by the Department.

Deportation: Offenders

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many foreign national prisoners have been (a) released and (b) deported since the introduction of deportation for foreign national prisoners on completion of their sentence. [79771]

1 Dec 2011 : Column 1067W

Damian Green: The power to deport foreign nationals where their presence in the United Kingdom is not conducive to the public good came into force on 1 January 1973. The following table shows a breakdown of the foreign national offenders (FNO) released between March 2009 and April 2011. Data prior to 2009 are unreliable.

FNO releases

Released by courtReleased by UKBATotal

2009

1,044

164

1,208

2010

1,137

118

1,255

2011

351

33

384

The following table shows deportations from 1991 to the second quarter of 2011.

FNO removals

Number

1991

560

1992

640

1993

550

1994

320

1995

330

1996

370

1997

360

1998

345

19991

375

20002

2001

450

2002

404

2003

1,270

2004

1,660

2005

1,673

2006

2,396

2007

4,200

2008

5,395

2009

5,528

2010

5,342

2011 Q1

1,339

2011Q2

936

1 Figures for 1991 to 1999 taken from Control of Immigration Statistics United Kingdom 2001, page 95. 2 Figures for 2000—no data available from any source. Note: No reliable data are available prior to 1991.

Detainees: Children

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will publish any agreement reached with Barnardo's concerning the detention of children and their families under immigration law. [77051]

Damian Green: Cedars, the pre-departure accommodation for families with children which I opened on 17 August, forms part of the new family returns process put in place to fulfil the Government's commitment to end the detention of children for immigration purposes.

Barnardo's provides welfare and support services at the accommodation to help families prepare for leaving the UK. The terms of the agreement to do so are commercially sensitive and are therefore not published.

1 Dec 2011 : Column 1068W

Equality Act 2010: Legal Opinion

Mr Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what legal advice she has received on the applicability of the Equality Act 2010 to staff employed by the Police and Crime Commissioner after 15 November 2012. [82916]

Nick Herbert: Police and Crime Commissioners and their staff will be subject to all existing general legal requirements on public bodies, including the Equality Act 2010.

The Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 amends the Equality Act to make Police and Crime Commissioners, and the Mayor’s Office for Police and Crime, subject to the Equality Duty (paragraphs 380-383 of schedule 16 of the Act).

Firearms

Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the number of criminal damage cases in England and Wales that have involved the use of firearms in (a) 2010 and (b) 2011. [83846]

Nick Herbert: The most recently available data are for 2009-10. In that year, the police recorded 4,085 offences of criminal damage which involved the use of a firearm. Of these, the vast majority involved the use of an air weapon, 3,646 offences, or 89% of the total.

Data for 2010-11 will be available in January 2012.

Homophobia

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many homophobic incidents have been reported to the police (a) in Lancashire and (b) nationally in each year since 2005. [83901]

Lynne Featherstone: The information requested is not available centrally from the recorded crime statistics.

Immigrants: Detainees

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether the UK Border Agency has any plans to review its policy on the time of day at which it visits homes for the removal of failed asylum seekers and illegal immigrants; [82091]

(2) if she will place in the Library a copy of the guidance provided to immigration officers undertaking home visits; [82092]

(3) whether guidance is provided to immigration officers on the time of day a visit should take place to a home where a child is resident. [82093]

Damian Green: The UK Border Agency has clear guidance on the considerations that need to be made when planning an enforcement visit, including the time the visit should take place.

Guidance for the timing of operational enforcement visits to residential addresses is set out in chapters 31, 45 and 61 of the Enforcement Instructions and Guidance which is available for public viewing on the UK Border Agency website at the link below:

1 Dec 2011 : Column 1069W

www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/policyandlaw/guidance/enforcement/

Where enforcement action is being considered to ensure the return of a family with children, an individually tailored return plan will be referred to the independent Family Returns Panel. Enforcement visits will only take place when the Family Returns Panel has advised on the most appropriate time of day to secure the return of the family, while having regard to the welfare of the children.

The timing of visits for cases falling outside of the family returns process is determined and also recorded in the risk assessment that is carried out for each visit. Visits should not normally take place either very late at night or very early in the morning unless operational planning indicates that a visit would be frustrated if carried out at a different time.

All existing policy and guidance relating to the timing of enforcement visits is regularly reviewed as part of a programme of nationwide unannounced assurance currently being rolled out by the UK Border Agency's Professional Standards for Enforcement team (PSE).

Immigration

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what criteria she uses for immigration files placed in the controlled archive. [81286]

Damian Green [holding answer 15 November 2011]: The controlled archive is a hold for those cases where the case resolution directorate (CRD) had tried to establish contact with the applicant through the current set of processes and has been unsuccessful. All checks to establish the applicant’s whereabouts have been made and all information on case information database (CID) for the applicant is correct.

When deciding whether to place a case file in the controlled archive, internal electronic records and the case papers must be checked thoroughly to ensure that all steps have been taken to contact the applicant. All cases are subjected to checks against watchlists and the police national computer before being placed in the controlled archive.

The UK Border Agency also has access to a number of further external databases including:

UK Visas Database

Voters registry

DVLA records

HM Revenue and Customs

Department for Work and Pensions

NHS Trace line

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how often immigration cases in the controlled archive are checked; what databases are used to carry out such checks; and how many staff perform such checks. [81288]

Damian Green [holding answer 15 November 2011]: The Case Assurance and Audit Unit are responsible for ongoing management of the controlled archive and active management of cases which could not be fully concluded due to a barrier, the unit consists of 126 staff.

1 Dec 2011 : Column 1070W

Each case is reviewed on a six monthly basis and a range of internal Home Office and external databases are available.

The Controlled Archive is a hold for those cases where the Case Resolution Directorate (CRD) had tried to establish contact with the applicant through the current set of processes and has been unsuccessful and all checks to establish the applicant's whereabouts have been made and all information on Case Information Database (CID) for the applicant is correct.

When deciding whether to place a case file in the Controlled Archive, electronic records (ASYS, CID), and the case papers must be checked thoroughly to ensure that all steps have been taken to contact the applicant. All cases are subjected to checks against the Police National computer and Warning Index before being placed in the controlled archive. The UK Border Agency also has access to a number of further external databases including:

UK Visas Database

Voters registry

DVLA records

HM Revenue and Customs

Department for Work and Pensions

NHS Trace line

Immigration Controls

Mr Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Government plans to publish the response to her Department's consultation on reform of family migration. [84150]

Damian Green: The family migration consultation closed on 6 October 2011. It proposed new measures to tackle abuse, promote integration and reduce burdens on the taxpayer. The Government are considering the responses to the consultation and will publish their response in due course.

Members: Correspondence

Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to reply to the letter dated 17 October 2011 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton, with regard to Mr Zaid Khan. [83665]

Damian Green: A reply to the right hon. Member’s letter was sent on 25 November 2011.

Mike Crockart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when her Department will respond to correspondence from the hon. Member for Edinburgh West of 11 October 2011 and 7 November 2011 regarding a constituent, Hannes Turnbull. [83866]

Damian Green: A reply to the hon. Member’s letter was sent on 24 November 2011.

National Policing Improvement Agency

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the cost of abolishing the National Policing Improvement Agency and creating its successor bodies. [81256]

1 Dec 2011 : Column 1071W

Nick Herbert: The Home Office is working closely with the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) and others to ensure that the transition process and continuing functions are delivered within funding allocations.

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the effect on the security of police IT of the abolition of the National Policing Improvement Agency. [81258]

Nick Herbert: Protection and availability of information within forces remains the responsibility of chief officers who are supported by a senior information risk owner (SIRO) within their force and the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) SIRO for policing.

The police ICT programme, which is setting up the new police ICT company, is working to ensure the continuity and ongoing security of national ICT services.

Police

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which representative organisations within the police are recognised by her Department. [83664]

Nick Herbert: Police officers in England and Wales are represented by the following staff associations: the Police Federation of England and Wales, the Police Superintendents' Association of England and Wales, and the Chief Police Officers' Staff Association. The federation is a statutory body and its constitution and proceedings are prescribed by the Secretary of State for the Home Department in regulations. The other two staff associations are not statutory bodies but, along with the Federation, they are represented on the Police Negotiating Board for the United Kingdom and the Police Advisory Board for England and Wales. These boards make recommendations to the Secretary of State in relation to terms and conditions of service and other questions affecting the police, and are consulted on proposed regulations concerning those matters.

Police staff employed by police authorities in England and Wales are represented by the following trade unions: UNISON, Unite, GMB, Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), Prospect, and FDA. Recognition of trade unions for collective bargaining purposes is a matter for individual forces rather than the Home Office.

The Home Office meets with a range of other organisations which represent the needs and interests of police officers, including the national Diversity Staff Support Associations. The national Diversity Staff Support Associations (DSSAs) are entirely independent of Government and are no longer funded by the Home Office.

Police and Crime Commissioners

Mr Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether her proposed mayors for English cities will be able to influence the policing priorities of elected police commissioners. [82772]

Nick Herbert: A mayor would be on the Police and Crime Panel for their force area.

1 Dec 2011 : Column 1072W

Police: Accountability

Mr Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what spending limits will be imposed on elections for police commissioners; [81871]

(2) whether elections to the post of police commissioner will be eligible for a free post election delivery. [81872]

Nick Herbert: The detail of spending limits, campaign regulation and provision will form part of the secondary legislation under section 58 of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011, and will be laid before Parliament in the new year.

Police: Appeals

Mr Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to ensure there is an independent appeal process for police staff that are dismissed after 15 November 2012. [82917]

Nick Herbert: The Home Office will work with relevant partners to agree an approach that continues to offer police staff appropriate protections.

Police: Firearms

Mr Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance she has issued to police forces in respect of the renewal of firearm licences for serving officers. [82915]

Nick Herbert: The Home Office has not issued specific guidance on the renewal of firearms licences for serving police officers. A serving police officer, while in the line of duty, does not require a licence as they are exempt under section 5 of the Firearms Act 1968. If serving police officers hold a prohibited weapon for private use, they would have to apply for, and renew, a licence in the same manner as a member of the general public.

Religiously Aggravated Offences

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidents of hate crime against Muslims have been reported to the police in (a) Lancashire and (b) nationally in each year since 2005. [83935]

Lynne Featherstone: The information requested is not available centrally from the recorded crime statistics.

Rendition

Mr Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what her policy is on the involvement of the security service in rendition operations; and if she will make a statement; [83409]

(2) whether (a) she and (b) Ministers in her Department have authorised the involvement of the security service in a rendition operation since May 2010; if so, on how many occasions such authorisation has been given; and if she will make a statement. [83410]

1 Dec 2011 : Column 1073W

James Brokenshire: It is the policy of successive HM Governments not to comment on security and intelligence matters.

The Government policy on rendition is absolutely clear: we do not render people in breach of our legal obligations. Should another state wish to transfer an individual through our territory or airspace, we would consider all the circumstances and only grant permission if we were satisfied that it would accord with our domestic law and international obligations.

We unreservedly condemn any practice of "extraordinary rendition" to torture. We will not co-operate in any transfer of an individual where we believe there is a real risk of torture to the individual concerned. The Government's clear policy is not to participate in, solicit, encourage or condone the use of torture or inhuman or degrading treatment for any purpose. The coalition agreement made absolutely clear that:

“we will never condone the use of torture”.

Telephones: Nuisance

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate her Department has made of the number of complaints made to the police by recipients of unwelcome, nuisance or obscene telephone calls and text messages in each of the last five years. [83699]

Nick Herbert: From the information held by the Home Office, it is not possible to identify separately the number of complaints to the police involving incidents of unwelcome, nuisance or obscene telephone calls and text messages.

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what her assessment is of whether appropriate arrangements are in place with telecommunications operators to support police investigations into complaints, made from the recipients of unwelcome, nuisance or sexually suggestive and obscene telephone calls and text messages; [83716]

(2) what timeframe the police are expected to check telephone records from telecommunications providers as part of an investigation arising from complaints received from the recipients of unwelcome, nuisance or sexually suggestive and obscene telephone calls and text messages; [83717]

(3) (a) what steps her Department is taking and (b) what guidelines her Department issues to the police to ensure that complaints about (i) nuisance telephone calls and text messages and (ii) sexually suggestive and obscene telephone calls and text messages which are offensive to the recipient are investigated in a prompt manner. [83718]

Nick Herbert: While the Secretary of State for the Home Department has overall responsibility for ensuring the delivery of an efficient and effective police service in England and Wales and setting the national strategic direction of policing, Ministers have no role in operational policing decisions, which are for chief officers of each police force and their constables. The Home Office does not set central targets for police response times or assess support available during police investigations. Provisions

1 Dec 2011 : Column 1074W

to deal with harassment involving any form of data communication is also covered in the Association of Chief Police Officers' Practice Advice on Stalking and Harassment.

As part of the Violence Against Women and Girls Action Plan, the Government launched a consultation on stalking on 14 November 2011 to ask for views on how we can protect victims of stalking more effectively. The consultation incorporates a number of issues, including current legislation, the effect of police information notices, search powers, the work of existing organisations and alternative measures to tackle stalking. The consultation will remain open until 5 February 2012.

The Home Office has been working with the Association of Chief Police Officers, the Crown Prosecution Service, the Ministry of Justice and a number of stalking charities to ensure that best practice guidance is disseminated through a series of regional events. This kind of help and improved training can ensure that stalking behaviour is identified early and acted upon.

Education

Academies: Primary Education

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 31 October 2011, Official Report, column 434W, on academies: primary education, what weight he gives to improved performance (a) against floor targets and (b) among pupils with special needs in determining whether to convert primary schools to academy status; and if he will make a statement. [79228]

Mr Gibb: Primary schools that are performing well are considered for conversion to academy status following an application being submitted to the Department by the school. In assessing a school's performance we consider the last three years exam results, comparisons both locally and nationally and the last Ofsted inspection.

Schools that are considered not to be performing well may still be considered for conversion to academy status provided they convert in an appropriate chain arrangement with a school that is performing well or a strong sponsor.

Each application will be considered on a case by case basis, with the decision being informed by factors set out in academies guidance published on the DfE website:

http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/leadership/typesofschools/academies/b0061257/how-to-become-an-academy

We will consider any other evidence of a school's performance which a school considers to be significant, including contextual factors such as the number of pupils on the school roll with special educational needs.

Academies: School Meals

Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recourse is available to parents in situations where school meals served in new academies and free schools do not meet the standards expected of schools under the Education (Nutritional Standards for School Lunches) (England) Regulations 2006. [81135]

1 Dec 2011 : Column 1075W

Mr Gibb: Academies are not bound by the school food regulations but the Government believe that academies, including free schools, will wish to continue to provide healthy school food. Parents who have concerns about the quality of the food being served in an academy or a free school should raise their concerns with the academy through its complaints procedure.

Capital Grant

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he plans to announce how many local authorities will receive funding from his Department’s capital grant to be allocated in the autumn; and if he will make a statement. [82895]

Mr Gibb: Applications to the Priority School Building Programme (PSBP) are currently being assessed and we will announce those projects which will go forward in due course.

On 3 November, the Secretary of State for Education (Michael Gove) announced an additional £500 million basic need funding. The funding, made available from within existing budgets, has been allocated to 111 local authorities that are experiencing the greatest pressure on school places.

The Department is hoping to announce future allocations of capital maintenance, devolved formula capital and basic need funding for local authorities and schools in due course.

Children in Care

Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of whether local authorities are meeting the requirement to inform the relevant local authority when placing a looked after child in that authority's area; and if he will make a statement. [83347]

Tim Loughton: The Department does not collect information on how responsible local authorities are meeting the requirement to inform the receiving authority when placing a child. The Care Planning, Placement and Case Review (England) Regulations 2010 and statutory guidance make clear that before approving a decision to place the child outside the area of the responsible authority, the nominated officer must ensure that the local authority for the area in which the child is to be placed has been notified.

Children: Disability

Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of schools returned information to the most recent School Census on whether a child in the school had a disability. [81543]

Sarah Teather: Information on pupils' disability was collected for the first time in the January 2011 School Census, on a voluntary basis. In the January 2011 School Census, 14.5% (3,132) of schools provided disability information for at least one pupil. However, for 906 of these schools the only valid disability code recorded was 'none'.

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Children's Centres

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the number of Sure Start children's centres there will be in 2015. [82232]

Sarah Teather: Local authorities have a duty under section 5A (1) of the Childcare Act 2006 to ensure there are sufficient children's centres to meet local need. Many local authorities are reviewing their provision, and they must consult before making any significant changes. The situation changes frequently and it is not possible to predict accurately the position at the end of 2015. The Early Intervention Grant provides enough funding to retain a network of children's centres.

Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will assess the number of designated children's centres following the introduction of revised Sure Start Statutory Guidance. [82626]

Sarah Teather: The Department will consult on revised statutory guidance on Sure Start children's centres in due course. However, the definition of a Sure Start children's centre is contained in section 5A of the Childcare Act 2006. The Act also requires local authorities to consult on any significant changes to their children's centre provision including proposals to close a centre. Local authorities are asked to keep the Sure Start ON database up to date with details of their children's centres and this information is available on the DirectGov website. The number of centres is only one measure of Sure Start provision, what matters most is the quality and range of services that families receive.

Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps his Department has taken in payment by results pilots to ensure children's centre providers are rewarded in line with the outcomes they achieve. [82628]

Sarah Teather: We have, in conjunction with the Children's Improvement Board, identified 26 trial areas that are developing payment by results approaches for children's centres in their areas. We want to use these payment-by-results trials to incentivise a focus on the core purpose of children's centres: to improve child development and school readiness among young children and to reduce inequalities.

Final decisions on the measures used for national payment by results will be informed by early learning from the trials. It is for local authorities to decide which measures to use for local payment of providers by results.

Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if his Department will define what constitutes significant change to a children's centre in the forthcoming revised Sure Start Statutory Guidance. [83192]

Sarah Teather: Section 5D of the Childcare Act 2006 makes clear that there must be consultation where there are significant changes proposed to children's centre provision in their area. This includes opening a new children's centre, making a significant change to the

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range and nature of services provided through a children's centre, closing or merging centres, or reducing the services provided to such an extent that it no longer meets the statutory definition of a Sure Start Children's Centre.

The revised Sure Start Children's Centre Statutory Guidance will clarify the children's centres sufficiency duty and duties relevant to the core purpose of children's centres.

Class Sizes

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the average class size has been in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in each year since 2009. [82463]

Mr Gibb [holding answer 24 November 2011]:The requested information is shown in the table.

Average class size state-funded primary and secondary schools1, 2, 3: Classes as taught4. England. January 2009-11

State-funded primary schools1, 2State-funded secondary schools 1, 3

2009

26.2

20.6

2010

26.4

20.5

2011

26.6

20.4

1 Includes middle schools as deemed. 2 Includes primary academies 3 Includes city technology colleges and secondary academies (including all-through academies). 4 One teacher classes as taught during a single selected period in each school on the day of the census in January. Source: School Census

The latest available information on class sizes is published in tables 7a-7c of the Statistical First Release 'Schools, Pupils and their Characteristics, January 2011' available at

http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s001012/index.shtml

Classroom Assistants: Greater London

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many teaching assistants are employed within (a) Greater London, (b) the London Borough of Havering and (c) Romford. [83143]

Mr Gibb: The following table provides the number of teaching assistants (head count) employed in publicly funded schools within Greater London, the London borough of Havering local authority and Romford parliamentary constituency in England, November 2010.

Teaching assistants (head count) in publicly funded schools—November2010

Teaching assistants

England

341,170

Greater London

46,860

London borough of Havering

1,680

Romford

580

Note: Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. Source: School Workforce Census