Educational Psychology
Mr Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans his Department has for the future provision of educational psychology training. [22422]
Sarah Teather:
I am very pleased to report that following our spending review I have been able to secure the funding to meet the costs of completing the cohorts of educational psychologists currently in training, and for
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one further cohort due to begin training in September 2011. However, the current funding scheme is not sustainable. I will take advantage of the opportunity presented by the Green Paper on special educational needs and disabilities to consider options for placing the training of educational psychologists on a more secure footing.
Extracurricular Activities: Newham
Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many primary schools in (a) West Ham constituency and (b) the London borough of Newham provide extended out-of-hours provision. [28913]
Sarah Teather: Data on the number of schools providing access to extended services (which can include out of hours provision) are no longer collected centrally. However, the last data supplied by the Training and Development Agency for schools (TDA) in September 2010 showed that all 25 primary schools in the West Ham constituency and all 66 primary schools in the London borough of Newham were providing access to extended services. The TDA's role supporting local authorities on the extended services programme ceased on 30 November.
School Sport Partnerships
Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many pupils in Ashfield constituency participated in (a) one and (b) more than one sport through school sport partnerships in the latest period for which figures are available. [31125]
Tim Loughton: This information is not available in the format requested. However, all maintained schools and academies in England are currently part of the network of school sport partnerships. Partnerships in the Ashfield constituency include 41 schools with a total of around 15,000 pupils on roll.
The results of the most recent PE and sport survey were published in September 2010. These showed that schools in England provided an average of 19 different sports for their pupils. Football was the most frequently provided sport, with 98% of schools providing it for their pupils.
Schools Sport Partnerships
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many (a) male and (b) female students in Warrington North constituency participated in sport through schools sport partnerships in each of the years for which figures are available. [31599]
Tim Loughton:
All students of compulsory school age are required to study all subjects of the national curriculum, including physical education, unless they are disapplied from part or all of the national curriculum. All maintained primary and secondary schools in Warrington North constituency are members of school sports partnerships in their area. The table sets out the total number of male and female students on the roll of these schools, from 2005 to 2010.
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|
|
Male | Female |
| Notes: 1. Pupil numbers are taken from the annual school census, and have been rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Due to recent parliamentary constituency boundary changes, the figures have been reworked back to 2005; to recreate figures for the earlier years would incur disproportionate cost. | ||
Schools: Sports
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what account he took of data collected in his Department's physical education and sport survey for 2009-10 on (a) rates of inter and intra-school competitive sports and (b) the number of young people taking part in (i) tennis, (ii) fitness activities, (iii) orienteering, (iv) cycling, (v) golf, (vi) badminton, (vii) table tennis, (viii) rugby league, (ix) canoeing, (x) archery, (xi) martial arts, (xii) rowing and (xiii) multi- skill clubs before making the decision to reduce levels of funding for the School Sports Partnerships programme; and if he will make a statement. [28761]
Tim Loughton: The Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove) took into account all of the findings of the PE and sport survey before making decisions about future funding for PE and sport. This included the findings set out in this question.
As we have said before, the Government acknowledge that school sport partnerships have been successful in raising participation rates in areas targeted by the previous administration. This is a credit to the staff involved. However, it is also true that, in some areas, participation rates dropped, and in other areas they remained static. Not only that, the survey also showed that only two in five pupils takes part in regular competitive sport within their own school, and only one in five plays regularly against other schools. This is after £2.4 billion of funding and seven years of work.
The Secretary of State has now announced that the Department will make a further payment of £47 million to school sport partnerships in February to fund partnerships up to the end of the summer term 2011. He will also make funding available to enable secondary schools to release a qualified PE teacher from timetable for one day each week in 2011/12 and 2012/13 to work with other schools to increase opportunities for competitive sport for our young people.
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many pupils participated in (a) one and (b) more than one sport through school sport partnerships in the latest period for which figures are available. [30329]
Tim Loughton:
This information is not available in the format requested. However, the physical education and sport survey report published in September 2010 showed that pupils in years 1 to 11 spent, on average,
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123 minutes of curriculum time taking part in PE in a typical school week in 2009/10. However this is not necessarily through a school sports partnership, but rather PE choices in school. In the same year, schools provided an average of 19 types of listed sports, with football being the most popular sport. All maintained schools and academies in England are currently part of the network of school sport partnerships.
Special Educational Needs: Per Capita Costs
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what his most recent estimate is of his Department's average annual expenditure per student with special educational needs in a mainstream school; and what estimate he has made of the likely level of such expenditure in 2015. [26440]
Sarah Teather: It is not possible to provide the information requested due to the way in which funding is provided to schools through local authorities. Local authorities receive their schools funding through the dedicated schools grant. It is for each local authority to distribute funding to its schools using its locally agreed formula. Local funding formulae determine how much of the schools budget will be retained for core services to children and families and how much will be delegated to schools. It is then for governors and head teachers to determine how much of the total funding delegated to their school will be used to provide SEN services in their school.
There are publicly available data on school funding made to local authorities through the dedicated schools grant; planned expenditure on the provision for pupils with SEN in the 2009-10 financial year was almost £5.2 billion. Of this, £2.1 billion was delegated to mainstream schools, £1.6 billion was delegated to maintained special schools, and £612 million was spent on placing children with SEN statements at independent and non-maintained special schools.
The Schools White Paper 2010 recognises that funding for schools should be fairer and more transparent, enabling schools to meet the needs of their pupils. Extra resources should clearly follow those pupils who might need extra help and support. The White Paper stated that the Government will be consulting on developing and introducing a clear, transparent and fairer national funding formula based on the needs of pupils, to work alongside our recently announced plans for a pupil premium.
Teenage Pregnancy
Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps his Department plans to take to (a) measure and (b) reduce rates of teenage pregnancy following the end of the Teenage Pregnancy Strategy. [26957]
Sarah Teather
[holding answer 29 November 2010]: Data on under-18 conceptions will continue to be collected and published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on an annual basis and each quarter. The Business Plan of the Department for Education published on 8 November included an impact indicator on reducing teenage pregnancy, based on the under-18 conception
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rate. This demonstrates the importance which the Government attach to this as a key measurement indicator for showing progress in narrowing equalities and reducing child poverty.
It is important that local areas take action to reduce teenage pregnancy rates and I have asked them to continue giving this priority. Each area knows its local population and is best placed to decide what services to put in place, using the international evidence and lessons from areas where rates have fallen fastest.
That is why we will be giving local authorities greater freedom and flexibility through future funding arrangements from April 2011. The proposed Early Intervention Grant will bring together funding for Sure Start, families with multiple problems and targeted support for vulnerable young people who are at risk of a range of poor outcomes including teenage pregnancy as well as substance misuse and involvement in youth crime.
We have also made clear in the White Paper, ‘The Importance of Teaching’, published on 24 November, that children need high quality sex and relationships education so they can make wise and informed choices for themselves and that they can benefit enormously from high quality Personal, Social, Heath and Economic (PSHE) education.
Theatre: Concessions
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport on access to the theatre for young people on low incomes in the West Midlands; and if he will make a statement. [27457]
Sarah Teather [holding answer 1 December 2010]: In the Schools White Paper “The Importance of Teaching”, published in November, the coalition Government made clear that children should expect to be given a rich menu of cultural experiences. Experience of live theatre performances should be part of that experience. While the Secretary of State for Education has not had specific discussions with the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport on access for young people on low incomes, these issues are at the heart of what the coalition Government are trying to achieve through a rich menu of cultural experiences.
Health
Alcoholic Drinks and Drugs: Rehabilitation
Mike Wood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on integrating (a) alcohol and (b) drug addiction treatment services in the social care system; and what discussions he has had on this matter with ministerial colleagues in the (i) Department for Communities and Local Government and (ii) Cabinet Office. [32810]
Anne Milton: “Healthy Lives, Healthy People: Consultation on the funding and commissioning routes for public health” sets out the vision for the future of commissioning of drug and alcohol services which we propose will be funded from the new public health budget and commissioned by local authorities as part of their new public health role.
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In addition, the Drug Strategy 2010: “Reducing Demand, Restricting Supply, Building Recovery: Supporting People to live a drug free life” sets out plans to test new approaches by introducing six pilots to explore how payment by results can work for drugs recovery for adults.
Both the development of the drug strategy and the payment by results pilots have involved cross-Government discussions, including discussions at the Public Health Cabinet Sub-Committee.
Copies of both documents have been placed in the Library.
Ambulance Services: Standards
Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 14 December 2010, Official Report, columns 719-20W, on ambulance services: standards, when he expects the review of the publication of information on service operational issues in respect of winter pressures to be completed. [32893]
Mr Simon Burns: The review is under way and we anticipate that it will be published by the end of January 2011.
Animal Feed
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has made to the European Commission and his EU counterparts on reviewing regulations to prevent waste from biodiesel production being included in animal feed; and if he will make a statement. [33374]
Anne Milton: We are advised by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) that there is a range of controls in European Union feed legislation to ensure that materials intended for use in animal feed—which may include by-products from biofuel production—do not pose a significant risk to the environment, animal health or the human consumers of animal products. These controls include maximum permitted levels for various contaminants.
The Standing Committee on the Feed Chain and Animal Health in Brussels keeps these controls under review and updates them to ensure they reflect emerging scientific knowledge and experience of their effectiveness in practice. Officials from both the FSA and Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs lead for the United Kingdom at these meetings, and will participate in any discussions on proposed revisions of these controls as they relate to by-products from biofuel production.
Arthritis
Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assistance his Department is providing to care commissioners in respect of provision of multi-disciplinary teams for patients with rheumatoid arthritis; and if he will make a statement. [33094]
Paul Burstow: It is for local national health service organisations to recruit and train the staff best placed to serve their local population.
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The rounded care model for rheumatoid arthritis is built around a multidisciplinary team approach. Multidisciplinary teams within rheumatology services see some of the functions traditionally carried out by consultant rheumatologists appropriately transferred to other members of the team, such as specialist nurses.
National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence clinical guideline 79 “The management of rheumatoid arthritis in adults” makes the multidisciplinary team a key priority for implementation.
Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department plans to take to ensure that patients with rheumatoid arthritis receive the appropriate number of follow-up consultations; and if he will make a statement. [33097]
Paul Burstow: It is for commissioners to ensure that they have commissioned sufficient capacity to allow timely access to first or follow-up appointments. Primary care trusts should be working with local service providers to ensure the correct capacity is available to provide the best evidence based care for their patients.
The Department expects local health communities to be mindful of National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidance when commissioning services for people with rheumatoid arthritis. A NICE commissioning guide “Services for the diagnosis and management of rheumatoid arthritis in adults” was published in December 2009 to assist commissioners in implementing “NICE Clinical Guideline 79: the management of rheumatoid arthritis in adults locally”, including consideration of access to care for people with established rheumatoid arthritis.
Blood: Contamination
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what proportion of people infected with (a) hepatitis C, (b) HIV/AIDS and (c) both hepatitis C and HIV/AIDS as a result of receiving contaminated blood or blood products in NHS facilities reside in (i) England, (ii) Wales and (iii) Scotland; and if he will make a statement. [33376]
Anne Milton: There are no data available on either the total number, or the proportion, of individuals infected with HIV and/or hepatitis C by contaminated national health service supplied blood and blood products, who reside in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland. The only available data are for the total numbers infected in the United Kingdom who have registered with one of the ex gratia schemes (the Macfarlane Trust, the Eileen Trust or the Skipton Fund). The Macfarlane and Eileen Trusts do not hold data on where each of their claimants was infected. Of the registrants to the Skipton Fund, 3,317 were infected in hospitals in England, 120 in hospitals in Northern Ireland, 636 in hospitals in Scotland, and 226 in hospitals in Wales.
Our best estimate of the total number of individuals who were infected with HIV and hepatitis C are that 4,675 people with haemophilia in the UK were infected with hepatitis C, and published epidemiological estimates suggest that up to 28,043 other individuals might have been similarly infected with hepatitis C by whole blood
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transfusions in the UK. Over roughly the same period, approximately 1,200 people with haemophilia and 100 other individuals were infected with HIV by NHS-supplied blood products or blood transfusions. Separate figures specifically for AIDS are not collected.
Carers: Kent
Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) whether a recent assessment has been made of the role of (a) carers' centres in Chatham and Aylesford constituency and (b) voluntary organisations in Kent and Medway in supporting carers; [32496]
(2) what financial assistance his Department provided to (a) Medway council, Tonbridge and Malling council, ( b ) Medway Primary Care Trust and (c) West Kent Primary Care Trust for the support of carers in the latest period for which figures are available. [32497]
Paul Burstow: A recent review was carried out by Kent county council of all carers services across Kent including the role and service delivery of Maidstone and Malling Carers Project (covering the Aylesford area).
Medway council received £1.039 million in 2010-11 for the carers element of their Area Based Grant. Figures are not available at borough council level for Tonbridge and Malling council. Kent county council (including Tonbridge and Malling) received £6.242 million in 2010-11 for the carers element of their Area Based Grant.
In 2010-11, £100 million was made available within primary care trust (PCT) allocations to enable them to provide breaks for carers. This was not broken down by PCT.
The spending review has made £400 million additional funding available to support the provision of breaks for carers. The new monies will go into PCT budgets from April 2011 and into general practitioner consortium budgets from 2013.
The 2011-12 NHS Operating Framework, published on 15 December 2010, makes clear that PCTs should pool budgets with local authorities to provide carers' breaks, as far as possible, via direct payments or personal health budgets. The Operating Framework also states that local health services will be much more transparent and understandable by local people. For 2011-12, PCTs are required to publish their local plans to deliver both dementia services and services to support carers.
Dementia: Health Services
Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was allocated in ring-fenced funding for dementia services in each of the last three years; and how much of that allocation to each primary care trust was unspent in each such year. [32494]
Paul Burstow: No ring-fenced funding was made available.
Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment has been made of geographical variations in the standard of dementia care; and if he will make a statement. [32495]
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Paul Burstow: As part of the National Audit of Dementia, the NHS Information Centre is currently collecting information on the Department's behalf on dementia services throughout England. The results from this exercise are expected in the spring of 2011.
In addition, at the end of September we published a new dementia outcomes-focused Implementation Plan. This set out the Department's priority objectives for improving the care of those with dementia including a focus on early diagnosis and intervention for all, improved quality of care in general hospitals, living well with dementia in care homes and reducing the use of antipsychotic medication to treat people with dementia. Managers and clinicians who provide local services need to account for the quality and standards of care for people with dementia and will be held to account for these services locally.
In support of the Implementation Plan a National Dementia Declaration was jointly launched in October by the Government and the Alzheimer's Society. This brings together a range of bodies, each setting out what they plan to do to support the implementation of the strategy. The Department is also developing a commissioning pack to provide guidance for primary care trusts (PCTs) and local authorities on how best to commission dementia services.
The revised NHS Operating Framework for 2010-11 introduced a requirement for PCTs to publish locally how they deliver services for people with dementia, building on the work of the National Dementia Strategy. This requirement continues to apply under the terms of the NHS Operating Framework for 2011-12, which also spells out that national health service organisations are expected to make progress on implementing the National Dementia Strategy, including the four priority areas as set out in the implementation plan published in September 2010:
good quality early diagnosis and intervention for all;
improved quality of care in general hospitals;
living well with dementia in care homes; and
reduced use of antipsychotic medication.
In implementing the strategy, PCTs and NHS trusts also need to take account of the findings of the report from the national confidential inquiry into patient outcome and death ‘An Age Old Problem: A review of the care received by elderly patients undergoing Surgery’, published in November 2010. The report identifies shortcomings in the care of older people and suggests how services can be improved.
Eggs: Contamination
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department plans to take to ensure that food products made with contaminated egg do not enter the UK food chain; and if he will make a statement. [33457]
Anne Milton:
We are advised by the Food Standards Agency (FSA), which has responsibility for policy on food safety, that general food law places the onus on food businesses to ensure that all of their ingredients and products are safe and compliant with any relevant legislation. In light of the recent dioxin contamination
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incident originating in Germany, the FSA has taken the opportunity to remind food businesses again of their obligations with regard to food safety.
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what (a) advice and (b) information he received from the Food Standards Agency on the entry into the UK food chain of food products made with contaminated egg; and if he will make a statement. [33458]
Anne Milton: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) notified the Department on 5 January 2010 that German eggs sent to the Netherlands for processing were potentially contaminated with dioxins. On 6 January we were informed that potentially contaminated pasteurised liquid whole egg had entered the United Kingdom food chain via the Netherlands and investigations were under way to trace any products manufactured in the UK using the liquid egg. On 7 January, the FSA provided further information to the effect that a risk assessment based on a worst case scenario indicated that there was no food safety risk associated with the consumption of products manufactured using the suspect liquid egg, most of which were of short shelf life and would already have been consumed. The FSA also informed the Department that some retailers had taken the decision to voluntarily remove any remaining implicated products from their shelves.
HIV Infection
Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether HIV treatment will be commissioned at national or GP consortium level under his proposals for NHS commissioning structures. [32451]
Anne Milton: On 21 December 2010, we published “Healthy Lives, Healthy People: Consultation on the funding and commissioning routes for public health”, a copy of which is available in the Library. The aim of this consultation, which closes on 31 March, is to ensure that the Department gets details of the new public health system right while also delivering significant improvements to the health of the population. The document proposes that the NHS Commissioning Board will commission HIV treatment. The detail of how this would be implemented in practice, will be considered on completion of the consultation.
Influenza
Liz Kendall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many meetings he had to discuss the NHS’s planning and preparation for winter influenza in each month since May 2010; [33526]
(2) how many meetings the acting chief medical officer had to discuss the NHS’s preparations for winter influenza in each month since May 2010. [33536]
Anne Milton: The Secretary of State for Health and his Ministers have had on going meetings about influenza throughout the months since May 2010. The same goes for the interim chief medical officer (CMO).
It should be noted that Ministers and the interim CMO would have received and responded to—and in the case of the interim CMO provided—a considerable amount of written advice in the months in question, often without necessitating meetings in person.
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Influenza: Vaccination
Bob Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had with pharmacy companies on the provision of private flu vaccinations to children under the age of 16 years. [33320]
Anne Milton: Departmental officials have been in regular contact with pharmacy representative organisations in relation to seasonal flu. This has been part of our approach to ensuring patients have access to the antiviral medicines they may need.
Vaccination in pharmacies has arisen in those discussions, including for children. Community pharmacies typically provide flu vaccinations under a patient group direction (PGD). This allows a prescription only medicine to be supplied or administered without a prescription from a doctor. There are rigorous governance procedures that must be used when a PGD is developed. The PGD can be used only by named, registered health care professionals trained to use it and within criteria set by those developing it, such as any age restriction.
Where vaccination is a private transaction, it is for pharmacy companies to set eligibility criteria, such as age, for example reflecting their staff training. Where a PGD is used in pharmacies within the same organisation and outside of the national health service, the organisation must be registered with the Care Quality Commission.
Bob Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he plans to extend free NHS flu vaccinations to children under the age of five years. [33321]
Anne Milton: The Government's policy on flu vaccination is informed by the expert advice of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). In their statement of 23 July 2010, JCVI recommended that only those children with clinical conditions which put them more at risk from the effects of flu should be offered the vaccine.
JCVI does not recommend that children under the age of five outside the at-risk groups should be vaccinated. JCVI met on 30 December to review the latest evidence on this issue. The JCVI chairman subsequently assured me that this advice remains appropriate, and recommended that efforts be focused on maximising vaccine uptake among all those in the risk groups. As with all vaccination programmes, JCVI will keep this matter under review.
Lyme Disease
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will undertake a review of the effectiveness of methods of collecting data on cases of Lyme disease. [33207]
Anne Milton: There are no plans to review the effectiveness of data collection methods in respect of Lyme disease. Borrelia spp, the causative agent of Lyme disease, was included as a notifiable causative agent in the Health Protection (Notification) Regulations 2010, and all laboratory isolations of Borrelia spp in a human sample must now be notified to the Health Protection Agency. It is anticipated that this will capture all cases of laboratory confirmed Lyme disease, particularly all cases where infection has manifested as illness.
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Members: Correspondence
Mr Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to reply to the letter of 6 December 2010 from the hon. Member for Walsall North on a constituent. [33462]
Paul Burstow: A reply was issued to the hon. Member on 11 January 2011.
NHS
Liz Kendall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many meetings he had to discuss the Government’s proposals for GP commissioning and the NHS White Paper in each month since May 2010. [33527]
Mr Simon Burns: Ministers regularly meet with officials and external stakeholders to discuss the Government’s national health service reform programme. We have had very frequent meetings to discuss both our proposals for commissioning and the NHS White Paper since May 2010.
NHS: Standards
Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department plans to take to ensure that clinical standards are maintained after the removal of the 18-week waiting time target; and if he will make a statement. [33096]
Mr Simon Burns: The reforms set out in “Liberating the NHS: Legislative framework and next steps” published on 21 December 2010 will change the focus from measurement of narrow processes to one that focuses on outcomes for patients. The reforms will ensure that patients are at the heart of decisions made in the national health service and that the NHS will continue to drive up quality and maintain standards for patients.
During 2011-12, commissioners should ensure that waiting times do not deteriorate and where possible improve. This will be delivered through the continued publication of waiting times data, patient choice, standards in contracts, and competition between services.
Prescriptions: Fees and Charges
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) pursuant to the answer of 25 October 2010, Official Report, column 126W, on prescriptions: fees and charges, when he plans to (a) look at options for creating a fairer system of prescription charges and exemptions in England and (b) announce proposals arising from such consideration; [32625]
(2) pursuant to the answer of 25 October 2010, Official Report, column 126W, on prescriptions: fees and charges, what options he plans to consider when looking at the creation of a fairer system of prescription charges and exemptions; [32626]
(3) what plans he has for the level of the income threshold for passported entitlement to free prescriptions under his plans for welfare reform; and what estimate he has made of the number of people who will lose their entitlement. [32624]
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Mr Simon Burns: We are continuing to look at options for reforming the current prescription charging arrangements in England. In particular, we are examining the implications of the introduction of universal credit in relation to those current benefits that entitle the recipient of that benefit to free prescriptions. We are also considering the implications of state pension age changes. We will make announcements about how these changes will be implemented in due course.
Public Health England
Liz Kendall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many meetings the acting chief medical officer had to discuss the Government's plans for Public Health England in each month since May 2010. [33535]
Anne Milton: The interim chief medical officer has attended numerous meetings over the months since May 2010 about public health with Ministers, external stakeholders, officials and regional directors of public health at which the development of Public Health England has been discussed.
Suicide Prevention Strategy
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to launch the new suicide prevention strategy; and if he will make a statement. [33439]
Paul Burstow: It is currently our intention to publish the new suicide prevention strategy during the spring of this year.
International Development
Developing Countries: Asbestos
Simon Danczuk: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Paisley and Renfrewshire North (Jim Sheridan) of 17 November 2010, Official Report, column 874, whether his Department provides funding to projects which encourage developing countries to import asbestos from Canada to manage their waste appropriately. [32416]
Mr Duncan: The Department for International Development (DFID) does not provide funding to projects that encourage developing countries to import asbestos, from any country or for any purpose. The UK Government are opposed to the use of asbestos anywhere, and would deplore its supply to developing countries. We are not aware that DFID funds have been spent on asbestos products, and we would take urgent action should we be so advised.
Haiti: Politics and Government
Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of the humanitarian situation in Haiti; and if he will make a statement. [33378]
Mr Andrew Mitchell:
The Department for International Development (DFID) has done much to meet urgent needs in Haiti, providing support immediately after the earthquake and again in December 2010. This has
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helped to reach a million people with food, shelter, clean water and medical care and 200,000 people with cholera treatment and prevention. The UK continues to support Haiti through its contributions to agencies like the UN and World Bank, who are best placed to lead efforts on the ground. Our share of their commitments already amounts to more than $170 million in 2010-11.
Haiti continues to face difficult humanitarian challenges exacerbated by the subsequent cholera epidemic following the disastrous earthquake a year ago. Shelter and sanitation are the most pressing needs.
According to the latest United Nations figures, the number of people remaining in camps has fallen from 1.5 million last July to 800,000 in January. Of those 700,000 people leaving the camps, 100,000 have been re-housed in temporary accommodation. Others have returned to their former homes, with some continuing to camp outside their homes where they are too badly damaged. 95% of children in affected areas who were in school before the earthquake have now returned to school. As of 7 January, the Haitian Ministry of Health has reported 3,759 deaths through cholera and 181,829 cases nationwide. The latest United Nations analysis suggests that the epidemic is stabilising in some parts of Haiti but rural areas are still suffering increasing infection rates.
International Violence Against Women Champion
Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether he plans to assign staff in his Department to support the international violence against women champion. [33455]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: One member of staff in my Department is responsible for co-ordinating the Department for International Development's (DFID's) support for the ministerial champion for tackling violence against women and girls overseas. DFID officials will support the development and implementation of the champion's work programme.
Ivory Coast: Politics and Government
Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the humanitarian situation in the Ivory Coast; and if he will make a statement. [33330]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: Recent assessments by the United Nations in Ivory Coast suggest that the humanitarian situation is largely under control with critical humanitarian needs being met, both in Ivory Coast itself and in the surrounding countries.
The total number of persons who have fled the country as a result of the recent unrest is now estimated by the United Nations to be approximately 25,000. The majority of displaced people are seeking refuge in neighbouring Liberia and 16,000 internally displaced people remain within Ivory Coast.
However, should the political situation deteriorate further and large scale displacement and violence occur, this will require a much more substantial humanitarian response. The United Nations is preparing for this scenario and is developing an emergency humanitarian action plan for Ivory Coast and neighbouring countries.
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The Department for International Development (DFID) will continue to monitor the situation closely to check that needs are being met as effectively and efficiently as possible.
Treasury
Banks
Dr Huppert: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his policy is on support for independent banking businesses serving local communities. [33239]
Mr Hoban: The Government believe that it is important for independent banking businesses to serve the needs of their local communities, and welcome the efforts of banking businesses to do so. However, decisions about how to serve their local communities are a commercial matter for the independent organisations involved.
Economics of Climate Change Review
Mr Lilley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost to the public purse was of the Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change. [33168]
Justine Greening: The cost to Government of the Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change was £1,272,000 including staff costs, accommodation, travel, research and the publication of the final report. This figure does not include the costs of any analysis and research carried out by other Government Departments to support the review, nor does it include the cost of any follow-up work, as these figures are not centrally held.
Individual Savings Accounts
James Wharton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has plans to allow Alternative Investment Market listed stocks to be held in individual savings accounts. [33426]
Mr Hoban: ISAs are the Government’s main non-pensions savings incentive, and are held by 20 million adults. The Government believe that ISAs are a trusted brand, and that it is important that this is maintained. The Government also believe that ISAs should be mainstream savings products. The Government therefore do not intend to allow shares listed on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM)—which can be riskier and less liquid—to be qualifying investments for ISAs. It is already the case that companies listed on AIM may benefit from other incentive schemes, such as investments made through the Enterprise Investment Scheme and venture capital trusts.
Members: Correspondence
Mr Winnick: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to reply to the letter of 9 December 2010 from the hon. Member for Walsall North on the merger between HBOS and Lloyds. [33460]
Mr Hoban: I have replied to the hon. Member.
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Revenue and Customs
John McDonnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many employee status inquiries were opened by HM Revenue and Customs in each of the last five financial years; and how many of these were found to be fraudulent in each year. [32833]
Mr Gauke: Employer compliance reviews opened where status was shown as a risk in the last five financial years are:
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Reviews |
None of these were found to be fraudulent cases.
John McDonnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reasons the Construction Industry Services team in HM Revenue and Customs was discontinued; and where responsibility for the duties previously performed by the team is now allocated. [32834]
Mr Gauke: HMRC is not aware of any HMRC team named the ‘Construction Industry Services team’.
Revenue and Customs: ICT
John McDonnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much HM Revenue and Customs has spent on ultra mobile personal computers (UMPCs) for staff in its Debt Management and Banking Business unit undertaking outdoor debt recovery visits; and what estimate he has made of the (a) unit cost, (b) development cost of the Fieldforce Interactive Link (FIL) computer application, (c) monetary value of the IT support and maintenance contract for the (i) UMPCs and (ii) FIL application and (d) monetary value of the accessories procured for use by staff in conjunction with the UMPCs. [32836]
Mr Gauke: The UMPC service is maintained under the terms of the Department's principal IT supplier contract with Capgemini, known as the Aspire contract.
The contract is structured so that project development work to deliver software applications is now charged on a fixed price basis, based on the number and cost of function points delivered. For services, prices are charged for all service elements at a commodity level (e.g. per workstation, volumes of printed output etc). The charge to the Department will vary by volume of demand for each service line.
The unit costs for the UMPCs are covered by commercial confidentiality and it is not possible to disaggregate the figures to provide a specific charge, in cash terms, for the maintenance and support costs. The development cost of the Fieldforce Interactive Link was £1.945 million and the costs for accessories was £25,859.
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Revenue and Customs: Manpower
John McDonnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many employee status inspectors were employed by HM Revenue and Customs and its predecessor organisations (a) in each of the last 10 years and (b) on the latest date for which figures are available. [32832]
Mr Gauke: No statistical data on the number of status inspectors employed by HM Revenue and Customs, or its predecessor the Inland Revenue, in the last 10 years are available except for 2009 and 2010. For these years the numbers are 48 for 2009 and 39 for 2010.
John McDonnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff were employed in the HM Revenue and Customs Security and Business Continuity directorate (a) in each of the last five years and (b) on the latest date for which figures are available. [32835]
Mr Gauke: The number of staff employed in the HM Revenue and Customs Security and Business Continuity directorate in each of the last five years and at 30 November 2010 are shown in the following table.
| HMRC | Security and Business Continuity | |||
| Date | Headcount | FTE | Headcount | FTE |
Tax Allowances: Video Games
Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what consideration he has given to the introduction of a tax credit for the UK video games industry in the 2011 budget. [32947]
Mr Gauke: The Chancellor of the Exchequer announced in the June 2010 Budget statement that the Government will not introduce a tax relief for the UK video games industry.
The Budget announced a package of reforms to business taxation, reducing rates of corporation tax for all companies. Companies in all sectors will benefit from these changes, including those in the video games industry.
Tax Yields
Mr Byrne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the monetary value was of tax receipts from (a) business services, (b) education, health and social work, (c) financial intermediation, (d) manufacturing and (e) other wholesale and retail trade from (i) personal tax, (ii) direct business tax, (iii) consumption tax, (iv) property tax and (v) environmental tax in (A) 2003-04, (B) 2004-05, (C) 2005-06, (D) 2006-07 and (E) 2007-08. [33269]
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Mr Gauke: The full breakdown of tax receipts outlined in the question is not available.
Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs produces a breakdown by broad industrial sector for corporation tax, pay-as-you-earn income tax and class 1 national insurance contributions (NICs) and value added tax (VAT). No breakdown by industrial sector for self-assessment taxation or property and environmental taxes is available.
Historical figures for corporation tax receipts paid by several broadly-defined business sectors are regularly updated and published in Table 11.1 on the HMRC National Statistics website. Receipts information is available from 1997-98 to 2009-10. The sectors are defined by HMRC's Summary Trade Classifications. The latest update is available here:
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/corporate_tax/table11_1.pdf
For personal taxes a breakdown by sector can be produced for PAYE income tax and class 1 NICs received by HMRC in respect of employee and employer liabilities. Figures for the requested sectors are as follows:
| £ million | |||||
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2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 |
The sectors are defined by the Office for National Statistics' Standard Industrial Classification 2003.
Declared VAT is published by trade group in the VAT factsheet, table 2.3:
https://www.uktradeinfo.com/index.cfm?task=factvat
Archived factsheets provide figures for earlier years:
https://www.uktradeinfo.com/index.cfm?task=factarchive&factcategory=8
Women and Equalities
Action Plan on Transgender Equality
Penny Mordaunt: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what recent progress has been made on the development of the Action Plan on Transgender Equality; and if she will make a statement. [31016]
Lynne Featherstone [holding answer 16 December 2010]: In June 2010 we announced our commitment to publish the first ever Government action plan on transgender equality by the end of 2011.
Work to develop the action plan is progressing. Our firm commitment is to work with transgender groups to develop the action plan. As part of this, to date the Government Equalities Office has held two informal
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workshops involving invited members of the transgender community to seek their views on what action is needed to tackle the inequalities they experience. I attended the
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workshop which took place on 6 December 2010. Our engagement with the transgender community will continue throughout 2011 as we continue to develop the action plan.