Energy: Meters
Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what discussions he has had with stakeholders on the roll-out of smart meters in rural areas. [85000]
Charles Hendry: The Government will place regulatory obligations on energy suppliers that will require them to take all reasonable steps to install smart meters for all their domestic and smaller non-domestic customers by the completion date in 2019. This obligation will apply equally to customers in rural areas as to others.
This policy has been informed by extensive consultation with stakeholders, both formal and informal. For example, we received 279 responses to our 2010 Smart Metering Prospectus consultation, including representatives of consumer interests such as Age UK, Consumer Focus, Citizen's Advice, the Federation of Small Businesses, and Which? Consumer groups continue to actively engage in the Smart Meter Programme through membership of a range of working groups, including a dedicated Consumer Advisory Group.
Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what plans he has for the roll-out of smart meters in rural areas; and if he will make a statement. [85001]
Charles Hendry: The Government will place regulatory obligations on energy suppliers that will require them to take all reasonable steps to install smart meters for all their domestic and smaller non-domestic customers by the completion date in 2019. This obligation will apply equally to customers in rural areas as to others.
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Renewable Energy: Feed-in Tariffs
Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 14 November 2011, Official Report, column 589W, on renewable energy: feed-in tariffs, what estimate he has made of the number of community projects on hold pending the publication of the second consultation on feed-in tariffs. [85497]
Gregory Barker: The Department have made no such assessment.
The second consultation on the comprehensive review of the feed-in tariffs scheme will seek views on a proposed definition of “community-owned” installations. This consultation will be published around the end of the year.
Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department last met representatives of the voluntary and community sector to discuss proposed changes to feed-in tariffs. [85498]
Gregory Barker: Ministers and officials meet on a regular basis and also maintain dialogue with representatives from various voluntary and community sector organisations on the feed-in tariffs scheme.
Details of meetings between DECC Ministers and external organisations are published quarterly on the DECC website.
Scottish Government
Jim McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (1) how many times he has met Scottish Government Ministers since May 2010; what the (a) date and (b) location was of each such meeting; and what the issues were which were discussed at each such meeting; [84698]
(2) how many times he has met the Scottish Government Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure and Investment since May 2010; what the (a) date and (b) location was of each such meeting; and what issues were discussed at each such meeting. [84700]
Gregory Barker [holding answer 5 December 2011]: The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, my right hon. Friend the Member for Eastleigh (Chris Huhne), maintains close links with Ministers in the devolved Administrations and has regular discussions with them on a range of energy and climate related issues.
Solar Power: Feed-in Tariffs
Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change on what basis his Department proposes to introduce new multi-installation tariff rates for aggregated solar PV schemes with an eligibility date on or after 1 April 2012 and new generation tariffs for solar PV for all new solar PV installations with an eligibility date on or after 12 December. [84398]
Gregory Barker:
The proposed new tariffs have been set in the light of evidence of the falling costs of PV and are intended to provide a 5% rate of return for well located installations. This was the target return for PV
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under FITs when the scheme started. The one exception is the tariff for PV installations with a total installed capacity of 4kW or less, the size of installation that is most commonly used for domestic PV installations. The proposed tariff for this band is intended to deliver a 4.5% rather than 5% rate of return for a well located domestic PV installation. Based on analysis undertaken through the comprehensive review, we consider that a lower target return than 5% is more appropriate for domestic PV given how the investment climate has changed since the FITs scheme was first introduced.
The multi-installation tariff rates are based on evidence from the comprehensive review which suggested that the economies of scale associated with aggregated projects mean that a lower tariff is necessary to deliver the target rate of return of 5%. We have considered this evidence along with the possible impact of the proposed new requirements on energy efficiency on aggregated projects. On this basis, we consider that a multi-installation rate which is set at 80% of the proposed standard tariffs for individual installations, is justified (where that would result in a tariff that is no lower than the marginal cost of renewables).
Stephen Crouch
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what meetings (a) he, (b) his Ministers and (c) senior officials of his Department have had with Stephen Crouch since May 2010. [84701]
Gregory Barker [holding answer 5 December 2011]: All ministerial meetings with external organisations are published on a quarterly basis and can be found on the Department's website. There are no records of any such meeting with senior officials.
Wind Power: Costs
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of wind power costs in 10 years time per kilowatt hour. [81855]
Charles Hendry: The updated report by Arup consultants which DECC published alongside the renewables obligation banding review consultation(1) contained levelised costs of electricity. The following table shows the current and projected levelised costs for onshore wind and offshore wind, including in 2020.
(1) Arup (2011), ‘Review of the generation costs and deployment potential of renewable electricity technologies in the UK’, available at:
http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/consultations/cons_ro_review/cons_ro_review.aspx
| Levelised costs of wind technologies, | ||||||
| £/MWh | ||||||
| Financial close: | ||||||
|
|
|
2010 | 2015 | 2020 | 2025 | 2030 |
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| Source: Arup (2011) | ||||||
World War II: Medals
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many (a) Bevin Boys and (b) Air Transport Auxiliary Veterans Badges were awarded in (i) 2007, (ii) 2008, (iii) 2009, (iv) 2010 and (v) 2011 to date. [85370]
Charles Hendry: In relation to the Bevin Boys Veterans Badge, which is the responsibility of the Department of Energy and Climate Change, the first badge was awarded on 20 March 2008 and the number of badges issued since is broken down as follows:
|
|
Number |
With regard to the Air Transport Auxiliary Veterans Badge, which is the responsibility of the Department for Transport, this was launched in September 2008 with initial awards to 149 veterans. A further 30 badges have since been awarded. No information is held on the number of badges awarded annually.
Cabinet Office
Departmental Pay
Mr Thomas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether any senior staff in (a) his 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 he will publish his policy on such payments. [85085]
Mr Maude: Staff in the Cabinet Office employed by private sector or third sector organisations, for example on secondment, generally remain on the payroll of their organisation, where the Cabinet Office reimburses the organisation in line with civil service rates of pay appropriate to the role.
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The Cabinet Office has one senior member of staff employed by McKinsey and Company, Mr Tim Kelsey, who leads on the Transparency agenda, and one senior member of staff employed by Institute for Government (a company limited by guarantee), Mr David Halpern, who leads the Behavioural Insight Team, and the Cabinet Office reimburses those organisations at rates equivalent to that of a Director.
This is part of the Cabinet Office's strategy to bring in expertise and specialist skills on a temporary basis from commercial, third sector and wider public sector organisations in line with Government policy on Senior Civil Service rates of pay.
No senior staff in the Cabinet Office's executive agencies and non-departmental bodies-are paid by means of payment to a limited company in lieu of salary.
Parliamentary Written Questions
Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 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. [85056]
Mr Maude: The information is not held in the format requested.
Between 1 June and 30 November 2011, the Cabinet Office was tabled 193 questions for answer on a named day, 144 of which were answered substantively on the date specified.
Government Procurement
Alison Seabeck: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office which sectors will be included in the medium-term review of procurement scheduled for April 2012. [85210]
Mr Maude: The Government have already published procurement plans for construction, wider infrastructure, ICT and facilities management. The Government have announced that they will publish medium-term plans setting out their procurement needs in other sectors by April 2012.
Public Sector: Pensions
Dr Huppert: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what his policy is on the acceptance by the Government of the binding nature of arbitration between public sector workers and the Government. [84488]
Mr Maude [holding answer 5 December 2011]: As I set out to the House on 30 November 2011, Official Report, columns 941-58, sector specific talks are ongoing between individual pensions schemes and the unions, following the proposals set out by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, the right hon. Member for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey (Danny Alexander), on 2 November 2011, Official Report, columns 927-29.
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Deputy Prime Minister
Festivals and Special Occasions
Pete Wishart: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether he took part in any events in an official capacity to mark (a) St George's day, (b) St Patrick's day, (c) St David's day and (d) St Andrew's day in 2011. [84899]
The Deputy Prime Minister: The Government and their bodies support a number of events to signify the importance of these dates, including flying their flags on a number of Government buildings.
Business, Innovation and Skills
Business: Training
Mr Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he plans to prioritise small employers in the proposed dispersal of funds for training under the employer choice pilot. [85010]
Mr Hayes [holding answer 5 December 2011]:The Employer Ownership Pilot will be open to employers irrespective of size. We want to encourage small employers to participate by coming forward with proposals for the employer ownership pilot, for example by working in partnership, or through a supply chain. More details will be available in the new year.
Capabilities Programme
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many full-time equivalent staff work on the telecommunications and postal services workstream of the Capabilities programme; and what the staffing level was in each of the last 10 quarters. [79592]
Mr Davey: There are no individual staff who work full-time working on the Capabilities programme. Approximately two full-time equivalent officials in BIS contribute to the telecommunications and postal services elements of the Capabilities programme. Resources have remained broadly stable over the past 10 quarters.
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills who the lead Minister in his Department is for the telecommunications and postal services workstream of the Capabilities programme. [79593]
Mr Davey: The hon. Member for Hertford and Stortford (Mr Prisk) is the Minister responsible for the Capabilities programme as this falls within the telecommunications and postal services workstream.
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the budget was for the telecommunications and postal services workstream of the Capabilities programme in each year since 2005; and what the budget will be during the comprehensive spending review period. [79594]
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Mr Davey: The Department does not have a budget for the Capabilities programme. Industry is responsible for improvement in its own resilience.
Money Lenders
Dr Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many complaints of harassment by money lenders have been received by (a) the Office of Fair Trading and (b) trading standards in each of the last five years. [83044]
Mr Davey: The Office of Fair Trading maintains a database, on behalf of Trading Standards, of contacts made to the Consumer Direct advice service. Although this includes data on complaints about financial services and consumer credit activities, information about whether or not these complaints involve allegations of harassment is recorded in a number of different ways and it is not possible to extract statistics on the category of complaints described.
Students: Loans
Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what monitoring system his Department has in place to track the proportion of student loan funding that is awarded to students studying at (a) private and (b) for-profit higher education institutions. [85302]
Mr Willetts [holding answer 6 December 2011]:Information on the amount of student loan funding that is awarded to students studying on specifically designated courses at private providers is held by the Student Loans Company (SLC).
The Department receives quarterly updates from the SLC reporting the amount awarded to students on these courses.
Under the service level agreement between the Department and the SLC, the Department can make further requests for this information.
Third Sector
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what funding over £100,000 his Department's Knowledge and Innovation Directorate allocated to (a) voluntary sector, (b) charities and (c) other third sector organisations in (i) 2010-11 and (ii) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement. [82952]
Mr Willetts [holding answer 25 November 2011]:The Knowledge and Innovation Group was formed at the end of 2010 after allocations for 2010-11 had been made. Most of the group's total budget reaches charities which are higher education institutions or students who attend them. We generally allocate funding to partner organisations which take independent decisions on funding for individual bodies. The following table sets out the available information requested for bodies which are directly funded by the group rather than those whose funding depends on the decisions of independent partner organisations.
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| Direct grant support over £100,000 | |
| 2011/12 | £000 |
|
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Network (STEMNET) |
|
Health
Winter Deaths
Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what additional resources he plans to allocate to the NHS to prevent excess deaths in winter 2011-12. [85247]
Anne Milton: The Department launched the first national Cold Weather Plan for England on 1 November 2011. This provides strategic guidance and a framework which national health service trusts can incorporate into their existing local winter planning arrangements. It emphasises good practice which will limit the impact of cold weather on health.
The Department is centrally funding the Met Office for £40,000 to run a Cold Weather Alert system across England from 1 November 2011 to 31 March 2012 in support of the Cold Weather Plan.
To support the aims of the Cold Weather Plan, the Department has established the ‘Warm Homes, Healthy People' fund—up to £20 million for winter 2011-12. This is a major new initiative to support local authorities and their partners (including NHS trusts) in reducing deaths and poor health due to cold housing.
The Department will also be providing financial support to the Department of Energy and Climate Change of up to £10 million. This will be used to support Warm Front to help even more households that are vulnerable to fuel poverty in 2011-12.
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Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to prevent excess deaths in the winter of 2011-12. [85339]
Anne Milton: The Department launched the first national Cold Weather Plan on 1 November 2011. The plan sets out what needs to happen before and during periods of severe winter weather in England, and builds on established national and local campaigns for winter health with a more co-ordinated approach. The plan will work through a system of Cold Weather Alerts, linked to the existing winter weather warning system developed by the Met Office, in operation from 1 November to 31 March.
To support the aims of the Cold Weather Plan, the Department has established the ‘Warm Homes, Healthy People’ fund—up to £20 million for winter 2011-12. This is a major new initiative to support local authorities and their partners in reducing deaths and poor health due to cold housing.
The Department will also be providing financial support to the Department of Energy and Climate Change of up to £10 million. This will be used to support Warm Front to help even more households that are vulnerable to fuel poverty in 2011-12.
Dental Services: EU Nationals
Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to provide citizens of other EU countries resident in the UK with dental treatment. [84859]
Mr Simon Burns: All residents of the United Kingdom, including those from another European Union country, are entitled to receive national health service dental treatment in the normal manner. Citizens of other EU countries who are not resident are entitled to the same NHS dental services as citizens ordinarily resident in the UK, and subject to the same charge regime and recognised exemptions, but they must demonstrate their entitlement by possession of a valid European Health Insurance Card.
Departmental ICT
Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of progress with his Department's information technology programme; and if he will make a statement. [85243]
Mr Simon Burns: It is presumed that the hon. Member is referring to the National Programme for Information Technology (IT).
In September 2011, we announced, an acceleration of the dismantling of the National Programme for IT. This followed a review by the Cabinet Office's Major Projects Authority that concluded that the programme is not fit to provide the modern information technology services required by the national health service.
Although the National Programme for IT has successfully delivered a number of national applications and services on which the NHS now relies including, choose and book, the Spine, N3 network, NHSmail, Secondary Uses Service and the Picture Archiving and Communications Service, IT support for the NHS needs
7 Dec 2011 : Column 333W
to change to meet the requirements of a modernised health care system which aims to restore local control over decision making and greater choice for patients and clinicians over the provision of care.
The weaknesses of a top-down, centrally imposed approach to IT that fails to engage sufficiently with the NHS and is not responsive to local needs are well recognized and we are presently undertaking a comprehensive review of the Department's informatics applications and services portfolio for the NHS. In doing so, we will be taking full account of the recommendations of the recent Public Accounts Committee Report on the National Programme for IT and the advice of the Major Projects Authority.
Hospital Wards: Gender
Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information NHS trusts are required to collect to monitor (a) use of mixed-sex accommodation and (b) standards of privacy and dignity provided for patients. [85245]
Mr Simon Burns: We are determined to end mixed-sex accommodation (MSA), except where it is clearly in the best interest of the patient. The following information is collected nationally:
(a) National health service trusts submit the number of breaches of MSA sleeping guidance that occur each month. The providers submit these data split by the relevant commissioning primary care trust(s).
We calculate the MSA breach rate as the number of breaches of MSA sleeping guidance per 1,000 finished consultant episodes (FCEs). The source of FCE data is Inpatient Hospital Episode Statistics.
Organisations also collect (but do not report centrally) all mixed-sex sharing of bathroom/toilet facilities and all mixed provision of day space in mental health units at a local level.
(b) Performance on privacy and dignity is measured via the Care Quality Commission's National Inpatient Survey and by Patient Environment Action Team inspections. These collections are not mandatory, but compliance is very high.
More generally, the NHS Operating Framework 2012-13 requires NHS organisations to
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“actively seek out, respond positively, and improve services in line with patient feedback. This includes acting on complaints, patient comments, local and national surveys and results from ‘real time' data techniques”.
NHS: Official Visits
Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which NHS organisations he has visited in each month since September 2011. [84863]
Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which NHS organisations he has visited in the last three months. [84882]
Mr Simon Burns: During the period 1 September to 30 November, the Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for South Cambridgeshire (Mr Lansley), has undertaken a range of visits. Those to national health service organisations are as follows:
| Date | NHS organisation |
|
Queen Elizabeth Hospital King's Lynn NHS Foundation Trust(1) |
|
| (1) Hospital. (2) General practitioner surgery. | |
NHS Direct
Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many calls NHS Direct has received in each week since 1 April 2011; and how long on average it took for such calls to be answered in each such week. [84883]
Mr Simon Burns: The following table sets out how many calls NHS Direct has received in each week since 1 April 2011, and the number and percentage of those calls answered within their Key Performance Indicator target of 60 seconds.
| Week commencing: | Number of calls o ffered | Number of calls a nswered | Number of calls answered in 60 seconds | Percentage of calls answered in 60 seconds |
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7 Dec 2011 : Column 336W
| Month | Number of calls offered | Number of calls answered | Number of calls answered in 60 seconds | Percentage of calls answered in 60 seconds |
| Source: NHS Direct Symposium | ||||
NHS: Drugs
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) Guidance approval of the Velcade Response Scheme in October 2007, how many schemes involving the manufacturers of pharmaceuticals paying back money to the NHS were approved by NICE between January 2008 and May 2010; and how much such schemes have been approved since May 2010. [84934]
Mr Simon Burns: The Velcade (bortezomib) response scheme is an outcome-based patient access scheme involving possible repayments from the manufacturer to national health service organisations linked to patient response which is monitored as part of the scheme. To date, the Velcade response scheme is the only patient access scheme of this type which has been incorporated in technology appraisal guidance from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE).
Patient access schemes proposed by manufacturers in the context of NICE technology appraisals may take a variety of forms, some of which include options for the NHS to receive a cash rebate, free stock or credit linked to the purchase of a drug. A full list of drugs recommended by NICE in association with patient access schemes is available on the Institute's website at:
www.nice.org.uk/aboutnice/howwework/paslu/ListOfPatientAccessSchemesApprovedAsPartOfANICE Appraisal.jsp
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the manufacturers of Velcade have paid back to the NHS under the Velcade Response Scheme in each year since the scheme was approved. [84935]
Mr Simon Burns: Implementation and operation of Patient Access schemes, of which the Velcade scheme is one, is a matter for the pharmaceutical manufacturer and the national health service.
The Department does not collect national data on such schemes.
NHS: Finance
Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his most recent estimate is of NHS capital expenditure in each of the next three financial years. [85244]
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Mr Simon Burns: The 2010 spending review provided the following planned profile of capital expenditure for the Department (the current year is included for completeness):
| Spending review 2010 | ||||
| £ million | ||||
|
|
2011-12 | 2012-13 | 2013-14 | 2014-15 |
| (1) HM Treasury funding is provided net of asset sales receipts; these are included to show total expenditure forecast. | ||||
NHS: Negligence
Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many unsuccessful clinical negligence claims were brought against the NHS in each year since 1997-98; and how much unsuccessful claimants spent in (a) defence costs and (b) claimant costs in each year. [84885]
Mr Simon Burns: The number of unsuccessful clinical negligence claims brought against the national health service since 1997-98 is set out in the following table. The defence costs and claimant costs for unsuccessful claimants are not known.
|
|
Number |
| Note: There are a number of claims outstanding in each year, so these data are subject to change as these claims are resolved. Source: NHS Litigation Authority | |
Nurses: Schools
Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) qualified and (b) other school nurses are employed in each (i) region and (ii) primary care trust; and how many such nurses were employed in each such area in each year since 1997. [85176]
Anne Milton: The headcount number of qualified and other school nurses employed in each strategic health authority and primary care trust since 2003 is shown in the table which has been placed in the Library.
The School Nursing Occupation Code was not introduced until 2003. Prior to this it was not possible
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to separately identify school nursing within the data. Because of the timing of its introduction in 2003 the code was not mandatory at the time of the annual work force census. Therefore, the data for 2003 are very likely to be incomplete and should not be considered as a full picture of the size of that work force at the time.
The headcount data for 2010 are based upon new methodology and therefore are not directly comparable with the previous years data based upon the old methodology.
Psychiatry: Waiting Lists
Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of people in England waiting for access to psychological therapies; and what the average waiting time was for such therapies in the most recent period for which figures are available. [84858]
Paul Burstow: The Quarter 1 performance statistics for Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) services released by the NHS Information Centre for health and social care in September this year, showed that there is variation in the numbers of people entering treatment across the country. Nationally, the Department is meeting agreed trajectories. However, there is local variation. The central IAPT team and the departmental performance delivery team have undertaken a number of actions to encourage improvement in access in the areas where the numbers of people entering treatment is below expectations.
The Department is not able to establish the average waiting time from the NHS Information Centre data. From April 2012, we will be implementing the new IAPT Data Standard. Once the data standard is established and the data quality is assured across all IAPT services, it will be possible to establish the average waiting time in IAPT services.
Culture, Media and Sport
Broadband: Finance
Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will publish his criteria for the allocation of funding to the 40 local areas for superfast broadband. [85353]
Mr Vaizey: Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) published a data model explanatory note setting out the methodology used to make the local authority funding allocations in July 2011. A copy can be found on the Department for Culture, Media and Sport's (DCMS) website, or by using the link:
http://www.culture.gov.uk/images/publications/BDUK-Data-Model-Expalantory-Notes.pdf
Departmental Communications
Pete Wishart:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many (a) press officers, (b) internal communications officers, (c) external communications officers, (d) communications strategy officers and (e) other positions with a communications
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remit were employed by (i) his Department, (ii) its agencies and (iii) each non-departmental public body sponsored by his Department on the most recent date for which figures are available. [84220]
John Penrose: The following table provides the total number of press officers, internal and external communications officers, communications strategy officers and other positions with a communications remit employed by the Department as at 30 November 2011.
| Job title | Total number of employees |
The Department is committed to reduce its administrative budget by 50% over the period of the comprehensive spending review. That will include a reduction in its communications head count. As part of this, with the conclusion of the London 2012 Project in October 2012, all secondments and fixed term appointments to the Government Olympic Executive Communications team (18 posts) will end.
The Department does not hold this information for our agency and arm's length bodies. I have therefore asked their chief executives to consider the question raised by the hon. Member and to write to him direct. Copies of the replies will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Departmental Flags
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport (1) what steps his Department takes to ensure that all flags flown from his Department's buildings are fit for display; [84667]
(2) how many flags his Department has replaced in each of the last 12 months; [84669]
(3) how many (a) letters, (b) emails and (c) telephone calls his Department has received on the state and condition of flags flown from his Department's buildings in the last 12 months; [84670]
(4) how many flags his Department (a) owns and (b) maintains; and at what cost to the public purse. [84671]
John Penrose: The Department flies one Union flag at a hire charge (no purchase or replacement cost) of £95 a month. This hire cost will be reviewed early next year. The flag is changed and cleaned once a month to ensure it is fit for display. To celebrate St George’s Day, St Andrew’s Day and St David’s Day the Department owns a St George’s flag, a Saltire flag and Welsh Dragon flag. These are inspected once a year and, if required, new flags are procured. However there has been no expenditure on these flags in the past 12 months. We have no records of any letters, e-mails or telephone calls in the last 12 months on the state and condition of the flags we fly.
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Risk Assessment
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what risk registers are held by the public bodies for which his Department is responsible; and if he will make a statement. [85701]
John Penrose: This Department requires its non-departmental public bodies to have in place processes to manage risk and develop a formal risk management strategy (which includes maintaining risk registers) in accordance with Treasury guidance contained in Managing Public Money:
http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/mpm_ch4.pdf
The risk strategy is reviewed by the bodies' own boards and by their audit committees and auditors.
Mobile Phones
Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will publish his plans for the recently announced £150 million investment in mobile telephone coverage in the period up to 2015; and if he will make a statement. [85354]
Mr Vaizey: The mobile phone project is currently in the definition stage and expects to commence procurement early in 2012. The allocation of funds will be dependent upon the delivery model and procurement route to be followed, it is expected that an outline allocation will be clear by the early stages of any procurement approach with final allocations confirmed in later stages. It is envisaged that any contract(s) will be awarded for delivery of services to commence in 2013.
Olympic Games 2012: Folk Dance
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 4 May 2011, Official Report, column 753W, on Olympic Games 2012: folk dance, what recent discussions he has had with representatives of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in respect of the opening and closing ceremonies; whether such discussions included reference to the inclusion of English traditional folk dance; and if he will make a statement. [85267]
Hugh Robertson: Ministers at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport meet representatives of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) about various London 2012 matters including ceremonies. There were no specific discussions about the inclusion of traditional folk dance in the opening and closing ceremonies. The details of the opening and closing ceremonies are a matter for LOCOG. LOCOG has appointed a world class group of creative experts to develop Olympic and Paralympic ceremonies that will reflect this country's rich and diverse culture and heritage.
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Communities and Local Government
Planning: Change of Use
Mr Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he plans to publish the findings of his Department's consultation on the relaxation of planning rules for change of use from commercial to residential. [84107]
Greg Clark: We are considering the responses to the consultation ‘Relaxation of planning rules for change of use from commercial to residential’ and will publish the findings in due course.
Fire Services: Manpower
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many (a) wholetime, (b) retained, (c) control and (d) non-uniform staff were employed in each fire authority in England on 31 March 2011; and if he will update his Department's Operational Statistics Bulletin of 24 August 2011 to include (i) information and (ii) the strength of each fire authority. [R] [85215]
Robert Neill: Numbers of staff employed by each fire and rescue authority on 31 March 2011 for the stated categories are published on the Department's website in table 6 of the appendix tables which accompany the Fire and Rescue Operational Statistics Bulletin:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/fire/researchandstatistics/firestatistics/firerescue/
The Fire and Rescue Operational Statistics Bulletin also continues to include staffing strength. Numbers by fire and rescue authority can be found in appendix table 2 of the accompanying spreadsheets.
A copy of this information has been deposited in the Library of the House.
Government Procurement Card
Mr Marcus Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 13 October 2011, Official Report, column 483W, on Freedom of Information, if the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's Government Procurement Card transaction of a cash withdrawal for £154.86 on 28 November 2004, and associated £3.10 cash advance handling fee, was an overseas transaction; and in which country the cash withdrawal took place. [82429]
Robert Neill: Based on the information available, this was likely to be a foreign currency transaction that was made in London. However, detailed records about the nature of the transaction, which would facilitate a more comprehensive answer, are no longer held centrally.
Non-domestic Rates: Worcester
Mr Robin Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the (a) number and (b) cost to the public purse of appeals of business rates valuations in Worcester constituency in the last two years. [85040]
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Robert Neill: The number of formal challenges received for Worcester city council for the financial years 2009-10 and 2010-11 are shown in the following table.
| Formal challenges received by the Valuation Office Agency | ||
|
|
2009-10 | 2010-11 |
Statistics by parliamentary constituency could be produced only at disproportionate cost.
Information on the cost to the public purse of appeals is not held centrally.
Parking: City of Westminster
Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) what discussions officials from his Department have had with Westminster city council on its proposal to generate additional income from parking charges at evenings and weekends; and if he will make a statement; [83600]
(2) what his policy is in respect of the generation of income by local authorities from parking charges. [83578]
Robert Neill [holding answer 28 November 2011]: Officials have not held specific discussions with Westminster city council on this issue.
Every bit of the public sector needs to do its bit to help tackle the budget deficit inherited from the last Administration. But Ministers have been quite clear that we view increasing charges on local residents as an inappropriate way of making sensible savings. Instead, councils should be saving money through better procurement, cutting fraud, more joint working and using transparency to drive out waste. This stance on charging is different from the last Administration, when DCLG Ministers actively encouraged councils to increase parking charges (for example, as alluded to in the speech to the Local Government Association of 2 July 2008).
More broadly, as outlined in the answer to the hon. Member of 28 November 2011, Official Report, column 650W, there are clear legal restrictions preventing councils from using on-street parking charges as a way of raising general revenue. This is explicitly stated in operational guidance and in statutory guidance on civil enforcement of parking contraventions, and is reflected in case law: for example, Regina v . Camden London Borough Council Ex Parte Cran and Others [1995] EWHC 13 (Admin).
Councils have a key role in promoting economic development, supporting local economic growth and local jobs. Making sure that car parking charges are reasonable is an important and practical way in which councils can help support their local high streets. In this context, I am concerned about the effect of higher parking charges on the broader economy of London and the West End, particularly its impact on employees, small firms and sole traders.
This Government have taken steps to support local high streets. Our plans for the local retention of business rates will mean that councils have a direct financial incentive in supporting business and retail growth in
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town centres. This is in contrast to the local government system we have inherited, where councils have no real incentives to support local high streets and city centres.
My Department has also tackled flawed parking rules inherited from the last Administration. In January 2011, we amended national planning guidance to:
remove Whitehall restrictions which imposed maximum numbers of parking spaces in new residential developments;
change a policy which inhibited competition between council areas to one that said parking charges should not undermine the vitality of town centres;
introduce a policy that parking enforcement should be proportionate;
remove the policy that encouraged councils to set car parking charges to discourage the use of cars; and
increase support for electric car power-charging infrastructure in parking areas.
The draft National Planning Policy Framework follows through on these changes by removing restrictions which impose maximum numbers of parking spaces in new non-residential developments. This will relieve pressure on on-street parking and support local high streets.
Parking: Fees and Charges
Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what information his Department holds on the (a) net and (b) gross income from parking charges in each London local authority in each of the last 10 years. [83577]
Robert Neill: I have today placed in the Library of the House a table giving details on the gross and net income from parking services in each London local authority for the last 10 years.
Planning Permission: Biodiversity
Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the (a) Home Affairs and (b) Economic Affairs Cabinet Sub-Committee has discussed the implications of the draft National Planning Policy Framework for the natural environment. [84031]
Greg Clark: In line with the constitutional convention of collective decision-making, and section 2 of the Ministerial Code, the Government, in line with their predecessors, do not disclose details of the internal process through which decisions are taken.
Planning Permission: Carbon Emissions
Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the effect of the draft National Planning Policy Framework on carbon emissions. [84026]
Greg Clark: The draft National Planning Policy Framework was accompanied by a consultation stage impact assessment which considered the anticipated impact of the framework on carbon emissions and is available at:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/planningandbuilding/pdf/1951736.pdf
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The draft framework states that the planning system should aim to secure, consistent with the Government's published objectives, radical reductions in green house gas emissions, through the appropriate location and layout of new development, and active support for energy efficiency improvements to existing buildings and the delivery of renewable and low-carbon energy infrastructure. We are now carefully considering all consultation responses, and will then publish the final version of the framework together with a final impact assessment.
Postcodes
Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether his Department uses postcodes for purposes other than the postage of mail. [84197]
Robert Neill: The Department uses postcodes for a number of operational purposes other than the delivery of mail. They are a valuable means of referencing geographic locations and are widely used and understood by the general public because of their relationship to addresses.
They are principally used by the Department for the compilation, validation, and collation of statistics and to provide accessible information to citizens in support of, for example, the Transparency agenda.
Regional Planning and Development
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he is taking to ensure that planning policy encourages the development of (a) high streets, (b) town centres and (c) empty commercial properties; and if he will make a statement. [84650]
Greg Clark [holding answer 5 December 2011]: The Government are fully committed to supporting our high streets and town centres and to maintaining a strong “town centre first” policy which identifies town centres as the preferred location for retail developments. The draft National Planning Policy Framework asks local planning authorities to pursue policies to support the viability and vitality of town centres. We are now considering all responses to the consultation.
We are also considering the responses to the consultation “Relaxation of planning rules for change of use from commercial to residential” and will publish the findings in due course.
With regard to empty commercial properties, the Government supported the work to create industry standard “meanwhile” leases to encourage temporary occupation of empty retail premises in order to improve the vitality of town centres.
Town centres have suffered under restrictions on parking introduced by the previous Administration, reducing their ability to compete with out of town supermarkets.
Consequently, in January, my Department amended planning rules on parking to:
(a) change a policy which inhibited competition between council areas to one that said parking charges should not undermine the vitality of town centres;
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(b) introduce a policy that parking enforcement should be proportionate;
(c) remove the policy that encouraged councils to set car parking charges to discourage the use of cars; and
(d) encourage more charging spaces for electric cars.
The draft National Planning Policy Framework also proposes to remove Whitehall restrictions which impose an arbitrary cap on parking spaces in new non-residential developments.
Waste Disposal: Second-hand Goods
Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether it is his policy to support by-laws enabling local authorities to selectively license premises dealing in second-hand goods for the purposes of preventing the disposal of stolen goods. [84779]
Grant Shapps [holding answer 5 December 2011]: Our policy is that byelaws are not appropriate where national legislation already exists to address the issue in question. National legislation already prohibits the handling of stolen goods.
Prime Minister
Youth Unemployment
Q14. John Mann: To ask the Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the level of youth unemployment. [85115]
The Prime Minister: The problem of rising youth unemployment has been ongoing since 2004. Comprehensive action is required to ensure young people have sustained employment opportunities in the private sector.
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So the Government have launched the £1 billion Youth Contract, which will provide an extra 250,000 work experience places and 160,000 wage incentive payments.
The Government are also providing over 440,000 apprenticeship places this year, opening up 24 University Technical Colleges and ensuring vulnerable young people have faster access to the specialised support of the Work programme.
This Government are also reforming our schools so that young people leave better equipped to join the work force.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Birds of Prey
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent estimate she has made of the number of birds of prey in the UK; and if she will make a statement. [84578]
Richard Benyon: As set out in the following table are the current estimates of breeding populations of diurnal birds of prey in the UK. The estimates derive from the observations of many hundreds of volunteer observers who contribute to annual monitoring programmes (such as the Breeding Bird Survey) and periodic surveys funded by: the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC); the country conservation agencies; the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds; the Raptor Study Groups; the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO); and other partner organisations, as well as through the work of the JNCC and BTO co-funded Rare Breeding Birds Panel.
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Heating: Hydrofluorocarbons
Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress her Department has made in phasing out hydrofluorocarbons from domestic heat pumps. [84038]
Mr Paice: A comprehensive EU regulatory framework to contain, prevent and thereby reduce emissions of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) from equipment such as heat pumps is already in place, having been fully implemented since 2009 in Great Britain by the Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/261). However, this framework stops short of controls to phase out the production of the gases themselves.
There are existing proposals at an international level to use the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer to phase down the production and use of HFCs. This would affect all types of equipment, not just domestic heat pumps. The UK Government remains supportive in principle of an international phase-down of production and consumption of HFCs but there are many technical issues to be discussed before any formal negotiations on a phase-down could take place. The Government will continue to push for the development of a phase-down agreement at future Montreal Protocol and United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change meetings and support this aim. Further detailed analysis of impacts of the proposals will be conducted.
The latest estimate of HFC emissions from Heat Pumps, based on the assessment by consultants AEA, which is available on the DEFRA website at:
http://www.archive.defra.gov.uk/environment/quality/air/fgas/background.htm#publications
is that 0.06 kt CO2 eq. of HFC134a would be emitted from heat pumps in 2009, rising to 0.16 kt CO2 eq. of HFC134a by 2025. It should be noted that these estimates
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include all heat pumps, not just domestic ones, are highly uncertain, and also very small in relation to HFC emissions from the other sectors. These estimates are not currently included in either the main F-gas model or the UK national green house gas emission totals, and further work is needed to refine the fundamental parameters before the emissions from this sector can be included.
Marine Conservation Zones
Fiona O'Donnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what assessment she has made of the effect of the European Commission's proposed system of regionalisation in the basic regulations of the reformed EU Common Fisheries Policy on management systems for marine conservation zones; [85015]
(2) whether she plans to reorganise nationally designated marine conservation zones following reform of the EU Common Fisheries Policy; [85016]
(3) what assessment she has made of the effect of delays to reform of the EU Common Fisheries Policy on designation of marine conservation zones. [85017]
Richard Benyon: As UK Fisheries Minister I will carry out an assessment of all elements of the European Commission's proposals on reform of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) will be designated for their contribution to an ecologically coherent network of marine protected areas. Their location will be determined by the distribution of marine species and habitats, along with consideration of the potential socio-economic impacts of the proposed MCZs. As their locations will be determined by the ecology and the impacts on sea users, I do not anticipate that reform of the CFP would have any effect on the designation process or require any reorganisation.
River Nene: Fishing
Mr Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps the Environment Agency is taking to tackle illegal fishing on the River Nene in Cambridgeshire; and if she will make a statement. [84167]
Richard Benyon: The Environment Agency is aware of a concern among anglers that illegal fishing may be affecting fish stocks on some rivers, the River Nene being an example. While most anglers return their catch, there is a culture within some communities to retain fish for the table.
The issue was recognised some years ago and fisheries byelaws have recently changed to make it an offence to remove most fish from our rivers. The Environment Agency employs officers to enforce the byelaws and respond to reports of illegal activity. They work with local angling clubs and request police assistance if appropriate.
In addition to enforcement, education is also important, and the Environment Agency is working with the Angling Trust on a ‘Building Bridges' project. A project officer has been appointed to explain our culture and fisheries legislation to these communities. An angling event to promote this was held in Cambridgeshire in late November.
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Rural Areas: Renewable Energy
Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she plans to publish details of (a) the Rural Community Renewable Energy Fund and (b) the sources of its funding. [84655]
Richard Benyon: Further details about the Rural Community Renewable Energy Fund, including its funding, management and operation, will be published in the new year.
Rural Growth Network
Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she plans to publish the criteria for the competition to identify the Rural Growth Network pilot projects. [84656]
Richard Benyon: Further information about the Rural Growth Network competition and selection process will be announced during this month, with bids from Local Enterprise Partnerships likely to be invited by the end of January 2012. We aim to announce the pilot areas by March 2012.
Waste Disposal: Business
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to introduce responsibility deals for business waste. [84528]
Richard Benyon: The Review of Waste Policy in England, which we published in June 2011, committed the Government to exploring the potential for new voluntary responsibility deals to drive waste prevention and recycling. These include deals with the hospitality sector, the waste management industry and for direct mail, textiles, and construction waste. Responsibility deals in other areas may also be considered.
A responsibility deal with the Environmental Services Association was published on 23 June. Among the deal's key commitments are providing better advice about waste prevention, improving recycling collections for small and medium enterprises, raising the industry's environmental profile, adhering to best practice in making contracts more user-friendly, and sharing data about key trends.
A new responsibility deal on direct mail was launched on 1 November. It commits the Government and the direct marketing industry to working together to improve the industry's environmental performance and, in particular, support a move towards a zero-waste, low-carbon economy. The new deal will give people more control over what gets posted through their letterboxes and ensure that the direct mail they find useful is produced to higher standards and is fully recyclable.
DEFRA is working with the industry, devolved Administrations and the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) to produce a new responsibility deal with businesses in the hospitality and food service sector to reduce food and packaging waste and ensure that unavoidable waste is managed sustainably. On
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22 November, a discussion paper outlining the proposed targets and structure of the deal was published on WRAP'S website:
www.wrap.org.uk
Comments about this paper will be used to produce the final deal, which we hope to launch in spring 2012.
Whaling
Fiona O'Donnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the international bans on (a) whaling and (b) the international trade of whale products. [84636]
Richard Benyon: The UK strongly supports the International Whaling Commission (IWC) moratorium on commercial whaling. This was introduced in 1986 and has seen a dramatic reduction in the number of whales being killed. The UK will continue to oppose ongoing commercial and ‘scientific' whaling and press for the greater conservation and protection of whales.
I attended this year's IWC meeting to demonstrate the UK Government's commitment to the work of the IWC, and our support for the moratorium on whaling.
The UK firmly supports the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) restrictions on international trade in whale meat and whale products. The EU prohibits the international trade in all whale meat and products.
Under CITES, a Party with a reservation placed against a species of whale can trade in that species, but only with a non-Party to CITES or a Party who has similarly placed a reservation. Iceland, Japan, Norway and Palau have reservations in place against several whale species listings, and for example, Iceland can, and does, trade in fin whale meat with Japan.
Whaling: Faroe Islands
Fiona O'Donnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had with the Faroese government on the hunting of whales, dolphins and porpoises by Faroese fishermen. [84637]
Richard Benyon: The UK Government recognise the strength of feeling in the UK about the hunting of cetaceans in the Faroe Islands. As pilot whales and other small cetaceans are not covered by the International Whaling Commission (IWC) moratorium on commercial whaling, it is for the Faroese Government to decide whether to continue these hunts.
Nevertheless, the UK has long been concerned about the cruel way in which these hunts are conducted and has pressed for improvements for a number of years, both directly and within the IWC. I will continue to make our strong opposition to these hunts known to the Faroe Islands.
We also made progress at this year's annual meeting of the ‘Agreement on the Conservation of Small Cetaceans of the Baltic, North East Atlantic, Irish and North Seas' (ASCOBANS). The UK raised concerns about the increasing numbers, and diversity of species being taken, namely Risso's and white-sided dolphins. In response, the Faroe Islands indicated that the hunting of Risso's dolphins would not continue.
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Education
Carers: Young People
Laura Sandys: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether his Department is taking steps to ensure local authorities (a) identify young carers in families affected by illness, disability or substance misuse and (b) assess the support needs of such carers. [84777]
Tim Loughton: We know that the identification of young carers remains the single biggest challenge to ensuring that they receive the support to which they are entitled. To that end my Department is funding The Children's Society and The Princess Royal Trust for Carers for two years to: identify and share existing best practice in identifying and supporting young carers and their families; and run regional workshops with local authorities and young carers services to support the delivery of ‘whole family’ support for young carers and their families. We have also funded the development of an e-learning package for staff in schools on identifying and supporting young carers.
Laura Sandys: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many local authorities are using the model memorandum of understanding on working together to support young carers. [84907]
Tim Loughton: We do not yet hold this information. The Department is funding The Children's Society to run regional workshops with local authorities and young carers services to support the delivery of ‘whole family’ support for young carers and their families. The local authorities that attend the regional workshops will be surveyed to establish the number that have adopted the model memorandum of understanding drafted by the Associations of Directors of Adult and Children’s services.
Schools: Sports
Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many school sports co-ordinators there were in each local authority area for each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [81692]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 22 November 2011]:The Department does not hold this information for each of the years requested. However, the following table shows the number of school sport co-ordinators that were in each local authority for the 2010-11 financial year.
| LEA | Total of school sport co-ordinators |
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