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Written Answers to Questions
Wednesday 14 December 2011
Transport
Aviation: Security
Paul Uppal: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which airports are taking part in pilot testing of EU Regulation 185/2010. [85174]
Mrs Villiers: The trial of the alternative process for the screening of religious headgear is being undertaken at many UK airports. These are listed as follows:
UK airports participating in headgear trial
Aberdeen
Belfast City Airport
Birmingham
Blackpool
Bristol
Cardiff
East Midlands
Edinburgh
Gatwick
Glasgow
Heathrow
HIAL—Barra, Benbecula, Campbeltown, Dundee, Islay, Inverness, Kirkwall, Stornoway, Sumburgh, Tiree and Wick
London City
Luton
Manchester
Newcastle
Newquay
Norwich
Oxford
Southampton
Stansted
Guernsey
Jersey
Buses: Licensing
Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) on how many occasions the traffic commissioners have granted or renewed PCV licences to people who have subsequently been found not to have fully declared their criminal records in the most recent period for which figures are available; [85751]
(2) on how many occasions the traffic commissioners revoked people’s passenger carrying vehicle licences on the grounds that at the time of original application or application for renewal they had not fully declared their criminal records in the most recent period for which figures are available. [85871]
Mike Penning: The traffic commissioners’ decisions are not held centrally or by reason and currently could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. I have, however, asked my officials to look into the feasibility of holding these decisions centrally in the future.
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Electric Vehicles
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions she has had on electric cars with the Mayor of London. [82955]
Norman Baker: The Secretary of State for Transport, the right hon. Member for Putney (Justine Greening), has not yet had the opportunity to meet with the Mayor of London to discuss electric cars.
Motor Vehicles: Carbon Emissions
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions she has had with her European counterparts on vehicle emissions. [82964]
Norman Baker: The Secretary of State has not yet had any such discussions since her appointment, but the Department for Transport has regular discussions with our EU counterparts.
House of Commons Commission
Food Labelling
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, whether the House of Commons catering service plans to implement calorie labelling on menus and display boards. [85864]
John Thurso: The House of Commons catering service recognises that it has a role to play in encouraging people to choose healthier foods. It currently achieves this by using a ‘traffic light' system of signposting healthier choices on its daily cafeteria menus and by running periodic ‘healthy eating' promotions.
Although the service currently has no plans to implement calorie labelling on menus and display boards, it is watching with interest the development of this initiative by the commercial catering organisations that have pledged to do so under the Government's ‘Public Health Responsibility Deal' launched in March 2011.
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, what steps the House of Commons catering service is taking to ensure the countries of origin of foods are labelled on its menus and display boards. [85865]
John Thurso: The House of Commons catering service recognises that the provenance of foods served in its restaurants is of interest to its customers, and its sustainable food procurement policy is being updated. The service does not plan to publish as a matter of course details about the countries of origin of foods on its menus and display boards, although the provenance of the main ingredient may sometimes be indicated in the description.
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Cabinet Office
Business
Alun Cairns: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how small and medium-sized enterprises in Vale of Glamorgan constituency can bid for central Government ICT facilities management contracts. [86432]
Mr Letwin: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Calder Valley (Craig Whittaker) at Cabinet Office oral questions today.
Cabinet Sub-Committee on Infrastructure
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the membership is of the Cabinet Sub-Committee on Infrastructure. [85369]
Mr Maude: Membership of the Infrastructure Sub-Committee is as follows:
Chief Secretary to the Treasury (Chair) (The Rt Hon. Danny Alexander MP)
Minister of State, Cabinet Office (Deputy Chair) (The Rt Hon. Oliver Letwin MP)
Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (The Rt Hon. Dr Vince Cable MP)
Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (The Rt Hon. Chris Huhne MP)
Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (The Rt Hon. Eric Pickles MP)
Secretary of State for Transport (The Rt Hon. Justine Greening MP)
Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (The Rt Hon. Caroline Spelman MP)
Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport (The Rt Hon. Jeremy Hunt MP)
Minister of State for Trade and Investment (Lord Green)
Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Sassoon)
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Crime Prevention) (James Brokenshire MP)
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Defence Equipment, Support and Technology) (Peter Luff MP)
Departmental Secondment
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) what secondments there have been to his Department from (a) industry and (b) the third sector since May 2010; what the (i) purpose and (ii) duration is of each secondment; and whether each secondment was to a policy development role; [86147]
(2) what secondments there have been to 10 Downing street from (a) industry and (b) the third sector since May 2010; what the (i) purpose and (ii) duration is of each secondment; and whether each secondment was to a policy development role. [86148]
Mr Maude: The Prime Minister's Office is an integral part of the Cabinet Office and is included in the reply.
Since May 2010, there have been 23 secondments into my Department from industry and one secondment from a third sector organisation.
These secondments ranged in duration from two months to two years, at an average duration of eight months.
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Such secondment arrangements form part of the Cabinet Office's strategy to bring in expertise relevant to policy development, operational delivery or specialist areas such as procurement and digital delivery from commercial and third sector organisations, as well as the wider public sector.
Private and Public Sector: Females
Jessica Morden: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate has been made of the proportion of people working in the (a) private sector and (b) public sector in Wales; and what proportion are female in each case. [86652]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated December 2011:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what estimate has been made of the proportion of people working in the (a) private sector and (b) public sector in Wales; and what proportion are female in each case. [086652]
Public Sector employment statistics for local areas can be calculated from the Annual Population Survey (APS). Individuals in the APS are classified to the public or private sector according to their responses to the survey.
Table 1 shows the proportion of people employed in public and private sector in Wales and the proportion of those employed in the public and private sector who are female. The figures have been provided from the APS for the 12 month periods April 2010 to March 2011, the latest period for which figures are available.
| Table 1: Proportion of people employed in (a) public and (b) private sector in Wales and proportion of those employed in public and private sector who are female—April 2010 to March 2011 | ||
| Proportion (%) | ||
|
|
Public | Private |
| Source: Annual Population Survey | ||
As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
Senior Civil Servants: Meetings
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what rules govern the (a) declaration and (b) recording of meetings held by senior civil servants. [86198]
Mr Maude: Meetings are recorded in accordance with departmental procedures on record keeping. The National Archives also produces “Guidance on the Management of Private Office Papers” which can be accessed at:
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documents/information-management/popapersguidance2009.pdf
Social Exclusion
Mark Tami: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what assessment his Department has made of the role of the big society initiative in tackling social exclusion. [86420]
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Mr Letwin: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Leicester South (Jonathan Ashworth) at Cabinet Office oral questions earlier today.
Work and Pensions
Employment Schemes
Mrs Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much funding has been earmarked for job retention in the Work Choice Programme. [85986]
Maria Miller: All customers who enter employment through Work Choice are entitled to have support enabling them to retain their employment. Providers receive an overall service fee for delivering a range of services, rather than a specific payment for retention work.
Mrs Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people were (a) referred to Workstep for support in retaining their existing job in each year in which the scheme operated and (b) referred to Work Choice since 2010. [85988]
Maria Miller: The Department did not collect data about individuals who have been referred to Workstep for support to retain their existing job.
In line with UK Statistics Authority guidance, we will be publishing official statistics on referrals to Work Choice in spring 2012.
Housing Benefit: Females
Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the answer of 8 December 2011, Official Report, column 396W, on housing benefit: females, how many lone parents receive local housing allowance in Wales; and what proportion of such claimants are female. [86627]
Steve Webb: The information requested on lone parents in Wales receiving housing benefit paid according to the local housing allowance scheme and the percentage that are female is provided in the following table:
| Lone parents | ||
|
|
Local housing allowance tenants (LHA) | Percentage that are female |
| Notes: 1. The figures have been rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Percentage has been rounded to the nearest decimal place. 3. Housing benefit figures exclude any extended payment cases. An extended payment is a payment that may be received for a further four weeks when they start working full time, work more hours or earn more money. 4. SHBE is a monthly electronic scan of claimant level data direct from local authority computer systems. It replaces quarterly aggregate clerical returns. 5. The data are available monthly from November 2008 and August 2011 is the latest available. 6. For this analysis lone parents are those who are single with child dependant(s). 7. Caseload figure includes less than 1% of cases where gender is not recorded/missing, 8. Local housing allowance was introduced in the Private Deregulated sector from April 2008. The methodology for recording claimants within the statistics as either LHA/non-LHA is under review. Source: Single Housing Benefit Extract (SHBE) Aug-11 | ||
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Pensioners: Income
Ben Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent estimate has been made of the number of pensioners whose incomes exceed the average income of an individual in employment. [86062]
Steve Webb: Table 1 shows the number of pensioners living in a household with an equivalised income greater than the median equivalised income for households where at least one member is in some form of employment (this could either be full- or part-time employment).
Results both Before Housing Costs and After Housing Costs have been provided. For Before Housing Costs, housing costs are not deducted from income, while for After Housing Costs they are.
Figures have been rounded to the nearest 100,000 pensioners and proportions rounded to the nearest percentage point.
| Table 1: The number of pensioners living in households with an income greater than the median household income where at least one member of the household is employed, United Kingdom, 2009-10 | ||
|
|
Number of pensioners (million) | Proportion of pensioners (%) |
| Notes: 1. These statistics are based on the Households Below Average Income (HBAI) series, sourced from the Family Resources Survey (FRS). This uses disposable household income, adjusted using modified OECD equivalisation factors for household size and composition, as an income measure as a proxy for standard of living. 2. Net disposable incomes have been used to answer the question. This includes earnings from employment and self-employment, state support, income from occupational and private pensions, investment income and other sources. Income tax payments, national insurance contributions, council tax/domestic rates and some other payments are deducted from both income measures. In addition a measure of housing costs are also deducted from the After Housing Cost incomes. 3. Analysis has been carried out based on equivalised household incomes. This takes an adult couple with no children as the reference point. For example, the process of equivalisation would adjust the income of a single pensioner upwards, so that we can use income to directly compare their standard of living with a working-age couple without children. 4. The median equivalised income for households where at least one member of the household is employed is; £485 per week Before Housing Costs and £424 per week After Housing Costs. 5. All estimates are based on survey data and are therefore subject to a degree of uncertainty. Small differences should be treated with caution as these will be affected by sampling error and variability in non-response. 6. The reference period for HBAI figures is the financial year. 7. Measures for pensioners are generally on an After Housing Costs basis. This is because pensioners are far more likely to own their homes outright and so receive value from housing, without having to pay for rent or mortgage payments out of their current income. So for assessing pensioner poverty a Before Housing Costs basis does not provide a good comparison of living standards. | ||
Council Tax Benefits
Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average annual council tax benefit payment was for a (a) pensioner household and (b) household including at least one person of working age in each local authority area in 2010-11. [85343]
Steve Webb: The information has been placed in the Library.
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Communities and Local Government
Assets: Birmingham
Mr Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assets his Department owns in Birmingham; and what the book value is of each such asset. [85452]
Robert Neill: The Department for Communities and Local Government leases two buildings in Birmingham. They are: 5 St Philips Place, Colmore Row and 77 Paradise Circus. The leases for both properties are rack-rented operating leases and as such they have no asset value to the Department.
Council Tax
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will place in the Library a copy of each representation he has received from local authorities on the need for changes to single person's council tax discount. [86667]
Robert Neill: All responses to the Government's consultation on Localising Council Tax Support will be considered and a summary of responses will be published shortly. However, as indicated by my noble Friend, Baroness Hanham, on 3 November 2011, Official Report, House of Lords, column WA292, the Government have already made it clear that they do not intend to make changes to the council tax single person discount scheme.
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people in each local authority area are eligible for the single person's discount on council tax. [86668]
Robert Neill: Details of the number of people in each local authority in England that are recorded as being in receipt of the single person’s discount for council tax purposes as at 3 October 2011 are available on line 8 of the table “Council tax base local authority level data 2011”, which is available on the Department for Communities and Local Government website at:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/corporate/statistics/counciltaxbase2011
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the cost of establishing local schemes for distributing council tax benefit in each local authority area; and if he will make a statement. [86670]
Robert Neill: I refer the hon. Lady to the answer given on 22 November 2011, Official Report, column 225W, to the right hon. Member for East Ham (Stephen Timms).
Council Tax Benefits: Expenditure
Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the level of expenditure on council tax benefit in each local authority in 2010-11; and how much such expenditure was incurred in respect of (a) pensioner and (b) working-age households in each such authority. [85342]
Steve Webb: I have been asked to reply.
The information has been placed in the Library.
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Food Labelling
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether food and catering services in (a) his Department and (b) public bodies for which he is responsible plan to implement calorie labelling on menus and display boards. [85854]
Robert Neill: The Department for Communities and Local Government and its public bodies' caterers are contracted to comply with Government Buying Standards for Food and Catering Services. Calorie labelling forms part of an evolving strategy to offer a choice of diet to our staff. We are working with the Department for Education on a shared services arrangement and negotiating a new total Facilities Management Contract, which will be in place from April 2012. This contract will conform to Government Buying Solutions Standards and calorie labelling will form part of the new contract.
This answer incorporates all of the Department and its associated public bodies, with the exception of the Planning Inspectorate, where the information was not readily available.
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps the food and catering services in (a) his Department and (b) public bodies for which he is responsible are taking to ensure the countries of origin of foods are labelled on its menus and display boards. [85855]
Robert Neill: The Department for Communities and Local Government and its public bodies' caterers are contracted to comply with Government Buying Standards for food and catering services and information on country of origin is available through the supply chain where requested. We are negotiating a new total facilities management contract, which will be in place from April 2012. This contract will conform to Government Buying Solutions Standards and we will work with the new catering supplier to improve the degree and quality of information provided to customers.
This answer incorporates all of the Department and its associated public bodies, with the exception of the Planning Inspectorate, where the information was not readily available.
Energy Performance Certificates
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will consider amending the requirements for energy performance certificates to be made available when a residential property is put up for sale to include information on floor area and energy usage; and if he will make a statement. [86449]
Andrew Stunell: Energy performance certificates already contain information about a dwelling's floor area and energy usage and must be made available to prospective purchasers within 28 days of a property being marketed for sale. We are making a number of changes to the energy performance certificate to significantly improve its format and content and ensure that it effectively supports the Green Deal. The revised energy performance certificate will be released in April 2012.
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Government Procurement Card
Oliver Colvile: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Great Yarmouth of 3 November 2011, Official Report, column 782W, on the Government Procurement Card, which Minister in his Department visited Auckland in March 2007; and what the purpose of the visit was. [81608]
Robert Neill: The then Under-Secretary of State (Angela E Smith) visited Auckland in March 2007 to attend the Commonwealth Local Government Conference 2007.
Housing: Finance
Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what account his Department took of population variations between local authority areas in determining allocation of the New Homes Bonus. [86196]
Grant Shapps: The New Homes Bonus is based on the number of additional homes and those brought back into use, with a premium for affordable homes. Through the bonus, local authority areas which are growing in population will have more resources to meet the needs and aspirations of new and existing residents.
Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government for what reasons he (a) reduced the housing budget in 2010-11 and (b) increased the housing budget in 2011-12. [86332]
Grant Shapps: The last Administration left the biggest budget deficit in our peacetime history, with the state forecast to borrow £146 billion a year in 2010-11, or £400 million being borrowed every single day. This was unsustainable. The coalition Government, through the Emergency Budget and spending review, have taken steps to tackle this deficit, restoring market confidence. These measures will help eliminate the structural current deficit over the next five years. This will help keep interest rates down for home owners, restore economic stability and reduce the amount of taxpayers' money that would otherwise be spent on debt interest.
Within the agreed public spending envelope, we have taken steps to support house building, given the important contribution it makes to economic growth and the need to build more homes in light of demographic change. This has included using departmental unallocated funding to support housing (e.g. the Growing Places Fund). We have also configured our housing policies to tackle the particular problems currently being faced in the housing market:
Lenders are not lending enough—with high deposit requirements excluding young people and families from home ownership. Hence, we are promoting schemes such as Firstbuy, extending the Right to Buy and supporting a new and innovative new build indemnity scheme.
Builders are not building—without consumers ready to buy, and without enough land for development or access to finance. Hence, we are promoting policies such as the Getting Britain Building investment fund and the Build Now, Pay Later programme for public sector land.
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We are also investing £4.5 billion in new affordable housing over the spending review period and £2.1 billion on Decent Homes to improve the condition of existing social housing.
Local Government: Land
Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much (a) brownfield, (b) green-belt and (c) green-field land is owned by each local authority in England. [85914]
Robert Neill [holding answer 12 December 2011]:There were an estimated 5,350 hectares of brownfield land owned by local authorities in England in 2009, according to the National Land Use Database of Previously-Developed Land. A table showing the amounts and number of sites by local authority has been placed in the Library of the House.
No information is available on the amount of local authority owned green-belt or green-field land.
My Department is taking a series of steps to encourage the development and regeneration of brownfield sites, as outlined in my answer of 25 October 2011, Official Report, column 123W.
New Deal for Communities Scheme
Mr Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what work has been carried out in each borough under the New Deal for Communities scheme; and what work carried out under the New Deal for Communities scheme has been continued following the ending of the scheme. [83268]
Andrew Stunell [holding answer 25 November 2011]: A table providing a summary of priorities for each of the 39 New Deal for Communities areas and details of projects developed by the Communities partnerships for each area has been deposited in the Library of the House. The Department does not have a full picture of the completion of all projects across the programme, which is a matter for the individual partnerships, their successor bodies and, where different, the local authorities in those areas. The National Evaluation of the Communities programme, published in March 2010, concluded that the New Deal for Communities had delivered improvements and that, in general, they had narrowed the gaps with the rest of the country in relation to six broad themes: crime, health, worklessness, education, community cohesion, and housing and the environment. Three quarters of New Deal for Communities have agreed succession strategies so that the benefits and improvements made over the life of the programme can be sustained into the longer term.
Non-domestic Rates
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the amount of business rates revenue which will be lost to each local authority as a result of schools becoming academies in the next five years; and if he will make a statement. [86666]
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Robert Neill: None. Business rates reliefs for ratepayers are an integral part of the business rates system and we have no plans to amend them. Mandatory relief should be granted if a ratepayer meets the eligibility criteria.
Planning Permission
Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on minimum density requirements in planning policy. [86232]
Robert Neill: The Department for Communities and Local Government has not recently commissioned any research specifically on minimum density requirements in planning policy. Whitehall minimum density requirements were abolished in June 2010 to help councils protect residential neighbourhoods from unwanted ‘garden grabbing’. The draft National Planning Policy Framework asks local planning authorities to set their own approach to housing density to reflect local circumstances. Consultation on the draft framework has now closed and we are now considering all the responses.
Planning Permission: Urban Areas
Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) for what reasons the inclusion of offices in the sequential town centre test contained in Planning Policy Statement 6 has not been carried over to the draft National Planning Policy Framework; [85913]
(2) pursuant to the oral answer of 5 December 2011, Official Report, column 15, on high street development, whether it is his policy to include offices in the sequential town centre test. [86023]
Greg Clark [holding answer 12 December 2011]:A draft new National Planning Policy Framework was published for consultation in July 2011. We are now giving very careful consideration to all responses received to the consultation, before publishing a final version of the framework.
Wales
Government: Ministerial Meetings
Mr Hain: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) on what date she last met the Secretary of State for Transport to discuss the implications for Wales of High Speed 2; [86262]
(2) on what date she last had a bilateral meeting with the Cabinet Secretary to discuss matters relating to Wales; and if she will publish a minute of the meeting; [86263]
(3) on what date she last had a bilateral meeting with the Minister for political and constitutional reform to discuss matters relating to Wales; and if she will publish a minute of the meeting; [86264]
(4) on what date she last met the Government spokesperson for Welsh affairs in the House of Lords; and if she will publish a minute of the meeting; [86265]
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(5) on what date she last met the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to discuss the effects of the Government's Work programme on Wales; [86270]
(6) on what date she last met the Chancellor of the Exchequer to discuss the implications for Wales of his autumn statement; [86271]
(7) on what date she last met the Home Secretary to discuss levels of crime in Wales; [86272]
(8) on what date she last had a bilateral meeting with each other Cabinet Minister to discuss matters relating to Wales; and if she will publish a minute of each meeting; [86278]
(9) on how many occasions she has met the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change to discuss the implications for Welsh businesses of the proposed abolition of the feed-in tariff; [86297]
(10) on what date she last met the Secretary of State for Justice to discuss prisons in Wales. [86269]
Mrs Gillan: Both the Under-Secretary of State for Wales, my hon. Friend the Member for Clwyd West (Mr Jones), and I regularly meet ministerial colleagues and senior officials across Government to discuss matters of importance to Wales. In line with the practice of successive Administrations, information relating to internal advice and discussion is not normally disclosed.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Afghanistan: Females
Michael Connarty: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what recent discussions he has had with the Afghan Government on the involvement of women in the political processes at all levels in Afghanistan; [86161]
(2) if he will press the Afghan Government to ensure that women have an effective voice and role in all levels of the peace process in that country. [86162]
Alistair Burt: At the International Conference on Afghanistan in Bonn on 5 December, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), stated that:
“The principle of inclusiveness is vital, so that all Afghanistan's people have a stake in the country's future”.
The Conference, chaired by Afghanistan, agreed a clear set of guiding principles for the reconciliation process and its outcomes and also an inclusive, representative peace process. The Conference also made it clear that the fundamental rights of women and children are key for Afghanistan's future.
The Government's International Violence Against Women Champion, the Minister for Equalities, the hon. Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Lynne Featherstone), also attended the Civil Society Forum on Afghanistan held in Bonn on 2-3 December, where she reiterated the UK Government's commitment to an inclusive political process in Afghanistan and the importance of the protection of Afghan women's rights.
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We will continue to make clear it to the Government of Afghanistan that any political process should be inclusive and address the concerns of all Afghan citizens.
Departmental Audit
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what criteria (a) his Department and (b) its public bodies use when deciding whether and when to hold an internal audit; and if he will make a statement. [85638]
Mr Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Internal Audit Department provides internal audit services to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, its Executive Agency (Wilton Park) and Trading Fund (FCO Services). This activity provides their accounting officers with an overall opinion on risk management, control and governance arrangements, as required by HM Treasury. For each of these bodies a discrete annual programme of work is agreed with their Audit Committee and the Permanent Under-Secretary (FCO) or Chief Executives of FCO Services and Wilton Park, as appropriate. The criteria used for deciding what to audit and when are as follows.
FCO Internal Audit works in the context of the FCO's risk management framework, an approach generally known as risk-based internal auditing. There is an annually agreed strategy setting out which areas of the FCO should be audited. There are two distinct approaches within the strategy: one for the risks in the UK and the other for overseas risk. For the home programme the strategy takes account of FCO risk registers, known and expected business change, input from FCO Directors and the risk of fraud and reputational damage. For the overseas network a risk model is used to help prioritise posts in terms of risk. Within any given year, the timing of an actual audit is at the discretion of the auditor leading it, unless management has expressed a particular view (i.e. because of the timing of other reviews or anticipated changes to the systems in question). Other issues around timing include logistics and, overseas, security. FCO Internal Audit also conducts some audits without notice.
The methodology for selecting audits is very similar to the FCO except that FCO Services adopts a three- year strategy (with an annual review) and audits are carried out exclusively in the UK. The methodology to populate the strategy with individual audits is risk based and takes account of FCO Services risk registers, discussion with senior management, forward objectives, key performance indicators and a review of other sources of assurance. Within any given year the timing of an actual audit is at the discretion of the auditor leading it unless management has expressed a particular view which it would be sensible to accommodate.
FCO Internal Audit prepares a three-year strategy which is then reviewed and approved each year by the Audit Committee and Chief Executive. The methodology to populate the strategy with individual audits is risk based and takes account of business changes and input from the Finance and Operations Directors. It takes
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account of the risk of fraud and reputational damage and considers all other sources of assurance. Audits are carried out exclusively in the UK and the exact timing of an audit is a collaborative decision involving Wilton Park senior staff and the lead auditor. Timing takes into account seasonal peaks in business activity and the availability of audit staff.
Economic and Monetary Union
Dr Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for New Forest East of 29 November 2011, Official Report, column 863W, on Europe: politics and government, what assessment he has made of the potential effects of fiscal union between the states of the Eurozone on the maintenance of (a) elected, (b) representative and (c) democratic Governments in those states; what discussions he had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on such effects, prior to the Government recommending fiscal union for the states of the Eurozone; and if he will make a statement. [84842]
Mr Lidington: It is for each individual country of the Eurozone to assess the effects of fiscal union on these three issues. The UK remains committed to both a strong and stable Eurozone and to liberal democratic values. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Treasury ministerial teams work very closely in developing policy on the EU.
European Union: Treaties
David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether any new European Treaty will be subject to a referendum. [85897]
Mr Lidington: Under the European Union Act 2011, any Treaty change which transfers competence or power from the UK to the will require a referendum of the British people. The Act clearly defines what is meant by a transfer of competence or power.
Japan: Whaling
Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many discussions he has had with the Japanese ambassador on Japan's annual whaling hunt. [86653]
Mr Jeremy Browne: This Government support the International Whaling Commission (IWC) moratorium on commercial whaling because we believe strongly that the annual whaling hunt involves unacceptable cruelty. Although the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, the right hon. Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), has not had the opportunity to raise this issue with the current ambassador of Japan, both he and I raised it during our visits to Japan late last year. Ministers and senior officials will continue to convey our concerns with the Japanese Government when suitable opportunities arise.
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Libya: Arms Trade
Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will press the new Libyan authorities to ensure that the terms of the compensation package to be offered to victims of the IRA's Libyan-supplied semtex campaign do not distinguish between those police or military personnel killed on duty and those off duty at the time of the attacks. [86591]
Alistair Burt: Properly addressing legacy issues will be an important part of the UK's relationship with Libya. I raised this with the Libyan Transitional Government during my visit to Tripoli on 6 to 8 December. I made clear our desire to see progress on outstanding issues from the Gaddafi era. The newly appointed Foreign Minister Ashour Ben Khayyal agreed that we would take forward discussions on this.
The campaigns seeking compensation for IRA victims are private. The terms of the campaigns and the range of victims are therefore also private. However, we understand at this stage that no settlement has been made.
Saudi Arabia: Politics and Government
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the findings of the report by Amnesty International entitled Saudi Arabia: Repression in the name of Security; and if he will make a statement. [86046]
Alistair Burt: The Amnesty international report on Saudi Arabia summarises the current human rights situation in Saudi Arabia. It covers the draft anti-terror law, detentions and trials, and freedom of expression. Our embassy in Riyadh has been engaged in a dialogue with the Saudi Arabian Government on these issues for some time. There is widespread acceptance in the Saudi Government and Saudi human rights organisations that the draft anti-terror law is unsuitable in its present form: the current draft is extremely unlikely to pass into law. Our embassy has raised the issue of arbitrary detentions with the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Justice and has been given permission to attend a forthcoming terror trial.
We have asked the Saudi authorities for more information with regard to the case referred to in the Report, which concerns 16 men convicted under anti-terror legislation to sentences ranging from five to 30 years, before we determine our next course of action. Freedom of expression concerns largely relate to the periods of unrest in the Eastern Province this year. Following the most recent outbreak of unrest in November, we note the Saudi Arabian Government issued a statement that security forces have been instructed to exercise restraint. We welcome the willingness of Saudi human rights organisations to engage with Amnesty on human rights concerns, which will raise awareness of the progress made by Saudi Arabia to date and give greater clarity on the requirements for further reform.
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Sergei Magnitsky
Mr Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has given any consideration to bringing forward proposals similar to the Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act proposed in the US Congress. [86072]
Mr Lidington: We are aware of the Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act, introduced to the US Congress in 2011, which, if passed, would see sanctions imposed on Russian officials allegedly responsible for the detention, abuse, or death of Sergei Magnitsky.
The Immigration Rules enable us to refuse a visa where, for example, information on an individual's character, conduct or associations makes entry to the UK undesirable. However, the UK has a long established practice of not commenting routinely on individual visa cases.
Mr Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking together with his EU counterparts in response to the death in custody of Sergei Magnitsky. [86073]
Mr Lidington: We have discussed Mr Magnitsky's arrest, detention and death with a number of our European partners who share our concerns. The EU raised this case during EU-Russia Human Rights Consultations in November.
Mr Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent steps he has taken in respect of the death in custody of Sergei Magnitsky. [86208]
Mr Lidington: We have repeatedly made clear to the Russian Government our concerns about Mr Magnitsky's arrest, detention and death, most recently during the Prime Minister's visit to Moscow in September, where he discussed this case with President Medvedev. The Prime Minister also referred to the Magnitsky case as a high profile human rights concern in Russia during his speech on ‘Foreign Policy in the National Interest’ on 14 November. We will continue to urge the Russian Government to complete a thorough and transparent investigation into this case and bring to justice those responsible for Mr Magnitsky's death.
Steria
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many contracts his Department has awarded to Steria since May 2010; and what the (a) purpose, (b) monetary value and (c) net worth was of each contract. [85477]
Mr Lidington: It is longstanding Foreign and Commonwealth Office practice not to comment on the detail of its security contracts or its security systems.
Turkey: Human Rights
Hywel Williams:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his contribution of 9 November 2011, Official Report, column 304, on the middle east and north Africa,
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what discussions he had with the President of Turkey on
(a)
human rights and
(b)
the Kurdish minority in Turkey. [86361]
Mr Lidington: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), did not have any substantive meetings with the President of Turkey during the state visit.
During the state visit there were several meetings between members of the Government and members of the Turkish delegation. A very wide range of topics was discussed. We do not reveal the details of private diplomatic exchanges.
Our embassy in Ankara regularly raises human rights with the relevant Turkish authorities. We will continue to monitor developments in human rights and issues surrounding the Kurdish minorities.
Zimbabwe: Diamonds
Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his UN counterparts on the decision to lift the embargo on the sale of diamonds originating from Zimbabwe; and what assessment he has made of the effect of the decision on the sanctions regime that has been placed on Zimbabwe. [86509]
Mr Bellingham: The EU, which represents Britain in the Kimberley Process (KP), had discussions with all 50 KP participants ahead of the KP Plenary meeting in Kinshasa in November. I have discussed diamond exports from the Marange region of Zimbabwe with the Governments of South Africa, the United States of America and Belgium.
The Kinshasa agreement does not impact on the EU Restricted Measures, which are up for their annual review by the 27 EU member states in February 2012.
Home Department
Antisocial Behaviour
Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to publish the response to her Department’s consultation entitled More effective responses to anti social behaviour. [85488]
James Brokenshire: The Home Office has received over 1,000 written responses to the consultation from the police and other front-line professionals, members of the judiciary, local authorities, interest groups and members of the public. We want to ensure that our proposals reflect that wealth of knowledge and expertise, and will publish our response in due course.
Arrest Warrants
Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people returned to the UK under the European Arrest Warrant returned to (a) face prosecution and (b) served an existing sentence in each year since its inception; and if she will make a statement. [78625]
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Damian Green: Due to the way that the data are recorded, it is not possible for these figures to be broken down by the number returned to face prosecution or to serve an existing sentence in each year without a manual examination of each individual case file. This would incur a disproportionate cost.
Avon and Somerset Constabulary: Finance
Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much core funding her Department allocated to Avon and Somerset police authority in (a) 2008-09, (b) 2009-10, (c) 2010-11 and (d) 2011-12; and how much it plans to allocate in (i) cash and (ii) real terms in 2012-13. [86223]
Nick Herbert: The funding figures for Avon and Somerset police authority were:
(a) £116.4 million (2008-09);
(b) £115.1 million (2009-10);
(c) £118.5 million (2010-11);
(d) £120.9 million (2011-12).
The provisional resource allocation for 2012-13 is £112.7 million.
Civil Disorder
Malcolm Wicks: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many firms of loss adjusters have been employed by police forces to assess claims for compensation under the Riot (Damages) Act 1886 arising from the civil disorder of August 2011; at what rate firms have been remunerated; and what the total amount of fees paid to such firms has been, at the most recent date for which figures are available. [85572]
Nick Herbert: This information is not collected centrally. However, these data are available from the respective police authorities.
Official Hospitality
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department spent on hospitality for events hosted by each Minister in her Department in each of the last 12 months. [73667]
Damian Green: As part of the interviewing for the new Metropolitan Police Commissioner, the Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), provided a working lunch at a cost of £32.83.
No other events have been hosted by Ministers of the Home Department where hospitality has been provided; this excludes the de minimus levels of expenditure on teas, coffees and light refreshments.
Departmental Public Expenditure
Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she receives any external funding for (a) her ministerial office and (b) her advisers; and what the (i) source and (ii) amount is of any such funding. [77590]
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Damian Green: The Home Office does not receive any external funding for ministerial offices or for special advisers.
Domestic Violence
Hazel Blears: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans she has for the classification and recording of convictions for offences against a partner as domestic violence offences. [84903]
Lynne Featherstone: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) already records domestic violence convictions. The recently published CPS Violence Against Women and Girls Crime Report shows that in the last year (2010-11) the proportion of defendants convicted for domestic violence offences has stayed steady at 72%, against an 11 % increase in both the volume of defendants prosecuted (82,187) and convicted (59,101).
Domestic Violence: Homicide
Hazel Blears: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) men and (b) women were killed by a current or former partner in each year since 2006. [83698]
Lynne Featherstone: The available data are given in the table and are taken from the Home Office Homicide Index and relate to homicides recorded by police forces in England and Wales, including the British Transport Police.
Data for 2010-11 will be available in January 2012.
| Partner/ex-partner homicides currently (1) recorded by relationship of victim to principal suspect, 2005-06 to 2009-10 , England and Wales | |||||
| Number | |||||
|
|
2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 |
| 1. As at 28 September 2010; figures are subject to revision as cases are dealt with by the police and by the courts, or as further information becomes available. Source: Home Office Homicide Index | |||||
Habitual Residence Test
Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the habitual residence test. [81663]
Chris Grayling: I have been asked to reply.
We have strict rules in place to prevent abuse of the benefit system and to prevent benefit tourism. One of the principal measures is the habitual residence test. The test ensures that people coming from abroad can only access income-related benefits if they have a right to reside and are habitually resident in the Common Travel Area(1). The Department for Work and Pensions is considering all the details of the European Commission's Reasoned Opinion against the right to reside element of the habitual residence test and is committed to taking the necessary steps to ensure the UK retains control of its welfare policies.
(1) The UK, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, and the Republic of Ireland.
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Immigrants: Detainees
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the detention data in Immigration Statistics April to June 2011, table dt.07.q, for what reasons each of the 74 individuals detained for more than 24 months has not been removed from the UK. [82103]
Damian Green: The following table sets out the total length of stay in the UK of the 74 individuals detained for more than 24 months referred to in the Immigration Statistics April to June 2011.
| Length of time (in years) in the UK based on first application raised | Number of individuals |
The following table sets out the reasons why the 74 individuals detained for more than 24 months referred to in the Immigration Statistics April to June 2011 had not been removed from the UK. As the table shows, five of the individuals have now been removed from the UK. This information is taken from internal management information and is subject to change.
| Barriers to removal | Number of individuals |
| (1) This is a request to the European court of human rights (under rule 39) that an applicant should not be removed from the UK. | |
Of the 74 individuals detained for more than 24 months referred to in the Immigration Statistics April to June 2011, 53 lodged an appeal against their deportation. In addition to this:
29 individuals submitted a judicial review (JR) against unlawful detention.
five submitted a JR on HR grounds.
five submitted a JR against unlawful detention and on HR grounds.
To determine in which court those of the 74 individuals detained for more than 24 months referred to in the Immigration Statistics April to June 2011 have lodged
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an appeal against detention or removal would require the examination of individual case files, which would incur a disproportionate cost.
Immigration
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the UK Border Agency intends to resolve the case of Mr Garfield Rainford. [79437]
Damian Green: In order to safeguard an individual's personal information and comply with the Data Protection Act 1998, the UK Border Agency is unable to provide an update on an individual case when responding to a parliamentary question. The UK Border Agency will write to the right hon. Gentleman to provide an update on the case.
Immigration: Port of Hull
Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people entering the UK through the Port of Hull were subject to full e-scan checks between July and November 2011. [81086]
Damian Green: All passengers entering the UK through the Port of Hull between July and November 2011 were subject to full immigration checks.
Rohypnol
David Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what steps she is taking to reduce the illegal use of Rohypnol; and what awareness campaigns she proposes to run; [85999]
(2) what studies her Department has undertaken on the illegal use of Rohypnol; [86000]
(3) whether she has recently reviewed the classification of the drug Rohypnol; [86001]
(4) what assessment she has made of recent trends in the illegal use of Rohypnol. [86002]
James Brokenshire: Flunitrazepam (‘Rohypnol’), together with the other benzodiazepines, is a class C drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs informs the Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), and keeps under review the situation in the UK with respect to controlled drugs, including benzodiazepines. Its report “Drug Facilitated Sexual Assault” (2007) considered the use of benzodiazepines and indicated that adequate controls are in place for these drugs. The report is available at:
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/alcohol-drugs/drugs/acmd1/drug-facilitated-sexual-assault/
This Government are committed to tackling sexual offences and other forms of violence against women and girls. The Sexual Offences Act 2003 makes it a separate offence to give someone any substance without their consent and with the intention of stupefying them so that sexual activity can take place. We are also working closely with the Association of Chief Police Officers to look at ways to improve police investigations of rape, including cases where drugs are a contributing factor.
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The Government’s Drug Strategy sets out a multifaceted approach to tackling drug use under three themes: reducing demand, restricting supply and building recovery.
FRANK, the drug information and advice service, has information on tranquillisers (which includes Rohypnol) available on its website at:
www.talktofrank.com
We are currently running a campaign to promote the FRANK service.
Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures Bill
Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans she has to provide additional resources to the police as a result of implementation of the proposals in the Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures Bill. [70852]
James Brokenshire: The new system of terrorism prevention and investigation measures (TPIMs) will be accompanied by significant additional funding for both the police and Security Service. We do not provide detailed breakdowns of the money we provide for specific security activities as this would provide information about our capabilities and techniques which could undermine national security.
UK Border Agency: Security
Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department at which points of entry the UK Border Force used Level 2 security checks under her pilot scheme of summer 2011 to screen (a) EEA and (b) non-EEA passengers attempting to enter the UK; how often it used such checks; and on what dates. [81059]
Damian Green: The Level 2 risk-based pilot measures applied to EEA nationals were available to all UK ports. The following ports made use of them between 29 July and 4 November 2011:
Aberdeen Airport
Edinburgh Airport
Manchester Airport
Belfast International Airport
East Midlands Airport
Newcastle Airport
Birmingham Airport
Gatwick Airport
Newhaven Ferry Port
Bournemouth Airport
Glasgow Airport
Norwich International Airport
Bristol Airport
Harwich Ferry Terminal
Plymouth Ferry Terminal
Brussels
Heathrow Airport
Poole Ferry Terminal
Calais
Leeds Bradford Airport
Portsmouth Ferry Terminal
Cardiff Airport
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Liverpool John Lennon Airport
Prestwick Airport
Coquelles
London City Airport
Stansted Airport
Dunkerque
London Luton Airport
The Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), has ordered an investigation into all the circumstances relating to the relaxation of border controls. It would be inappropriate to release any further information at this stage.
Health
Ambulance Services: Training
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which ambulance trusts have opted to use (a) Trauma Risk Management and (b) Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training; and if he will make a statement. [86532]
Mr Simon Burns: This is an operational matter for local ambulance trusts. As such, this information is not held centrally.
Departmental Pay
Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the monetary value is of bonuses paid to staff in his Department for work on the national IT scheme in the last 12 months. [86518]
Mr Simon Burns: It is presumed that the hon. Member is referring to staff within the Department working on the National Programme for Information Technology.
No bonuses were paid to such staff in the last 12 months.
Departmental Secondment
Huw Irranca-Davies:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what secondments there have been to his Department from (a) industry and (b) the third sector
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since May 2010; what the (i) purpose and (ii) duration is of each secondment; and whether each secondment was to a policy development role. [86137]
Mr Simon Burns: Since May 2010, the Department has not seconded anyone in from industry.
Five or fewer staff have been seconded in from the third sector during this period. No individual seconded from the third sector is working in a policy development role.
Doctors
Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he will take to reduce the time taken in allocating jobs to newly-qualified doctors. [86224]
Anne Milton: The United Kingdom Foundation Programme Office is responsible for defining the national application process and timetable. Key influences on timing are the dates on which UK medical schools announce results for final medical degree examinations and the dates on which the General Medical Council schedules examinations to ensure international medical graduates demonstrate they have the necessary skills and knowledge to practise medicine in the UK. Everyone involved in the national application process makes every endeavour to ensure that medical graduates know where they will be working at the earliest date possible.
Hospital Beds
Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the answer of 30 November 2011, Official Report, columns 960-2W, on hospital beds, if he will assess the reasons for delayed hospital discharge in May 2010. [86517]
Paul Burstow: Monthly delayed transfers of care data have been collected since August 2010. Prior to August 2010 delayed transfers of care data were weekly unvalidated management information. The equivalent monthly data for May 2010 have been provided in the following tables, which are the weekly snapshot of patient numbers at midnight on Thursday in the week ending 30 May 2010.
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|
|
|
Number of patients with a DTOC at midnight on the last Thursday of the month | Number of delayed days during the reporting period |
| Notes: 1. Summary: Delayed transfers of care (DTOC) by whom the delay is attributable to (NHS, Social care or Both) and by the reasons for the delay. 2. Period: May 2010 Source: Unify2 data collection—WSitDT (week ending 30 May 2010) | |||
Mental Health Services
Mr Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps he has taken to meet each of the six shared objectives contained in his Department's mental health outcomes strategy; [86538]
(2) what meetings he has had with ministerial colleagues on cross-Government steps to achieve each of the six shared objectives contained in his Department's mental health outcomes strategy. [86539]
Paul Burstow: There have been no formal meetings between the Secretary of State for Health, the right hon. Member for South Cambridgeshire (Mr Lansley), and Ministers in other Government Departments in relation to implementation of the mental health strategy.
Officials across all the relevant Government Departments meet regularly to co-ordinate activity and implementation of the strategy.
The strategy's objectives are designed to be seen together, building a coherent picture of better mental health outcomes, rather than being seen in isolation. Much of the work currently under way will help to meet the strategy's objectives as a whole. Examples include:
the recently-published ‘NHS Operating Framework for 2012-13’ which highlights mental health services and specifically ‘No health without Mental Health’ and makes it clear that this should be a priority for primary care trust commissioning;
ensuring that mental health is reflected in the outcomes framework for the national health service, and in the outcomes framework for public health and the draft framework for adult social care;
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working, alongside the NHS Confederation and others, to support the implementation through the introduction of Payment by Results and improved outcome measures for mental health.
work across Government to address the wider determinants of mental health.
We have established a ministerial advisory group for the mental health strategy to work in partnership to realise the strategy. This group includes senior representation from other Government Departments.
In October 2011, this group agreed proposals to develop an implementation framework for the strategy. This will be produced by a number of national mental health organisations, in partnership with the Government. The framework is due for publication in spring 2012.
The group receives regular updates on the wide range of work which contributes to meeting the objectives of the strategy. Meeting papers and minutes for this group are published on the Department's website:
www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_127788
Occupational Health: Research
Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of levels of support for research into occupational health. [81613]
Chris Grayling: I have been asked to reply.
HSE has a budget of £11 million for applied research in 2011-12 and the major part is devoted to occupational health. Further details can be found on the HSE website at:
http://www.hse.gov.uk/research/content/science-plan-2011.pdf
HSE's occupational research programme is informed by contacts with other funding bodies active in this area to identify synergies and potential gaps in knowledge.
Northern Ireland
Departmental Secondment
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what secondments there have been to his Department from (a) industry and (b) the third sector since May 2010; what the (i) purpose and (ii) duration is of each secondment; and whether each secondment was to a policy development role. [86144]
Mr Paterson: Since May 2010, there have been no secondments to my Department from either industry or the third sector.
Culture, Media and Sport
Departmental Secondment
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what secondments there have been to his Department from (a) industry and (b) the third sector since May 2010; what the (i) purpose and (ii) duration is of each secondment; and whether each secondment was to a policy development role. [86143]
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John Penrose: There have been no secondments to this Department from industry and the third sector since May 2010.
FIFA: Corruption
Mr Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the findings of the International Olympic Committee investigation into corruption within FIFA; and if he will make a statement. [86554]
Hugh Robertson: The Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), and I are aware of the recent action that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board has taken following the IOC Ethics Committee's investigation of cash payments received by two IOC members from a sports marketing agency. I applaud the IOC for its efforts in this area. We are also aware that one of those members is a standing FIFA committee member and urge FIFA to deliver on the reform process announced earlier this year.
Olympic Games 2012
Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what representations he has received on the long-term benefits of the London 2012 Olympic games opening ceremony to the economy. [86400]
Hugh Robertson: The Olympic opening ceremony, as well as the other Olympic and Paralympic ceremonies, is a unique opportunity to showcase the best of the UK to a global audience and boost the games business and tourism legacy. It is estimated that the ceremonies will broadcast to an audience of 4 billion people, and could be worth up to £5 billion in advertising value.
David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what information his Department holds which country the London 2012 Olympic flame burner will be manufactured in. [86552]
Hugh Robertson: The London 2012 Organising Committee has confirmed that both the Olympic torch and cauldron are designed, manufactured and engineered by UK companies. They will showcase British creativity, ingenuity, and production across the UK and around the world. The Olympic torch is designed in Hackney, engineered in Basildon and manufactured in Coventry. Only one small part inside the cauldron will be supplied by a company outside the UK following a competitive tender process.
Olympic Games 2012: Wales
Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent assessment he has made of the legacy for Wales of the London 2012 Olympic games. [86200]
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Hugh Robertson: Wales and the whole of the UK are already benefiting from the economic, sporting and cultural opportunities generated by the 2012 games, with 848 schools and colleges in Wales already registered as part of the London 2012 education programme “Get Set”. 79 projects in Wales have also been awarded the Inspire Mark, including Criw Cymru, a project run in partnership with Galeri, Caernarfon and Theatre Brycheiniog in Brecon.
In addition, 10 businesses registered in Wales have won work directly supplying the Olympic Delivery Authority. These include Euroclad, which provided the external cladding for the Olympic stadium, and Williamson Technical Services, which provided specialist site services for the stadium. Many other businesses based in Wales have secured contracts to supply goods or services within the London 2012 supply chain. I am sure that you would join me in congratulating these companies on securing London 2012 contracts.
S4C
Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent discussions he has had on the availability of S4C to television viewers outside Wales. [86202]
Mr Vaizey: The Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), is aware that S4C is available outside Wales on Sky, Freesat and the internet. While he has had no formal discussions specifically on this matter, the subject has been raised in the context of the reforms to S4C.
Scotland
Big Society
Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he is taking to promote the big society initiative in Scotland. [86426]
David Mundell: Scotland Office Ministers and officials have met social enterprises, voluntary organisations, local authorities and others to discuss their engagement with various Government policies.
I have hosted a series of roundtable events in towns across Scotland to discuss the ideas that underpin the big society.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Agricultural Products
Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to encourage UK businesses to buy agricultural products produced in the UK. [82854]
Mr Paice:
The Government are supportive of a competitive agricultural industry, and DEFRA’s first business plan commitment is to ‘support and develop
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British farming and encourage sustainable food production'. This is embedded in much of the work that the Department carries out.
Within Government we have introduced new guidance on sustainable food procurement so that Government Departments source food, subject to no overall increase in costs, that meets British or equivalent standards of production—for example ‘Red Tractor'.
We have also encouraged the voluntary code for the labelling of certain products with the true country of origin and supported the EU food information regulation, which makes country of origin labelling mandatory for fresh meat. EU rules prevent the Government from promoting “Buy British” campaigns, however the Levy Boards do carry out promotional campaigns on behalf of UK producers.
Agriculture: Apprentices
Andrew Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had on increasing the number of apprenticeships in the agricultural sector. [85431]
Mr Paice: The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Meriden (Mrs Spelman), has discussed apprenticeships in the agricultural sector within her wider discussions on the food chain with the Food and Drink Federation, the Farmers’ Club, IGD Policy Issues Council and the Women’s Food and Farming Union. The ministerial team has also had discussions with the National Federation of Young Farmers Clubs, the National Skills Academy for Food and Drink and the IGD skills group on a number of issues including apprenticeships.
Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency: South-west England
Mr Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to address the concerns raised by the National Farmers Union on the effectiveness of the operation of the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency in the South West. [81299]
Mr Paice: AHVLA needs to make significant efficiency savings to meet its spending review targets in future years. The restructuring of its operations in the South West is one aspect of this work and includes consolidating some of the administrative work in Exeter. Similar changes have been undertaken in other regions previously, and have delivered significant efficiency savings without negative service impacts. The Agency is confident that the same benefits can be achieved in the South West once changes are fully in place.
Up to the end of September performance in most areas in the region was improving. Ongoing problems with the new IT system (Sam) functionality, which went live at the end of September 2011, have unfortunately had an adverse impact on the quality of some services.
To address service issues, experienced staff are working overtime and additional temporary staff have been employed to support activities. Performance standards are now improving.
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Key stakeholders such as the South West NFU are being kept informed by AHVLA managers at regional meetings and via regular verbal updates.
Animal Welfare: Slaughterhouses
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 3 October 2011, Official Report, column 1404W, on slaughterhouses: CCTV, what specific steps she is taking to prevent breaches of the law in slaughterhouses; and if she will make it her policy to report on progress in the implementation of such steps. [80878]
Mr Paice: I can confirm we remain committed to ensuring high standards of welfare in all slaughterhouses and abuse of animals anywhere, including slaughterhouses, is unacceptable.
Welfare in slaughterhouses is currently subject to the requirements of the Welfare of Animals (Slaughter or Killing) Regulations 1995, which are enforced in slaughterhouses by the Food Standards Agency acting on behalf of the Secretary of State. DEFRA and the Food Standards Agency are working closely on how this issue is to be resolved, including the development of an Enforcement Strategy to make clear what steps will be taken in the event of animal welfare breaches being found. The Food Standards Agency has also recently completed a survey of animal welfare standards in slaughterhouses, which will be published in early 2012.
Council Regulation 1099/2009 on the protection of animals at the time of killing comes into effect on 1 January 2013. This requires us to lay down rules on penalties which are effective, proportionate and dissuasive. We are currently developing proposals for implementation and are considering the role administrative and financial penalties might play alongside criminal prosecutions for welfare breaches. Our aim will be to ensure sanctions can be applied in a way that ensures immediate action is taken to resolve the issue, or halts production until the problem has been addressed. We will consult on these proposals in the normal way next year.
Many slaughterhouses have installed or are in the process of installing, CCTV and this is to be welcomed. Regulation 1099/2009 introduces new monitoring requirements in slaughterhouses and CCTV does have an important role to play alongside other methods, in providing inconspicuous monitoring. Our review of the role CCTV can play, including consideration of whether CCTV should be made mandatory, is continuing in that context.
Dairy Farming: Animal Welfare
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she has received interim findings of the research which her Department commissioned the Scottish Agricultural College to undertake on the management and welfare of continuously housed dairy cows; when she plans to publish the results of that research; whether the Government plan to issue a response to the research after it is published; and if she will make a statement. [86185]
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Mr Paice: The submission of the final report, which will include details of the critical phase of the analysis, has been delayed as a result of difficulties in obtaining all the necessary data on continuously housed dairy farming in the UK. However, we are now expecting to receive a substantive update from the researchers at the end of the year. The Department intends to publicise the results along with any necessary commentary in due course. I would be happy to place a copy of these in the Library of the House as soon as they are available.
Departmental Audit
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many internal audits have taken place (a) in her Department and (b) in the non-departmental bodies for which her Department is responsible in the last 12 months; and if she will make a statement. [82545]
Richard Benyon: The number of internal audits reported upon in the period 1 November 2010 to 31 October 2011 was (a) 38 in core DEFRA and (b) 221 in the executive agencies, non-departmental public bodies and public corporations that DEFRA is responsible for (excluding the National Parks).
Risk Assessment
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what risk registers are held by the public bodies for which her Department is responsible; and if she will make a statement. [85704]
Richard Benyon: As part of good corporate governance, the Boards of DEFRA's executive non-departmental public bodies review the major risks to their organisation's objectives regularly. Information on the type of risks each organisation faces is contained in their annual reports or business plans. From 1 April 2012, annual reports will contain a governance statement which will describe the organisation's risk environment and the key risks it is facing.
In addition to corporate-level risks, NDPBs will hold risk information for their major projects.