Developing Countries: Water
Mr Cash: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when he plans to announce the outcomes of his Department's review of support for water and sanitation programmes; and if he will ensure the review will set out his Department's plans to tackle water and sanitation related diarrhoeal diseases. [87634]
Mr O'Brien: The Department for International Development (DFID) is currently reviewing its work on water and sanitation to see how we can achieve even more results and better value for money. This includes looking at the effectiveness of programmes in improving health outcomes.
The results of this exercise will be available early in 2012.
Mr Cash: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether he plans to increase the number of countries where his Department has water and sanitation programmes. [87635]
Mr O'Brien: As previously announced, the Department for International Development (DFID) will fund five new major bilateral programmes on water and sanitation in Africa (Tanzania, Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe) in the coming year.
Any additional commitments will be dependant on the results of the ongoing review of DFID's water and sanitation programme.
Mr Cash: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether his Department has plans for water and sanitation programmes in Pakistan. [87636]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: The Department for International Development (DFID) does not have plans to provide direct support for water and sanitation programmes in Pakistan.
However, UK aid to the Multi-Donor Trust Fund for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Federally Administered Tribal Areas and Balochistan will help community-based organisations improve local services and infrastructure, including water and sanitation, up to 2015.
20 Dec 2011 : Column 1170W
Mr Cash: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of his Department's bilateral aid funding will be spent on (a) water and sanitation, (b) health and (c) education in 2011-12. [87637]
Mr O'Brien: Details of the Department for International Development (DFID) bilateral aid expenditure by sector is published in Statistics on International Development (SID) which is available online at:
www.dfid.gov.uk
The figures for 2011-12 are not yet available, but the results we intend to achieve are set out in the operational plans available on our website. The latest available figures are as follows:
| Sector | Total DFID bilateral programme (£ million) | Share of total DFID bilateral programme (%) |
Mr Cash: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will attend the Sanitation and Water for All High Level Meeting on 20 April 2012 for the purpose of addressing the lack of political priority given to sanitation in many developing countries. [87638]
Mr O'Brien: The Department for International Development (DFID) strongly supports the work of the Sanitation and Water for All partnership to increase accountability of both developing countries and donors for delivering results on the ground.
DFID recognises that it will be important to have a strong UK presence at the next high-level meeting in April 2012 and the Secretary of State for International Development, my right hon. Friend the Member for Sutton Coldfield (Mr Mitchell), intends to be there.
Drugs: Patents
Dr Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions he has had with UK-based pharmaceutical companies to encourage their participation in the medicine patent pool. [87012]
Mr O'Brien: The UK Government supported the establishment of the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) through our contributions to UNITAID. The UK has a constant dialogue with pharmaceutical companies, like Gilead Sciences, a member of the MPP, through the members of the Industry-government Forum on Access to Medicines. Gilead Sciences, who has joined the Patent Pool, is also a member. There is more information on our website:
http://www.dfid.gov.uk/igfam
We are also aware of and encourage continuing discussions directly between pharmaceutical companies and the Medicines Patent Pool.
20 Dec 2011 : Column 1171W
Kidnapping
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many officials in his Department have been kidnapped whilst on official business overseas in each of the last 10 years. [87562]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: Two Department for International Development (DFID) officials posted to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia were kidnapped in 2007. They were released after being held 12 days. There have been no other kidnappings in the last 10 years.
Nigeria: Overseas Aid
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his policy is on his Department's aid contribution to Nigeria; and if he will make a statement. [87560]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: Despite producing oil, Nigeria is not a rich country. Its total economy is one-twentieth the size of the UK's economy, with many more people. Over 100 million Nigerians live on less than £1 a day. A peaceful, more democratic and prosperous Nigeria, meeting the basic needs of its citizens, is possible within a generation and the Department for International Development (DFID) remains committed to supporting this.
As outlined in the DFID Operational Plan for Nigeria, which was published in May 2011, between 2011 and 2015 DFID will focus on promoting democracy, wealth creation and the delivery of basic services. We will work with the Nigerian Government to spend their own money more effectively. No UK aid will go through Government budgets, so as to protect against corruption and avoid substituting Nigerian public resources.
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much financial assistance his Department has given to Nigeria in each of the last 10 years. [87567]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: The Department for International Development (DFID) has provided the following bilateral aid to Nigeria since financial year 2002-03 (the earliest year in which data are available from the Statistics on International Development (SID)):
|
|
£ million |
Nigeria: Politics and Government
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what development programmes funded by his Department aim at promoting democracy in Nigeria. [87552]
20 Dec 2011 : Column 1172W
Mr Andrew Mitchell: In Nigeria, our support to promote democracy is channelled through the “Deepening Democracy in Nigeria programme”. The programme spans the period 2010-15. In partnership with the US Government and the United Nations Development Programme, we support Parliament, civil society, the election commission and political parties. There is a particular focus on getting more women to take part in the electoral process.
The Department for International Development (DFID) was instrumental in enabling Nigerians to have their first ever credible elections in April 2011. At a cost of 33p per voter, we helped the election commission register 73 million voters in 2010. Towards the next elections in 2015, we are working to strengthen the election commission's ability to manage elections, improve Parliament's ability to hold the executive to account and support civil society to demand greater accountability from elected leaders.
South Sudan: Equality
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what development programmes funded by his Department aim at promoting equality in South Sudan. [87554]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK recognises the critical importance of work to promote equality as a key foundation for peace and development in South Sudan. We look for opportunities to promote equality across the range of our programmes as well as through specific targeted support. Examples of programmes that will promote equality include a planned five-year Girls Education programme which will help to tackle the barriers that prevent girls from going to school and support 150,000 girls through primary school. In the health sector, in addition to our support for primary health care we plan to help strengthen reproductive health care, so that 21,000 women are able to deliver with the help of a trained birth attendant. We are also starting to design a programme which will help to improve access to justice for 250,000 women.
Turkey: Earthquakes
Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions he has had with the Turkish Government on the recent earthquake in that country. [86723]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: In response to a specific request from the Turkish Government I agreed to provide 1,144 protective winter tents to house 5,500 people who were without shelter. The Turkish Government have not made any further requests. The UK Government will continue to monitor the situation in the affected region.
Transport
Biofuels
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what work her Department is undertaking into developing biofuels from non-feedstock sources. [87132]
20 Dec 2011 : Column 1173W
Norman Baker [holding answer 19 December 2011]: All biofuels are made from feedstocks. Suitable feedstocks for biofuel production include agricultural crops, wastes, residues, ligno-cellulosic and non-food cellulosic materials.
From 15 December 2011, all biofuel feedstocks must meet certain sustainability criteria, as set out in the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligations Order 2007 (as amended), in order to count towards the UK’s renewable transport fuel obligation.
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate her Department has made of the change in the amount of biofuels which will be needed for transport fuel in order to meet the requirement of the renewable energy directive for 10% of transport fuel to come from renewable sources by 2020. [87133]
Norman Baker [holding answer 19 December 2011]: The renewable energy directive (RED) contains a target for the UK to source 10% of energy used in transport from renewable sources by 2020. The contribution of biofuels made from wastes, residues, non-food cellulosic material and ligno-celluiosic material will count twice towards this target.
Given uncertainties over the sustainability of all biofuels and the best deployment across sectors we have not, at this stage, amended the renewable transport fuel obligation biofuel supply targets. The Secretary of State for Transport, the right hon. Member for Putney (Justine Greening) is obliged under the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligations (Amendment) Order 2011 to come forward with proposals for measures to ensure delivery of the transport requirements of the RED for the period 2014 to 2020 at a later date.
Biofuels: Imports
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information her Department holds on the amount of biofuel imported from overseas in each of the last 10 years; which countries such biofuels were imported from; and if she will estimate the effect on carbon emissions levels of the use of imported biofuel in each such year. [87487]
Norman Baker: Details of the country of origin of feedstocks for biofuels and associated greenhouse gas savings are available from the introduction of the renewable transport fuel obligation (RTFO) in 2008.
This information is available in the RTFO Administrator's reports to Parliament for 2008-09 and 2009-10 can be found online at:
http://www.official-documents.gov.uk/document/other/9780108508868/9780108508868.pdf
http://www.official-documents.gov.uk/document/other/9780108509681/9780108509681.pdf
Further detail can be found in the RTFO Administrator's reports on the supply of biofuel to the UK, available online at:
http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20110407094507/http://www.renewablefuelsagency.gov.uk/sites/rfa/files/_documents/RFA_verified_report_RTFO_year_one.pdf
http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20110407094507/http://www.renewablefuelsagency.gov.uk/sites/rfa/files/24_RFA_verified_report_RTFO_year_two_v1.0.0_0.pdf
20 Dec 2011 : Column 1174W
Provisional data for 2010-11 can be found online here:
http://assets.dft.gov.uk/statistics/releases/biofuels_april_2011/rtfoaug2011.pdf
and a verified report will be published in the new year.
British Transport Police Authority
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many full-time equivalent staff were employed by the British Transport police authority in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12 to date; and if she will make a statement. [87741]
Mrs Villiers: The number of full-time equivalent staff employed by the British Transport police authority in 2010-11 was 10 and in 2011-12 to date is 9.5.
Bus Services: Local Government
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to section 30 of the Coalition Agreement, what recent progress she has made in encouraging joint working between bus operators and local authorities. [87501]
Norman Baker: On 8 December I announced the £50 million Better Bus Area Fund, with the explicit intention of encouraging local authorities to work in partnership with bus operators to help grow the economy and cut carbon. This fund complements the Local Sustainable Transport Fund, 35 of the 39 successful bids for Tranche 1 of which contained bus-related elements.
I have already witnessed good examples of joint working on bus services, including in Bristol and Oxford, and I continue to urge operators and local authorities to come together to better serve the needs of local bus passengers.
Buses: Exhaust Emissions
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate she has made of the potential effect on carbon emission levels of the Green Bus Fund in each year of the fund's operation. [87495]
Norman Baker: The Department estimates that the earlier two rounds of the Green Bus Fund, which will see around 540 low carbon buses operating in England by March 2012, will save around 12,500 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year.
The third round of the Green Bus Fund is expected to help fund more than 200 low carbon emission buses which will save around 5,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year.
Departmental Communications
Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) press officers, (b) internal communications officers, (c) external communications officers, (d) communications strategy officers and (e) other positions with a communications remit were employed by (i) her Department, (ii) its agencies and (iii) each non-departmental public body sponsored by her Department on the most recent date for which figures are available. [84202]
20 Dec 2011 : Column 1175W
Norman Baker: The number of full-time equivalent staff employed on communications activities on 30 September 2011 is provided in the following table. The NDPB figures requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost due to this information not being held centrally.
|
|
(i) DFT central | (ii) DFT agencies |
This is a 24% reduction in the full-time equivalent number of communicators from 2009-10.
Departmental Equality
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent steps her Department has taken to increase equality among its staff. [82958]
Norman Baker: In 2009 the Department developed a three-year equality action plan. This is reviewed annually. The plan reflects the civil service strategy for promoting equality and valuing diversity, and comprises the four themes of: behaviour and culture change; leadership and accountability; talent management; representation. The action plan can be found at:
http://www2.dft.gov.uk/about/diversity/talent1/diversitystratplan.pdf
The Single Equality Duty arising from the Equality Act 2010 led to a review of equality outcomes, and in particular the equality data which we are required to publish. As a public authority the Department must have equality objectives in place by April 2012, and we are currently consulting stakeholders to that end. These broad objectives will reflect our strategic direction up to 2016.
Currently the Department supports staff networks for race, gender, disability and sexual orientation who are supported by and have regular meetings with senior management. Each of the Directors General is a Champion for a particular strand of diversity and the Permanent Secretary is the overall Diversity Champion. Equality issues are considered by the top management team, which reflects the importance the Department places on this topic.
Departmental Manpower
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people were working in her Department on (a) 11 May 2010 and (b) 8 December 2011. [87348]
Norman Baker: On 11 May 2010, there were 19,198 employees working in the central Department and its seven Executive agencies. On 8 December 2011, there were 17,799 working in the central Department and its seven Executive agencies.
20 Dec 2011 : Column 1176W
Of this total, there were 2,017 employees working in the central Department on 11 May 2010 and there were 1,696 employees working in the central Department on 8 December 2011.
Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 13 December 2011, Official Report, column 98WS, on the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), what work her Department has carried out to ensure that services currently offered by regional DVLA offices will remain accessible to communities. [87478]
Mike Penning: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency has investigated a range of options on alternative delivery channels for all services currently offered by DVLA regional offices. Decisions about which solutions will be taken forward will not be made until the results of the consultation exercise are available and agreed. Members of the public and communities are encouraged to make their views known through the consultation process.
Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency: Manpower
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many full-time equivalent staff are employed in each regional office of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency. [87489]
Mike Penning: The following table states how many full-time equivalent employees are employed in each regional office.
| Location | Total |
20 Dec 2011 : Column 1177W
Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency: Redundancy
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 13 December 2011, Official Report, column 98WS, on the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), what steps her Department plans to take to assist staff at regional DVLA offices to find alternative employment following implementation of the proposed transformation programme for the Agency. [87477]
Mike Penning: No decisions about closure have yet been made. If, following the consultation, a decision is made to close the local offices then the Department will seek to avoid compulsory redundancies wherever possible. Among the options we will explore include redeploying staff to other offices across the civil service; voluntary redundancy and job swaps with staff working elsewhere in the civil service who wish to leave under voluntary redundancy terms.
Driving Under Influence
Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the relative standards of professional conduct of providers of drink-drive rehabilitation courses in (a) single provider and (b) multi-provider areas. [87769]
Mike Penning: The Driving Standards Agency’s audits have shown that the current quality of drink-driver rehabilitation courses is variable with some providers failing to follow the guidance on running courses. The audits did not highlight any difference between the professional conduct of course providers when comparing single with multiple provider areas.
Driving Under Influence: Convictions
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps her Department is taking with the Ministry of Justice in respect of the sharing of data on drink-driving convictions between the police, courts and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency. [87494]
Mike Penning: My review of court notifications to the DVLA identified inconsistent and missing alcohol levels for some drink driving convictions. Immediate changes to IT systems and working practices have been put in place to address the problem. The DVLA, the Ministry of Justice and the Home Office continue to work together to obtain missing alcohol level data to ensure that anyone regarded as a high risk offender undergoes the necessary medical assessment.
20 Dec 2011 : Column 1178W
Electric Vehicles
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to section 30 of the Coalition Agreement, what progress she has made in mandating a national recharging network for electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles. [87380]
Norman Baker: Through the Office for Low Emission Vehicles, we are working to establish a national recharging network, primarily by part funding the installation of recharging points delivered by the Plugged-In Places schemes.
Our strategy to deliver the necessary infrastructure is set out in “Making the Connection: the Plug-In Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy”, published in June 2011, a copy of which is available in the House Libraries. I refer the hon. Member to my previous answer to the right hon. Member for Warley (Mr Spellar), on 28 November 2011, Official Report, column 649W.
Graham Hook
Mr Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what (a) correspondence and (b) meetings (i) Ministers and (ii) officials in her Department had with Graham Hook during his employment with Interel Consulting UK. [87174]
Norman Baker [holding answer 19 December 2011]: The Secretary of State for Transport, the right hon. Member for Putney (Justine Greening), had one meeting with Graham Hook prior to his appointment as a special adviser. The special adviser to the previous Secretary of State for Transport, the right hon. Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), also met Graham Hook on a small number of occasions, and corresponded once. No other correspondence or meetings took place during his employment with Interel Consulting UK.
Great Western Railway Line: Electrification
Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many meetings Ministers and officials in her Department have had with Ministers and officials in the Welsh Government to discuss electrification of the Great Western Main Line since 1 March 2011; and on what dates. [86697]
Mrs Villiers: Departmental officials have had meetings on this subject with their colleagues from the Welsh Government on four occasions—on 14 September 2011 and 17 October 2011 in London and on the 24 November 2011 in Cardiff. Electrification was an agenda item at the High Level Forum between the DFT and Welsh Government Permanent Secretaries on 16 November 2011.
High Speed 2 Railway Line: Midlands
Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether she has received route proposals from High Speed 2 Ltd for the legs from Birmingham to Leeds and Manchester; and if she will lay such proposals in the Library. [87508]
20 Dec 2011 : Column 1179W
Justine Greening: Subject to my decisions on high speed rail in January 2012, HS2 Ltd will submit its advice on route and station options for Leeds, Manchester and Heathrow in March 2012. The Government will consider this advice before announcing our response later in 2012.
Large Goods Vehicles
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 22 November 2011, Official Report, column 260W, on large goods vehicles, which independent contractor will be monitoring the longer semi-trailers and heavy goods vehicles study. [87480]
Mike Penning: The Department has appointed Risk Solutions as the independent monitor for the high volume semi trailers trial.
Large Goods Vehicles: Fees and Charges
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to section 30 of the Coalition Agreement, what recent progress she has made in introducing a system of HGV road user charging. [87499]
Mike Penning: We are developing proposals for a scheme of HGV road user charging and intend to consult in the new year.
Level Crossings
John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many user worked railway crossings are in use; and how many have (a) closed and (b) been converted to automatic barriers in the last 20 years. [87662]
Mrs Villiers: This information is not held by the Department for Transport. Management of level crossings is an operational matter for the relevant railway infrastructure manager, which for the majority of Britain’s railway system is Network Rail. As part of their safety management system, Network Rail assess risks at level crossings and consider whether closure or upgrading of protection is appropriate.
Level Crossings: Accidents
John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) road traffic accidents and (b) fatalities have been reported at user worked railway crossings in the last 10 years. [87661]
Mrs Villiers: This information is not held by the Department for Transport. Safety Statistics for Railways are available on the Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) website at:
www.rssb.co.uk
In addition, the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR), as the independent health and safety regulator of Britain’s railways, reports annually on safety performance, including at level crossings. The hon. Member may wish to contact the ORR for further information at the following address:
Office of Rail Regulation
One Kemble Street
London
WC2B 4AN
20 Dec 2011 : Column 1180W
Members: Correspondence
Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when she plans to respond to the letters of (a) 19 July 2011, (b) 13 September 2011 and (c) 2 November 2011 from the hon. Member for Weaver Vale on behalf of WSD Lamb of Tall Security Print Ltd. [85034]
Mrs Villiers: I replied to my hon. Friend on 20 December 2011 in connection with his letters on behalf of WSD Lamb of Tall Security Print Ltd, with my apologies for the delay.
Network Rail
Harriett Baldwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions she has had with Network Rail about further redoubling of the Oxford to Hereford railway line. [86938]
Mrs Villiers: There have been no recent discussions. The rail industry considers that the recently completed 20 miles of track redoubling on the Oxford to Evesham section of the Hereford route provides the performance improvements which are the highest priority. It has not proposed forward further redoubling for consideration in its investment plan for 2014 to 2019.
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to section 30 of the Coalition Agreement, what progress she has made in increasing the accountability of Network Rail to its customers. [87379]
Mrs Villiers: The Government are committed to increasing the accountability of Network Rail and will publish a strategy for reform in the rail industry early in 2012.
Office of Rail Regulation
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to section 30 of the Coalition Agreement, what progress she has made in reforming the Office of Rail Regulation to better represent the interests of passengers. [87503]
Mrs Villiers: The Government and the Office of Rail Regulation will shortly consult on the scope and case for transferring certain powers and functions relating to the protection of passenger interests from the Department for Transport to the regulator.
Railways: Fares
Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether she has any plans to use the consumer prices index as a measure for the change in regulated rail fares in future. [86696]
Mrs Villiers: We have no plans to use the consumer prices index as a replacement for the retail prices index in the cap on regulated fares.
20 Dec 2011 : Column 1181W
Railways: Information Services
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if her Department will take steps to encourage train companies to improve their communication with passengers on (a) overcrowding and (b) delays; and if she will make a statement. [87148]
Norman Baker: The Department supports the extensive programme of work being undertaken by the rail industry to improve passenger information during disruption. The issue is regularly discussed at meetings between Ministers and senior industry figures.
In addition, we welcome the Office of Rail Regulation’s announcement of its intention to make adequate passenger communication a licence condition for train operating companies.
Railways: Overcrowding
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps she is taking to reduce overcrowding on (a) commuter trains and (b) railway platforms in cities; and if she will make a statement. [87191]
Mrs Villiers: The Government have a programme to deliver additional rail carriages, addressing concerns about overcrowding. Network Rail is funded to enlarge many platforms and stations as part of this programme. Over the last year we have signed five agreements with train operators to deliver extra peak capacity for the cities of Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Newcastle and Sheffield. This capacity is now being delivered.
Railways: Snow and Ice
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent assessment she has made of the ability of the major train operators to minimise disruption caused by bad weather; and if she will make a statement. [87149]
Norman Baker: I meet regularly with senior industry representatives to review performance issues, and these discussions include the industry's preparedness to minimise disruption caused by severe weather. This includes ensuring that its plans take account of the lessons learnt from the last two winters and other weather-related incidents. The Secretary of State for Transport, the right hon. Member for Putney (Justine Greening), has also recently visited a rail depot in Tonbridge to see some of the winter preparations that the rail industry is putting in place.
Train operators have put in place extensive contingency and resilience plans to overcome weather disruption problems, including improved passenger communication strategies; development of additional contingency timetables for service operations under different weather scenarios; and a range of modifications to train fleets to improve resilience and address problems previously encountered. In addition, Network Rail has implemented a programme of measures including installation of heating elements to the third rail at key locations and expansion of its fleet of snow clearance and ice treatment trains.
20 Dec 2011 : Column 1182W
Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many suppliers received renewable transport fuel certificates in each year since their introduction; and how many litres of biofuel each supplier produced in those years. [87130]
Norman Baker [holding answer 19 December 2011]: In the year that the renewable transport fuel obligation (RTFO) was introduced, 2008-09, 53 suppliers received renewable transport fuel certificates and 1,283 million litres of biofuel was supplied for road transport. In 2009-10, those figures were 52 suppliers and 1,568 million litres of fuel. Provisional figures for 2010-11 suggest that 1,440 million litres of biofuel were supplied by 45 companies.
It should be noted that the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligations Order 2007 (as amended) includes a requirement to exclude volumes of relevant hydrocarbon oil or renewable transport fuel which has been notified by a particular supplier to the administrator, with the clear purpose of protecting commercial confidentiality. We consider information regarding the volume of fuel supplied by individual suppliers to be commercially sensitive.
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of renewable transport fuel her Department estimates will come from (a) biofuels, (b) electrically powered surface transport and (c) other renewable sources in each year between 2011 and 2020. [87488]
Norman Baker: Renewable transport fuel includes biofuels such as bioethanol, biodiesel and biomethane as well as other renewable fuels such as renewable hydrogen. Electrically powered surface transport is a mode of transport, not a fuel. However, use of renewable electricity in road vehicles can be counted towards renewable energy targets.
The renewable transport fuel obligation (RTFO) level is currently 4% for 2011-12 and increases by 0.5% each year until it reaches 5% in 2013-14. This obligation is met through the supply of biofuel.
Given uncertainties over the sustainability of all biofuels and the best deployment across sectors we have not, at this stage, amended the RTFO biofuel supply targets to increase beyond the 5% target that will be required from 2013-14. The Secretary of State for Transport is obliged under the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligations (Amendment) Order 2011 to come forward with proposals for measures to ensure delivery of the transport requirements of the renewable energy directive for the period 2014 to 2020 at a later date.
Rescue Services: Northern Ireland
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the implications for Northern Ireland of the planned changes to the search and rescue helicopter service. [86055]
Mike Penning:
Northern Ireland will still be covered by helicopters based on the UK mainland and Scottish
20 Dec 2011 : Column 1183W
Islands, as at present. Incidents will continue to be responded to within the agreed national response requirements.
The UK tasking authority will continue to work with other nations' tasking authorities, including the Republic of Ireland, to provide assistance when it is required. This is in line with existing international agreements.
Roads: Safety
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to section 30 of the Coalition Agreement, what progress she has made in bringing forward proposals to promote road safety. [87498]
Mike Penning: By transferring the road safety grant to the revenue support grant, we have given local authorities greater flexibility to implement the local transport and road safety measures they and their local communities consider are needed. Most local authorities have published information about speed cameras, to improve transparency, following a Government announcement in June 2011.
We are switching to more effective ways of making our roads safer, having published a strategic framework for road safety in May 2011. This includes action to enable better enforcement against careless and drunk drivers, improvements to education and more training.
The authorisation of drug screening technology depends on the type approval of individual devices by the Secretary of State for the Home Department. This is given only following operational and laboratory tests of the devices against the type approval specification. Operational tests have been completed. New arrangements are required for the laboratory tests and the Home Office is putting these into place as quickly as technically possible.
Rolling Stock
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what rolling stock her Department plans to cascade from the Thameslink project to other parts of the rail network; on what dates such cascades will occur; and what changes in capacity will arise from each such cascade. [87485]
Mrs Villiers: The redeployment of rolling stock freed up by new trains introduced as part of the Thameslink Programme is dependent on a number of factors, including the exact timings of electrification programmes and future negotiations between train operators and rolling stock leasing companies. Approximately 400 existing vehicles are expected to be available for redeployment in the period from 2015 to 2018.
Severn River Crossing: Tolls
Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions she has had with Welsh Government Ministers on the Severn crossing tolls. [87822]
Mike Penning: Ministers have had no discussions with their Welsh counterparts on tolls at the Severn crossing.
20 Dec 2011 : Column 1184W
Shipping: Training
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what changes her Department has proposed to the General Approach on a Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directive 2008/106/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on the minimum level of training of seafarers changes. [87491]
Mike Penning: Following the publication of the proposed directive in September, the UK was an active participant in the Council working group convened to examine the text.
As a result of our negotiations we secured amendments to the text to address our concerns relating to the provisions on data transfer, the timeline for transposition and the role of member states in future decision-making.
Having secured these improvements, the UK was able to agree to the proposal presented for a General Approach at Transport Council on 12 December.
Siemens
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to the Thameslink rolling stock contract, what recent assessment she has made of Siemens plc's credit rating; and whether her Department holds information on Siemens plc's credit rating in each month since June 2011. [R] [86034]
Mrs Villiers: The Department has relied on publically available information from Moody's and Standard and Poor's.
Moody's Investors Service has assigned Siemens plc an A1 credit rating since November 2007. Standard and Poor's has assigned them an A+ credit rating since June 2009.
Sikhs
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will have discussions with the Sikh Council UK and Sikh Federation (UK) on policy matters relating to the Sikh community. [87194]
Mrs Villiers: My Department regularly engages with many different organisations on policy matters and consults with bodies representing the faith communities where there are relevant issues.
Transport: EU Action
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proposals her Department has made to the European Commission on the draft Regulation amending Regulation 3821/85 on recording equipment in road transport and regulation 561/2006. [87492]
Mike Penning: The Department has not made proposals to the European Commission on the draft regulation. However the Department has been active in negotiations on the dossier, which began in September 2011. At the Transport Council on 12 December a partial general approach was agreed.
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Transport: Finance
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to the National Infrastructure Plan 2011, what the (a) total planned public expenditure and (b) estimated month and year of completion are for the (i) Coventry-Nuneaton rail upgrade, (ii) Chester Road (Birmingham), (iii) Cambourne-Poole-Redruth transport package, (iv) Beverly integrated transport plan and (v) Bath transportation package. [87728]
Norman Baker: The information requested is as follows:
| Scheme | Planned total public expenditure (£ million) | Estimated completion date |
The total public expenditure figures include the planned contributions from the Department for Transport, the local authority promoters and any other public sector bodies.
Funding for these schemes was announced on 14 December 2011. Details of these and the other local authority major transport schemes announced on the same day are available on the Department's website at:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/publications/local-major-transport-scheme-decisions
Scheme costs on the published table may include private sector contributions and therefore may not match the above figures.
Transport: Policy
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to section 30 of the Coalition Agreement, what progress she has made in reforming the way decisions are made on which transport projects to prioritise. [87378]
Justine Greening: My predecessor as Secretary of State for Transport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), laid a written ministerial statement in the House on 27 April 2011 reporting the conclusions of the Department's decision making review. This set out reforms to the way transport projects are assessed, and funding prioritisation decisions are made, so that the benefits of low carbon proposals are fully recognised. The Department now uses the five case model to inform decision-making, which assesses projects' strategic, economic, financial, commercial and management cases.
Travel
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to section 30 of the Coalition Agreement, what recent progress she has made in supporting sustainable travel initiatives. [87502]
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Norman Baker: On 5 July 2011, I announced that the Department was awarding £155.5 million through the £560 million Local Sustainable Transport Fund to support authorities in delivering local economic growth while cutting carbon emissions from transport. 39 projects, to be delivered by 37 local authorities, have been awarded funding for 2011-15 (all projects are for £5 million or less). Successful projects include a variety of measures such as smart ticketing, the promotion of infrastructure for electric vehicles, bus and rail improvement measures along with infrastructure improvements for cycling and walking, including £11 million for Bikeability training, and the promotion of car clubs.
On 3 August 2011, the Department shortlisted 13 authorities to prepare a detailed business case for a Large Project proposal (of between £5 million and £50 million) to be submitted to the Department by 20 December 2011. By 24 February 2012, the Department will receive 55 further bids for small projects. We will announce decisions on all these proposed projects in early summer 2012.
Recently, the Department has also announced an extra £90 million of funding for buses, including the £50 million Better Bus Areas initiative, an extra £10 million for Community Transport, £20 million for the Green Bus Fund and £10 million to make London buses greener.
A full list of decisions to date is available on the DFT website at:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/publications/local-sustainable-transport-fund-guidance-on-the-application-process
Deputy Prime Minister
West Lothian Question
4. Mark Lancaster: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he plans to establish a commission to consider the West Lothian question. [87254]
Mr Harper: I updated the House on progress on this issue by written ministerial statement on 8 September 2011, Official Report, column 27WS. Since then we have been in consultation with the House authorities on how the commission can best address the relevant issues on the business and procedures of this House on how the commission can best address this issue. It is my intention for the commission to commence its work in February 2012 to report by the end of the next Session, in spring 2013. I will make a further statement on the detail of the commission in the new year.
House of Lords Reform
7. Mr Streeter: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what recent progress he has made on reforming the House of Lords; and if he will make a statement. [87257]
14. Dr Poulter: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what recent progress he has made on reforming the House of Lords; and if he will make a statement. [87264]
Mr Harper: I refer my hon. Friends to the answer the Deputy Prime Minister gave the hon. Member for Southport (John Pugh), at oral questions earlier today.
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Electoral Register
9. Bob Blackman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what recent assessment he has made of the completeness and accuracy of the electoral register. [87259]
12. Nadine Dorries: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what recent assessment he has made of the completeness and accuracy of the electoral register. [87262]
Mr Harper: The Government have funded the Electoral Commission to carry out research into the completeness and accuracy of the electoral register. The commission’s report, which was published last week, was the first of its kind in over a decade. It showed that as of April 2011, the register was around 85% accurate, and as of December 2010, was 85% to 87% complete, with around 6 million electors missing from the register.
These findings show that now more than ever it is important that we take steps to improve registration as part of the move to individual registration, including looking at how we can most effectively reach those groups most likely to be missing from the register and modernise the electoral registration system.
Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 14 November 2011, Official Report, column 532W, on electoral register, whether meetings in an official capacity could have taken place that were not recorded. [85251]
Mr Harper: Details of all Ministers' meetings with external organisations are published on a quarterly basis. Information for the period 13 May 2010 to 30 June 2011 can be accessed on the Cabinet Office website at:
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/ministerial-gifts-hospitality-travel-and-meetings-external-organisations-april-june
Statutory Register of Lobbyists
11. Grahame M. Morris: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he plans to bring forward proposals for a statutory register of lobbyists. [87261]
Mr Harper: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Sefton Central (Bill Esterson), at oral questions earlier today.
Cost of Elections
13. Steve McCabe: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of (a) elections for police and crime commissioners, (b) referendums for elected mayors and (c) the work of the Boundary Commission. [87263]
Mr Harper: The Government currently estimates that the cost of:
elections for police and crime commissioners in November 2012 will be up to £75 million;
the cost of referendums for elected mayors will be £2.5 million; and
the costs to the four Boundary Commissions of undertaking a boundary review under the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Act 2011 is £11.9 million.
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Lobbying
15. Mr McKenzie: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what discussions he has had on the definition of lobbying. [87265]
Mr Harper: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave to my right hon. Friend the Member for Saffron Walden (Sir Alan Haselhurst), at oral questions earlier today.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Aircraft Carriers
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the Government have made representations to the Russian Government about reports of waste being disposed into the sea off the Scottish coast by the Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov. [87582]
Mr Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has not made representations to the Russian Government about this issue. However, the HMS York contacted the Russian aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, anchored outside British territorial waters, to ask that no further waste be disposed into the sea. The Admiral Kuznetsov agreed with this request.
Anguilla: Politics and Government
Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received in respect of changing of the financial and economic permanent secretaries in Anguilla; and if he will make a statement. [87645]
Mr Bellingham: The Chief Minister of Anguilla and his team raised this issue with me during my meeting with him on 22 November 2011. This was also raised during the Overseas Territories Consultative Council from 23-24 November. The Department has received questions about this from the UK Representative for Anguilla and a number of other persons including members of this House.
Responsibility for ensuring that the Anguilla Public Service is appropriately staffed and run has been delegated by the Governor to the Deputy Governor, who is the most senior member of the Public Service. The British Government have no direct responsibility for making Anguillan Public Service appointments.
The transfer of portfolios among permanent secretaries is good practice and helps to ensure that they remain independent and are able to offer non-partisan advice. In the current case, I understand that the Chief Minister, the Executive Council and the Anguilla Public Service Commission were consulted about the proposed changes. Appointment decisions take into account individuals' skills and experience and the wider need to develop as leaders and strategic thinkers.
The Governor of Anguilla and the Chief Minister are in contact on this issue.
Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the reasons are for changing the financial and economic permanent secretaries in Anguilla. [87646]
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Mr Bellingham: I refer the hon. Member to the Minister of State, my noble Friend the right hon. Lord Howell of Guildford's answer of 11 August 2011, Official Report, House of Lords, column WA 454, to the noble Lord Jones of Cheltenham. I also wrote to the hon. Lady on 22 August this year in response to her e-mail of 22 July answering her questions on this issue.
Belarus: Human Rights
Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his most recent assessment is of the human rights situation in Belarus. [87209]
Mr Lidington: There have been no further releases of political prisoners since 1 October and the eight who remain reportedly suffer serious mistreatment. The UK is particularly concerned about the health and welfare of Dmitrii Bondarenko, Zmitser Dashkevich, Andrei Sannikov and Mikolai Statkevich. I released a press statement on 24 November expressing my concern about the sentencing to more than four years imprisonment of respected human rights defender Ales Bialiatski. in a tax evasion trial that international observers described as politically motivated.
Separately, on 30 November, a Minsk court sentenced Dzmitry Kanavalaw and Uladzislaw Kavalyow to death for carrying out the bombing of the Minsk Metro in April 2011. Again, international observers have raised doubts over the standard of evidence and conduct of the trial. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office Permanent Under-Secretary of State summoned the Belarusian ambassador on 12 December about this case; the British ambassador also raised it formally in Minsk on 9 December.
Recent legislative changes have strengthened the role of the secret police and further restricted freedom of assembly. Individuals can now face a jail sentence for receiving financial assistance from overseas and the definition of treason, a capital offence, has also been dramatically widened. Senior officials have expressed the UK's deep concern about this to the Belarusian ambassador and I released a press statement on 19 October.
The UK will continue to press for real and lasting democratic reform in Belarus including the release and rehabilitation of all political prisoners. We will also push the EU to do more, particularly on sanctions.
Congo: Politics and Government
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what observers the UK sent to the recent elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo. [87772]
Mr Bellingham:
To ensure that the elections were monitored appropriately, we worked with internationally-recognised monitoring experts in the EU and the Carter Center to ensure that a high-quality network of observers was in the country before, during and after the election. There were five British participants in the EU observation mission plus 18 British participants in the European Network for Central Africa (EURAC) mission. Two of the participants in the EURAC mission are members of the Great Lakes All Party Parliamentary Group: the hon. Member for Wrexham (Ian Lucas) and Lord
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McConnell. We also funded a UK elections expert from Electoral Reform International Services to accompany the Southern African Development Community non-government organisation mission. Finally, the British embassy in Kinshasa fielded a team of 12 accredited observers.
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations the UK has made to the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo on the conduct of recent elections in that country. [87778]
Mr Bellingham: In the run up to and throughout the election process, we have engaged closely with the Democratic Republic of Congo authorities on the conduct of the elections.
In my 9 December 2011 statement, I said that I remained concerned by the reports of irregularities both in the run up to and throughout the process.
The British ambassador in Kinshasa has lobbied Prime Minister Muzito, advisers to President Kabila, the Secretary General of the majority People’s Party for Reconstruction and Democracy party, and Commission Electorale Nationale Indépendante President Mulunda, to stress the need for a credible investigation into the presidential results process, urgent measures to improve the legislative elections results process (which is now under way, with results due on 13 January) and for lessons to be learned before the provincial elections, due in 2012. We have also stressed that the Supreme Court needs to be visibly neutral through the elections process.
Croatia: Elections
Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of alleged election fraud in the recent Croatian election. [87163]
Mr Lidington: We followed the Croatia elections closely. Some four or five appeals were lodged but subsequently dismissed by the Electoral Commission and the Constitutional Court. The Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) observer mission declared the elections democratic, and made no reference to election fraud in their conclusions. While the mission recommended technical improvements to the electoral process, acknowledged by the head of the Croatian Electoral Commission, the leader of the ODIHR mission saw no evidence in the elections to suggest that Croatia was not ready to join the EU.
Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will have discussions with Council of Europe election monitors on alleged irregularities in the recent Croatian elections. [87164]
Mr Lidington: The Council of Europe did not send an observer mission to Croatia during the recent elections. However, international observers from the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) observer mission as well as local non-governmental organisations reported that the elections were democratic. There was no reference to election fraud in the conclusions of the ODIHR mission and no appeals have been launched against the result.
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Croatia: EU Enlargement
Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his most recent assessment is of Croatia's readiness to join the EU. [87206]
Mr Lidington: On the basis of the clear progress already achieved by Croatia, backed up by the safeguards and additional pre-accession monitoring arrangements we secured in the final weeks of negotiations, the UK agreed the closure of accession negotiations on 30 June. Since then Croatia has continued to make progress in implementing the necessary reforms. The 5 December General Affairs Council and the 9 December European Council endorsed the Commission's assessment in its 12 October Progress Report on Croatia and the updated monitoring tables submitted to the Council on 28 October, that Croatia has reached a high level of preparedness for membership, and continues to make substantial progress in all areas. We expect Croatia to continue this momentum and to be in full alignment with the acquis before joining the EU in July 2013.
Food Procurement
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department spent on food purchased through its food and catering services in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [86999]
Mr Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office cannot separate out the cost of food purchased through its UK food and catering services from other elements of the service or from wider official hospitality expenses without incurring disproportionate cost.
It would also incur disproportionate cost to source the data from our network of 260 overseas posts as this information is held locally.
Departmental Manpower
Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many of his Department's UK-based staff are serving in overseas postings; and how many of them have completed the extensive level language qualification which is linked to additional remuneration. [86983]
Mr Bellingham [holding answer 15 December 2011]: Of our approximately 1,900 UK-based staff currently serving overseas, approximately 110 have a speaker requirement at extensive level, with approximately 580 more having a speaker requirement at other levels. The requirement for most extensive slots overseas is for officers to arrive in post with operational level skills, and then reach extensive after a period of time at post. As of 15 December 2011, approximately 40 staff are currently in receipt of allowances for having qualifications at extensive level. Other staff in extensive speaker slot positions will become eligible for these allowances during their postings when they have successfully taken the extensive exam, or once they have re-qualified if their exam pass date was more than five years ago.
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Departmental Press Releases
Dr Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 8 December 2011, Official Report, column 457W, on departmental press releases, what assessment he has made of whether the provision of detailed extracts from his 16 November 2011 speech to the media for reporting prior to its delivery conferred any benefit to the (a) Government and (b) public interest which would not have been conferred by reporting the speech after its delivery. [86862]
Mr Lidington [holding answer 19 December 2011]: The provision of extracts proved beneficial because it gave the media, and therefore the public, more time to consider the issues raised in the speech.
Embassies
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many diplomatic posts his Department has (a) opened and (b) closed in the last five years; and whether it plans to open any posts in 2012. [84581]
Mr Lidington: In his statement to the House on 11 May 2011, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), set out the Government's commitment not to close any sovereign UK posts overseas in the lifetime of the current Parliament; to retain all 140 existing British embassies and High Commissions, and to open up to six new embassies and seven new Consulates General. This is part of a drive to expand and strengthen Britain's diplomatic network, particularly in the fastest growing parts of the world.
No embassies have therefore been closed since May 2010. We have opened a new embassy in Juba, South Sudan. We have upgraded the UK's representation in Cote d'Ivoire to a full embassy. A fully accredited ambassador will take up position in spring 2012. We have opened a new consulate in Recife, Brazil. In 2012 we plan to open new embassies in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan; San Salvador, El Salvador and, when local circumstances permit, Madagascar and Somalia. The upgrading of the trade office in Calgary to a full British Consulate General in 2012 has also been announced.
This expansion of the diplomatic network is being funded by withdrawing diplomatic staff from some subordinate posts in Europe, while retaining UK Trade and Investment and consular staff in many cases and not closing any sovereign posts. Since May 2010, the British Consulates in Lille, France; Venice and Florence, Italy have closed. Other savings will also be found as we reduce over time our diplomatic footprint in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Between 2006 and May 2010, six embassies and High Commission offices and eight British Consulate Generals and Consulates were closed. Details are set out in the following table.
| Period | Country | Post name | Status | Closed |
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In 2007, three High Commission offices (Kingstown. St Vincent and the Grenadines) and the Consulate in Nagoya, Japan were closed.
In 2008, two High Commission offices (St John's, Antigua and St George's, Grenada) were closed.
The Consulate General in Lille closed in August 2011.
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in which overseas countries no representative of the Government is in residence. [84582]
Mr Lidington: While some embassies and high commissions are responsible for countries where there is no British representation, British Missions are not accredited. Heads of Mission, ambassadors and high commissioners are accredited. A number of Heads of Missions hold the title of Her Majesty's Non-Resident Ambassador/High Commissioner. A full list is provided.
| Country/territory | Location | Head of Mission resident in: |
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EU Accession
Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what regard the Government will have to meeting the Copenhagen criteria when determining their policy on future applications for membership of the EU; and if he will make a statement. [87467]
Mr Lidington: The Copenhagen criteria rightly remain at the heart of the EU enlargement process. Any European country which meets the criteria should be eligible to join. The 5 December General Affairs Council and 9 December European Council conclusions reaffirmed the principle that a country's progress against these criteria should dictate the pace of the enlargement process.
Jonathan Edwards:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on the accession to the EU of (a) Iceland, (b) the Republic of Serbia, (c) Croatia, (d) Montenegro, (e)
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the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia,
(f)
Albania,
(g)
Bosnia-Herzegovina and
(h)
Turkey. [87468]
Mr Lidington: The Government are a strong supporter of EU enlargement which helps create stability, security and prosperity across Europe. Any European country that wishes to join the EU and meets the necessary criteria should be able to do so. Croatia, Iceland, Montenegro, Macedonia and Turkey are candidate countries. Croatia is the furthest advanced candidate country and, following signature of its Accession Treaty, is expected to join the EU on 1 July 2013. Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia are pre-candidate countries. The UK is committed to the future of all the countries of the Western Balkans, Turkey and Iceland being in the EU, once the necessary conditions have been met. The Government believe that further EU enlargement depends on countries meeting the fair and rigorous accession criteria. Each case will be treated on its own merits.
Iran: Politics and Government
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent meetings his Department has had with the Government of Iran; and what was discussed. [87771]
Alistair Burt: I summoned the Iranian charge d'affaires on 30 November 2011 to express outrage at the invasion of our embassy compounds in Tehran and to notify him that all Iranian diplomats were to be expelled from the UK and the Iranian embassy closed. Since then there has been only one meeting between the Iranian Representative to the International Maritime Organisation in London and officials of the FCO's Protocol Directorate to discuss administrative arrangements for the closed Iranian embassy.
We have not severed diplomatic relations with Iran and will maintain a minimal dialogue over issues of concern such as Iran's nuclear programme and its human rights record.
Japan Tobacco International
Mr Hain: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether any (a) Ministers and (b) special advisers in his Department have received hospitality from Japan Tobacco International since May 2010. [87599]
Mr Lidington: Details of hospitality in respect of Ministers and special advisers are published quarterly on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's website at:
www.fco.gov.uk/en/publications-and-documents/transparency-and-data1/hospitality/
Russia: Politics and Government
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Russia on the conduct of recent elections in that country; and if he will make a statement. [87777]
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Mr Lidington: As I made clear in my statement of 6 December, we have concerns about alleged violations in the Duma elections and have highlighted the need for a rapid and transparent investigation. We note President Medvedev's undertaking to do so. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), raised the conduct of the elections with Foreign Minister Lavrov on 7 December. I also raised this issue with the Russian ambassador in a meeting on 14 December.
As the Prime Minister said in Moscow in September, strengthening the rule of law and democracy is essential to Russia's stability and prosperity. That must include open and fair elections and protecting the right to peaceful protest.
Shaker Aamer
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 12 December 2011, Official Report, column 606W, on Shaker Aamer, when Mr Aamer's case was last raised at official level with the US authorities; and when he next plans to raise it at (a) official and (b) Ministerial level. [87536]
Alistair Burt: Since the answer of 12 December 2011, Official Report, column 606W, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), has again raised Mr Aamer's case with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during his visit to Washington on 12 December. UK and US officials hold regular discussions on Mr Aamer's case, both in London and from the British embassy in Washington, most recently on 6 December. As stated in the previous answer, the Government remains committed to securing Mr Aamer's release and return to the UK and, again, we will continue to raise his case with the United States Government at both official and ministerial levels when appropriate opportunities arise. Nevertheless, it is important to be clear that his release remains a decision for the United States Government to make.
Syria: Asylum
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on (a) the number of Syrian refugees arriving in Turkey and (b) provisions being made for such refugees; and if he will make a statement. [86873]
Mr Lidington: According to the Turkish Government, the highest number of refugees recorded reached 20,000 in June. The Turkish Government and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) have now reported that there are 8,400 refugees remaining.
The UNHCR and Turkish Red Crescent provide tents, sleeping mats, hot meals and education (with Arabic curriculum play areas) and medical care.
Syria: Human Rights
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Syria on human rights issues in that country. [87770]
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Alistair Burt: We make clear in our contacts with the Syrian regime our deep concerns about ongoing human rights abuses in Syria.
We continue to raise human rights in Syria internationally including through the EU. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague) welcomed the strong action taken by the UN Human Rights Council at an unprecedented third Special Session on the human rights situation in Syria, which supports the Arab League's efforts to end the bloodshed in Syria and established a special rapporteur to ensure that independent monitoring of the situation continues. The Foreign Secretary said that we will continue to do all we can to bring an immediate end to the violence.
Business, Innovation and Skills
Adult Education
Liz Kendall: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many adults aged 24 years and over who took a Level 3 or higher qualification went on to attend university in each of the last three years. [86571]
Mr Willetts [holding answer 13 December 2011]: The Department does not hold information on adults aged 24 years and over who took a Level 3 or higher qualification and then went on to attend university. Information on the level of highest qualification held on entry to higher education is shown in the following table, for English-domiciled entrants aged 24 or over to UK higher education institutions. Figures are provided for the academic years 2007/08 to 2009/10. Information for the 2010/11 academic year will become available from January 2012.
| English-domiciled entrants (1) aged 24 or over by level of highest qualification on entry. UK higher education institutions, academic years 2007/08 to 2009/10 | |||
| Academic year | |||
| Level of highest qualification on entry | 2007/08 | 2008/09 | 2009/10 |
| (1) Covers entrants to full-time and part-time postgraduate and undergraduate courses. (2) Covers postgraduate, undergraduate and professional qualifications, foundation courses at higher education level and National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) at Level 4 or above. (3) Covers A Levels, International Baccalaureate, Ordinary National Diploma/Certificates, higher education access courses, foundation courses at further education level and NVQs at level 3. (4) Covers Level 2 qualifications and below, accredited prior learning, advanced modern apprenticeships and no formal qualifications. Note: Figures in this table are on a HESA Standard Registration Population (SRP) basis and are rounded up or down to the nearest five, so components may not sum to totals. Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) Student Record | |||