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Children: Day Care
Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the average (a) cost of child care for a low-paid worker and (b) cost to the public purse of child care provision for a low-paid worker in the last year for which figures are available. [35209]
Mr Gauke: I have made no estimate of the average cost of child care for a low-paid worker. As at December 2010 the average cost to the public purse of child care provision provided through the child care element of working tax credits is £69.50 a week.
In addition the Department of Education also funds 15 hours per week (for 38 weeks a year) of free early education for all three and four-year-olds. This is also being extended gradually to the most disadvantaged two-year-olds. Local authorities in England spent over £4 billion on provision for under fives last year, on the early education entitlement and reception classes in schools.
Corporation Tax
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate HM Revenue and Customs made of the number of companies liable for corporation tax in (a) 2007-08, (b) 2008-09 and (c) 2009-10; how many such companies were sent a corporation tax return for an accounting period ending in each of those years; how many submitted the corporation tax return (i) within the required time limit and (ii) after the limit in each of those years; and how many were not sent a corporation tax return or a reminder to submit one in each of those years. [33953]
Mr Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs sends a notice to file a company tax return to every company which it believes to be active, so with any possibility of having a corporation tax liability.
A notice to file a return is for an accounting period of up to one year and is sent to a company in the month following the end of the period. The time limit for submitting the return is one year after the end of the period, but some returns are received after the time limit.
HM Revenue and Customs sent the following number of notices to file in respect of accounting periods ending in the following years:
|
|
Number |
The figures include more than one notice for some companies, for example ones that are recently incorporated.
As regards returns filed: Complete data for accounting periods ending in 2009-10 are not yet available. This is because the time limit for accounting periods ending in March 2010 is not until March 2011, so some returns for that year are not yet due. Some late returns for earlier years are also still arriving, so figures for 2008-09 and even 2007-08 are also subject to minor change.
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1,390,000 returns had been filed within the time limit for 2007-08 liabilities and 184,000 returns had been filed after the limit;
1,402,000 returns had been filed within the time limit for 2008-09 liabilities and 98,000 returns had been filed after the limit;
1,162,000 returns had been filed within the time limit for 2009-10 liabilities and 21,000 returns had been filed after the limit.
There is a significant balance of notices for each year which have not resulted in the delivery of a return. Where HMRC believes that a return is indeed outstanding, they make a determination of tax and pursue payment. The determination can be displaced only by delivery of a return. But in many more cases, information received since the issue of the notice has shown that no return is in fact required. Typically that will be the case where more accurate information about the true accounting periods of the company is received, or where HMRC learns that the company had gone into insolvent liquidation or ceased to trade.
If a company has not submitted its return two months before the filing date a reminder is sent. It is not possible to isolate the number of return reminders as a single output type is used for pure return reminders for payment reminders and for combined return and payment reminders.
Departmental Furniture
Kate Green: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department has spent on furniture since May 2010. [34546]
Justine Greening: Spending on furniture and equipment for complete financial years is shown in Note 11 (Tangible fixed assets) in HM Treasury's Resource Accounts. For the period 1 June 2010 to 31 December 2010, no spending was incurred on furniture and equipment.
Departmental Manpower
Kate Green: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what new units and teams have been set up in his Department since May 2010; and what the (a) name, (b) purpose, (c) number of staff and (d) total annual costs is for each such unit or team. [34538]
Justine Greening: HM Treasury has established the following new teams and units since May 2010, in addition to those created from the renaming or merger of existing teams:
Independent Commission on Equitable Life Payments
Independent Commission on Banking
Independent Public Service Pensions Commission
Fair Pay Review Secretariat
Office for Budget Responsibility
Office of Budget Responsibility Design Team
Office of Tax Simplification.
HM Treasury staff allocated to these new units were redeployed from existing civil service posts. The coalition agreement and Budget 2010 (HC61) set out the context for the creation and purpose of each of
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these new units. HM Treasury published details of the resources allocated to each of its teams in its organisational structure charts on its website at:
www.hm-treasury.gov.uk
in October 2010 and has committed to updating this information regularly.
Departmental Offices
Kate Green: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department has spent on redecorating ministerial offices since May 2010. [34547]
Justine Greening: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 27 July 2010, Official Report, column 937W, to my hon. Friend the Member for Weaver Vale (Graham Evans).
Departmental Redundancy
Kate Green: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department has spent on redundancy costs since May 2010. [34536]
Justine Greening: I refer the hon. Member to a previous question answered on 25 October 2010, Official Report, column 147W, regarding severance payments to Ministers and special advisers. Nil expenditure has been made on redundancy costs to civil servants.
Employment: Barnsley
Michael Dugher: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the likely change in the number of (a) public and (b) private sector jobs in Barnsley East constituency in the period to 2015. [36100]
Danny Alexander: The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) was formed in May 2010 to make an independent assessment of the public finances and the economy.
On 29 November 2010, the OBR released the official forecast for total employment and general government employment, updated for the spending review announcements.
As the OBR sets out in paragraph 3.98, page 62 of its “November 2010 Economic and fiscal outlook” (Cm 7979), it expects total employment to rise by 1.1 million over the next five years, from 29.0 million in 2010 to 30.1 million in 2015. General government employment is projected to fall by just over 400,000 between 2010-11 and 2015-16, more than offset by a rise in market sector employment of around 1.5 million.
The OBR has not published forecasts on a sub-national basis.
Excise Duties: Alcoholic Drinks
Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussion HM Revenue and Customs has had with the European Commission on the classification of duty on ready-to-drink beverages. [35771]
Justine Greening
[holding answer 24 January 201
1
]: HMRC have taken part in discussions and workshops with the European Commission regarding possible
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changes to Council Directive 92/83 on the harmonisation of the structures of excise duties on alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The Commission is seeking to update the directive to bring it into line with current commercial and tax practices. The classification of ready-to-drink beverages was part of these wider discussions.
HMRC have also been in communication with the Commission regarding the interpretation of the directive in light of the judgment in the European Court of Justice case (C-1 50/08—Siebrand BV v. Staatssecretaris van Financien) which sought to provide clarification in this area.
Excise Duties: Fuels
Anne Marie Morris: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on the effect of fuel duty on small business. [33819]
Justine Greening: Treasury Ministers routinely discuss a range of issues with Cabinet colleagues.
Mr Andrew Turner: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress his Department is making on the introduction of a rural fuel duty rebate in the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the Northern Isles and the Isles of Scilly; and if he will assess the merits of extending the rebate to the Isle of Wight. [35967]
Justine Greening: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 21 December 2010, Official Report, column 1143W, to the hon. Member for Na h-Eileanan an Iar (Mr MacNeil). The Government is considering the exact scope of the pilots and at present has announced its intention to include the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the Northern Isles, and the Isles of Scilly.
Fuels: Prices
Naomi Long: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what recent discussions he has had with the devolved Administrations on the development of a fuel duty stabiliser; [35569]
(2) what discussions he has had with the devolved Administrations on the variation in the effects on different regions of fuel price increases; and whether he plans to bring forward proposals to address this matter. [35570]
Justine Greening: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 1 November 2010, Official Report, column 665W, to the hon. Member for Richmond Park (Zac Goldsmith). Treasury Ministers routinely discuss matters of mutual interest with members of the devolved Administrations.
Income Tax
Guto Bebb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the change in the number of households with children and one or more individuals paying income tax at the higher rate in April 2011. [32392]
Mr Gauke:
In 2011-12 there are estimated to be around 160,000 more households with children aged 19 or younger containing one or more individuals
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paying income tax at the higher rate than in 2010-11. These households are all within the top 20% of household incomes.
Stamp Duties
Christopher Pincher: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make an estimate of the effect on Exchequer receipts from stamp duty of reductions in property prices attributable to the construction of High Speed Two. [35983]
Mr Gauke: No such estimate has been made at this time.
Tax Allowances: Cycling
Gregg McClymont: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) employers and (b) employees have participated in the cycle-to-work scheme in the months August to December in each of the last five years. [35347]
Mr Gauke: This information is not collected by Government.
Employers are not required to report to Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs that they offer a cycle- to-work scheme to their employees, or the level of uptake where it is offered.
Wales
Constituencies
Mr Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales on what dates and at what locations she has met Cabinet colleagues to discuss proposed changes to the number of parliamentary constituencies in Wales. [35608]
Mr David Jones: My right hon. Friend and I have regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on issues affecting Wales, including the Government's plans for constitutional reform.
Courts: Closures
Mr Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many written representations she has received on the issue of court closures in Wales. [35539]
Mr David Jones: The Secretary of State for Wales has received three written representations on the issue of court closures in Wales.
Mr Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what meetings she has had with Cabinet colleagues on the issue of proposed court closures in Wales. [35541]
Mr David Jones: The Secretary of State for Wales and I have met with the Under-Secretary of State for Justice, the hon. Member for Huntingdon (Mr Djanogly) to discuss the proposed court closures in Wales and discussions are ongoing.
Departmental Communication
Alok Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what measures she has undertaken to reduce jargon and promote plain English in Departmental communications. [35780]
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Mr David Jones: My Department attaches great importance to communicating not only in plain English but plain Welsh as well. All staff are required to have effective communication skills, and support is available to help them achieve the standards we expect.
Departmental Manpower
Mr Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many press officers her Department employs (a) in London and (b) in Cardiff; and how many press officers it employed in each location in (i) 2007-08, (ii) 2008-09 and (iii) 2009-10. [35609]
Mr David Jones: The Wales Office currently has three press officer posts—the same number as in 2007-08, 2008-09 and 2009-10.
Press Office staff are required to divide their working time between Wales and London depending on the business of the week.
Mr Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many members of staff her Department employs; and how many it employed in 2009. [35612]
Mr David Jones: As at 1 January 2011 the Wales Office employs 56 members of staff. On 1 January 2009 it employed 59 members of staff.
Official Visits
Mr Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) on how many occasions she has visited Ceredigion constituency on official business since her appointment; [35590]
(2) what plans she has to visit Montgomeryshire constituency on official business in the next six months; [35591]
(3) on how many occasions she has visited Dwyfor Meirionnydd constituency in an official capacity since her appointment. [35613]
Mrs Gillan: I have yet to visit Ceredigion, Montgomeryshire or Dwyfor Meirionnydd in an official capacity. However I intend to carry out numerous ministerial visits across Wales in the coming months.
River Severn: Tidal Power
Mr Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales on what dates and at what locations she has held meetings to discuss the Severn Barrage scheme since her appointment. [35611]
Mr David Jones: My right hon. Friend and I have regular discussions with ministerial colleagues, Welsh Assembly Government Ministers and other stakeholders on future energy production including the Severn Barrage.
In October 2010, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change published the Severn Tidal Power feasibility study which clearly shows that there is no strategic case for a scheme for generating energy in the Severn estuary at this time. It is our opinion that other low carbon options represent a better deal for industry and consumers.
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S4C
Mr Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many written representations she has received on the future of S4C. [35592]
Mrs Gillan: I have received 15 direct written representations, together with five letters that were copied to me regarding the future of S4C from members of the public, hon. Members, Assembly Members and peers.
I have also had numerous meetings relating to the future of S4C with stakeholders including several meetings with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister.
South Wales Railway Line: Electrification
Mr Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what discussions she has had with representatives of the Welsh Assembly Government on the electrification of the South Wales main line; [35540]
(2) on how many occasions she has met with Cabinet colleagues to discuss the issue of the electrification of the South Wales main line railway line. [35542]
Mrs Gillan: I have regular meetings with the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister to discuss a range of issues affecting Wales, including the electrification of the South Wales main line.
I also have had regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues regarding the electrification of the South Wales main line and these discussions are ongoing.
Deputy Prime Minister
Tibet: Human Rights
Glenda Jackson: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether he raised the issue of human rights in Tibet during the recent visit of the Chinese Vice-Premier. [35566]
The Deputy Prime Minister: In my meeting with Vice-Premier Li, I raised the issue of human rights in Tibet.
Justice
Courts: Closures
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the cost, in each cost category, of closing each courthouse scheduled for closure under his proposals. [35545]
Mr Djanogly: Discussions are currently ongoing with landlords, construction and removal firms. Releasing details of the estimated costs for closing each courthouse would adversely impact on these discussions.
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the number of staff (a) in each courthouse to be closed and (b) in total who will be made redundant under his proposals for courthouse closures. [35548]
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Mr Djanogly: Following the decisions announced on 14 December, HMCS has commenced an internal consultation on staff impacts using the management of organisational change framework (MOCF) to look at staff impacts across the Court Estate Reform Programme. During this period HMCS will conduct discussion with the Department trade union side and with staff (on a one-to-one basis) to consider how the changes will affect them. Only after these discussions take place will we be in a position to know the impact on staff.
After the MOCF consultation has concluded, HMCS will implement a phased approach to closures from April 2011.
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the number of (a) people, (b) disabled people and (c) people of pensionable age in (i) Wales, (ii) Greater Manchester, (iii) the Humber and South Yorkshire, (iv) Kent, Surrey and Sussex, (v) London, (vi) Staffordshire and West Mercia, (vii) Warwickshire and the West Midlands, (viii) Cambridgeshire, Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk, (ix) Cheshire and Merseyside, (x) Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and the Thames Valley, (xi) Cleveland, Durham and Northumbria, (xii) Cumbria and Lancashire, (xiii) Devon and Cornwall, Avon and Somerset and Gloucestershire; (xiv) Dorset, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight and Wiltshire and (xv) the East Midlands who will live further than one public transport commute from their local court following implementation of his proposals for courthouse closures. [35553]
Mr Djanogly: The consultation response documents detail the percentage of the population in each area estimated to be within a 60 minute public transport commute of their local court, before and after closures. Due to the size and complexity of the data it would be necessary to analyse in order to provide estimates of the impact on the public transport commute of individual groups of people, such estimates have not been made.
The equality impact assessments (EIAs) that accompany each of the 16 HMCS area consultation responses papers identify the potential impacts of the court estate reform programme on different communities and groups of people.
Mr Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans he has for the disposal or alternative use of each court building in Wales identified for closure under his proposals of 14 December 2010. [35589]
Mr Djanogly: HMCS is currently conducting detailed planning on the implementation of the closures that I announced on 14 December 2010.
While buildings are being decommissioned, HMCS’s professional estate advisors will provide a full marketing strategy for those properties to be disposed of. Following instruction they will arrange marketing with advertisements in local journals and liaison with local authorities regarding potential future use. HMCS will have regard to HM Treasury guidelines, which state that the Department is obliged to obtain the best possible price in disposing of properties.
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Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many representations he received in respect of each proposed court closure (a) before and (b) after the close of the consultation; and how many of these (i) supported, (ii) opposed and (iii) were neutral on the court closure in each case. [35895]
Mr Djanogly: Full details of the responses to consultation on each court are available in the consultation response papers, which can be found on the Ministry of Justice website at:
http://www.justice.gov.uk/consultations/consultations-closed-with-response.htm
In total over 2,500 responses were received expressing views relating to proposals on individual courts, groups of proposals within an area or proposals in relation to courts across the whole of England and Wales.
Departmental Communication
Alok Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what measures he has undertaken to reduce jargon and promote plain English in departmental communications. [35782]
Mr Djanogly: Communications provide an advisory and editing role in simplifying language for internal and external audiences. The guidance and advice on promoting use of plain English are available to staff on the internal website.
In 2010 the following measures were undertaken to reduce jargon in departmental communications:
Internal workshops for IT and finance professionals that included signposting participants to the campaign for Plain English website.
Internal ‘Writing for web' workshops are regularly run for the Ministry's HQ staff.
MoJ content on Directgov has been developed with the needs of the user in mind and is written for a readership age of nine years old.
Sentencing Council and Youth Justice Board and selected public information on the Ministry of Justice's website are presented in simplified versions.
Juror, victims and witnesses guides and DVDs are specifically written so that they are clear and easy to understand.
Your Justice Your World was developed to enable educators to provide information to young people about justice in a clear and straightforward way.
Departmental Conferences
Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department has spent on conferences since May 2010. [35353]
Mr Djanogly: The Ministry of Justice is a large Department employing over 80,000 people in over 800 locations including courts, prisons and local offices.
The Ministry of Justice (including MoJ headquarters, Her Majesty’s Courts Service, Tribunals Service, National Offender Management Service and the Office of the Public Guardian) has spent £2.1 million on events and conferences between May 2010 and December 2010.
It is not possible to break this amount down to purely conferences without incurring disproportionate costs by examining each individual transaction. Many of these events will have been related to staff and
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judicial training, policy changes, question and answer sessions with senior staff about the impact of the spending review, as well as exchange of best practice in different fields.
Departmental Consultants
Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department has spent on consultants since May 2010. [35355]
Mr Djanogly: The amount the MoJ Core Department and its Agencies spent on consultancy between May and December 2010 was £7 million.
This figure includes data for Ministry of Justice HQ and the executive agencies: the National Offender Management Service; the Office of the Public Guardian; HM Courts Service; and the Tribunals Service.
In specific circumstances consultancy support offers the MoJ a fast and flexible way of obtaining skills and experience that are not available in-house. All contracts, in such cases, are let with best value for money in mind and follow established OGC frameworks. They are only used when there is a compelling business need to do so; they are used to provide specialist skills and expertise for a limited period of time where in-house skills are not available.
This figure is not yet audited and may be subject to change following audit. Some of this total may be for non-consultancy work carried out by suppliers who also supplied consultancy services.
Departmental Furniture
Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department has spent on furniture since May 2010. [35191]
Mr Djanogly: The Ministry of Justice HQ (MoJ) and the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) have spent £2,496,596 on furniture since May 2010. MoJ and NOMS share a procurement department so their total spend is produced as a single figure. As a part of the estates rationalisation project NOMS HQ moved from two buildings, Cleland house and Abell house, to one building, Clive house, during the summer of 2010. Some of the spend during this period was on furniture for the new HQ building, where some of the furniture from older buildings could not be reused due to wear and tear. The estates rationalisation programme is reducing the London estate from 18 buildings to four. This is anticipated to save £41 million by 2015.
The Tribunals Service spent £32,583 on furniture between May and December 2010.
The Office of the Public Guardian has spent £10,000 on furniture since May 2010.
HM Courts Service has spent £1,059,353 on furniture since May 2010.
Departmental Public Appointments
Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many (a) women and (b) men have been appointed to public duties by his Department since May 2010. [35405]
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Mr Djanogly: The staff numbers provided add together civil servants from the following:
Ministry of Justice HQ;
NOMS Agency;
HMCS;
Tribunals;
Office of the Parent Guardian;
Wales Office; and
Scotland Office.
Since May 2010 the Ministry of Justice has appointed 1,468 women and 1,475 men.
|
|
Headcount | Full-time equivalent |
| Source: MoJ, NOMS Agency and Scottish Government HR systems. | ||
Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what public appointments he has made since his appointment; and to what payments each person so appointed is entitled. [35427]
Mr Djanogly: Details of public appointments made by, or on behalf of, the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, the right hon. and learned Member for Rushcliffe (Mr Clarke), have been placed in the Libraries of the House. These include appointments and reappointments regulated and not regulated by the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments (OCPA). This information is not held centrally, but details of key public appointments made since May 2010 are published in individual press releases. These should include information on remuneration. Press releases are available at:
http://www.justice.gov.uk/
Departmental Temporary Employment
Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many officials of his Department were employed on fixed-term contracts in the latest period for which figures are available; and what the job title was of each such appointment. [35214]
Mr Djanogly: The fixed-term contract numbers provided add together civil servants from the following: Ministry of Justice HQ, NOMS Agency, HMCS, Tribunals, Office of the Public Guardian, Wales Office and Scotland Office. In order to give a consistent view across the Ministry in respect of job titles, the figures are shown separately for MoJ and NOMS Agency due to the two HR systems in use.
As at 31 December 2010 there were 1,981 (FTE: 1,894.58) fixed-term contractors employed by the Ministry of Justice.
| Ministry of Justice—FTC | ||
| Grade | FTC headcount | FTC fixed-term equivalent |
25 Jan 2011 : Column 200W
| Source: MoJ HR Oracle Database, MoJ staff on the NOMS Agency HR Oracle Database and Scotland Office staff on the Scottish Government HR Database | ||
| NOMS Agency—FTC as at 31 December 2010 | ||
| Grade | FTC headcount | FTC fixed-term equivalent |
| Source: NOMS Agency HR Oracle Database | ||
Domestic Violence
Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what legal support is available for victims of domestic violence who have more than £8,000 of equity in their home. [35879]
Mr Djanogly: The Legal Services Commission has the power to waive all the civil legal aid financial eligibility limits for legal representation for the victims of domestic violence. The waiver applies to any application for legal representation in proceedings where a client either seeks an injunction or other order for protection from harm; or for a breach of that order.
HM Courts Service: Manpower
Mr Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many full-time equivalent staff are employed at each courthouse in Wales identified for closure under his proposals of 14 December 2010; and how many such staff will be transferred. [35588]
Mr Djanogly: The numbers of full-time equivalent staff at each closing court in Wales as at 30 December 2010 are provided in the following table.
|
|
FTE |
25 Jan 2011 : Column 201W
| Note: The information provided is correct as at 30 December 2010. Source: Ministry of Justice HR Directorate database | |
It is not yet possible to say how many staff will be transferred to other courts. Following the decisions announced on 14 December, HMCS has commenced an internal consultation on staff impacts using the Management of Organisational Change Framework (MOCF) to look at staff impacts across the Court Estate Reform programme. During this period, HMCS will conduct discussion with the Department Trade Union Side and with staff (on a one-to-one basis) to consider how the changes will affect them. Only after these discussions take place will we be in a position to know the impact on staff.
After the MOCF consultation has concluded, HMCS will implement a phased approach to closures from April 2011.
Legal Aid
Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with reference to his Department's cumulative equalities impact assessment, what steps he plans to take to ensure that (a) women, (b) disabled people and (c) black and minority ethnic people are not disproportionately affected by reductions in the legal aid budget. [35538]
Mr Djanogly: The initial cumulative equalities impact assessment (EIA) that was published alongside the consultation ‘Proposals for the Reform of Legal Aid in England and Wales’ identifies the potential for some of the civil legal aid proposals to disproportionately affect women, disabled people and black, asian, and minority ethnic people. This appears to be primarily a reflection of the composition of the client base of civil legal aid recipients. People from these groups are overrepresented among recipients of civil legal aid services—because of this any changes to the system have the potential to affect them more.
The EIA also explains the Government's initial view that any such disadvantage would be a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim and therefore justified for reasons which are set out for each of the proposals. Legal aid must make a substantial contribution to necessary reductions in the budget of the Ministry of Justice. Our proposals seek to deliver these savings in a
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fair, balanced and sustainable way, targeting legal aid on those who need it most, for the most serious cases in which legal advice or representation is justified.
One of the purposes of publishing the initial EIA is to allow respondents to the consultation to comment on our assessment of the potential impact of the proposals. We will take this feedback into account in finalising our proposals and making decisions on the final proposals for implementation. We will also complete a final EIA, updating the analysis we have already published and incorporating evidence on the impact on different groups submitted during the consultation. This will be published alongside the Government's response to the consultation.
Legal Services Commission
Mr Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how much funding the Legal Services Commission provided from the Legal Aid budget for legal help and representation relating to pursuing actions for clinical negligence in 2008-09; and if he will make a statement; [35715]
(2) how much funding the Legal Services Commission provided from the Legal Aid budget for legal help and representation relating to consumer law and general contract issues in 2008-09; and if he will make a statement; [35716]
(3) how much funding the Legal Services Commission provided from the Legal Aid budget for legal help and representation relating to education law issues in 2008-09; and if he will make a statement; [35717]
(4) how much funding the Legal Services Commission provided from the Legal Aid budget for legal help and representation relating to the provision of welfare benefits in 2008-09; and if he will make a statement. [35718]
Mr Djanogly: The information is provided in the following table.
| £ million | |||
| Category of law | Civil representation (1) | Legal help | Total |
| (1) Civil representation is work funded under a legal aid certificate. However, a case may settle outside of court before the need for representation in court. | |||
Mr Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how much funding the Legal Services Commission provided from the Legal Aid budget for legal help and representation in housing matters in cases involving homelessness and housing disrepair (non-damages) in 2008-09; and if he will make a statement; [35719]
(2) how much funding the Legal Services Commission provided from the Legal Aid budget for legal help and representation in housing matters other than cases involving homelessness and housing disrepair (non-damages) in 2008-09; and if he will make a statement. [35720]
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Mr Djanogly: The following table shows the expenditure on housing cases in 2008-09 for legal help and representation.
Other legal help includes payments made to telephone advice services, community legal advice centres. It is not, however, possible to provide a breakdown of total spend within this category.
| £ million | |||
|
|
Representation | Legal help | Other legal help |
Members: Correspondence
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he plans to respond to the letter from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton (Sir Gerald Kaufman) of 11 November 2010 in regard to Israr Hussain Malik. [36053]
Mr Djanogly: The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Rushcliffe (Mr Clarke), will reply shortly. I apologise for the delay in responding.
Offenders: Mental Health
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what mechanism his Department has put in place to ensure that GPs work with public protection agencies in the care of offenders with mental health disorders; and if he will make a statement. [36228]
Mr Blunt: Under section 325 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003, every health authority or strategic health authority has a duty to co-operate with the “responsible authorities” charged with assessing and managing the risk of harm presented by sexual, violent and other high risk offenders, including those with mental health problems. The responsible authorities for any area are the chief officer of police, the probation trust and the Minister of the Crown exercising functions in relation to prisons, acting jointly. Responsible authorities and agencies with a duty to co-operate with the responsible authorities are required to draw up a memorandum of understanding, setting out the ways in which they are to co-operate in the management of relevant offenders. The role of GPs in this process and the care of their patients should be covered by the relevant health authority contribution to the memorandum.
Prison Service: Rehabilitation
Mrs Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent discussions he has had with the Prison Officers Association on the role of prison officers in the rehabilitation of offenders. [35853]
Mr Blunt:
A meeting with the POA to discuss the Rehabilitation Revolution Green Paper took place on 24 November 2010. There have been no further ministerial
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meetings with the POA that have been dedicated to discussing the role of prison officers in the rehabilitation of offenders.
Prisoners
Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the proportion of prisoners who had no fixed address when they (a) entered custody and (b) left custody in the latest period for which figures are available. [35706]
Mr Blunt: Accommodation matters are managed locally, and the proportion of prisoners who enter and leave custody with no fixed address is not collected centrally.
The Ministry of Justice's Compendium of Reoffending Statistics and Analysis which was published 4 November 2010 includes findings from ‘Surveying Prisoner Crime Reduction', a cohort survey of 3,849 prisoners sentenced in 2005-06 and serving between one month and four years. 15% of prisoners surveyed reported having been homeless prior to custody.
Prisoners: Mental Health
Mr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the recent conclusions made by the Chief Inspector of Prisons on the mental health of prisoners in HM Prison Brixton. [35619]
Mr Blunt: The Inspectorate of Prisons visited HMP Brixton between 1 and 10 December. The Inspectorate has not yet submitted the draft report of that inspection. Upon receipt of the report the National Offender Management Service will respond to all the recommendations, including any relating to mental health.
Re-offenders
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the effect on re-offending rates of the frequency of visits to prison inmates. [36208]
Mr Blunt: Surveys of prisoners shortly before release in 2001, 2003, and 2004 showed that 52% of prisoners who were visited by a partner or family member in prison re-offended compared with 70% of those who were not visited by a partner or family member. However, it is not clear if the prison visits caused the reduction in re-offending directly, or whether they are indicators of other important factors, such as strength of familial relationships and community ties.
Senior Civil Servants
Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what senior civil service staff moves there have been in his Department since May 2010; and what the (a) name and (b) salary is of each person (i) moving posts within and (ii) leaving his Department. [35437]
Mr Djanogly:
Since May 2010, six senior civil servants have moved posts within the Ministry of Justice, and 34 have left. Individual names and salaries cannot be disclosed, but the following table shows the
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number of staff involved whose salary (either current or at the point of departure) falls within each bracket of £20,000:
| Salary range | Total |
Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what senior civil service staff exits from his Department there have been since May 2010; and what (a) contractual and (b) non-contractual payments have been made as part of such exits. [35438]
Mr Djanogly: There have been 34 senior civil service staff exits from the Ministry of Justice since May 2010. A total of £671,573 contractual payments and £260,749 non-contractual payments have been made in relation to these exits.
Sentencing
Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners serving sentences of less than 12 months have been convicted of (a) violence against the person offences, (b) sexual offences, (c) burglary, (d) robbery and (e) drug offences on the most recent date for which figures are available. [36048]
Mr Blunt: From the most recent available data, 31 December 2010, the number of prisoners serving sentences of less than 12 months was (a) 1,551 for violence against the person offences, (b) 229 for sexual offences, (c) 461 for burglary, (d) 113 for robbery and (e) 202 for drug offences.
These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
Units and Teams
Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many (a) units and (b) teams have been set up in his Department since May 2010; and what the (i) name, (ii) purpose, (iii) number of staff and (iv) annual running costs are for each such unit or team. [35253]
Mr Djanogly: The Ministry of Justice is currently restructuring, prioritising front line delivery, in order to ensure that it provides effective and efficient front line services. The Ministry of Justice is responsible for the HM Courts Service, the Tribunals Service, the National Offender Management Service, the Office of the Public Guardian and a number of other arm’s length bodies, as well as corporate and policy functions in its headquarters.
To answer the question, each member of the senior civil service across the Department's range of business would need to separately indentify the required information and this would then have to be centrally collated. This would incur disproportionate cost to the Department.
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Communities and Local Government
Bed and Breakfast Accommodation: Greater London
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which five towns accommodated the largest number of bed and breakfast placements that had been funded by London borough councils in the last 13 years for each such council. [35207]
Andrew Stunell: Information is not held centrally on the location of bed and breakfast placements funded by local authorities.
Data are collected on the number of households in bed and breakfast style temporary accommodation arranged under homelessness legislation. National figures for the past 13 years can be found in table 6 of the following link:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/statistics/xls/1791620.xls
Information about local authorities' discharge of their duties under homelessness legislation is collected on quarterly P1E returns. Summary information about English local housing authorities' actions under the homelessness legislation (Part 7 of the Housing Act 1996) is collected at local authority level, and published by the Department in the quarterly Statistical Releases on Statutory Homelessness, available both in the Library of the House and via the DCLG website:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/housingresearch/housingstatistics/housingstatisticsby/homelessnessstatistics/publicationshomelessness/
Bus Services: Concessions
Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what factors informed his Department's decision to reduce the formula grant for concessionary bus travel for (a) Torbay council and (b) Devon county council for financial year 2011-12. [35249]
Robert Neill: Formula grant is an unhypothecated block grant i.e. authorities are free to spend it on any service. For this reason, and due to the method of calculating formula grant, particularly floor damping, it is not possible to say how much grant has been provided for any particular service, including concessionary travel.
Citizen Engagement
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he has taken to encourage citizen engagement since May 2010. [35809]
Andrew Stunell: The Government are committed to building a big society in which all citizens have more say in the future of their community.
Since May the Department for Communities and Local Government has introduced new legislation and removed bureaucracy to achieve this ambition.
The Localism Bill contains a wide range of measures to devolve more powers to councils and neighbourhoods and give local communities greater control over local
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decisions. It encourages citizen engagement by giving local people more power over local government and over how public money is spent in their area, and ensures that councillors are more directly accountable to them; and it enables local people to drive real change, encouraging them to get actively involved in planning, housing and other local services.
This is supported by our drive for greater transparency on how public money is spent, so local people have the information they need to hold Government to account. We have also removed needless bureaucracy such as comprehensive area assessments and centrally-imposed targets to free councils to serve their communities better.
Community Development
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent meetings Ministers and officials of his Department have had with the Local Government Association Selector Panel on the proposals by councils to be implemented under the Sustainable Communities Act 2007; and what the outcomes were of those meetings. [33486]
Greg Clark: I held several conversations with Councillor Keith Mitchell in his capacity as Chair of the Selector Panel during the course of 2010. On 23 November 2010, I met Councillor Mitchell and representatives of the Selector Panel to discuss proposals submitted under the Sustainable Communities Act 2007.
Officials have also regularly discussed proposals with their counterparts from the Local Government Association. These constructive discussions have been helpful and have influenced the Secretary of State’s decisions, published on 15 December 2010.
On 15 December 2010, I issued a second invitation to local authorities to consult people and try to reach agreement with them about how to improve their local area. Local authorities can submit proposals through the new barrier-busting portal at:
http://barrierbusting.communities.gov.uk
where progress on their consideration will be made transparent.
Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what timetable he has set for the implementation of shortlisted proposals for action under the provisions of the Sustainable Communities Act 2007. [34031]
Greg Clark: The Secretary of State has detailed the actions he will take with a view to implementing, or implementing in part, proposals submitted under the Sustainable Communities Act 2007, and when these will take place, in ‘Sustainable Communities Act 2007: Decisions on proposals submitted following the 2008 invitation’, published on 15 December 2010.
The Secretary of State will publish a progress report on any actions not completed by 15 December 2011.
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what measures are in place to spread best practice in the development of social capital within communities. [35216]
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Andrew Stunell: The Government are committed to giving people and front line professionals new rights and greater freedoms to shape their community by opening up public services to encourage more innovation, diversity and responsiveness. We also recognise that not all communities currently have the same level of capacity to take on new rights and responsibilities.
Any community group or organisation involved in developing local initiatives which rely on the commitment, ideas and energy of its members are encouraged to promote best practice and share learning.
The Department for Communities and Local Government will publish case studies, including the work of the big society vanguards, in due course. Furthermore, the big society awards, launched by the Prime Minister on 22 November, will recognise outstanding examples of social capital in action across the country.
We continue to work closely with the Local Government Association to encourage them to promote best practice among their members.
Departmental Internet
Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what his Department's policy is on the sale of advertising space on its website. [36146]
Robert Neill: The Department does not sell advertising space on its corporate website.
Departmental Legal Costs
Mr Raynsford: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 15 December 2010, Official Report, column 809W, on departmental legal opinion, how much of the £430,804 spent by his Department on external legal fees in November 2010 is attributable to legal issues initiated under the previous administration. [32208]
Robert Neill [holding answer 21 December 2010]: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
To place this in context, in relation to litigation, there are around 220 to 240 open cases at any one time with around 40 to 60 new cases entered and around the same number closed over a period of 12 months.
Housing
Grahame M. Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the level of single occupancy residency is in (a) England, (b) the North East and (c) Easington constituency. [35262]
Andrew Stunell: An estimated 29% of households in England and 34% of households in the north-east were single person households in 2008-09. These estimates are based on data from the English Housing Survey. Estimates of the proportion of single person households at constituency level are not possible using survey data.
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Based on 2001 census data, the proportion of single person households in England in 2001 was 30%; the proportion in the north-east was 31%; and the proportion in the Easington constituency (2010 boundary) was 28%.
Housing Associations: Pensions
Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what information his Department holds on the number of housing associations which offer final salary pension schemes; and if he will estimate the deficits on the funds of such schemes (a) for each association and (b) in total. [35682]
Andrew Stunell: This information is not held by the Department or by the regulator of social housing. Individual housing associations are required to publish details of their pension schemes in their annual audited accounts, governed by a reporting standard set by the Accounting Standards Board.
Housing: Peterborough
Mr Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much the Homes and Community Agency has allocated to Accent Nene Housing Society for (a) social rented housing and (b) intermediate housing in Peterborough in (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011-12 and (iii) 2012-13; and if he will make a statement. [36152]
Grant Shapps: The Homes and Communities Agency has allocated a total of £948,000 in 2010-11 for schemes being developed by Accent Nene in Peterborough. Of these funds £752,000 is for social rented housing and £196,000 is for affordable home ownership.
For existing commitments through the National Affordable Housing Programme there is forecast expenditure of £474,000 in 2012-13 for Accent Nene in Peterborough including £98,000 for affordable home ownership. New allocations for 2011-12 and 2012-13 will be made later in the year following the commencement of the new Affordable Homes Programme from April 2011.
Landlord and Tenant
Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many tenants of (a) social landlords and (b) private landlords are resident in Liverpool, West Derby constituency. [35284]
Andrew Stunell [holding answer 21 January 2011]: Information is available on the number of households rather than the number of tenants. The number of households in each constituency which were (a) rented from the council, (b) other social rented and (c) private rented or living rent free, is available from the Census 2001. More recent information is not available.
| Number of occupied households Liverpool, West Derby | |
|
|
2001 |
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| Notes: 1. The terms used to describe tenure are defined as: Other social rented includes rented from Registered Social Landlord, Housing association, Housing Co-operative and Charitable Trust. Private rented: renting from a private landlord or letting agency, employer of a household member, or relative or friend of a household member or other person. 2. ‘Living rent free’ could include households that are living in accommodation other than private rented. 3. In general, a household's accommodation is defined as an unshared dwelling if all the rooms are behind a door that only that household can use. Source: Census 2001 | |
Data on the number of dwellings owned by (a) local authorities, (b) registered social landlords and (c) in the private sector (rather than by private landlords), are available by local authority area as at 1 April 2010, including Liverpool, on the DCLG website in live table 100:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/xls/1783239.xls
Local Government Executive
Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many local authorities have indicated to his Department that they plan to move to committee-style governance arrangements after the enactment of the Localism Bill; and if he will make a statement. [34050]
Greg Clark: Brighton and Hove city council has indicated to my Department that they plan to move to committee-style governance arrangements after the enactment of the Localism Bill. We would expect more councils to consider the merits of the greater local choice on governance arrangements as the Localism Bill progresses through its legislative stages.
Local Government: Aarhus Convention
Sir Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the likely role of the provisions of the Aarhus Convention in planning applications and decisions following enactment of the Localism Bill; and if he will make a statement. [34133]
Greg Clark [holding answer 17 January 2011]: In December 2010 the Government submitted the United Kingdom's National Implementation Report under the Aarhus Convention to the Commission Secretariat. This set out the legislative, regulatory and other measures taken to implement the Convention. The Government consulted on this Report from 15 October to 17 November 2010.
Public participation in plan making and the right to make representations on individual planning applications are well established traditions in the UK and enshrined in planning law.
A firm commitment to promote democratic and local control is at the heart of our planning reforms as set out in the Localism Bill. Crucially, we will deliver a fundamental power shift by giving communities the right to develop neighbourhood plans and real power to shape, drive
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and permit development through Neighbourhood Development Orders, and we will require large developers to consult with communities prior to submitting planning applications.
Local Government: Petitions
Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans he has for the future of the local authority petition system after the enactment of the Localism Bill. [34054]
Greg Clark: Local authorities in England are currently required to have an overly prescriptive scheme in place for dealing with petitions from local people. We plan to repeal the petitions duty through the Localism Bill.
Prior to the imposition of the statutory duty in June 2010, councils up and down the land regularly and properly considered petitions from local residents. The new statutory duty just added unnecessary bureaucracy to the process.
Following enactment of the Localism Bill people will continue to submit petitions and their local authorities will continue to deal with the issues raised as they consider appropriate.
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many petitions to local authorities were made in each local authority area in (a) 2009 and (b) 2010. [34885]
Andrew Stunell: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Local authorities are not required to provide central Government with data on the number of petitions they have received.
Local Government: Referendums
Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government who will be responsible for the cost of holding local referendums under the provisions of the Localism Bill. [34053]
Greg Clark: Local authorities will be responsible for the cost of holding local referendums on local issues. The Government are committed to ensuring that additional burdens on local authorities are funded in accordance with the new burdens doctrine.
Members: Correspondence
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he plans to respond to the letter from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton (Sir Gerald Kaufman) of 29 November 2010 in regard to Mr F O'Flynn. [36054]
Grant Shapps: A reply was sent on 21 January 2011.
Non-domestic Rates
Mr George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) what consultation he plans to carry out as part of his review of business rates on (a) equalisation, (b) minimising the adverse effects in deprived areas and (c) the need to put in place appropriate support mechanisms; [35168]
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(2) what the terms of reference are for the review of business rates which he is chairing; [35170]
(3) what objectives he has set for the review of business rates which he is chairing. [35171]
Robert Neill: The Local Growth White Paper “Local Growth: realising every place's potential” confirmed that the local government resource review would consider proposals to allow local authorities to retain locally-raised business rates. The review will commence in January and develop proposals by July 2011. The Secretary of State will make an announcement shortly about the review and its terms of reference.
Non-domestic Rates: Empty Property
Paul Uppal: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the likely level of savings which will accrue from ending empty property business rate relief on all buildings with a rateable value higher than £2,600 from 1 April 2011. [34783]
Robert Neill: I refer my hon. Friend to the written ministerial statement of 13 December 2010, Official Report, columns 61-62WS.
Planning Permission: Appeals
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 29 November 2010, Official Report, column 480W, on planning permission: appeals, whether he plans to reform the right of appeal for (a) applicants and (b) opponents; and if he will make a statement. [32803]
Greg Clark: The Government’s reforms to the planning system as set out in the Localism Bill do not contain proposals to reform the right of appeal.
Planning: Gateshead
Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether he has made an estimate of the cost to the public purse of implementing his proposals in the Localism Bill for individual neighbourhood plans in respect of Gateshead local authority area. [33200]
Greg Clark: We have made no separate assessment of the cost to the public purse of implementing neighbourhood plans in the Gateshead local authority area specifically. We will be publishing an Impact Assessment on our Neighbourhood Plan proposals in due course which will outline how the changes will increase sustainable development and deliver monetised benefits to local authorities and developers.
Voluntary Work
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) if he will estimate the number and proportion of (a) young people and (b) pensioners involved in volunteering in each year for which figures are available; [35057]
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(2) what estimate he has made of the level of volunteering amongst unemployed people in each year for which data are available; [35058]
(3) what information his Department holds on levels of volunteering in each (a) local authority and (b) socio-economic group. [35081]
Andrew Stunell: Data from the Citizenship Survey provide the percentage of young people (aged 16 to 25 years), retired people and unemployed people who participated in regular (at least once a month) formal and informal volunteering in England, plus a breakdown by socio-economic group. The table also provides estimates of the number of young people who participated in these activities. Estimates on the number of retired people participating in volunteering cannot be calculated because population estimates do not provide relevant numbers.
| Table 1: Number of young people (aged 16-25) participating in formal and informal volunteering (at least once a month) in England, by year | ||||
| Formal volunteering | Informal volunteering | |||
|
|
Percentage (1) | Estimated number (thousand) (3) | Percentage (2) | Estimated number (thousand) (3) |
| (1) None of the year-on-year changes for formal volunteering are statistically significant for young people. (2) The only year on year statistically significant change for informal volunteering is from 2008-09 to 2009-10 for young people, where a decrease was found (38% to 32%). (3) Estimated numbers are calculated by applying proportions from the Citizenship Survey to the Office of National Statistics Mid-Year Population Estimates for young people (aged 16-25). | ||||
| Table 2: Proportion of pensioners participating in formal and informal volunteering (at least once a month) in England, by year | ||
| Percentage | ||
| Pensioners | ||
|
|
Formal volunteering (1) | Informal volunteering (2) |
| (1) None of the year-on-year changes for formal volunteering are statistically significant for retired people. (2) Year on year significant changes for informal volunteering were from 2007-08 to 2008-09 (an increase from 33% to 36%) and 2008-09 to 2009-10 (a decrease from 36% to 29%--though this change may, in part, reflect a change in the way the question was asked in 2009-10), for retired people. | ||
| Table 3: Proportion of unemployed people participating in formal and informal volunteering (at least once a month) in England, by year | ||
| Percentage | ||
| Unemployed people (1) | ||
|
|
Formal volunteering (2) | Informal volunteering (2) |
| (1) Unemployed people are defined as out of paid work but looking for employment (in the four weeks before interview). (2) None of the year-on-year changes for unemployed people is statistically significant—there are low numbers of unemployed people answering this question meaning that large percentage point changes are required to detect a difference. | ||
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| Table 4: Proportion of participating in formal and informal volunteering (at least once a month) in 2009-10, by socio-economic group, England | ||
| Percentage | ||
| Socio-economic classifications | Formal volunteering | Informal volunteering |
Information on levels of volunteering in local authority areas is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
The Citizenship Survey definition of formal volunteering is:
‘Giving unpaid help through groups, clubs or organisations to benefit other people or the environment’.
This excludes giving money and activities related to job requirements.
Formal volunteers are those who have given unpaid help through any UK groups, clubs or organisations via the following activities: raising or handling money/taking part in sponsored events; leading the group/member of a committee; organising or helping run an activity or event; visiting people; befriending or mentoring people; giving advice/information/counselling; secretarial, admin or clerical work; providing transport/driving; representing; campaigning; other practical help (e.g. helping out at school); and any other help.
The Citizenship Survey definition of informal volunteering is:
‘Giving unpaid help as an individual to people who are not relatives’.
Informal volunteers are those who have given unpaid help to someone who is not a relative via the following activities: keeping in touch with someone who has difficulty getting out and about; doing shopping/collecting prescription/paying bills; cooking/cleaning /laundry/gardening or other routine household jobs; decorating or doing any kind of home or car repairs; babysitting or caring for children; sitting with or providing personal care (e.g. washing, dressing) for someone who is sick or frail; looking after property or a pet for someone who is away; giving advice; writing letters or filling in forms; representing someone (e.g. talking to a council department or a doctor); transporting or escorting someone (e.g. to hospital).
Written Questions: Government Responses
Mr Raynsford: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he plans to answer question 32208 tabled on 16 December 2010 by the right hon. Member for Greenwich and Woolwich (Mr Raynsford) on external legal fees paid by his Department in November 2010. [35778]
Robert Neill [holding answer 24 January 2011]: This question has now been answered.
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Scotland
Departmental Procurement
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what single tender contracts his Department has awarded since his appointment; and what the monetary value is of each contract above the EU public procurement threshold. [36192]
David Mundell: Other than minor purchases, the Scotland Office does not undertake direct procurement or tendering projects. It utilises existing service contracts between suppliers and the Scottish Government or the Ministry of Justice. Since the Secretary of State for Scotland's appointment on 30 May 2010, no single tender contracts have been awarded directly by the Scotland Office.
Cabinet Office
Community Development
Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what measures he uses to measure the well-being of (a) individuals and (b) communities. [35813]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated January 2011:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what measures are used to measure the well being of (a) individuals and (b) communities. 035813
There are no regular, official measures of well-being. However, on 25 November 2010 the National Statistician launched a debate on the measurement of national well-being and announced plans to include questions on subjective well-being—how people assess their own well-being—in ONS surveys.
This is the first stage in the development of wider measures, to supplement GDP and other measures of economic welfare. The aim is that these new measures will cover the quality of life of people in the UK, environmental and sustainability issues, as well as the economic performance of the country.
We want as many people as possible to take part in the debate in a variety of ways, including at events we are organising around the country. Details can be found on our website at:
www.ons.gov.uk/well-being
by emailing the National Well-being Programme at:
nationalwell-being@ons.gsi.gov.uk
or by writing or telephoning.
Former Prime Ministers: Allowances
Pete Wishart: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much in public duty costs allowance has been paid to former Prime Ministers in each of the last five years. [34218]
Mr Maude: The total amount reimbursed each year, on the public duties costs allowance is:
|
|
Total expenditure (£) |
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Urenco: Mutual Societies
Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will consider the merits of Urenco Ltd UK becoming an employee mutual rather than being sold to an overseas buyer. [36013]
Charles Hendry: I have been asked to reply.
The Government are currently assessing their options with regard to the UK's one-third stake in Urenco. No decisions have yet been taken and any change in the present ownership arrangements will be dependent upon our being satisfied that adequate protections will remain in place in the areas of nuclear non-proliferation and safety and security, while also securing value for money for the tax payer.
Leader of the House
Private Members’ Bills
Mr Offord: To ask the Leader of the House what recent representations he has received on the consideration of Private Members’ Bills on days other than Fridays. [35618]
Sir George Young: I have received representations from hon. Members on this issue during Business Questions and Oral Questions to the Leader of the House of Commons.
I would be happy to meet my hon. Friend to discuss this issue.
International Development
Departmental Public Appointments
Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many (a) women and (b) men have been appointed to public duties by his Department since May 2010. [35393]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: From May 2010 the Department for International Development (DFID) has appointed two women and three men to public duties.
Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what public appointments he has made since his appointment; and to what payments each person so appointed is entitled. [35417]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: Since May 2010 the Department for International Development (DFID) has made five public appointments. DFID has appointed:
one new non-executive director and reappointed one non-executive director. Post holders are entitled to £15,000 per annum and an additional £5,000 for the non-executive director who chairs DFID's Audit Committee;
one chief commissioner to the Independent Commission for Aid Impact, entitled to £600 per day for approximately 45 days per annum; and
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two replacement commissioners to the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission, DFID's non-departmental public body. The Commission meet up to three times per year and commissioners are entitled to receive up to £250 per meeting to cover expenses.
Nigeria: Education
Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Education Sector Support Programme in Nigeria in increasing the accountability of the Nigerian Government to its citizens through (a) working with local government officials and (b) working with civil society organisations; and if he will make a statement. [35259]
Mr O'Brien: The Education Sector Support Programme in Nigeria (ESSPIN) is subject to regular scrutiny, and the last major review took place in May 2010. This provided strong evidence that the programme is increasing the accountability of the Nigerian Government to its citizens. ESSPIN works closely with another programme which is funded by the Department for International Development (DFID)—the State Accountability and Voice Programme (SAVI)—to identify, train and support civil society organisations to mobilise communities and encourage greater government accountability. ESSPIN works with local government officials to establish school based management committees, which make schools, teachers and local officials more accountable to the local community.
Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what programmes his Department supports in respect of skills development for young people in Nigeria; and if he will make a statement. [35260]
Mr O'Brien: The Department of International Development (DFID) has a number of programmes aimed at increasing economic growth, employment and incomes for poor people in various industrial and agricultural sectors in Nigeria. Two programmes under design, in meat and leather, and in construction, are likely to address lack of skills in the labour force, especially amongst youth and the unemployed. These proposals are under review with experts and providers of vocational training services.
DFID is also exploring a new skills programme that will build on this work, and expand it to more sectors of the economy, with a particular focus on women and girls.
Overseas Aid
Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will estimate the change in monetary terms in the level of the UK's official development assistance (ODA) in each year to 2014 if ODA increased incrementally to (a) 0.61% of gross national income (GNI) in 2011, (b) 0.65% of GNI in 2012 and (c) 0.7% of GNI in 2013. [36059]
Mr Andrew Mitchell:
The Government are committed to spend 0.7% of gross national income (GNI) as official development assistance (ODA) from 2013 in line with
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the UK's commitments to help the very poorest in the world. We will enshrine this commitment in law.
ODA projections for each year to 2014 were laid out in the 2010 spending review based on GNI projections provided by the Office of Budget Responsibility (OBR).
| Spending review 2010 | |||||
|
|
2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 |
Health
StartHere
16. Alun Michael: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will assess the potential of StartHere to contribute to savings in the NHS. [35647]
Mr Simon Burns: We have been supporting StartHere through NHS Choices. We are now reviewing the benefits of this joint working. That will help us understand the potential contributions to savings.
NHS Reorganisation
18. Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which organisations have indicated to him their support for plans for the internal reorganisation of the NHS. [35649]
Paul Burstow: Many organisations have indicated their support for the principles of our national health service reforms including:
The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges;
NHS Confederation;
The Health Foundation;
Patient’s Association;
The King’s Fund;
Carers UK;
Cancer Research UK;
Royal College of Surgeons;
Royal College of Nursing;
Royal College of GPs;
Royal College of Physicians;
Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health;
Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists;
Royal College of Ophthalmologists;
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists;
The Nuffield Trust;
The British Dental Association;
New Local Government Network;
Core Cities Chief Executives Network;
Allied Health Professionals Federation;
British Psychological Society;
College of Optometrists;
The Queen’s Nursing Institute;
Foundation Trust Network;
The UK Public Health Association;
Chartered Institute of Environmental Health;
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British Dental Association;
Guild of Healthcare Pharmacists;
College of Emergency Medicine;
Dental Schools Council;
British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy;
The Renal Association;
The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy;
College of Occupational Therapists;
The College of Paramedics;
British Association of Social Workers;
Neurological Alliance;
National Clinical Homecare Association;
The Association of UK University Hospitals;
Age UK;
Terence Higgins Trust;
Children’s Hospices UK;
Citizens Advice Bureau;
British Liver Trust;
Turning Point;
Genetic Alliance UK;
Centre for Mental Health;
Alzheimer’s Society;
The Prostate Cancer Charity;
Breast Cancer Care;
RNIB;
Diabetes UK; and
The MS Society