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Written Answers to Questions
Wednesday 7 December 2011
Scotland
Departmental Manpower
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many (a) full-time and (b) part-time employees his Department and its predecessor had in each year since 1997. [84683]
David Mundell: The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999. Information on staff numbers is routinely published in the Office's annual report, copies of which are in the House Library. A breakdown of part-time staff is not provided as identification of individuals may be possible in view of the numbers involved.
Departmental Pay
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether any senior staff in his Department are paid by means of payments to a limited company in lieu of a salary; and if he will publish his policy on such payments. [85072]
David Mundell: No senior staff in the Scotland Office are paid by means of payments to a limited company in lieu of a salary.
Festivals and Special Occasions
Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether his Department provided support to any organisations celebrating St Andrew's Day in 2011. [84875]
David Mundell: The Scotland Office supported the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland's annual St Andrew's tide visit to London. The Advocate-General and I attended a St Andrew's Day service in the Chapel of St Mary Undercroft at Westminster before the Advocate-General hosted a lunch in Dover House to mark the occasion.
Details of a St Andrew's Day concert by Ian McFarlane held in the Banqueting House, Whitehall were circulated to Scotland Office staff in Dover House should they wish to attend.
A number of Whitehall Departments flew the Saltire flag on St Andrew's Day.
Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps his Department took to (a) mark and (b) promote St Andrew's Day in 2011. [84897]
David Mundell:
The Secretary of State for Scotland, the right hon. Member for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk (Michael Moore), was in Brazil on St Andrew's Day promoting Scotland's business and exports. He
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was guest of honour at a St Andrew's Day reception at the United Kingdom consul's residence in Sao Paulo, and he issued a celebratory St Andrew's Day message via the media.
The Advocate-General and I attended the St Andrew's Day service in the Chapel of St Mary Undercroft at Westminster. Following this, the Advocate-General hosted the annual Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland's lunch in Dover House to mark the Moderator's annual St Andrew's tide visit to London. I also attended the lunch.
Sovereignty
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many (a) letters and (b) emails his Department has received on holding a referendum on independence for Scotland in the last 12 months. [84672]
David Mundell: The Scotland Office has received (a) 29 letters and (b) 11 e-mails on holding a referendum on independence for Scotland in the last 12 months.
Transport
A14: Cambridgeshire
Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate she has made of the likely effects of the proposed expenditure on the A14 in Cambridgeshire on (a) levels of congestion, (b) average travel times and (c) the number of accidents. [84712]
Mike Penning [holding answer 5 December 2011]: The £20 million package was developed from a list of Highways Agency and local authority proposed scheme ideas which are considered most likely to reduce congestion and travel times and improve safety and resilience on the A14 in the short term. Proportionate and quantified assessment of the benefits of the measures will be carried out as part of the pre-implementation preparations to ensure the schemes are optimally designed and offer value for money.
A31: Dorset
Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if she will take steps to reduce the length of time that all side roads from the Canford Bottom roundabout will be closed during the current construction works; [85627]
(2) what estimate she has made of the length of time during which all side roads from the Canford Bottom roundabout will be closed during the current construction works. [85628]
Mike Penning: Revisions to the programme of the current construction works at the Canford Bottom roundabout have reduced the total length of time the side roads will be affected from 12 to eight weeks.
Due to the phasing of this work, Ham Lane/Wimborne Road West (Ferndown side) will be closed for two weeks. All side roads are then closed for four weeks, followed by closure of Canford Bottom/Wimborne Road West (Wimborne side) for two weeks.
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Further to our meeting on 5 December 2011, the Highways Agency is looking at ways to further reduce the time the side roads will be closed. They are investigating extended hours or 24/7 working, although this will have to be considered with the likely disruption to local residents.
Aviation: Training
Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) whether she has any plans to increase the levels of regulatory protection for students on flight training courses who have paid large sums in advance for their courses; [85166]
(2) whether she has any plans to increase the regulatory powers of the Civil Aviation Authority in respect of the financial situation of flight training schools. [85167]
Mrs Villiers: There are currently no plans to change the level of regulatory protection for students of Flight Training Organisations (FTO) in the UK, or the Civil Aviation Authority's powers in respect of the financial oversight of approved FTOs.
Cardiff Airport
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions she has had with the Welsh Government on the future of Cardiff airport. [84723]
Mrs Villiers: DFT Ministers have not had any recent discussions with the Welsh Government regarding the future of Cardiff airport.
The Government are currently developing a sustainable framework for UK aviation. In March we published a scoping document to initiate a dialogue with a wide range of stakeholders on the future direction of aviation policy, in response to which the Welsh Government have submitted their views.
Departmental Disciplinary Proceedings
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many staff of her Department have been disciplined due to drug offences in the last 12 months. [83316]
Norman Baker: The central Department and six of its executive agencies can confirm that there have been no cases where a member of staff has been disciplined due to drug-related offences. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency is not able to answer as it would incur disproportionate costs.
Departmental Pay
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether any senior staff in (a) her Department and (b) its executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies are paid by means of payments to a limited company in lieu of a salary; and if she will publish her policy on such payments. [85071]
Norman Baker: No senior staff in the Department for Transport, its executive agencies or non-departmental public bodies are paid in this way. Our policy is to pay all staff through payroll, by automatic bank transfer.
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Procurement
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which services her Department has outsourced in each of the last five years. [84229]
Norman Baker: No contracts have been outsourced by the Department for Transport since April 2006.
Parliamentary Written Questions
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of written questions for answer on a named day received a substantive answer within five working days in each of the last six months. [85045]
Norman Baker: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 14 November 2011, Official Report, column 576W, to the hon. Member for Hemsworth (Jon Trickett).
The Government have committed to providing the Procedure Committee with information relating to written parliamentary question performance on a sessional basis and will provide full information to the Committee at the end of the session. Statistics relating to Government Department's performance for the 2009-10 parliamentary session were previously provided to the committee and are available on the Parliament website.
Heathrow Airport
Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will commission research into the effect on the economy of not constructing a third runway at Heathrow airport. [84118]
Mrs Villiers: The coalition Government have made absolutely clear their opposition to a third runway at Heathrow.
We want to see a successful aviation sector which facilitates economic growth and addresses its environmental impacts. We will issue a Sustainable Framework for UK Aviation for public consultation in spring 2012.
Intercity Express Programme
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many Intercity Express Programme carriages will enter service in each of the next 10 years. [82161]
Mrs Villiers: The Department for Transport is currently conducting commercial discussions with Agility Trains. The precise numbers of carriages and their rate of delivery will remain under negotiation as the contract moves towards financial close.
Members: Correspondence
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when she plans to answer the letter from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton of 20 October 2011 with regard to Mr T Dowden. [85146]
Justine Greening: I replied to the right hon. Member on 15 November 2011.
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Motor Vehicles: Lighting
Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps her Department is taking to prevent the unnecessary use of fog lights in conditions of good visibility. [85674]
Mike Penning: The use of front or rear fog lamps is prohibited other than in conditions of seriously reduced visibility. Enforcement of road traffic law is a matter for the police. However, guidance on the correct use of fog lights is also provided in the Highway Code, which advises that seriously reduced visibility is when the driver cannot see further than 100 metres (328 feet).
To help prevent rear fog lamps inadvertently being left on, they must be designed to automatically switch off when all other lamps are turned off and then to remain off until deliberately switched on again. Alternatively an audible warning must be given if the driver leaves the vehicle with the rear fog lamps on.
Postcodes
Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether her Department uses postcodes for purposes other than the postage of mail. [84200]
Norman Baker: The Department for Transport primarily uses postcodes for the postage of mail. Other uses of postcodes can include identification of local driving test centres, creation of property records and for journey planning purposes. However, wider use of postcode data is not centrally recorded and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Railways
Steve Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the potential of magnetic levitation technology for use in the next generation of high-speed trains. [84886]
Justine Greening: Work by the Department for the 2007 White Paper, “Delivering a Sustainable Railway”, found that magnetic levitation technology would be significantly more expensive than high-speed rail and would not enable trains to run seamlessly onto existing inter-city routes, serving a wider range of destinations. The few instances of magnetic levitation systems in use around the world operate on a relatively short point-to-point basis and scaling the technology up to a national network is unproven. There are no plans to further consider magnetic levitation as an alternative to a high-speed rail network.
Steve Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations she has received on the use of MagLev trains in the UK. [84887]
Justine Greening: The Department for Transport regularly receives correspondence regarding a range of technologies, including the use of MagLev trains in the UK. Since my appointment I have not met with any promoters of such technology.
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Shipping: Rescue Services
Dr Wollaston: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether her Department has conducted a cost-benefit analysis of the withdrawal of emergency towing vehicle funding comparing the south-west of England and the north-west of Scotland. [82407]
Mike Penning: The decision to withdraw the emergency towing vessels (ETVs) was part of the comprehensive spending review package announced in October 2010, and reflected the Government's judgment about the balance of risk of pollution around the UK coast in the event of a maritime accident. This decision was based on the then current running costs of the ETV contract, and the determination that the costs of any future pollution incident will be borne by the polluter on a cost recovery basis. There was no specific cost-benefit analysis comparing the south-west of England and north-west of Scotland.
Thameslink: Rolling Stock
Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 31 October 2011, Official Report, column 419W, on the Thameslink Railway Line: rolling stock, what assessment her Department made of the effect on employment of the decision to establish Siemens plc and XL Trains as preferred bidder for the Thameslink Rolling Stock contract. [85278]
Mrs Villiers: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 11 July 2011, Official Report, columns 205-6W, to the question from the right hon. Member for Southampton, Itchen (Mr Denham)
Transport: Infrastructure
Richard Graham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the additional road and rail infrastructure required to meet demand at existing standards for the (a) upper and (b) lower limits of the population forecast by the Office for National Statistics by 2050. [85463]
Mrs Villiers: I refer my hon. Friend to my answer of 14 November 2011, given to the hon. Member for Kilmarnock and Loudoun (Cathy Jamieson), Official Report, column 580W.
Transport: Snow and Ice
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when (a) she, (b) other Ministers in her Department and (c) officials in her Department last met representatives of the Independent Review of Winter Resilience. [81216]
Norman Baker: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 24 May 2011, Official Report, columns 581-2W. No further meetings have taken place between the Department for Transport and the Independent Review of Winter Resilience panel members, who published their final report on 22 October 2010, and disbanded as a panel following the fulfilment of their terms of reference at the end of 2010.
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Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Departmental Flags
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which flag or flags are routinely displayed outside each of his Department's overseas (a) posts and (b) residences. [84588] [Official Report, 15 December 2011, Vol. 537, c. 3MC.]
Mr Bellingham: The information requested is as follows:
(a) The general rule is that the relevant flag—as follows—should be flown at post on all working days during office hours, depending on which country the posts are located in and the type:
Diplomatic flag—this is the Union flag with the Royal Arms in the centre surrounded by a green garland.
Consular flag—this is the Union flag with the St Edward's Crown in the centre on a white disc . It is only flown at consular posts in foreign countries.
Union flag—this is flown in Commonwealth countries.
European flag—the display of the European flag is a courtesy rather than a requirement. On Europe day (9 May), posts in EU and EU-applicant countries should display the European flag. Other posts may also display the flag on Europe day where this is normal local practice. UKREP Brussels displays the European flag at all times. All posts may display the flag at other times where this is normal local practice.
In all cases, the European flag is displayed alongside, not instead of, the British Diplomatic, Consular or in Commonwealth countries the Union flag, with the British flag having precedence.
Overseas Territories—The personal flag of an Officer Administering the Government (OAG) in an Overseas Territory is the Union flag, superimposed in the centre with the approved arms or badge of the Territory on a white disc surrounded by a green garland. It is flown from sunrise to sunset at Government House when the OAG is in residence. If he/she is not, the flag is flown wherever he/she is in the Territory.
The Union flag is flown from sunrise to sunset at Government House when the OAG is not in residence. It is also flown there if he/she has placed the residence entirely at the disposal of an important visitor, e.g. a member of the royal family.
UK national flags—three of the four constituent countries of the United Kingdom have their own national flags: the St Andrew's, St David's, and St George's flags. (Northern Ireland is currently without a national flag, pending a new design.) These flags may be flown on the appropriate national day. Posts also have discretion to fly them when special circumstances/events dictate, e.g. the visit of a Minister from a devolved Administration.
London 2012—The International Olympic Committee and the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games gave permission for posts overseas to fly the London 2012 host country flag on key dates in 2012 and for the duration of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, which the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), has supported. The dates in question are as follows:
9 January 2012: 200 days to go—Olympics
11 February 2012: 200 days to go—Paralympics
18 April 2012: 100 days to go—Olympics
10 May 2012: Lighting of the Olympic flame
17 May 2012: Handover of the Olympic flame
18 May 2012: Arrival in the UK of the Olympic flame
21 May 2012: 100 days to go—Paralympics
27 July to 12 August 2012 inclusive: Olympic Games
29 August to 9 September 2012 inclusive: Paralympic Games.
Posts are only permitted to fly the 2012 flag on those agreed dates above, but can display it in their reception areas at other times. Again the British Diplomatic, Consular or the Union flag, will take precedence.
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(b) The general rule for flying the relevant flags listed above at Residencies is that they should be flown on the following British anniversaries, during the visit of one of Her Majesty's ships or on days of local celebration or mourning.
20 January: birthday of HRH the Countess of Wessex
6 February: Her Majesty's Accession
19 February: birthday of HRH the Duke of York
1 March: St David's day
10 March: birthday of HRH the Earl of Wessex
17 March: St Patrick's day
March (second Monday): Commonwealth day
21 April: birthday of Her Majesty
23 April: St George's day
9 May: Europe day(1)
2 June: Coronation day
10 June: birthday of HRH the Duke of Edinburgh
June (second Saturday): official celebration of Her Majesty's birthday
17 July: birthday of HRH the Duchess of Cornwall
15 August: birthday of HRH the Princess Royal
November (second Sunday):Remembrance day
14 November: birthday of HRH the Prince of Wales
20 November: Her Majesty's wedding anniversary
30 November: St Andrew's day.
(1) The Union flag should fly alongside the European flag. On Government buildings that only have one flagpole, the Union flag should take precedence.
Iran: Baha'i Faith
Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received of attempts to prevent Bahais in the Iranian city of Sanandaj from attending gatherings; and if he will make a statement. [85177]
Mr Bellingham: We are aware of the deeply concerning reports that Baha'is are being prevented from attending regular planned gatherings and are being threatened. This is a flagrant breach of Iran's commitments under international law to protect freedom of religion, and forms part of a wider pattern of harassment of Baha'is in Iran, including the imprisonment of their leaders. We have regularly raised these issues with the Iranian authorities, for example when the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for North East Bedfordshire (Alistair Burt), met the Iranian chargé d’affaires in August this year. Following the storming of the British embassy in Tehran on 29 November, the UK has downgraded diplomatic relations with Iran. However, we will continue to press the Iranian Government to accord all Iranian citizens the right to freedom of religion. With our EU partners, the UK has taken co-ordinated action to address Iran's human rights record, imposing travel bans and asset freezes on over 60 Iranians responsible for human rights violations, including Government Ministers and members of the judiciary.
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Palestinians: Overseas Aid
Mrs Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to urge the Israeli government to (a) lift the restrictions on aid to Gaza and (b) allow the free entry of medical equipment and drugs. [85008]
Mr Bellingham: We are aware that from a list of 460 essential drugs, Gaza's Ministry of Health medical store is currently missing 170 items, including drugs used to strengthen the bones of cancer patients and other types of cancer-related drugs.
According to an UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs report that was published in August 2011, as of the end of August, approximately one third of the items in the essential drug list and 27% of the medical disposable items were at "zero level" at the Central Drug Store in the Gaza Strip. These shortages directly affect the delivery of health services at facilities run by the Ministry of Health, which provide 40% of primary health care and 80% of hospital care services.
We continue to work closely with the Quartet and EU partners, and to call on Israel to ease restrictions on access including access to humanitarian and medical supplies. Our ambassador in Tel Aviv raises these concerns regularly with Israeli authorities. It was also formally raised by the UK at the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee meeting of donors in New York on 18 September both in the plenary session and in bilateral meetings with the Israeli delegation in the margins of the main event.
Somalia: International Assistance
Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what issues the Government expects to be on the agenda at the international conference on Somalia in 2012; and if he will take steps to ensure that the famine and humanitarian access for international agencies and non-governmental organisations will be included on that agenda. [85150]
Mr Bellingham: The London conference on Somalia on 23 February will seek to deliver a new, action-oriented international approach to Somalia to support and build on the progress being made on the ground.
We want the conference to agree a series of practical measures to support Somalia, including ways to address humanitarian issues.
Somalia: Piracy
Mr Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the cost to the economy of piracy off the coast of Somalia. [85169]
Mr Bellingham: The turnover of the British shipping industry is worth £10.7 billion of our national GDP; nearly $1 trillion of trade to and from Europe travelled through the Gulf of Aden in 2008 and this is the second busiest international trade route in the world. One World Future has estimated that piracy could be costing the global economy up to $12 billion a year in direct costs and indirect costs such as increased insurance premiums.
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Britain is playing a leading role in the counter-piracy operations at sea, and we are leading international work with regional countries to build penal, judicial and law enforcement capacities in support, with more than 1,000 pirates now in custody. The first line of defence remains self-defence measures by ships to minimise the risk of a successful highjack. But the long-term solution lies on land, with rule of law and increased stability.
West Bank: Trees
Mrs Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the removal of olive trees in the West Bank; and if he will assess the effects of such removals on the livelihood of Palestinian families. [85007]
Mr Bellingham: The UK Government fully appreciate that attacks on olive groves are particularly painful to Palestinians, as the olive tree is both a national symbol and the sole source of income for many subsistence farmers. We have raised our concerns about these various issues with the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and with the Israeli Defence Force. Our staff at the British Consulate General in Jerusalem and British embassy in Tel Aviv will continue to raise these issues as appropriate.
We view any attempts to change the facts on the ground as a serious provocation likely to raise tensions and cause unnecessary suffering to ordinary Palestinians, as well as being harmful to the peace process and in contravention of international law. We will continue to monitor the situation closely.
Justice
Applied Language Solutions
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 14 November 2011, Official Report, columns 544-5W, on Applied Language Solutions, (1) whether the statement in that answer that the assessment of creditors of Applied Language Solutions (ALS) falling due within one year is nil is reconcilable with ALS' 2009-10 accounts, which show creditors with debts falling due within one year as £1.926 million; [84296]
(2) what the criteria were which his Department used in making its choice of provider; and for what reason Applied Language Solutions was chosen as the provider. [84427]
Mr Blunt: The answer provided previously was in response to a question which the Department considered to relate specifically to mezzanine funding, which is a hybrid of debt and equity funding.
In more general terms, a financial assessment of Applied Language Solutions considered the company to be financially viable with a profitable position. At the time these issues were considered, it was known that the solution would be a one-stop shop facility that could be delivered by one or more companies. Small and Medium Enterprises, including Applied Language Solutions, with reasonable financial positions and scalable solutions were therefore considered suitable.
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The criteria used to determine the choice of provider were: Service 30%, Innovation 10%, Quality 25%, Assurance of Supply 30% and Sustainability 5%. In financial terms, the Ministry of Justice had determined it would accept the lowest priced, affordable and compliant tender, i.e. there would be a minimum threshold of 80% for the non-price criteria above which the lowest priced tender would be selected. Applied Language Solutions met the criteria and submitted the lowest priced tender.
Civil Disorder
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 17 October 2011, Official Report, columns 63-4W, on civil disorder, if he will commission research to ascertain the number of compensation orders issued in relation to the persons convicted of offences relating to the public disorder in August 2011. [82117]
Mr Blunt: Information on compensation orders is routinely collected from the courts and published annually in Criminal Justice Statistics.
There are currently no plans to commission specific research to ascertain the number of compensation orders issued in relation to the persons convicted of offences relating to the riots in August 2011.
On 24 October 2011 the Ministry of Justice published a statistical bulletin which provided updated information on those brought before the courts for offences relating to the public disorder. Information on numbers brought before the courts, initial outcomes and sentencing was based on data available by midday on 12 October 2011. This report can be found on the Ministry of Justice website at:
http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/statistics-and-data/criminal-justice/public-disorder-august-11.htm
On the same day the Home Office also released an overview of recorded crimes and arrests resulting from the disorder:
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/crime-research/overview-disorder-aug2011/
Harassment
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many complaints about harassment under section 2 of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 were dealt with by (a) a caution, (b) a fixed penalty notice and (c) an official warning in each year since 2005. [81684]
Mr Blunt: Data are available on the number of offenders cautioned under section 2 of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 and section 32 of the Crime Disorder Act 1998 in England and Wales, 2005 to 2010 (latest available). It can be viewed in the following table.
Under section 32 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 a person is guilty of an offence of racially or religiously aggravated harassment if they commit an offence under section 2 of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 which is racially or religiously aggravated (as defined in section 28 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998).
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Fixed penalty notices (penalty notices for disorder) are not available for offences committed under section 2 of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 or section 32 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998. A caution is a formal warning for a criminal offence; therefore, we have interpreted the request for information on official warnings to mean cautions.
Court proceedings data for 2011 are planned for publication in the spring 2012.
| Offenders cautioned (1,2) for offences under section 2 of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, England & Wales, 2005-10 (3) | ||||||
| Statute | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 (4) | 2009 | 2010 |
| (1) The cautions statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When an offender has been cautioned for two or more offences at the same time the principal offence is the more serious offence. (2) From 1 June 2000 the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 came into force nationally and removed the use of cautions for persons under 18 and replaced them with reprimands and warnings. These figures have been included in the totals. (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (4) Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July and August 2008. (5) Includes: Offence of harassment. (6) Offences under Crime and Disorder Act 1998, s.32: Racially aggravated offence of harassment Religiously aggravated offence of harassment Racially or religiously aggravated offence of harassment Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice | ||||||
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 25 October 2011 with regard to Mr M Aslam. [85147]
Mr Kenneth Clarke: I have now replied. I apologise for the delay.
Parole
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how many determinate cases were (a) considered and (b) recommended by the Parole Board in each year between 1996-97 and 2010-11; [83430]
(2) how many prisoners were on parole from determinate sentences in each year between 1996-97 and 2010-11. [83431]
Mr Djanogly: Table 1 as follows shows the number of determinate cases considered and recommended for release by the Parole Board each year. These figures are published annually in the Parole Board annual report.
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Table 2 below shows the average number of prisoners on parole from determinate sentences each year. These figures are published annually in the Parole Board annual report.
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.
Following changes in sentencing legislation introduced in the Criminal Justice Act 2003, prisoners serving a determinate sentence for an offence committed after 4 April 2005 are now released automatically at the half-way point of their sentence and their cases no longer go before the Parole Board to decide. The number of determinate cases being referred to the Parole Board by the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Rushcliffe (Mr Clarke), has therefore fallen significantly in recent years.
The cases which continue to be referred to the Parole Board are of prisoners who were sentenced to very lengthy determinate sentences for offences committed before 4 April 2005 and who are therefore likely to have committed more serious offences. They are also likely to have been seen by the Parole Board on at least one previous occasion and turned down for release. The release rate has therefore also fallen in recent years reflecting the increasing seriousness of the cases being considered.
| Table 1: Determinate sentence parole reviews and decisions 1996-97 to 2010-11 | |||
|
|
Cases considered | Parole granted | Percentage parole granted |
| Table 2: Average number of prisoners on parole from determinate sentences 1996-97 to 2010-11 | |
|
|
Number |
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| Note: Figures for 1996-97 to 2002-03 are rounded to the nearest 100 | |
Prisoners: Compensation
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many claims were made by prisoners for compensation in each of the last five years; what proportion of such claims were unsuccessful; and how many claims were (a) settled out of court and (b) resolved as a consequence of a court judgement. [84420]
Mr Blunt: Prisoners may seek compensation through internal complaints procedures, correspondence, civil litigation and through the parliamentary and prison and probation ombudsman. To provide the information requested would require a trawl through thousands of individual complaint/letters received at each prison site and in MoJ headquarters. This could be achieved only at disproportionate cost.
Prisoners: Repatriation
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many foreign nationals of each country of origin serving custodial sentences have been repatriated since May 2010. [81392]
Mr Blunt: From May 2010 to 8 November 2011 a total of 57 prisoners have been repatriated from England and Wales to their country of origin to continue serving custodial sentences.
The following table sets out the breakdown of countries where the prisoners transferred.
| Country | Number of prisoners transferred |
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice for what category of crimes each foreign national prisoner serving a custodial sentence was convicted in the most recent period for which information is available. [81393]
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Mr Blunt: As at 30 September 2011 there were 7,555 foreign national prisoners serving sentences in prison establishments in England and Wales. The following table shows the breakdown by offence group.
|
|
Number |
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: Manpower
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the staffing level in each prison in England and Wales was in October (a) 2009, (b) 2010 and (c) 2011. [81507]
Mr Blunt: Information on the number of directly employed staff at each Prison Service establishment in England and Wales on 31 October 2009, 2010 and 2011 is contained in the following table:
| Full-time equivalent staff in post—31 October 2009, 2010 and 2011 | |||
| Total staff in post (full-time equivalent) | |||
| Public sector establishments | 31 October 2009 | 31 October 2010 | 31 October 2011 |
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| Total staff in post (full-time equivalent) | |||
| Private sector establishments | 31 October 2009 | 31 October 2010 | 31 October 2011 |
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| Notes: 1. Information relates to all Prison Service establishments, including young offenders institutions and immigration removal centres. 2. Acklington and Castington; Edmunds Hill and Highpoint and Shepton Mallett and Erlestoke are reported as a single sites in October 2011. 3. Ashwell and Lancaster closed in March 2011, a few staff remain in post at Lancaster. 4. Birmingham transferred to management of G4S in October 2011. | |||
Home Department
Civil Disorder
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether her Department expects to meet all the unplanned spending involved in policing recent incidents of public disorder, including the costs of (a) police overtime, (b) cancelling police leave and (c) drafting in officers from other forces; and if she will make a statement. [70670]
Nick Herbert [holding answer 8 September 2011]:There is an established system of special grants in place to support forces where they face unexpected or exceptional costs.
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what effect public disorder in August 2011 in England and Wales will have on police funding. [71147]
Nick Herbert: There is already an established system of special grants in place to support forces where they face unexpected or exceptional costs. It is up to individual forces if they wish to apply for a special grant and all applications will be considered. Discussions between Home Office officials and police authorities have been ongoing and applications will be reviewed as quickly as possible.
EU Law
Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in respect of which EU measures the Government is able to notify the Council that it does not accept the powers of the European Commission and the Court of Justice of the European Union, under Article 10(4) of Protocol (No 36) on Transitional Provisions annexed to the EU Treaties; and what EU proposals or adopted measures would amend or repeal any such measures. [85004]
James Brokenshire:
The provisions of Article 10(1) and the notification under Article 10(4) of the Protocol on Transitional Provisions apply to acts of the Union in
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the field of police co-operation and judicial co-operation in criminal matters which have been adopted before the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty on 1 December 2009 where those acts have not subsequently been repealed, annulled or amended.
Officials are currently finalising the list of measures which the Government anticipates will fall within the scope of this notification and this will be available to Parliament shortly. At the same time we will also provide Parliament with the latest list of EU proposals and adopted measures which will repeal and replace or amend measures which fall within the scope of the Article 10(4) notification.
Independent Police Complaints Commission
Mr Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many full-time equivalent staff the Independent Police Complaints Commission expects to employ in (a) 2011-12 and (b) 2012-13; [81350]
(2) how many full-time equivalent staff were employed by the Independent Police Complaints Commission as (a) investigators, (b) deputy senior investigators and (c) senior investigators in each financial year since 2004-05; [81351]
(3) how many full-time equivalent staff were employed in the Strategy and Communications Directorate of the Independent Police Complaints Commission in each financial year since 2004-05. [81352]
Nick Herbert: The Home Office does not hold this information. These are matters for the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC). The IPCC has written to the right hon. Member about the information sought. A copy has been placed in the House Library.
Mr Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many (a) independent investigations, (b) managed investigations and (c) supervised investigations involving the Independent Police Complaints Commission there were in each financial year since 2004-05; [81455]
(2) how many full-time equivalent staff are expected to be employed in the Strategy and Communications Directorate of the Independent Police Complaints Commission in the financial year 2012-13; [81483]
(3) how many investigations were carried out by the Independent Police Complaints Commission following a death or serious injury during or following police contact in each of the last seven financial years; [81562]
(4) how many cases of death or serious injury during or after police contact were referred to the Crown Prosecution Service by the Independent Police Complaints Commission in each financial year since 2004-05; [82169]
(5) how many police officers were suspended pending an investigation by the Independent Police Complaints Commission into a death or serious injury during or after police contact in each financial year since 2004-05; [82170]
(6) how many (a) senior investigators, (b) deputy senior investigators and (c) investigators in the Independent Police Complaints Commission are former members of the police; [82171]
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(7) what proportion of (a) senior investigators, (b) deputy senior investigators and (c) investigators in the Independent Police Complaints Commission are from (i) Black or Black British and (ii) Asian or Asian British background; [82172]
(8) what steps her Department has taken to increase the number of black and ethnic minority members of the Investigations Directorate of the Independent Police Complaints Commission. [82173]
Nick Herbert: The Home Office does not hold this information. These are matters for the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC). The IPCC has written to the right hon. Member about the information sought. A copy has been placed in the House Library.
Knives: Crime
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with which organisations the Government is working to reduce the level of knife crime. [78292]
James Brokenshire: The Government works with a range of organisations to reduce knife crime including youth and community sector organisations, the Association of Chief Police Officers, and local statutory community safety partners.
Following the publication of the Brooke Kinsella's report, “Tackling Knife Crime Together—a Review of Local Anti-Knife Crime Projects”, the Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), announced a package of funding. This includes:
£3.75 million for three police forces—London, West Midlands and Greater Manchester—for the next two years under the Communities Against Guns, Gangs and Knives (CAGGK) Programme;
£4 million for the voluntary and community sector over the next two years under the CAGGK Fund—£2 million will be available during 2011-12 and a further £2 million during 2012-13. Each successful organisation will receive up to £10,000 each per year to prevent the involvement of teenagers in gun, gang and knife crime.
The list of organisations supported by the CAGGK Fund can be found using the following link:
http://grantsadmin.co.uk/funding/
£250,000 for one further year of the Ben Kinsella Fund to help young people run anti-knife crime projects in their local area.
Members: Correspondence
Sir Alan Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Minister of State for Policing and Crime plans to reply to the letter from the right hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed of 5 April 2011 on police pensions. [66456]
Nick Herbert: A reply was sent on 14 July 2011.
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) when she plans to reply the letter from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton of 22 August 2011 regarding Mr J Whelan; [76706]
(2) when she plans to answer the letter from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton of 22 August 2011 with regard to Mr J. Whelan. [79373]
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Nick Herbert [holding answer 8 November 2011]:A reply was sent on 20 November.
Metal Theft
Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will bring forward proposals to make it a criminal offence to sell metals (a) without photographic identification and (b) using cash payments; and if she will make a statement. [80259]
James Brokenshire: Discussions are under way across Government on whether legislative changes are needed to tackle metal theft.
Police: Complaints
Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many complaints from a member of the public to the Metropolitan Police Professional Standards Division were upheld in each year since its inception; [82989]
(2) whether any complaints of (a) corruption and (b) misconduct have been received by the Metropolitan Police from (i) members of the public, (ii) serving police officers and (iii) former police officers in each of the last five years. [83037]
Nick Herbert: The Home Office does not hold this information. This is a matter for the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC). The IPCC has written to the hon. Member about the information sought. A copy has been placed in the House Library.
Police: Manpower
Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she has had any discussions with the (a) Association of Chief Police Officers and (b) Police Superintendents' Association on the effects of reductions in the number of senior officers on their capacity to fulfil statutory duties; and if she will make a statement. [67350]
Nick Herbert [holding answer 18 July 2011]:Ministers have regular discussions with the Association of Chief Police Officers and the Police Superintendents' Association on a range of issues about policing.
Police: Misconduct
Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers employed by the Metropolitan Police Service have been dismissed for allegations of (a) corruption and (b) misconduct in each of the last five years. [82988]
Nick Herbert: This information is not held centrally. This is a matter for the Metropolitan Police Service and its Police Authority.
Metal Theft
Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) with reference to paragraph A.48, page 57 of the Autumn Statement, where she expects to allocate the funding to tackle metal theft; [84826]
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(2) with reference to paragraph A.48, page 57 of the Autumn Statement, how many additional people she expects to be employed to tackle metal theft. [84827]
James Brokenshire: The details of the national metal theft taskforce are currently being developed, in liaison with the British Transport police who will be leading this work, and will be announced shortly.
Energy and Climate Change
Capita
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many contracts his Department has awarded to Capita since May 2010; and what the (a) purpose, (b) monetary value and (c) net worth was of each contract. [84832]
Gregory Barker: One new contract has been awarded by DECC to Capita since 2010:
(a) This was for a facilities management review.
(b) The monetary value of the contract was £15,000.
(c) The net worth of the contract was £22,000.
Carbon Sequestration: Finance
Dr Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether the Autumn Statement has any implications in relation to the availability of the £1 billion earmarked by his Department to support the development of a carbon capture and storage project. [85041]
Charles Hendry: No. £1 billion remains available to support CCS projects.
Dr Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what timetable he has set for the competition to provide support for the development of a carbon capture and storage project. [85042]
Charles Hendry: We will launch a streamlined selection process for future CCS projects as soon as possible in the new year.
Dr Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what discussions his Department has had with representatives of the carbon capture and storage industry in relation to the Autumn Statement. [85043]
Charles Hendry: DECC Ministers and officials hold frequent discussions on CCS with industry stakeholders covering a wide range of issues, including on the autumn statement.
Dr Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change in which financial year funds will be made available to support the development of a carbon capture and storage project. [85044]
Charles Hendry: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Angus (Mr Weir), on 6 December 2011, Official Report, column 212W.
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Departmental Publications
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 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. [82999]
Gregory Barker: The information requested is as follows:
Cost: £1,869.
Designers and printers: Central Office of Information (COI), Charing Cross Print and Foyer Graphics.
Our posters are produced in-house.
Total cost (design and print): £231,934.62.
Designers and printers: COI, The Stationary Office (TSO), Foyer Graphics, Domarn, EC Group, Rye Design, Communisis, Wordlink.
In regard to reports, we have included all documents that have been published by DECC using an external agency for print and or design.
The Department has also published a number of other documents that were produced in-house and did not incur publication or design costs. These have not therefore been included in the answer.
Energy Supply: Accidents
Mr Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what information his Department holds on the number of serious accidents and fatalities reported by the (a) coal mining, (b) offshore oil and gas exploration and production, (c) oil and gas refining, (d) thermal power generation and (e) onshore and offshore wind electricity generation sector in each of the last three years. [85154]
Chris Grayling: I have been asked to reply.
The number of serious accidents and fatalities reported by the sectors of (a) coal mining, (b) offshore oil and gas exploration and production, and (c) oil and gas refining were:
| Industry (‘ Standard Industrial Classification 200 7’ ) | Employment status | Severity | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 (3) |
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| (1) SIC 09—Mining support service activities covers petroleum and natural gas (including exploration but not extraction); other mining and quarrying. (2) Fatal injuries are offshore only. Non-fatal major injuries in the oil and gas extraction and related activities cover onshore and offshore, as the data is stored such that it cannot be easily disaggregated between either type of workplace. At an aggregate level about 90% of reported major injuries occur offshore. (3) Provisional. | |||||
(d) Data are not available in the form requested for accidents in the thermal power generation sector. Accident data are classified using Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) coding for the relevant industry sector, but this does not separately identify thermal power generation. Such incidents are amalgamated with electricity production more generally.
(e) Data are not available in the form requested for accidents in the wind electricity generation sector, where incidents are also amalgamated with electricity production more generally.