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Written Answers to Questions
Thursday 15 December 2011
Culture, Media and Sport
Live Music Industry
8. Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps he is taking to support the live music industry. [86791]
John Penrose: The Government are supporting the live music industry through delivering their commitment to free live performances from unnecessary red tape.
We are supporting the Live Music Bill which I hope, with the continued support of the Benches opposite, will successfully complete its remaining stages in the new year.
In addition, I am starting to consider responses to our consultation on proposals for wider deregulation of music and other cultural activities from the requirements of the Licensing Act 2003.
Secondary Ticketing Market
13. Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent representations he has received on the regulation of the secondary ticketing market. [86799]
Mr Jeremy Hunt: On 28 November I met the hon. Member and my hon. Friend the Member for Hove (Mike Weatherley) with a delegation from the cultural industries and sport. I made clear at that meeting my view that industry solutions, particularly technical ones, should be exhausted before looking at regulatory ones.
Broadband: Mobile Phones
Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport when he expects to meet his target to extend (a) mobile telephone coverage to 99 per cent. of the population and (b) superfast broadband to 90 per cent. of homes. [86803]
Mr Vaizey: It is expected that both targets will be met by 2015.
Local Broadcasting: Television
Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport when he next expects to make an announcement on provision of local television in Wales. [86201]
Mr Vaizey:
The Government's response to the consultations on the Framework for Local TV consultation and Pioneer Locations was published on 13 December
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2011. This includes details of the first locations that Ofcom expects to invite applications for local TV licences and confirms the legislative proposals.
It is expected that Cardiff and Swansea will be licensed in the first tranche, followed by Bangor and Mold subsequently.
Olympic Games 2012: National Lottery
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the extra lottery funding that will become available for good causes after the London 2012 Olympics; and if he will make a statement. [86886]
John Penrose: After the transfers to the Olympics have been taken into account, income for the good causes in the current financial year is estimated to be £1,349 million, based on our most recent September projections. Income in the 2013-14 financial year, when the Olympic transfers will have finished, is estimated to be £1,749 million.
Olympic Games 2012: Plastic Bags
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether the organisers of the London 2012 Olympics have any plans to discourage usage of plastic carrier bags at the Games. [86496]
Hugh Robertson: The London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG) will not be providing single-use or short-life disposable plastic bags to customers in its shops. High-quality recyclable bags will be provided, but only on request, when they will be promoted as being reusable for multiple occasions. LOCOG is identifying the most sustainable solution and will announce this in due course.
LOCOG's sponsors and suppliers will be required to adhere to the London 2012 Sustainable Sourcing Code as they develop their plans for any packaging, including bags where appropriate.
Sports: Facilities
Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps his Department is taking to prevent the closure of community sports facilities as a result of reductions in local authority funding. [86800]
Hugh Robertson: Sport England is investing £135 million of lottery funding through the ‘Places, People, Play’ programme, the majority of which will be invested in facilities to deliver a tangible sporting legacy. It has also developed a range of support tools, including an online toolkit for national governing bodies, local authorities and sports clubs to use the opportunity of community asset transfer to take control of sports facilities on a sustainable basis.
In addition, the Localism Bill includes provisions to give community groups a great opportunity to bid to take over assets listed as Asset of Community Value, if they are made available for sale.
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Television Licenses (Northern Ireland)
Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will consider offering two licences in Northern Ireland at the initial stage as part of his plans for local television. [86084]
Mr Vaizey: On 13 December 2011, the Government published details of the first locations that Ofcom expects to invite applications for local TV licences.
These are subject to further consultation; however it is expected that Belfast will be in the first tranche and Derry/Londonderry and Limavady subsequently.
Health
Heart Diseases: Screening
Mr Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what discussions he has had with healthcare commissioners on the potential inclusion of pulse checks in NHS health checks for the purposes of achieving early diagnosis of atrial fibrillation; [86540]
(2) what consideration he has given to the inclusion of pulse checks as a compulsory part of NHS health checks for the purposes of achieving early diagnosis of atrial fibrillation. [86541]
Mr Simon Burns: The UK National Screening Committee provides advice on population screening issues and it currently recommends against a population based approach to early detection of atrial fibrillation, such as the inclusion of a pulse check in the NHS Health Check. There have been no discussions with commissioners about the inclusion of pulse checks in the NHS Health Check.
HIV Infection: Screening
Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) with reference to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guideline on increasing the uptake of HIV testing to reduce undiagnosed infection and prevent transmission among men who have sex with men, how many primary care trusts have developed a local strategy to increase the uptake of HIV testing among men who have sex with men in England; [86647]
(2) how many of the primary care trusts with a diagnosed HIV prevalence in their local population exceeding two in 1,000 offer HIV testing to all men and women registering in general practice and general medical admissions in England; [86648]
(3) with reference to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guideline on increasing the uptake of HIV testing to reduce undiagnosed infection and prevent transmission among black African communities living in England, how many primary care trusts developed a local strategy to increase the uptake of HIV testing among black Africans in their area. [86649]
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Anne Milton: The Department does not collect information on local HIV testing services and strategies. It is the responsibility of local primary care trusts to ensure that sexual health services, including HIV prevention and testing, meet the particular needs of their local population taking into account HIV prevalence and other health priorities. We are aware that in some areas of high HIV prevalence (including Brighton, Leicester and London) commissioners and practitioners have already introduced wider HIV testing programmes to reduce undiagnosed HIV.
Mental Health Services: Ex-servicemen
Laura Sandys: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department has any plans to extend the service provided by the 24-hour Combat Stress Support Helpline. [86393]
Mr Simon Burns: The Department committed £200,000 to run a one-year pilot of the 24-hour helpline. The Department plans to carry out an evaluation of this pilot, and, based on the outcome, to make a decision regarding the future of the service.
Laura Sandys: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) veterans and (b) veterans' families have accessed the 24-hour Combat Stress Support Helpline since it came into operation. [86394]
Mr Simon Burns: The 24-hour helpline for veterans launched in March 2011. Since then, the service has received over 3,600 calls, from 1,397 different individuals. 477 of these calls have been from families and carers of veterans. The service does not record the ‘other' callers to the helpline (i.e. those who are neither veterans nor families of veterans).
NHS Trusts
Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health by what process (a) local authorities and (b) hon. Members can seek to initiate a reconfiguration of NHS trusts; and if he will make a statement. [86717]
Mr Simon Burns: The reconfiguration of health services should be a locally led process, with plans developed in partnership between commissioners, providers, local authorities and the public. The aim of reconfiguration is to improve the quality of services for patients. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health has been clear that reconfigurations should have the support of general practitioner commissioners, a clear clinical evidence base, support for patient choice, and effective patient and public engagement.
It is the responsibility of commissioners to plan and secure the provision of the great majority of health services that their population needs. Therefore, if local authorities or hon. Members believe there is evidence that the current configuration of services in their locality could be improved to deliver better patient outcomes within available resources, they should approach the relevant local national health service commissioner.
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NHS: ICT
Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions his Department has had with the Computer Sciences Corporation on extending its contract. [86519]
Mr Simon Burns: A series of discussions have been held with the Computer Sciences Corporation relating to the existing contract. Discussions have been based upon a number of options relating to alternative contractual approaches to secure value for the taxpayer.
As the contractual discussions have not concluded, specific details cannot be provided at this time.
Social Services: Finance
Chris Skidmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of users of adult social care services are not self-funding in each local authority area. [86718]
Paul Burstow: The information requested is not collected centrally.
Telehealth
Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment he has made of the likely take-up of telehealth schemes; [86545]
(2) what discussions he has had with private companies on funding of telehealth schemes. [86546]
Paul Burstow: The Department's modelling suggests that at least 3 million people with long-term conditions could benefit from telehealth leading to a potential efficiency gain of around £1.2 billion over the next five years.
The Department has been discussing with industry about new models of delivery but it will be for the national health service to commission services locally.
Leader of the House
Policy Announcements
Alun Michael: To ask the Leader of the House what steps he is taking in respect of the announcement of major policy initiatives by Ministers. [86678]
Mr Heath: The House debated this issue during the Backbench Business debate on 5 December 2011 and rejected the proposal tabled by my hon. Friend the Member for Kettering (Mr Hollobone), and others.
As my right hon. Friend the Leader of the House of Commons said during that debate, Ministers are very mindful of the requirement in the Ministerial Code that:
“when Parliament is in session the most important announcements of Government policy should be made, in the first instance, to Parliament.”
My right hon. Friend and I do not hesitate to remind colleagues of that requirement.
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Private Members' Bills
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Leader of the House if he will bring forward proposals for a supplementary ballot for additional private Members' Bills in any future parliamentary Session which lasts for longer than one year. [86683]
Sir George Young: Following the current one-off adjustment to spring-to-spring Sessions, the Government does not envisage any future Sessions of a similar length. The Government nevertheless believes that the current single ballot would operate satisfactorily in the event of a future, extended Session.
Queen's Speech
Mr Spellar: To ask the Leader of the House on what date the Queen's Speech will be held in the next Session of Parliament. [86768]
Sir George Young: The date of the Queen's Speech will be announced in the usual way.
Times of Sitting
Claire Perry: To ask the Leader of the House what recent assessment he has made of the House's sitting hours. [86681]
Sir George Young: I have noted with interest the consultation on sitting hours produced by the Procedure Committee. I look forward to giving oral evidence to that Committee during its inquiry.
Wales
Food Procurement
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much her Department spent on food purchased through its food and catering services in the last 12 month period for which information is available. [86991]
Mr David Jones: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave on 8 March 2011, Official Report, column 909W, to the hon. Member for Glasgow North East (Mr Bain).
Driving Under Influence: Rehabilitation
Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions her Department has had with the (a) Welsh Government and (b) Driving Standards Agency on (i) the provision of drink drive rehabilitation courses in Wales and (ii) ensuring a consistent approach to such courses in each constituent part of the UK. [86595]
Mr David Jones: The Department has regular discussions within Whitehall and with the Welsh Government about a range of matters relevant to Wales.
Under amendments introduced to the Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988 by provisions in the Road Safety Act 2006, responsibility for drink drive rehabilitation
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training in Wales will lie with Welsh Ministers. The Driving Standards Agency will continue to liaise with the Welsh Government on the future operation of drink drive rehabilitation training in Wales.
Work and Pensions
Departmental Public Expenditure
Mr Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what expenditure his Department has incurred in (a) Birmingham, (b) Newcastle, (c) Wakefield, (d) Manchester, (e) Leeds, (f) Liverpool, (g) Coventry, (h) Bristol, (i) Sheffield, (j) Bradford, (k) Leicester and (l) Nottingham in the last fiscal year for which figures are available. [85543]
Chris Grayling: The information requested is shown in the following table.
More detailed benefit expenditure tables including outturn data for all local authorities can be found here:
http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/index.php?page=expenditure
|
|
Local authority | Benefit expenditure 2010-11 (£ million) |
| Note: Figures rounded to nearest hundred thousand. Source: DWP Statistical and Accounting data, and local authority subsidy returns | ||
Employment and Support Allowance: Drugs
Nicola Blackwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many appeals have been made by employment and support allowance recipients receiving residential treatment for drug or alcohol misuse who were not classified as limited capability for work without the requirement to attend a face-to-face assessment in 2011; and how many of those appeals were determined in favour of the appellant. [86840]
Chris Grayling: The specific information requested is not available.
The Department does not hold centrally collated information on employment and support allowance (ESA) claimants receiving residential treatment for drug or alcohol misuse. However, for claims starting between October 2008 and August 2010 (the latest period for which there is sufficient data for publication) where the primary condition recorded relates to drug or alcohol misuse, 9,300 were assessed by the Department as fit for
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work and have had an appeal heard to date. Of these, 38% were found in favour of the appellant meaning their entitlement to ESA was reinstated.
Entitlement to ESA is based on functional capabilities, not on an individual's condition. The medical condition recorded on a claim form does not in itself confer entitlement to ESA. So, for example, a decision on entitlement for a person claiming employment and support allowance on the basis of alcoholism would be based on their ability to carry out the range of activities assessed by the work capability assessment, or on the effects of any associated mental health problems. It is also important to note that, where someone has more than one diagnosis or disabling condition, only the predominant one is currently recorded.
The Department regularly publishes official statistics on employment and support allowance and the work capability assessment. The latest report was published in October 2011 and can be found on the internet at the link below. Information relating to appeals for the ESA case load as a whole can be found in Table 3.
http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/workingage/index.php?page=esa_wca
The data presented above come from benefit claims data held by the Department for Work and Pensions, functional assessment data from Atos Healthcare and appeals data from the Tribunals Service. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 100, or 1%.
Information on drug and alcohol misuse has been calculated using the International Classification of Diseases categories, “Mental and behavioural disorders due to multiple drug use and use of other psychoactive substances” and “Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of alcohol”.
Due to the time it takes for appeals to be submitted to and heard by HM Courts and Tribunals Service, it is likely there are more appeals that have not yet been heard. The number of appeals is therefore likely to change as more up to date information becomes available.
Employment and Support Allowance: Public Finance
Caroline Dinenage: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of reassessing those on contributory employment and support allowance in the work-related activity group to see if they qualify for the support group at the end of the 12 month time limit. [86981]
Chris Grayling: I refer my hon. Friend to the written answer I gave the right hon. Member for Oxford East (Mr Smith) on 1 December 2011, Official Report, column 1112W.
Employment: Young People
Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the Youth Contract on the level of employment. [86858]
Chris Grayling: The Youth Contract will provide nearly half a million new opportunities for young people, including job subsidies, apprenticeships and work experience placements.
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Job subsidy programmes have an impact on the labour market, for example, OECD research from 2005 found that private sector subsidised employment programmes frequently have a positive impact on employment(1). However, the full impact of this package of measures on the level of employment will depend on decisions on the detail of provision which are not yet finalised. The Department is currently developing an evaluation strategy for the Youth Contract.
(1 )OECD (2005), “Labour Market Programmes and Activation Strategies: Evaluating the Impacts”, OECD Employment Outlook, p. 173-208.
Independent Living Fund
Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he expects to make an announcement on the arrangements for the consultation for changes to the Independent Living Fund. [86729]
Maria Miller: In a written statement on 5 December 2011, Official Report, column 8WS, I announced that the Government would consult on future support arrangements for ILF users in spring 2012, alongside the publication of the planned White Paper on the future of care and support in England.
London Underground: Industrial Health and Safety
Stephen Mosley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many underground inspections were undertaken by Health and Safety Executive personnel at each active mine in England in 2010. [86508]
Chris Grayling: There were 128 underground inspections/investigations made at active producing mines in England in 2010. This figure does not include visits where only surface structures and equipment were inspected/investigated. A detailed breakdown of the statistics is as follows.
| Number of underground inspections at active producing mines in England in 2010 | |
| Site name | Total |
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Social Security Benefits: Bexley
Mr Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent estimate he has made of the number of people in the London borough of Bexley in receipt of out-of-work benefits as a result of (a) alcohol and (b) drug dependency. [86165]
Chris Grayling: Drug and alcohol addiction is one of the most damaging root causes of poverty, and helping people who are trapped on benefits through drug and alcohol addiction so that they can recover and find employment is a top priority for the Government.
A breakdown by medical condition is only available for incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance (IB/SDA) and employment and support allowance (ESA), and is shown in the following table. Medical condition is not available for the other out-of-work benefits: jobseeker's allowance (JSA) and income support (IS).
| Total number of incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance and employment and support allowance claimants with drug abuse and alcoholism as a main disabling condition—Bexley local authority, May 2011 | ||
| Bexley | IB/SDA | ESA |
| Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Employment and support allowance (ESA) replaced incapacity benefit and income support paid on the grounds of incapacity for new claims from 27 October 2008. 3. To qualify for incapacity benefit (IB), claimants have to undertake a medical assessment of incapacity for work called a personal capability assessment. Under the employment support allowance regime, new claimants have to undergo the work capability assessment. From April 2011 incapacity benefit recipients will begin also to undertake this assessment. The medical condition recorded on the claim form does not itself confer entitlement to incapacity benefit or employment support allowance. So, for example, a decision on entitlement for a customer claiming IB or ESA on the basis of mental and behavioural disorders would be based on their ability to carry out the range of activities assessed by the personal/work capability assessment. 4. Data include those entitled to national insurance credits only. Source: DWP Information, Governance and Security Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100%. | ||
Work Programme
Mr Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how the effectiveness of the Work programme will be measured; and if he will make a statement. [87160]
Chris Grayling: Individuals stay on the Work programme for two years, so we expect to see substantial indications of the effectiveness of the programme from spring 2013. A full independent evaluation has been commissioned for that year and I look forward to sharing the results with the House in due course. We will closely monitor the operation of the programme in the interim.
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Work Programme: Employment
Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people over the age of 50 years have found paid employment as a result of the Work programme. [86944]
Chris Grayling: The Department intends to publish official statistics on referrals to the Work programme from spring 2012 and on job outcomes from autumn 2012. This is in line with guidelines set by the UK Statistics Authority to ensure published statistics meet the required high quality standards.
Cabinet Office
Construction: Procurement
Julian Sturdy: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the cost to the public purse was of use of the Official Journal of the European Union public procurement tendering process for UK construction projects in the latest period for which figures are available; and what the value was of the construction works procured. [86292]
Mr Maude: Information on the cost of individual procurements is not held centrally.
The total value of Central Government funded construction projects during 2011-12 is approximately £10 billion.
Employment: Financial Services
Hazel Blears: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people were employed in the financial services sector in (a) the South West, (b) the South East, (c) London, (d) the West Midlands, (e) the East Midlands, (f) the East of England, (g) the North West, (h) Yorkshire and the Humber, (i) the North East, (j) Scotland, (k) Wales and (l) Northern Ireland on the latest date for which information is available. [87073]
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 recent Parliamentary Question asking how many people are employed in the financial services sector in (a) the South West, (b) the South East, (c) London, (d) the West Midlands, (e) the East Midlands, (f) the East of England, (g) the North West, (h) Yorkshire and the Humber, (i) the North East, (j) Scotland, (k) Wales and (l) Northern Ireland at the latest date for which information is available. (87073)
Table 1 contains the seasonally adjusted number of Workforce Jobs in SIC2007 Section K (financial and insurance activities) for Q3 2011 (September 2011), the latest date for which information is available. Section K includes financial service activities, insurance, reinsurance and pension funding (except compulsory social security), and activities auxiliary to financial services and insurance activities.
Workforce Jobs is a quarterly measure of the number of jobs in the United Kingdom (UK) and is the preferred measure of the change in jobs by industry. It is a compound source that draws on a range of employer surveys, household surveys and administrative
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sources. WFJ is the sum of employee jobs (EJ) measured primarily by employer surveys, self-employment jobs (SEJ) from the Labour Force Survey (LFS), and government-supported trainees (GST) and Her Majesty's Forces (HMF) from administrative sources.
| Table 1: Workforce Jobs, SIC 2007 Section K, seasonally adjusted | |
| Thousand | |
|
|
Q3 2011 (1) |
| (1) Numbers are rounded to the nearest 1,000. (2) Due to the effect of rounding the estimate for the UK does not equal the sum total of its constituent parts. | |
Government Departments: Internet
Dr Huppert: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what assessment he has made of the risks posed by malware downloaded onto people's computers via Adobe Reader on the basis of advice given on Government websites. [86770]
Mr Maude: I refer the hon. Member to the new national cyber security strategy published on 25 November at:
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/cyber-security-strategy
which has assessed the risks to UK Government, private sector and individuals from cyber threats including the threat from malware. The strategy outlines how individuals have an important role to play in keeping cyberspace as a safe place to do business and live their lives by taking steps to protect themselves online.
Get Safe Online is a joint Government/industry initiative to raise awareness of internet security which we support. In November I launched the annual Get Safe Online Week which is an important means of alerting people to the latest online threats including malware and the importance of updating their anti-virus and anti-spyware as well as their operating systems.
The majority of threats can be avoided by following some simple measures, and via Get Safe Online we will continue to work to raise awareness and to educate and empower people and firms to protect themselves online.
Ministers
Bill Esterson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what assessment he has made of the potential for a reduction in the number of Government Ministers and advisers following the planned reduction in the size of the House of Commons. [86846]
Mr Maude: The Government are committed to keeping the number of Ministers under review.
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Deputy Prime Minister
Constituencies
Alun Michael: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when the proposals for new parliamentary constituencies in Wales will be published. [86854]
Mr Harper: The Boundary Commission for Wales determines the timing of the parliamentary boundary review in Wales and all the stages within it. It has announced that it plans to publish its initial proposals for the 2013 review of parliamentary constituencies in January 2012, and that it expects to complete the 2013 review within the deadline stipulated by Parliament.
Transport
Aviation: Working Hours
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions she had on the European Aviation Safety Agency's notice of proposed amendments on flight time limitations. [86248]
Mrs Villiers: Officials from the Department for Transport and the Civil Aviation Authority attended a meeting of the European Aviation Safety Agency's (EASA) Advisory Group of National Authorities on 26 October at which the proposals were discussed.
Business: Administration
Steve Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps she is taking to alleviate the administrative burden of the provisions of EU Council Regulation 1071/2009 for small and micro-businesses. [86801]
Mike Penning: The Department has adopted all flexibilities that the regulation allows to minimise any additional burdens on business. Existing businesses that were formerly outside the requirements of operator licensing, but are now required to comply with the requirements of the regulation, will be given appropriate time to do so.
Crossrail Line: Bexleyheath
Mr Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps she is taking to help maximise the benefits of Crossrail for Bexleyheath and Crayford residents. [86168]
Mrs Villiers: We are committed to delivering the agreed Crossrail scheme which will run to Abbey Wood. Rail passengers in Bexleyheath and Crayford will be able to access Crossrail services via Abbey Wood, from where fast connections into the City, the West End and beyond will be available, improving access to jobs, business and leisure facilities.
The extra capacity that is created by Crossrail will also reduce congestion on many tube and rail lines including Southeastern services.
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Official Photographs
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many official photographs have been taken of (a) Ministers and (b) senior officials in her Department for use in Government publications since May 2010; how many staff of her Department are expected to undertake photography of the Ministerial and senior leadership team as part of their duties; and if she will make a statement. [82566]
Norman Baker: The following table provides information on the number of official photographs that have been taken since May 2010, as well as the numbers of staff who perform this function as part of their duties in the column headed (c):
|
|
(a) Ministers | (b) Senior staff | (c) Number of staff |
Highways Agency
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to her Department's Structural Reform Monthly Implementation Plan, what progress has been made on work to review the Highways Agency. [86804]
Mike Penning: The review, undertaken by Alan Cook, the non-executive chairman of the Highways Agency, was published on 24 November 2011. A copy of the report can be found at:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/publications/strategic-roads-network
Intercity Express Programme
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent assessment her Department has made of the business case for the Intercity Express programme fleet to be deployed on the (a) Great Western Main Line and (b) East Coast Main Line. [86849]
Mrs Villiers: Business cases for large projects are periodically refreshed—for example, to reflect the latest economic forecasts.
Business case updates were prepared for deployment of the IEP fleet on both the Great Western and East Coast Main Lines in November 2011.
The economic case for the Intercity Express Programme remains strong, with a combined (ECML and GWML together) benefit:cost ratio of 2.3:1.
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Railway Stations: Worcester
Harriett Baldwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions she has had with Network Rail on the creation of a Worcester Parkway station. [86940]
Mrs Villiers: We have had no recent discussions with Network Rail about the creation of a Worcester Parkway station. It is for the promoter, Worcestershire county council, to lead on discussions with the rail industry on this project.
Rescue Services: Liverpool
Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the potential effects on public safety of the closure of Liverpool coastguard station. [86845]
Mike Penning: No individual assessment specific to the closure of Liverpool Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre has been made of the potential effects on public safety.
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) has assessed on a national basis the safety risks in relation to HM Coastguard's current operation and how these are mitigated by the new structure announced on 22 November 2011. The MCA has also assessed the impact of the new structure on HM Coastguards capability to deliver its national service.
These assessments, as well as a location impact assessment, coastguard centre rationale and supporting tables showing factors taken into consideration in the choice of coastguard centres can be found on the MCA's website:
www.dft.gov.uk/mca
Rescue Services: Wales
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the adequacy of search and rescue services based in England which cover South Wales. [86451]
Mike Penning: We are confident that search and rescue helicopter services in South West England will continue to provide comprehensive cover in South Wales, as they do at present.
Shipping
Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate she has made of the total number of new training roles for UK seafarers that will be created from the approved core training commitments submitted by company groups that have entered the tonnage tax scheme for 2011-12. [86664]
Mike Penning: Approved core training commitments for the 2011-12 training commitment year are for around 600 new first year officer trainees. Company groups are additionally required to provide second and third year training for trainees taken on during the previous two years when they were in the tonnage tax, so the cumulative training commitment for 2011-12 is for around 1,800 officer trainees.
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Shipping: Flags
Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many vessels are owned by each company group that qualified for inclusion in the tonnage tax in 2011-12; and under which flag each such vessel sails. [86663]
Mike Penning: The vessels operated by a tonnage tax company or group may be owned, leased or chartered-in. I am unable to give a breakdown of the vessels operated by company group, as this information is tax confidential. However, the anticipated total number of vessels for all companies entered in the tonnage tax as at 1 October 2011 was 883. Of these, 425 were UK flagged, 105 were under other EEA flags, and 353 were under non-EEA flags.
Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which flags are flown by ships owned by company groups that qualified for inclusion in the tonnage tax in 2011-12. [86665]
Mike Penning: The ships which company groups anticipated would be included in the tonnage tax at the beginning of the 2011-12 training commitment year were under the following flags: United Kingdom, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, Cyprus, Finland, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Honduras, Hong Kong, Isle of Man, Italy, Liberia, Malta, the Marshall Islands, the Netherlands, Norway, Panama, St Vincent and the Grenadines and Singapore.
Underground Railways: Tyne and Wear
Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the oral statement of the then Secretary of State for Transport of 26 October 2010, Official Report, column 178, on transport (investment), whether the £4 million funding to accelerate the upgrade of the Tyne and Wear Metro announced in section A.26 of the Autumn Statement 2011 is additional to the £350 million investment announced in the oral statement. [86708]
Norman Baker: The Autumn Statement announcement related to funding brought forward to 2011-12 and reflected the good progress which Nexus is making in delivering its renewal programme. This is part of the Department for Transport's existing contribution towards the asset renewal programme and is not additional.
Communities and Local Government
Council Tax
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the average percentage change in the level of council tax benefit for (a) working families and (b) single people in work as a result of the localisation of council tax benefit in each local authority area; and if he will make a statement. [86669]
15 Dec 2011 : Column 847W
Robert Neill: [holding answer 14 December 2011]: An impact assessment will be published alongside the legislation providing for the localisation of council tax support in England. The actual average impact in each local authority area will depend on how local authorities design their schemes.
Mortgages: Government Assistance
Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many mortgages supported by the Government's new build indemnity scheme he expects to be additional mortgages; and how many such mortgages he estimates would have been issued in any case. [86860]
Grant Shapps: The Government will support up to 100,000 mortgages at up to 95% loan to value through the new build indemnity scheme. As 95% loan to value mortgages for new build are currently available only for properties on a few sites, we expect nearly all mortgages under the scheme to be additional to such mortgages which would have been granted in any case.
Senior Civil Servants: Pay
Mr Jenkin:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the (a) salary and (b) other costs associated with each
15 Dec 2011 : Column 848W
Director General in his Department (i) were in 2010-11 and (ii) are expected to be (A) between April and December 2011, (B) between January and March 2012 and (C) in 2012-13; whether he expects any change in salary or other costs from January 2012 in consequence of the appointment of the permanent secretary in his Department to hold the post of Head of the Civil Service; and if he will make a statement. [86587]
Robert Neill [holding answer 15 December 2011]:I do not expect any change in salary or costs for any DCLG director-general as a result of the appointment of Sir Bob Kerslake as Head of the Civil Service. Information on remuneration for board level officials, including director-generals, is published in my Department's annual report and accounts. The information published for director-generals in the 2010-11 annual report and accounts is reproduced in the following table, using the same categories (of salary, bonus payments and benefit-in-kind), together with the equivalent information for April to December 2011 and forecast information for the remaining periods. As bonus payments depend on annual performance as assessed following the end of the performance year, it is not currently possible to forecast whether any of the individuals will receive a bonus payment. All amounts in the table reflect only payments made by DCLG.
| 2010-11 | April to December 2011 | |||||
|
|
Salary (£000) | Bonus payments (£00 0) | Benefits-in- kind | Salary (£000) | Bonus payments (£00 0) | Benefits-in- kind |
| January to March 2012 (forecast) | 2012-13 (forecast) | |||||
|
|
Salary (£000) | Bonus payments (£00 0) | Benefits-in- kind | Salary (£000) | Bonus payments (£00 0) | Benefits-in- kind |
15 Dec 2011 : Column 849W
15 Dec 2011 : Column 850W
| (1) The figure quoted for Richard McCarthy for ‘April to December 2011' is for the period 1 April to 10 November 2011, when Mr McCarthy left the Department. The full year equivalent is in the range £175,000-£179,999. The Department is currently recruiting a replacement Director-General, advertised on the basis of a salary of circa £140,000. (2) The figure quoted for Irene Lucas for ‘2010-11' includes temporary responsibility allowance for a period where Ms Lucas was acting permanent secretary. The full year director general salary is in the range £145,000-£149,999. (3) The figure quoted for Joe Montgomery for ‘2010-11' is for the period 1 April 2010 to 31 January 2011, when Mr Montgomery left the Department. The full year equivalent is in the range £150,000-£154,999. (4) The figure quoted for David Rossington for ‘April to December 2011’ is for the period 1 April to 31 July 2011, during which period Mr Rossington was acting director-general, finance and corporate services. The full year equivalent is in the range £130,000-£134,999. (5) The figure quoted for Shirley Pointer for ‘2010-11’ is for the period 1 April 2010 to 3 January 2011, during which period Ms Pointer was acting director-general, HR and business change. The full year equivalent is in the range £135,000-£139,999. (6) The figure quoted for Sue Higgins for ‘April to December 2011' is for the period 1 August (when Ms Higgins joined DCLG) to 31 December 2011. The full year equivalent is in the range £135,000-£139,999. (7) The figure quoted for Louise Casey for ‘April to December 2011' is for the period 1 November (when Ms Casey joined DCLG) to 31 December 2011. The full year equivalent is in the range £130,000-£134,999. (8) None due. (9) Unknown. | ||||||
Treasury
Air Passenger Duty
Henry Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many of the 70 respondents to the Government's consultation on the reform of air passenger duty who commented on class of travel called for seats with less than 40 inches of seat pitch to be liable at the reduced rate. [86477]
Mike Freer: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many of the 70 respondents to the Government's consultation on the reform of air passenger duty who commented on class of travel called for seats with 40 inch seat pitch and less to be liable for the reduced rate; [86479]
(2) how many of the 140 respondents to the Government's consultation on the reform of air passenger duty who commented on the banding structure supported (a) the retention of a four band structure, (b) a three band structure and (c) a two band structure; [86481]
(3) how many of the 70 respondents to the Government's consultation on the reform of air passenger duty who commented on class of travel called for (a) premium economy passengers to be liable for the reduced rate and (b) premium economy passengers to remain liable for standard rate. [86483]
Miss Chloe Smith: I refer the hon. Members to the answer given on 13 December 2011, Official Report, column 683W, to the hon. Member for Central Ayrshire (Mr Donohoe).
Mike Freer: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost was of his Department's consultation on the reform of air passenger duty; and how many working hours were spent on the consultation by civil service staff. [86480]
Miss Chloe Smith: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 12 December 2011, Official Report, column 532W, to the hon. Member for Central Ayrshire (Mr Donohoe).
Mike Freer: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what date UK airlines were informed of the new air passenger duty rates applicable from 1 April 2012. [86482]
Miss Chloe Smith: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 12 December 2011, Official Report, column 533W, to the hon. Member for Central Ayrshire (Mr Donohoe).
Bell Pottinger Group
John Mann: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether (a) Ministers, (b) officials and (c) political advisers in his Department have met representatives of (i) Bell Pottinger Group or (ii) each of its subsidiaries in the last five years; on what dates any such meetings took place; and what was discussed. [80045]
Mr Watson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether (a) he, (b) his officials and (c) his political advisers have met representatives of (i) Bell Pottinger Group and (ii) clients of Bell Pottinger Group on the recommendation of that Group since May 2010; on what dates any such meetings took place; and what was discussed. [86775]
Miss Chloe Smith: Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government’s practice to provide details of all such meetings.
A list of ministerial meetings with external stakeholders is published quarterly on the HM Treasury website:
http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/minister_hospitality.htm
Capital Gains Tax
Owen Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of individuals who will incur a net loss as a result of the freezing of the Capital Gains Tax annual exempt amount announced in the Autumn Statement. [86857]
15 Dec 2011 : Column 851W
Mr Hoban: Freezing the annual exempt amount (AEA) in 2012-13 will affect all individuals with a Capital Gains Tax (CGT) liability in that year. The number of individuals liable to CGT in 2009-10, the latest year for which figures are available, is estimated at 148,000 and is published at:
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/capital_gains/table14-1.xls
An additional 12,000 taxpayers each year could become liable to CGT over the next five years, as a result of the freeze. However, some individuals will arrange their disposals to keep the gains below the AEA and will therefore have nothing to pay.
Commodity Markets
Heidi Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his policy is on the proposed review of the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive in relation to commodity derivatives markets. [85219]
Mr Hoban [holding answer 6 December 2011]: The Government strongly supports the European Commission's review of the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID) and the objectives to strengthen the Single Market in financial services, to ensure resilient and sound financial markets.
In the MiFID review, the Government supports the principle of strong regulatory oversight powers on commodities markets through the application of a position management regime based on strong supervision and market monitoring, and through measures designed to increase transaction reporting requirements and improve trading transparency. While it is important to keep the scope of exemptions for specialist commodity trading firms under review, the Government does not believe there is currently a strong case for a significant change in the boundaries of MiFID for these firms.
We will be working closely with the European Commission and other EU member states as negotiations proceed to ensure that commodity derivative markets provide robust and consistent price discovery mechanisms for the underlying commodities, and are sufficiently liquid to enable participants to hedge and manage their risks.
Departmental Manpower
Mr Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which employers are working with his Department to collect real time income data in support of the universal credit. [86707]
Mr Gauke: HMRC is working with a group of employers and software developers to pilot Real Time Information (RTI) in 2012-13. The employers involved in the RTI Pilot are volunteers and have been chosen to be a representative group of organisations operating PAYE. They range in size and complexity from those with one employee to very large complex employers with many employees or pensioners. Those participating include local government, banks, payroll bureaux and agents, retail and manufacturing, farmers, universities, colleges and schools, charities, hotels, film companies, software developers, pension providers and services companies.
HMRC expects all employers and pension providers to be using RTI by October 2013 and appropriate data
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will be made available to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to support the administration of universal credit.
Departmental Secondment
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 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. [86130]
Miss Chloe Smith: Since 1 August 2010 there have been 41 secondments into HM Treasury from industry. There have been no secondments from the third sector. Appointments have varied in length between two months and two years, with a median of seven months. Secondees into the organisation are used in a variety of roles where internal knowledge is scarce or where specialist skills are required.
Financial Services: Manpower
Hazel Blears: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people were employed in the financial services sector in (a) the North West and (b) the UK in (i) 2005, (ii) 2006, (iii) 2007, (iv) 2008, (v) 2009 and (vi) 2010. [87075]
Mr Hurd: I have been asked to reply.
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 concerning how many people were employed in the financial services sector in (a) the North West and (b) the UK in (i) 2005, (ii) 2006, (iii) 2007, (iv) 2008, (v) 2009 and (vi) 2010. (87075)
The following table contains the seasonally adjusted number of Workforce Jobs in Standard Industrial Classification 2007 (SIC2007) Section K (financial and insurance activities) for the North West and UK for 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010. Section K includes financial service activities, insurance, reinsurance and pension funding (except compulsory social security), and activities auxiliary to financial services and insurance activities.
Workforce Jobs (WFJ) is a quarterly measure of the number of jobs in the United Kingdom (UK) and is the preferred measure of the change in jobs by industry. It is a compound source that draws on a range of employer surveys, household surveys and administrative sources. WFJ is the sum of employee jobs (EJ) measured primarily by employer surveys, self-employment jobs (SEJ) from the Labour Force Survey (LFS), and government-supported trainees (GST) and Her Majesty's Forces (HMF) from administrative sources.
| Workforce Jobs (1, 2) . SIC 2007 section K. Seasonally adjusted | ||
| Thousand | ||
|
|
North West | UK |
| (1) Annual figures relate to June quarter (Q2). (2) Numbers are rounded to the nearest thousand. | ||
15 Dec 2011 : Column 853W
Income tax: Females
Claire Perry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 25 October 2011, Official Report, column 130W, on income tax: females, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of taking the (a) 59 per cent. in April 2011 and (b) 56 per cent. in April 2012 of people out of taxation who are women. [86499]
Mr Gauke: Personal allowances for those aged under 65 have increased by £1,000 in 2011-12 to £7,475 and will increase by a further £630 in 2012-13 to £8,105.
The estimated cost of these measures published at Budget 2011 is shown in the following table:
| £ million | ||
|
|
2011-12 measure | 2012-13 measure |
It is estimated that around 1.2% of total exchequer costs of the 2011-12 personal allowance increase were associated with those females taken out of tax as a result of the measure in 2011-12. A comparable figure for the 2012-13 personal allowance increase is 0.3% in 2012-13.
These estimates are Budget 2011 estimates based on the 2007-08 Survey of Personal Incomes, projected using economic assumptions consistent with the Office for Budget Responsibility's March 2011 economic and fiscal outlook.
Money Advice Service
Chris Leslie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will place a copy of the Money Advice Service draft business plan for 2012-13 in the Library; [83463]
(2) how much has been spent on legal advice on staff restructuring by the Money Advice Service in the last 12 months; [83465]
(3) how much has been spent on (a) bonus payments and (b) foreign travel for senior management by the Money Advice Service in the most recent financial year; [83466]
(4) how many people have started a Money Advice Service financial health check since they were introduced; and how many have been completed; [83467]
(5) what assessment he has made of changes in the level of provision of financial education outreach services through schools, further education colleges, higher education institutions and workplaces by the Money Advice Service in the last 12 months; [83468]
(6) how many (a) face-to-face meetings and (b) responses to telephone enquiries he expects the Money Advice Service will deliver in each of the next three financial years; [83469]
(7) how much of Money Advice Service's budget has been spent on (a) advertising, (b) public relations and (c) marketing in the last year; and how much it plans to spend on such activities next year; [83470]
15 Dec 2011 : Column 854W
(8) whether the Money Advice Service is a public body under the Freedom of Information Act provisions. [83805]
Mr Hoban: The Money Advice Service is an independent body, funded by a levy on the financial services industry. The Financial Services Authority (FSA) is responsible for approving its Business Plan and Budget. The Money Advice Service will publish its Business Plan and Budget for 2012-13 in March 2012.
I have asked the Money Advice Service to respond to the detailed points you have raised in writing. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
The Government are committed to the principle of open Government. They want to make it easy for people to find out information that is relevant to them, to aid accountability and increase public understanding of decisions which affect them. The Freedom of Information Act does not currently apply to the Money Advice Service. The Government are however seeking to extend coverage of the Act to further bodies under section 5 of the Act, and will keep the position of the Money Advice Service under review.
Ofgem: Fines
Caroline Flint: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much revenue his Department has collected as a result of fines imposed by Ofgem in each of the last 10 years. [86526]
Miss Chloe Smith: The following fines/penalties have been collected by Ofgem over the past 10 years and paid into the Consolidated Fund:
|
|
£ |
In addition, Ofgem has announced two further fines in 2011-12 totalling £4,500,000 (of which £2,500,000 is proposed and £2,000,000 awaiting collection).
Personal Pensions
Mr Thomas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what dates (a) he, (b) other Ministers in his Department and (c) senior officials in his Department have met representatives of (i) the British Bankers Association and (ii) the Association of British Insurers to discuss the charges, commission or fees paid by people with a private pension since May 2010; and if he will make a statement. [86866]
Mr Hoban:
Treasury Ministers and officials have discussions with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of
15 Dec 2011 : Column 855W
policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such discussions.
Rebates: Fraud
Dr Huppert: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of payments for tax refunds being fraudulently redirected as a result of websites that impersonate Government websites in the last three financial years. [86764]
Mr Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs do not have an estimate of the cost of tax refund payments being fraudulently redirected as a result of websites that impersonate Government websites.
Taxation: Switzerland
Owen Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer by what date he expects the UK-Switzerland taxation agreement announced on 24 August 2011 to be implemented. [86856]
Mr Hoban: The Government’s aim is for the agreement between the UK and Switzerland on co-operation in tax matters to come into force on 1 January 2013. This allows for the time needed to complete parliamentary procedures in both countries.
Union of Good: USA
Robert Halfon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what communication he has had with the US Treasury on the activities of the Union of Good; and if he will make a statement. [86594]
Mr Hoban: Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of international partners, as well as organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.
International Development
Democratic Republic of Congo: Elections
Mr Gregory Campbell:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will raise at the UN the issue of electoral irregularities during
15 Dec 2011 : Column 856W
the recent elections in Democratic Republic of Congo. [86086]
Mr Bellingham: I have been asked to reply.
The British Government raised our concerns about reports of irregularities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) elections when the Head of the UN Peacekeeping Mission to DRC (MONUSCO) briefed the Security Council on 2 December. Following this meeting the UN Security Council issued a statement welcoming the good turnout of voters in the elections, but expressing concern at the reports of logistical problems during the election process. Following the release of the full provisional election results, on 12 December MONUSCO released a further statement urging the electoral commission to address the irregularities identified by observer groups.
We will continue to work with international partners to urge the DRC authorities to investigate and address all irregularities.
EU External Trade: Cocoa
Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what contribution his Department plans to make to the development of a new European standard for sustainable and traceable cocoa; and what steps he plans to take to ensure that the standard meets the demands of smallholder cocoa producers in developing countries and acts as a driver to improve their social and economic development. [86720]
Mr Duncan: The new European standard for sustainable and traceable cocoa is being developed by the standards body for the industry itself. This body is independent.
The Department for International Development has not engaged in any consultation with the British Standards Institute. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs have also confirmed that they have not engaged in any consultation.
Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of total (a) commitments and (b) payments to the Global Fund for (i) HIV/AIDS, (ii) malaria and (iii) tuberculosis have been made by the UK in each of the last five years. [86191]
Mr Duncan: UK pledges (commitments) and contributions (payments) to the fund over the past five years are as follows:
| UK's share of total pledges and contributions to the Global Fund for 2007-11 | |||||
|
|
2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
15 Dec 2011 : Column 857W
Cumulative proportion of total pledges since inception:
The UK has pledged a total of £1,409 million to the Global Fund. This is equivalent to USD $2,306,282,555 and constitutes nearly 8% of the total USD $29,047,815,412 pledged by all government donors to the fund.
Cumulative proportion of total contributions:
The UK contribution to date amounts to £997.1 million, equivalent to USD $1,665,201,387 and constitutes 8.4% of the total of USD $19,711,676,679 received in contributions to the fund.
Donors do not earmark their contributions to any particular disease, country or activity. The cumulative proportion of actual grant expenditure between the three diseases, as of January 2011, is HIV 57%, Malaria 29%, TB 14%.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Farms: Regulation
Andrew Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress her Department has made on reducing the administrative demands placed on farmers by environmental regulations. [85567]
Mr Paice: The Government have introduced the one-in, one-out rule, meaning that no new domestic legislation imposing costs on business can be introduced without the identification and removal of existing regulations with an equivalent value. Since January 2011, only two measures impacting the farming sector have been introduced. Both are of a deregulatory nature, with a net saving of approximately £730,000 per annum.
In my written statement of 3 November 2011, Official Report, columns 40-41WS, I announced the publication of the interim response to the independent Farm Regulation Task Force. We will publish a final response in early 2012.
We also aim to reduce burdens placed on farmers by environmental regulations under the Red Tape Challenge Environment Theme, on which an announcement will be made in the spring, and the Water and Marine Theme, which will be launched in February.
Food: Illegal Imports
Fiona O'Donnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much funding she has allocated to the “Don't bring me back campaign” (a) in 2011-12 and (b) in each of the next three years. [86566]
Mr Paice: To date, no funds have been allocated to the “Don't bring me back” campaign for 2011-12, in line with the Government's commitment to deliver communications at no or low cost. An indicative budget of no more than £25,000 may be drawn upon in the event that paid-for activity is required, but we will continue to make use of no cost channels as the first choice option.
For the next three years, DEFRA will continue to prioritise no cost or low cost communications activity to raise awareness about illegal imports of products of
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animal origin, and anticipates a budget of less than £25,000 per annum on paid-for communication. The aim of the communication is to raise awareness and to reduce the risk of contaminated food being brought into the UK and putting people, animals and agriculture at risk of disease.
DEFRA is also exploring with other Government Departments such as the UK Border Agency and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office the use of free/low cost communication media to continue to help raise travellers' awareness of the rules on personal imports of animal products.
Food Supply
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the prospects for UK food security at each extreme of population range projected by the Office for National Statistics for 2050. [86819]
Mr Paice: I refer my right hon. Friend to the reply given to the hon. Members for Kilmarnock and Loudoun (Cathy Jamieson) and Totnes (Dr Wollaston) on 1 December 2011, Official Report, column 1053W.
Business, Innovation and Skills
Business: Government Assistance
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what funding over £100,000 his Department's Finance and Commercial Directorate allocated to partner organisations in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement. [86888]
Mr Davey: BIS's Finance and Commercial Directorate did not allocate any funding to partner organisations in either 2010-11 or 2011-12.
Details of the amounts of grant in aid for each of BIS's partner organisations may be found in the notes pages to the 2010-11 and 2011-12 Main Estimates.
Export Credits Guarantees: Libya
Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills which projects have led to debt being owed by Libya to the Export Credits Guarantee Department since 1981. [84108]
Mr Davey: There are no outstanding amounts owed by Libya to ECGD.
Intellectual Property
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he plans to take to implement the recommendations on exception in the Hargreaves Report on intellectual property. [86789]
Mr Davey:
On 14 December, the Government launched their consultation on how to take forward the copyright recommendations of the Hargreaves Report, including the recommendation to modernise the UK's exceptions
15 Dec 2011 : Column 859W
to copyright. The consultation will run until 21 March 2012 and the Government hope that all those with an interest in how we can best ensure that our copyright system is fit for the digital age will take the opportunity to respond to it.
During 2012 the Government will continue to deliver the commitments set out in their response to the Hargreaves Review of Intellectual Property and Growth, and this will include a response to the consultation on copyright.
The Government have separately announced, on 22 November, the appointment of Richard Hooper to lead a feasibility study into a Digital Copyright Exchange.
Scholarships
Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the amount per student that the National Scholarship Programme will be worth in (a) 2012-13, (b) 2013-14 and (c) 2014-15. [86492]
Mr Hayes: The National Scholarship Programme is designed to benefit students whose family income is no greater than £25,000. Participating universities and colleges establish their own eligibility criteria, based on their own circumstances, to determine whom to help from among this broad group of people.
All institutions that intend to charge more than the basic rate for tuition from 2012 are required to participate in the programme and contribute match funding. Universities are responsible for advertising their criteria and making the awards.
In the first year, the Government will contribute £50 million towards the NSP. The Government's contribution rises to £100 million in 2013-14 and £150 million in 2014-15. The minimum level for an award in 2012/13 is set at £3,000 for each eligible full-time student. Part time students studying to a minimum intensity of 25% can receive a pro-rata award. Arrangements for future years have not been announced.
Universities and colleges can use their match funding to either increase the number of awards available, or the value of an award.
Students: Loans
Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the proportion of access to higher education student loans taken out in the academic year 2013-14 which will be repaid in full if the proposed changes to further education fee structures are implemented. [81529]
Mr Hayes: The Impact Assessment published alongside the New Challenges, New Chances consultation on further education (FE) loans included an assumption that 40% of the value of loans taken out will be repaid. This applies to all loans taken out from the academic year 2013/14 onwards, for all types of course. There is, however, no information available specifically for the subset of FE learners who are taking ‘Access to HE’ qualifications. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is carrying out further research and analysis to improve the accuracy of the simulation model used to calculate the figure above.
15 Dec 2011 : Column 860W
The Impact Assessment can be found on the BIS website on the following link:
http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/biscore/further-education-skills/docs/f/11-1218-further-education-loans-impact-assessment
Tourism: Arts
Angie Bray: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the consequences for inbound tourism to London of planned changes to the art market in 2012. [86785]
Mr Davey: On 1 January 2012, the Artist's Resale Right Directive 2001 will be fully implemented in the UK, when Resale Right is automatically extended to sales of in copyright works by qualifying deceased artists. On the same date, Statutory Instrument No. 2873 will come into force, correcting the requirements as to the nationality of those entitled to exercise Artist's Resale Right.
No specific assessment of the effect of these changes on tourism has been made, however the total economic impact of the right once extended to deceased artists has been assessed at less than 0.15% of market turnover (around £12 million in royalties in a market worth £8 billion per year) and accordingly the extension is not considered likely to damage the market. The changes made by the Statutory Instrument on the other hand are actually estimated to reduce administrative costs for the art market by 10% to 20%.
House of Commons Commission
Electronic Equipment: House of Commons
Simon Hart: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, how many iPads have been purchased for use by House of Commons staff; and what the cost of such purchases was in 2011. [85869]
John Thurso: Since 1 January 2011, 17 iPads have been purchased for use by staff of the House of Commons and 17 iPads have been purchased for the use of PICT staff. They are being used to explore how mobile computing might be used to support the work of Parliament, and what cost savings or environmental benefits might be gained. A similar pilot is taking place with hon. Members on the Administration Committee.
The iPads were models iPad 1 and 2 with 3G and wi-fi connection. The total cost of the devices was £17,019.59.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Democratic Republic of Congo: Elections
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the conduct of the recent election in the Democratic Republic of Congo. [86875]
15 Dec 2011 : Column 861W
Mr Bellingham: I was pleased that the observer missions reported that polling day in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) elections was largely peaceful with a good turnout of voters. I am also pleased that, following lobbying by the British Government and others, the DRC electoral commission published results from each polling station. However I remain concerned at the reports of irregularities throughout the process, and particularly during the compilation of results. We continue to urge the Commission Electorale Nationale Indépendante to address all reported irregularities quickly and transparently. We also encourage anyone with evidence of wrongdoing to make it public so that an overall assessment of the election process can be made and lessons learned.
Food Labelling
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 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. [85858]
Mr Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office are in discussion with our UK catering contractor, Compass, who are committed to the Responsibility Deal, to explore how and when we might introduce this initiative without an overall increase in costs.
It would incur disproportionate cost to source this data from our network of posts and our public bodies as this information is held locally.
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 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. [85859]
Mr Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's UK catering contractor, Compass, provide this information to staff when requested within the UK.
It would incur disproportionate cost to source this data from our network of 260 posts and our public bodies, as this information is held locally.